baby | lrh

chapter 27

Penelope Rhodes

I woke up feeling constricted with a pounding headache. When I opened my eyes, I was met with white walls and the sickly scent of sanitation. I looked around and saw nothing but machines and that's when I could confirm I was in the hospital.

"Good, you're up," a deep voice said from the doorway to which I found came from an older man in a white lab coat. My doctor, I presume.

"Why am I here?" I grumbled, my head still killing me.

"You don't remember anything?" He asked me. I racked my brain for answers but to no avail. I shook my head. "Oh dear... can you tell me your name?" He asked once again but no answer came out of my mouth. His face turned to one of horror as he examined my state.

"Is that a bad thing?" I whispered. Immediately, he hid his horror-struck expression and tried to look neutral.

"Penelope!" A light female voice sounded from my doorway before the doctor could answer.

"Who's Penelope?" I asked in a soft voice. The girl's face fell. She had beautiful features: long blonde hair, hazel eyes, light skin tone. She was shorter, probably no taller than 5'0" but she was cute and round. Was she pregnant? Oh my gosh! That's so adorable. I bet she and her husband are very happy!

"P... you're Penelope. Don't you remember? Don't you remember me?! I'm your best friend! Hayden? Anything ringing a bell?! Please tell me you remember!" She cried as she threw herself at me. She was halted by the doctor's arm.

"Miss Jackson, it seems that Miss Rhodes has a bit of amnesia. We're not quite sure yet how extensive it is or how long it will last. It was a nasty spill, as you should remember. She lost a lot of blood and hit her head very hard. The trauma could be more damaging than we thought." He explained.

"What happened to me? What's wrong?" I asked, panicked.

"Nothing major to worry about. You were out for 3 days. You fainted, from what I'm guessing was shock, and you hit your head on the ground very hard. There was a lot of bleeding but we fixed what we could. The little internal bleeding that was there has been taken care of but I guess this amnesia may be coming from your brain's personal healing method. This could be physical or emotional healing. It's possible that your mind is purposely shutting out something or things you don't want to remember to save it some pain. It's a possibility." He told me.

"So what's your name?" I asked the girl. "Tell me about yourself... and me I guess if you say we're best friends... I'm sorry I don't remember you." I finished.

"You're Penelope Rhodes. You were valedictorian of our high school. You're also a year older than me and currently a junior in college. The college we attend is University of Melbourne, which is actually run by your dad. He was gone for a really long time and you didn't know if he was even still alive but he is, he owns the school. I'm Hayden Jackson. I'm currently a sophomore in college and yes I'm pregnant. We both used to play lacrosse but we don't anymore. We live with 4 boys named Michael, Calum, Ashton, and... he's not important. They're famous and currently touring. Ashton is your half brother and also the father to our unborn baby girl but we aren't officially together. Michael and Calum are together, Michael is more my gay best friend and Calum is yours. Not that we all aren't friends, it's just that we're closer with one or the other. That's about it... is there anything you want to know?" She explained to me. Hayden. What a nice girl.

"What's the fourth boy's name and why is he not important?" I asked, curious as to why she didn't mention him.

"I'm not his biggest fan and vice versa," she gave me a quick answer. I didn't push for any more details but I just wanted to know his name.

"Just please give me his name and I promise I'll drop it." I pleaded, the suspense killing me.

"Luke... Luke Hemmings." She said.

I got a quick flash of blonde hair and blue eyes but I didn't really see a face. I tried my hardest to remember him because I felt like I already knew him. I wanted to remember him. I needed to remember him.

We talked for a little while longer, me still trying to remember him. Before I knew it, visiting hours were over and Hayden had to leave but she promised to come back in the morning. The whole night, I tossed and turned trying to piece together the puzzle that is my life.

I would come in and out of dreams where I would get glimpses of people but never the full picture. It was like I was looking at it from underwater and nothing was clear. I think because now I wanted to remember, my brain was letting me.

I fell into a deep sleep around 4:45 am and started to dream once again. This time, it was clear.

The blonde boy and I, who I still haven't gotten a true face out of, were cuddling on the couch of an unknown room.

Two boys holding hands walked in, one with olive toned skin and dark hair, the other with light skin and multi-colored hair.

"Hey, get a fucking room! That's gross, you guys being all cuddly on our couch. We all have to sit there!" The boy with multi-colored hair said.

"Michael! Don't fucking swear!" Another boy came into the room with lighter brown hair and hazel eyes.

"Really, Ashton?" Blonde boy said, laughing. I got a quick look at his face but all I saw was a lip ring and perfect teeth smiling like there was no tomorrow. For some reason, it made my heart flutter to see him so happy. I didn't know him, but I felt like I did. I felt like I had to be happy that he was happy because I had this feeling his happiness didn't come around often; I felt like he had a rough past.

"Let's go Cal," Michael rolled his eyes, laughing all the same, pulling the olive skinned boy by the hand to another room.

I popped up out of my dream, startled. The sun was creeping in the window of the hospital and the fuzzy picture was starting to get clearer. I could place names with faces. I could finally remember something.

It hit me like a ton of bricks suddenly, and yet in slow motion

Luke.

Everything flooded back to me and I felt myself collapsing from the weight of the past few years of my life: him saving me from Austin, the drugs, Luke going to jail, our relationship, my friends, Luke cheating, the tour, him leaving me, Hayden, our fights, the booze, Arzaylea, the baby, me fainting...

Everything. I remembered everything. It was strange. So much pain was laced around the reel of memories that just flooded my head but also so much love. So much love for the one I lost. 

a/n: she rlly said i wish that i could wake up with amnesia smh