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Late September, Thursday
"-I would not get my hopes up, sir. In this case, the loss of memory is quite severe"
Sitting on the uncomfortable, plastic chair, she taps her foot against the hospital floor. The light tapping goes completely unheard. The talking of the two men above her reaches her ears, but she refuses to hear it, letting her eyes wander instead.
The brown wooden desk, with a nice green lamp on it. A red leather couch in the corner. Medical magazines. Health magazines. All stacked by the door. A vase of orange lilies on the table, probably with no meaning. And right behind them, a doctor dressed in his white coat. Next to him, next to her, an old man in a suit. She continues to tap her foot against the floor, to the point where it grows loud enough for the man in the suit to glance at her. She stops immediately.
"So, there is really no chance? This is my daughter we are talking about, doctor. You know she would get any treatment possible, money is not a problem"
This is her father, the man in the suit. He is grey haired and a little wobbly when he walks, but his height makes him just as intimidating as any other man. She really tries to look at his face and remember. Who wouldn't remember their own father, right? A few wrinkles here and there, harsh eyes and a sour expression. But there are bags under his eyes, and he sighs after every other word. She can't tell if he's tired because of her or just tired because he always is. She can't remember.
"I understand, however in this case it's a non-cancerous Benign brain tumour. She will physically be completely fine from now on, so there is no treatment needed. The only problem was the location of the tumour. A tumour in the temporal lobe often causes amnesia, and in this rare circumstance it seems to have been very extreme"
The doctor looks at her, and she looks at him, surprised to be acknowledged.
"Miss Amaya doesn't need any more treatment, and her memory will work normally from now on. However the part of her memory that is lost will most likely never return. Unfortunately, there is no treatment for that. I must apologise, Mr Tamura. I have never seen such an extreme case before"
The wrinkles on her father's forehead seem to double. He sighs again and Amaya lowers her head. She feels guilty despite knowing that it's not her fault. She can't help the fact that she got a tumour, or that she got it in the temporal lobe. Now she's stuck with a man she doesn't know claiming to be her father, living as a person she doesn't recognise.
This far, all she knows about the world is her medical condition. According to the nurses, she was discovered with a brain tumour in late spring. Over the summer she had many small surgeries and treatments, which eventually all came down to the last surgery, just one week ago. It seems to have caused her amnesia. Amaya has no recollection of this.
"What could have caused the abnormality in her case? She was such a lively and healthy girl"
The doctor seems to think for a moment. Amaya looks at him. It has only been one day and two hours since she woke up in this body, unable to recall anything of who she might be or what her past might have been like. Some things she can recognise, like the fact that she is in a hospital. She remembers almost everything she has ever learned, but none of the life she has lived before this. Amaya would also want to know what could have caused her to lose her memory so severely. The doctor hesitates before speaking.
"There are a few things that could have made the already existing amnesia worse... however I doubt your daughter suffered from any of them. Depression, anxiety, fear... it is usually victims of abuse or bullying that it applies too"
Her father only nods. Amaya looks between the doctor and the man in the black suit. She doesn't understand what is going on. She wants her father to comment on that, wants to know if what the doctor is saying is true or not. Has she suffered from bullying? Abuse? Wouldn't her father know the answer to that? He has been nothing but quiet since she woke up. In fact, he wasn't even in the room when she did. He only came in later, and didn't even say a word to her. Amaya wishes she could know more about who she is.
"What do you suggest we do now, doctor?"
He sounds rather grim and worried. He must care for her, Amaya thinks. He must love her like one loves one's daughter. If only he could speak to her, too.
"Take her home, introduce her to her regular life bit by bit. Her memories will most likely not return so there is no point in rehabilitation, integrating her back into her life and into society should be your priority. She will simply have to start over, without her memories"
"You look a little lost, is something wrong?"
Avan looks down at her, physically present but mentally somewhere else. She's right, his mind has been drifting recently.
"No. I'm leaving so get someone else to pick you up"
Pulling his hair back, he jumps up on his black motorcycle and gets comfortable on its seat, all while she watches him with annoyance written all over her features. Avan couldn't care less. His mind is busy with other things. He clips on his helmet over his black hair, coloured with blond strings here and there, in a way that makes all girls crazy over him.
"Are you really going to just le-"
"Move"
Both of them turn around to see a tall girl standing behind them, a frown over her face. She nudges her head towards the bike next to them, leaning against the beige brick school wall. Being almost at Avan's tall height, this girl with shoulder length coloured purple hair with black roots- is hard to not recognise. Her eyes have that same dull glow as they always have, piercing, but bored. Avan doesn't think he has ever seen her smile, either. A very unpleasant person, he concludes, and flicks on the safety glass on his helmet. Ignoring both girls, he drives off with nothing but a dust cloud left behind him. The taller girl rolls her eyes, pushing the remaining girl to the side with only one hand movement, and walking up to her rusty red bike.
The girl stumbles and immediately turns to glare at her.
"Who do you think you are?!"
She unlocks her red bike, not even bothering to glance at the angry girl. There are many differences between them, to the point where it's annoying to look at her. She's got these nice, white shoes, that match the grey long socks the school provides them with. Her wine red uniform blazer is just her size, and so is her grey skirt. She has all kinds of hairpins and pretty jewellery all over her hair and body, and perfect straight black hair, curled and styled with a little bit of brown colour. They are different. The purple haired girl bought a blazer a few sizes too big, and since wearing a skirt gives her all kinds of weird looks in her neighbourhood, she has the grey sweatpants under the material. It looks rather rough.
"I'm Mars"
Answering with a dull tone, Mars wonders if she actually didn't know her name. There aren't many who don't know. Mars sighs. At least she's not rotten on the inside, like this girl is. The purple haired girl finally looks at the angry girl beside her.
"Worry about yourself first. You know the girl you put in the hospital is coming back soon, right?"
She seems to stumble a bit, stepping backwards. The taller girl just shakes her head with a sigh, getting on her bike.
"I don't know what you're talking about"
"Keep your head low Julia, if you know what's good for you"
Amaya stares out the car window, eyes big and her hand tracing the image of trees and houses passing by.
There are mansions, large mansions built out of glass or stone or white wood. They have large front gates, sometimes with guards, and fancy cars and pools outside. Nobody wanders outside the estates. Only cars, like this car, zoom by. Cars with brown and black leather seats, cup holders, custom inside lighting, a tv, a screen in between the driver and the back seats. This car also has dimmed windows, and when she looks outside them she continues to see the beautiful neighborhood they are passing by. There is a small forest in between every estate, with all kinds of trees and flowers and bushes. Amaya thinks she should remember such a beautiful sight. She doesn't.
"Is Taran back yet?"
Amaya can't tell if she's wrong for listening in to her father's conversation with this strange man in a suit, or not. The man taps away on his tablet, answering her father's questions with quick 'yes sir's and 'absolutely, sir's. He sits next to the driver in the front seat, and her father sits next to her in the back. They discuss through the open screen between the front and back seats. They seem to be talking about her but Amaya can't tell, nor does she dare to ask. How could she, when the man who supposedly is her father, looks so grim and scary?
It's only been one day and three hours since she woke up into this world. Her father filled her in on the basics. Eighteen years old, daughter of him and sister of three brothers. He mentioned their wealth too, but nothing else. This far her identity consists of being a daughter, a sister, a patient and being rich, too. This neighborhood, this car, her father, are nothing but expensive and high class. Amaya hasn't decided how to approach that yet. Should she feel lucky? Probably. Intimidated? A little. Overall none of it has settled yet, not even the mourning she will have to do over her lost memory.
"No sir, however Kian has returned to the estate, Taran and Avan have been summoned"
Her father seems to hum, barely listening as he busies himself on his phone.
"Tell Kian to show her around and introduce her to the rest of the family. I have to be back at the office by four"
Amaya wonders if her amnesia is just another regular part of his day for him, because his dismissive attitude sure is a little disheartening. She looks back out the window, twirling a strand of her black hair around her finger. Her face stares back at her in the reflection of the window. She still can't get used to her looks. They feel somewhat familiar, but still so very foreign. Round, with strong cheekbones and red cheeks, and a sweet sharp smile. Compared to the people she has met so far, she is rather short. Peach-blossom shaped sweet eyes, with slight eye bags and a small scar right beside her left eyebrow. Long, straight black hair, with a few brown strands here and there. Overall her appearance is rather fresh, and cute. Cute when she smiles, at least. Amaya tries to smile.
"Yes sir. What should I tell Miss Richardson about her school?"
Amaya glances at her father. He seems to think. Nobody has mentioned anything about a school, yet. She goes to school, that much seems like common sense. But what kind of school is it? Is she a good student? Does she have a lot of friends, waiting for her to get back? Worrying about her? Amaya looks out the window again, wondering who Miss Richardson is.
"What day is it today? Thursday? She can start again on Monday"
As the man in the front seat answers him with a quick 'yes, sir', Amaya bites her lip in worry. She doesn't know if she's ready to go back to her life so soon, so quickly. She would like to know who she is, first. Get used to her body and her surroundings. Maybe find someone she could trust and lean back on, because right now it seems like everyone is rather dismissive towards her. The car slows down for the first time since they left the hospital, and Amaya takes a deep intake of air in anticipation. This must be their home. Their estate.
The first thing she sees is a large, white wooden gate, with two black metal doors on each side. Two armed guards stand outside the gate, immediately running to open the doors once their car comes into view. The car stops and waits for them to finish, slowly springing back into movement once the gates are open and the guards are bowing with respect. Amaya lets her eyes wander over the estate.
They follow along a cemented path that slowly moves up towards a large mansion on a small green hill. There are green, luscious trees all around the building. A large pool area and fountain outside the door. Amaya tries not to look too impressed. She traces the image of the house with her hand against the window. It's large and white, with a big front door right in the middle. There are three floors, with several large windows all over. The garage is separated from the building, but connected by a small glass corridor. That's where the car finally stops, after a whole minute of driving up the driveway. Her father suddenly turns to her.
"Wait for the maids to help you"
Amaya glances back to look at him, but by that point he is already busy looking down at his phone again. All she can do is sit and wait inside the leather seated car, staring with wonder at the estate in front of her. There is a pool house right beside the large mansion, and a beautiful garden separating the front gate from the house itself. Inside the garden, that's where the fountain is, a beautiful and large fountain with water spraying out of it in constant, wonderful shapes and forms. It's when she looks past the fountain that she notices the front gate opening for someone else.
A motorcycle drives past the now open black gates, speeding up the driveway. Amaya follows it with her eyes, pressing her hand against the window. The vehicle is loud enough to be heard inside the car, and so her father turns around to see it. He only throws it one absentminded glance before going back to his phone, sighing and shaking his head. Amaya watches the guy on the motorcycle stop right by the garage doors, close the engine and jump off. Before he can take off his helmet, her view is blocked by two women dressed in beige and light blue. They open the door for her, and Amaya glances at her father before looking back at them.
"Welcome back Miss Kamura. Please, take it easy"
They help her out of the car by holding onto her arms. Amaya feels a little awkward, but lets them help her, and tries to get comfortable on her feet. Other than memory loss, it's been a little difficult for her to walk and stand ever since she woke up. The doctor says it's just a side effect of the surgery, that it'll go away soon. Amaya isn't exactly sure what surgery he's talking about, but she hopes what he says is true. She feels rather vulnerable and weak like this, not being able to stand properly on her own without wobbling or nearly tumbling down. But there is not much she can do to improve her situation, at the moment.
They close the car door behind her, and almost as quickly as they came, the car backs away from the driveway and leaves. Amaya is left standing alone on the driveway, along with the two maids, and the strange boy now standing beside his motorcycle. Amaya frowns and tries to get a good look at him. He has taken off his helmet, black and blonde hair revealed beneath. His face is somewhat similar to hers, with the same eyes and nose, and his gaze is set on her. She stares back. After what seems to be a moment of thinking, he steps forwards.
"I'll help her inside"
The maids quickly nod and bow to him, letting go of her. Amaya tries not to look too affected, standing still and balanced on her feet as he approaches. This must be her brother, she concludes silently. One of her brothers. He is very tall, and although they have some similar features they don't look very alike. His eyes are intimidating, unlike hers, and his face is not round, rather it is quite angled and sharp, almost oval like their father's. She doesn't like the way he looks at her. Amaya thinks he might not like her very much, even as he gently grabs her arm and starts leading her towards the house.
"I'm Avan, your brother"
Amaya looks at his face, only half focusing on the few white steps that lead up to the front door. Thankfully he leads her well enough for her not to stumble over her feet. The maids rush ahead and open the doors, letting Amaya and Avan walk through. The black and blonde haired boy glances down at her, and catches her expression. A flash of what seems to be amazement comes over his face. He laughs, lightly, in disbelief. It does not sound happy, or amused.
"You really don't remember anything, do you?"
Amaya looks away from him, and slowly shakes her head.
"No"
It feels like it's the first time she has spoken. Her mouth feels rather dry, and she can't help that she shivers a little in her brother's hold. It just feels so weird to be next to him. She busies herself by looking around at where she has come. There is a staircase right in front of her, wide and coloured in a light, rich forest green, with golden touches all over it. There is a large golden chandelier hanging from the high ceiling, and old expensive furniture all around. The hallway continues both to the left and to the right, and to both sides of the staircase.
"Well- I guess there's not much to your life anyway"
Amaya looks at him, and wonders if she's supposed to take that as a compliment or not. It sounds like an insult. But he says it so casually.
"What do you mean?"
"Don't worry about it. Kian can show you around from here"
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