Forgetten

Chapter 2: What's The Plan?

It had been a week. A nightmare filled week and I wanted nothing more than to wake up from the horrible nightmare I was stuck in but I couldn't. I couldn't wake up because I was already awake and this nightmare was my reality but it made absolutely no sense.

The nurse had informed me shortly after she'd taken my contacts that everyone she'd called had said they had never heard of me before.

The hospital had sent people to go to my house but they had returned with the same message, that no one at the address knew who I was, they had even showed my picture but still nothing.

The doctor had concluded that I had probably mixed up the numbers and address and that it was no fault of mine as the accident had most definitely messed up my memory and everything was going to come back to me soon enough. She'd also said that they were going to continue the search and hopefully by the time I was discharged in a week's time, they would've found my family and fiancé.

The good Samaritan couple— whose names I found out to be Hope and Michael— were also helping in the search. Michael had friends in the police force who were helping with the search as well.

A week later and we were here. None of my family had turned up and Harrison was also no where to be seen. I couldn't help but break down in tears after Hope and Michael brought the bad news. Even the police couldn't find my family. I had no idea how all of this could've happened. It all made no sense to me.

"It's alright, Nicole. You can stay with us or if you don't feel comfortable with that, we can lodge you in a hotel until we find your family." Michael said but I was too weak and drained to even reply.

I had been discharged from the hospital and I had no where to go. My family and fiancé couldn't have up and left in five weeks if they couldn't find me, right?

"Nicole?" Hope called and I turned to her. She glanced at me with pity and it only made me angry. I hated it when people pitied me. It made me feel weak and lesser than I was and I hated it.

"You don't have to worry about it. I'll lodge myself." I replied. They had paid for my hospital bills and I was grateful for their help but I didn't want to put myself in a position where I felt like I owed them anything. I knew just how bad things could get from there.

"It's no trouble at all. We want to help." Hope said and I sighed.

"I am grateful, really but I don't wish to become your burden." I said as I got off the bed. "I'll pay you back as soon as I get my ATM card."

"You don't have to, we—"

"I insist." I said sternly, leaving no room for argument. "Thank you again, for everything." I gave a grateful smile and headed out of the room.

"At least let us drop you off." Nicole followed after me. "How are you going to get around without any money?"

I stopped, realizing she was right and turned around to face her.

"You don't know us and you don't trust us and that's okay but you can at least let us give you some money to get to your destination."

"Lend? I'll let you lend me some money." I corrected and she chuckled, nodding her head.

"Of course." She said just as Michael walked up to us. He had been talking to the doctor.

"So, what's the plan?" Michael asked, placing an arm around Hope's waist. She smiled up at him and I felt my heart break.

Each time I looked at them, I saw how in love they were and that remind me of how in love Harrison and I were but he wasn't here and that hurt me beyond explanation.

"I was just leaving." I said, avoiding eye contact with them. I was going to break down in tears if I stayed here any longer. They reminded me of what I longed for. I longed to see Harrison and his beautiful smile. I longed to feel his arms around me. I longed to hear him whisper in my ear that he loved me and everything was going to be okay. I longed for all of him but I couldn't reach him.

"But —"

"I need to leave." I turned around, cutting Michael off and ran away as I felt my eyes well up with tears.

Hope and Michael had seen me break down so many times. I wasn't about to let them see me cry again.

I hated people seeing me at my weakest. No one but my family and Harrison had seen me in my helpless and vulnerable state and they never pitied me, ever. They worried and cared about me but never pitied. Strangers on the other hand, had no emotional attachment to me, so, the only emotion at play was pity or irritation and I hated both. I had learned from my past mistakes and I wasn't about to make any more.

I rushed to a room with a slightly open door and locked it behind me once sure it was empty, then, I slid down to the floor and cried my eyes out until I could cry no more.

I knew the police had said they couldn't find my family but I just had to see for myself if they had truly moved.

I had no money to take a cab home since I had run away before getting the money from Hope and home was miles from this side of Abuja. My only option was Hope and Michael but with the way I ran out on them, I couldn't go back to them.

Sighing, I got up to my feet and wiped away my teary face with the sleeves of the hoodie Hope had bought me.

I was going to have to walk home. I didn't have a choice.

I peeked out of the room to be sure Hope and Michael were no where in sight before walking out and heading straight for the exit.

I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my hoodie as I walked past people heading in and out of the hospital and once I was outside, I finally felt like I could breathe. I had always hated hospitals.

I had walked about two blocks from the hospital when an Ash colored Bentley pulled up beside me. The windows were tinted black and I found it very suspicious that it had pulled up beside me. It could've been kidnappers.

I walked faster but the car slowly drove forward, matching my pace. Panicking, I began running, hoping I could get to a more populated area before I got kidnapped.

"Nicole! Why are you running?" The familiar voice pulled me to a stop and I turned around to see Hope giving me a confused look from inside of the passenger's side of the Bentley. The window was rolled all the way down.

"You scared me." I gave a sigh of relief as the car pulled up beside me once again. "I thought you guys were kidnappers or something."

"And you thought you could outrun a Bentley?" Hope laughed and a smile made its way to my lips. I was pretty silly to think I could outrun a Bentley or any other car for that matter. "We're dropping you off. Hop in." She said next and I shook my head, declining.

"I'd rather not."

"We can't just leave you on the street with no money and no where to go." She said with what looked to be concern on her face.

I shook my head again. Even though they had helped me, they were still strangers and I couldn't trust them.

"We signed you out of the hospital as your guardians and we left our contact information with the police and the hospital, so, if you turn up missing or dead, we're going to be held accountable. We'd rather you come stay with us than you get kidnapped and we go to jail for the rest of our lives, so, please get in the car?" Hope pleaded, putting her palms together in a pleading gesture. "We can call Dr Jeanette if you want to confirm."

Dr Jeanette was the doctor assigned to me at the hospital. I trusted her a lot more than I trusted these good Samaritans.

"Call her." I prompted. I had seen to many movies to let such mind games work on me. If she thought I was going to believe her just cause she said she was going to call Jeanette, she was joking.

With a nod, she picked up her phone and dialed up a number, waving me over as she put it on speaker phone.

"Hello?" Hope said as the receiver picked up.

"Yes, Hope? Is everything alright with Nicole?" Dr Jeanette's voice rang from the speakers.

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