In Deep Water

The Strength

“How are you feeling?” Sofia asked warmly, pulling the curtains open widely so the sunlight could decorate her baby girl’s face.

“I’m alright.”

Martin found his cheeks heating up and he feared he might have had to put some ice cubes on them.

His hand was linked with his wife’s now and they slowly approached their healing daughter.

“I missed you so much. I thought…” Sofia almost broke down but brushed away the silly tears and went to hold Sineya’s hand.

“I’m sorry… but who are you?”

Sofia blinked at the absurd question, thinking she misheard it.

“Sorry, did you say, I love you?”

The young girl shook her head fiercely and stared coolly at her parents.

“I don’t understand how you can love me. You’re just nurses, aren’t you?”

Sofia and Martin left the question unanswered at gave each other grim stares.

“Sweetie…” She said, taking a few steps forward but stopping as she saw Sineya flinch. “This isn’t funny.”

Martin went to circle around the other side of the bed but she stopped him and her eyes grew dark and frightened him.

“Can I ask you two to leave, please?”

“Sineya, baby…” Sofia felt the hint of a tear, but kept it under check. This was all some sort of weird joke… It had to be.

“I’m not your baby. I don’t even know who you are. I don’t want to ask you again. You’re scaring me a bit and I don’t want you in my room.”

The woman, smiling only minutes ago, cheering just a few hours ago, was silent.

Her face had drained of colour and she felt herself choke a bit.

She went to say something; anything more. This was scaring her into a state of shock and she just wanted it to end. She was already finding it hard to breathe now.

Martin caught her arm and directed her out of the room and into the hallway where she strode to the wall and slumped against it, sobbing weakly before she even hit the floor.

“I don’t understand, Martin…” She murmured, looking at him through a veil of rain. “I don’t understand if this is some kind of joke. It’s not funny… I just want to see my little girl…”

“And that is her!” He said in retort, grabbing her hands and holding them steady. “She’s just a little confused. She needs time to adjust.”

Sofia could see the lie in his eyes and threw her head down. She didn’t want the comfort of lies. She had to face the truth; not be comforted by a lie.

“No.” She said simply, sniffing into her sleeve. “No… No…”

“Honey… Don’t do this. Don’t give up hope…”

“Well what else can I do?!” She snapped, looking him squarely in the eyes. “I’ve had it! Had it! You told me to be strong and God knows I’ve tried, but what’s the point anymore?! I have ‘been strong’ all my life now and look where that got me! Dead family, lost son, murdered husband and now my daughter was shot and has lost her memory! I mean, what person can go through all that and come out sane?!”

There was an uneasy silence, the hallway around them eerily quiet with no doctors or nurses to be seen. Martin didn’t know what to say. He greatly admired his wife for having put up with so much, but now he realised just how fragile she really was. He told her that she could fight anything, but she was confronting him with a harsh reality.