Memory Host

Chapter 1 - The Name I Dont know

Jessica opened her eyes to a ceiling she didn't recognize.

Off-white. Cracked in one corner. A faint stain shaped like a bird if she stared long enough. Her head throbbed in pulses — sharp and unrelenting — like something inside her skull was trying to crawl its way out.

The room smelled like lavender and bleach.

She blinked again. The walls weren't a hospital's. They were too soft in color. Too warm. There was a window. Locked. A dresser. Closed. A closet door slightly cracked, showing nothing but shadows.

And then... movement.

A man stepped into view, holding a tray.

"Good morning, baby," he said gently, setting it down on the nightstand. "You're awake. That's good."

She stared.

His face was handsome. Too perfect, like he'd been designed in a lab. Clean-cut beard, rich brown skin, eyes that studied her like they already knew all her secrets.

"I—where am I?" she croaked.

"You're home."

The word sounded foreign. Her throat felt like sandpaper.

"Who... who are you?"

A flicker of pain passed through his expression, but it vanished fast. Too fast.

"It's me," he said. "David. Your husband."

She froze.

"I don't have a husband."

David sat on the edge of the bed. "Jess. Baby. You've been through something. The accident... it was bad. Real bad. They said you might have memory loss."

Jessica flinched at the sound of her name.

He said it so easily. Like it belonged to her.

"I don't remember anything," she whispered.

David reached out and touched her hand. "That's okay. I'll help you remember. One day at a time, alright?"

She pulled her hand back instinctively.

There were bruises on her arms — faint yellow and purple tracks running down to her wrists. Scratches on her palm. A bandage on her temple she hadn't noticed until it started to throb.

"How long have I been here?"

"Three days. You woke up yesterday for a minute but went right back out."

She struggled to sit up. Her back ached. Her stomach felt heavy. She looked down at the small curve beneath the blanket.

"What is this..."

"You're pregnant," David said softly, watching her face. "About seven weeks."

Jessica's mouth fell open.

No memory.

No man.

And now... a baby?

She placed a shaking hand over her belly.

"No," she whispered. "This isn't right. This isn't—this doesn't feel real."

David leaned in. "It's real, Jess. You and me. We've been through hell together. But I'm not going anywhere. I've got you."

She looked into his eyes and for a second — a split second — she felt something.

Familiarity?

Or fear?

He kissed her forehead and stood. "Eat something. You need your strength. Doctor says you're healing fast, but you've got to take care of yourself and the baby."

She didn't respond.

Her eyes followed him as he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

It clicked.

Locked.