Memory After Memory

Chapter 2

She nodded and when I finished this tray, she grabbed it and promised to return with more. As I waited, I looked out the slit between the curtains to see the outside world. Hopefully soon, I'll be able to breathe the air and feel the crisp chill. Until then, I planned on letting my body recoupe.

                                    ~ * * *~

I got out later in the week. Maybe 3 days later? I don't know, but I know it was still bright outside, a little chilly from the Georgia rain and cool breeze, and I had no idea where I could go. The only place I knew to go was home, if my parents were still there. With that hope in mind, I walked toward home. It was a long walk, but I remembered not living very far from the hospital. I used to walk here every day when my dad was here for a heart attack. I walked for an hour, give or take breaks. It took me a minute to recognize the house I lived in because it changed a lot. Even the cars in the driveway were very different.  I gave myself a couple minutes to take it all in and then knocked on the door. To my surprise, the person that answered the door was not either of my parents. In fact, it was a teenager, and she seemed quite pissed.

"Oh my goodness I am so sorry." I got so embarrassed.

"Are you lost or something?" She gave some attitude with it, like I was causing her a problem.

"I guess I am. My parents used to live here and I thought they were still-"

"Do you not see your parents?" 

I shifted my stance, already getting annoyed with the attitude. "I just got out of a coma so no, actually. I don't."

That shut her up real quick. Her expression only slightly changed with raised eyebrows. Her tone also didn't change when she said "Sorry to hear that. They're not here. Hope you find them." and shut the door. 

Wow. Rude. I turned to walk away and went back toward the main road hoping to eventually run into someone I know. The area had changed quite a bit from what I remember 8 years ago. The Red Robins that was at the corner of what used to be the only traffic light in the town was now a Culvers. There were other stores too, the road was bigger, and there was more traffic than there used to be. I started heading toward where I remembered the park being as a Red SUV pulled up beside me, rolling down the passenger side window. 

"Amy?" 

I immediately recognized that voice. I'd know that raspy voice anywhere. "Viney?" Boy was I relieved to see her. She came in perfect timing.

"Amy! Get in girl!" 

I got in the passenger side and buckled my seat belt as she started driving.

"Amy, it's been too long. Where did you go?" Viney seemed really excited to see me.

I had to answer my best friend honestly. "I guess I was in the hospital."

Viney got just as confused as I was when I woke up in the hospital. "The hospital? What for?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I remember going to bed being 16 and then I woke up being 24. It still freaks me out."

"If I were in your position, I'd freak out too."

It didn't immediately click that she hadn't known where I was, but once it did, I only got slightly unsettled. You would think, being my best friend since elementary school and growing up together, that she would've already known where I was and shouldn't need to ask. However, I went with it, deciding to just let this run its course. "Yeah. I guess so."

The rest of the car ride consisted of silence. Usually, she would be talking non-stop about some girl that tried to pick a fight with her or what happened in the next town over or the latest release in the makeup industry. This time, though, she was really quiet. "What's got you so quiet V?"