18 going on 38

chapter 3

"I'm not hurt, I'm just..."

"Just what?"

"I made a wish, when I went to bed last night. I wondered what my life would be and I wished to just jump until after the olympics when life was good." She whispered, it sounded stupid even to her own ears, but there was no other explanation that made sense.

"You did?" Carina looked heartbroken and Maya was unsure what to make of that. Amelia looked like she was about to laugh and Maya chuckled at her, knowing she sounded crazy.

"Well, I can't come up with a better explanation so...?" She said, "I'd maybe go to a psychologist though, rule out some trauma response thing and then-"

"I don't have any trauma." Maya laughed.

She watched as the two doctors shared a look and Carina shrugged.

"We'll go to a psychologist just to make sure, that was a good idea Amelia. Now let's get you home and get some food into you." Carina smiled, but Maya could tell it didn't reach her eyes. She followed suit after waving a quick goodbye to Amelia.

She almost bumped into Carina as she froze in the middle of the busy emergency room. "Don't be scared, Maya." She muttered just as two people in uniform walked over to them with smiles on their faces.

"Bishop, what are you doing here? Herrera said you weren't feeling well but I didn't realise it was hospital bad." The man said.

"Yeah, I honestly thought you were just hungover." The woman laughed and punched Maya in the shoulder.

"Ehm, Carina?" Maya said in panic, waiting for the one safe person she knew to explain or handle the situation, but the woman seemed a little panicked too.

"Maya is, ehm-" She hesitated.

"Hey, woah, is it serious?" The man asked, grabbing her elbow and Maya had to concentrate to not shrug it off.

"I have amnesia, or something. I don't know you." The man turned pale and dropped her arm. The woman started laughing nervously.

"Okay, well. I'm Travis, and this laughing mess is Vic." He said, nudging her. "We work together."

"Oh, at the firestation?" She tried to sound as adult as she could but she realised that she never actually spoke to people. She let her father handle every interaction.

"Yes, we just came from a fire now actually. Dropped of a patient." Travis said warmly. "How much? Ehm, what do you remember, exactly?"

"June 2002?" Maya admitted and watched his face turn even more surprised.

"Oh, okay, yeah shit."

"Yup." Maya agreed. "But we should go."

"Hey, Trav?" Carina asked, and Maya thought finally. "Maybe just keep quiet about this for a few days? The fire department..." She said and both Vic and Travis nodded seriously. Maya wondered what Carina had meant, but she didn't ask.

"Okay, bye Maya. Good luck and ehh, call either of us if you need anything, okay?"

"You have mobile phones?"

"Yeah, Maya." Vic chuckled. "Everyone has phones. I'm pretty sure I'm saved in your contacts as Hughie and he's probably just Montgomery, Carina will help you. Don't worry." She smiled soothingly and Maya felt her panic level decrease a little.

"Okay, thank you. And nice to meet you guys." She blushed.

⎯⎯⎯

"You okay?" Maya asked when she couldn't handle the quietness of the car anymore.