Chapter 7

I tap my fingers on the side of my bed. The door is open and I hear the usual sound of the hospital- loud footsteps; beeping monitors; voices over the intercom… I’m sure I should be bored right about now, but I have too many things to think about. Instead, I’m rather frustrated. I need answers. But to get those answers, I have to talk to the guys that talked to Kas. And to figure out who they are, I have to talk to John.

And John might not be coming back.

I know I should be extremely concerned about the fact that I may never see John again, but for some reason, I’m not worried. I feel like I’ll see him soon, no matter what the situation is. So in truth, I’m more upset about the fact that it may be a very long time until I learn the answers to the mysteries that keep popping up all around me.

I feel like I should be doing something productive. Something that will help me remember my past or get to know the people I used to be close to or help me find the answers to my mysteries. But I don't know what I can do, really.

I hear a knock on my door, interrupting my thoughts.

"Uh, come in?" I say uncertainly and the door opens slowly.

"Hello, Ms. Evans," a low, heavily accented voice sounds from behind the door.

"Hi," I respond.

"I'm Dr. Liang," the man says as he steps into my room. He is short with long, dark hair. He has to be in his fifites, but his voice makes him sound younger.

Liang, I think. That sounds familiar.

"Kas," I whisper. That's her last name.

Dr. Liang chuckles. "Yes, yes. Kasarna is my daughter."

"Okay," I reply, proud of myself for remembering something. "Well, it's nice to meet you. But, um, why are you here?"

"I'm going to try to help you remember," he says kindly. When he notices my slightly confused expression, he adds, "Kas requested I do so." I nod, showing him that I understand even though I actually don't.

"How?" I ask, happy that I found a question that wasn't Why?

"Well, I'm going to show you pictures of events that you were involved in a long time ago," he says and then adds uncomfortably, "And we're going to talk about them."

"When do we start?" I smile as warmly as I can.

"Well, now. If that works for you," he tells me and hands me a small photo album. "Now, go ahead and look through those. Let me know if you have any questions."

I can't help but think that this guy might not be the best psychiatrist. But I open the album anyways.

I flip through the pages relatively quickly. Most of the pictures are basically self-explanatory- A few of me playing soccer, a few of me standing with Kas in front of different amusement park signs, a few school pictures...

But one picture catches my eye. It's dated from just two weeks ago; it has to be from just before the crash.

In the picture, John is in mid-laugh and his hands are on my shoulders from behind me. Kas is smiling- but not the smile I’ve seen from her recently- instead, she smiles a real smile. And she is partially hidden behind me because I’m leaning over.

Another girl stands to the left of Kas, arms crossed and head down. She’s clearly laughing like the rest of us. Her long hair covers most of her face, so I stand no chance of remembering who she is.

“Who is that?” I ask Dr. Liang, pointing at the mysterious girl.

Dr. Liang’s face contorts and his eyes shoot away from mine. He takes a step back and says, “That’s Aria Katherine.”

“Was she my friend?” I ask slowly.

“She,” he begins and then quickly stops. He inhales deeply and continues, “She’s not well.”

“What do you mean? Was she hurt in the crash, too?” I say, my voice increasing in volume.

“Well, no. Not exactly,” he mumbles with uncertainty.

“I have to see her,” I reply firmly.

He agrees, “Very well. Very well. I’ll see if Kas will bring you.”

I try to hide my pleasure when I thank him.

Reviews

[Craig2591]

Keep the chapters coming. I want to find out what's going on.