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Chapter 3

BRIDGETTE

How am I feeling?

Did he want to know what I felt? I felt like scratching on his face and demand for an explanation. I wanted to know why he called me Cara.

“She doesn’t know who I am,” the man said to the doctor, his face worried.

The doctor regarded him with a blank expression before he turned to me. The nurse decided to turn on the lights and I had to squeeze my eyes shut to adjust. The bitch could have said ‘excuse me’.

“Cara, my name is Dr. Pohl. You’ve been in a vehicular accident and I know you are confused right now. Can you talk?”

“No,” I bit out of anger and rolled my eyes. Confused? I was not confused. I was fully aware that I was being mistreated. They mixed me up with another person’s name!

Dr. Pohl did not like my sarcasm and it was apparent on his face. He waved it off and continued, “Can you remember what happened?”

I racked my brain. I remembered walking to the office, my secretary whose name I still cannot figure out, the meeting with Quinn and Natalie, the drive to the restaurant, the ‘catching up’ with Cara, the rain, the fight and then the bright light

And yes, I remember my name and it is not Cara!.

“Yes,” was the only answer I could give. “But I’m not Cara. You’re mistaken.” I looked at the man wearing a checkered polo shirt standing beside the doctor. I wanted him to look into my eyes—my face—and realize he had not been watching over his daughter.

The worried look on the man who claimed he was my father deepened and he turned his head to Dr. Pohl. “What’s happening?” he asked.

I should be asking that question.

“Cara, you’re confused. This thing happens all the time,” Dr. Pohl assured me and turned to the man beside him. “She needs more rest. Be patient. She’ll come back soon enough.”

“No, I’m not Cara… what the hell are you people talking about? I am Bridgette Finn and I demand to see my parents right now. This man is not my father and…and…I am not Cara!” I started to panic. Maybe I was confused, maybe I had brain damage or maybe I was right and everyone in this stupid hospital was crazy! “I want to be transferred immediately!”

I started to get hysterical. I saw Dr. Pohl giving orders to the nurse and she immediately went out. When she came back less than a minute after, she was carrying a syringe and she went to the machine that regulated my IV fluid.

“No…don’t…” I felt my strength leaving me. It was darkness again.

CARA

“Bridgette?” I asked. My body was screaming in panic but I had to stay calm and focused.

“You remember who you are, right?” Lorraine asked me and then she turned to the doctor. “She remembers, right?”

Dr. Stein looked at me and asked, “Ms. Finn, do you know where you are?”

“I’m in the hospital.” I wanted to ask why he was calling me Ms. Finn but I didn’t want more complications. I knew what they would do once they confirmed I was confused. They would do a series of tests to check on my brain. I knew there was just some mix-up of some sort after the accident. They may have switched my identity with Bridgette’s by accident.

But this woman, Lorraine, she thought I was her sister. For sure my face was not covered or damaged enough for her to not see that I did not have Bridgette’s face.