Money for Memories

1. Hurt

He finished the billionth beer bottle that night and threw it at the wall in anger, the shattered pieces of green glass dropping to the ground, adding to already what was a mess. He screamed insults you'd never think of. Continuously. On repeat. And those words were the words running through Brianna's mind as her boyfriend, Scott, was beating her, constantly, never stopping, never ending. She was in despair and in a deep depression. There were gashes and cuts all over her exposed arms, legs and face, blood coming out of them and bruises appearing everywhere. Some blood slightly seeping through the orange silk minidress. She was on the floor, her hands on the cold smooth floor, keeping up her torso and head.

And then it happened. The blow before she collapsed fully onto the ground.

The cruel excuse of a man then examined her unconscious body. "Brianna? Oh god, baby, please don't be dead. I'm sorry, I really am. Please don't be dead," he chanted the last part over and over. Trembling, his rough, calloused hands shook her still body. He cried, and pulled out his gun, holding it at his temple. He heard the gun click. His hands shook from the instability from the alcohol and his eyes shut, preparing for the pain as he pulled the trigger and the bullet penetrated the surface, skin and skull, burying itself in the unknown of head.

An hour or maybe half later, sirens wailed. Police arrived, closing off the area quickly, then came the ambulance.

"Is she alive?" a paramedic asked another.

"Let me check," the other muttered and put two fingers to her wrist and then her neck. They brought her body onto a stretcher and moved it to the van, getting out the necessary equipment to help her.

***

"Mr and Mrs Simpson?" Brianna's mother and father stand up simultaneously and face the doctor, both looking anxious. They followed the doctor into the room where Brianna lay in the bed, silence filled the room except the monitors, their beeps ever being so... inhuman. Emotionless. Machine-like. The man and woman cried. The doctor explained, " Your daughter is in a coma. We don't know when she will wake but we estimate it will be not for long. Maybe a couple hours or days or weeks. We don't know. She suffered various blows to the head, so yes, severe damage. She might be unable to do particular things. Maybe loss of speech, memory loss, possibly blindness, et cetera. Other than that, we don't have enough information. We will find out more when she wakes."

"Thanks, Dr." Karen, her mother smiled, a tear leaking from her eye. Patrick, her father, stroked Brianna's forehead with his thumb, silently crying. He kissed her forehead lightly and went back to Karen, hugging her. Heels clicking at a quick pace on the linoleum floor could be heard, getting louder every second.

"Where is Brianna?" Karina Sands, Brianna's younger sister, said. "Is she okay? God, she better be okay. Please let her be okay..." The rambling prayers and wishes continued as tears trailed down her faintly pink cheeks

"Shh, Karina, shh. It's okay." Karen shushed the younger child, hugging her.

***

Brianna saw pitch black and nothing else. She heard the machine-like beeping of the several monitors in her room and the sobbing of a woman. Her eyelids forced themselves open, her mind in a sudden state of panic.

"Oh, my baby! Thank God you're alive! Shh, baby, you're okay. You're okay." Karen repeated the last part over and over, wrapping her arms around the girl. Until Brianna, with fragile arms pulled away. She gestured towards her dry throat, mouthing 'water'. Karen stood up and filled a styrofoam cup with cold water. She handed it to Brianna to drink. "Sweetie, don't move. I'm going to call the doctor." Seconds later, she returned with a man wearing a white professional coat. He held a clipboard and pen in his hand, and sat down next to the hospital bed.

"Hello, Miss Simpson. How are you feeling?"

"Where am I? Who are you?"

"My name is Doctor Sanchez. Now, listen. You were in an accident. Your head was hit very badly. You've been in a coma for a month and a half. I'm going to ask some questions, okay?" He had a warm smile on his face.

Brianna nodded nervously.

"What's your name?"

"Brianna. Brianna Simpson."

"How old are you? And could you tell me the date today, please?"

"Well, you said it's been a month and a half so about February? I'm 23." Karen's mouth gaped.

"Brianna, I need to tell you something." The doctor was looking right in her eyes with a piercing seriousness.

"What?"

"You're 27 years of age. It's been 4 years."

***

Boom, I did it. First chapter up!! Enjoy, hope you liked it, blah blah, blah. Pls vote and comment and tell me your thoughts. If you like it, idk share it or something. Hope you like it. Thanks for reading and schtuff :)