Forgotten

Chapter 8

The doctor left after giving Gabriel a stack of papers with information and instructions written on them. Soon enough, all but one nurse followed, allowing Gabriel and Adrien to speak to Chloe almost alone.

"What happened?" Chloe was resting back against the pillows again, having used all the energy she could muster already. Her voice was raspy, but she continued to speak. "I hate not being able to remember anything."

"You were sheltering from an akuma when the building you were in collapsed, but thankfully you survived." Gabriel pulled the chair over to the side of Chloe's bed after it was moved out of the way earlier. "We've been waiting for you to wake up."

Adrien was confused. Was Gabriel trying to pull the caring father act to break the news that her entire family was dead?

"Who am I?"

"You're Chloe Agreste, Adrien's twin."

What? Adrien felt his mouth drop open in shock, not quite knowing how to react to his own father straight up lying to an amnesiac about her entire family. Even Nathalie's eyes were wider than usual, apparently just as shocked as Adrien.

Chloe's eyes moved over to Adrien and he quickly snapped his mouth shut to hide his shock. He couldn't let Chloe think what Gabriel was saying wasn't true. If letting Chloe believe she had always been part of their family was the plan Gabriel wanted to use, Adrien knew he couldn't stop him. His father was too stubborn. "Adrien?"

Gabriel motioned for Adrien to come closer with a quick nod of his head. Not wanting to disappoint Chloe, he walked closer and stood next to the chair Gabriel was sitting in. "Hi, Chloe."

Apparently, Chloe somehow remembered her nickname for Adrien. Either that or she reinvented it in seconds, and her face broke into a grin. "Adrikins! I'm glad you came to visit me. I feel like I missed you, but I can't remember much of anything."

Her words almost caused Adrien to visibly cringe, but he stopped himself just in time. Chloe was different, so incredibly different now, and now she was using that nickname much differently than she used to. It was just a fun sibling nickname, which made sense. He would probably have one for her, too. "I'm glad you're awake, Chlo-Chlo. Everyone at school has been worried about you."

That would do. Maybe he would have come up with something better if he had more time, but Chlo-Chlo worked for now.

Whatever, Chloe seemed happy with it. She was smiling, weakly, but still smiling. Adrien hadn't seen Chloe genuinely smile like that since they were kids, and even then, she was trying a little hard to be her mother. But she was a kid copying what she thought was the best way to act so you couldn't really blame her.

It was exhausting to hold a conversation with them, but Chloe didn't want her family to leave just yet. That was what they were, right? If Adrien was her brother and he was here with the other two people in her room, they were her parents. It made sense.

Regardless of who they were, they were brightening the room just by being inside it. The room around her was so cold and impersonal, even with the flowers and gifts covering the table to her side.

And everything hurt. That might be the worst part. Plain surroundings she could just close her eyes and ignore, but her entire body hurt. She knew she had been in a building collapse, but wow. This was intense. Chloe just wanted to crawl out of her own body and float into space, but that was impossible.

There was a knock on the door and another nurse popped his head through the door. Chloe had seen so many nurses since she woke up that all of their faces were beginning to blend together. "Mr Agreste, you're needed at reception."