Jason winked at Lanie and held one finger to his mouth. She cringed. “There’s no ‘us’. You’re my sister’s boyfriend,” she frowned.
“Don’t be like that Lanie.” He sat down on the bed next to her and tucked her hair behind her ear. “We were going to tell her after this trip. Run away with me Lanie. I love you and you love me. It’ll be fine. You’ll see.” She could smell the lies he secreted like the cheap alcohol on his breath. Something was very wrong, but she couldn’t remember what. Her instincts were telling her to not trust him, though her mind refused to tell her why. Sitting there, with him so close, made Lanie uncomfortable. There wasn’t enough space between them, and there was nowhere to run and hide, though she felt like she needed to. Lanie couldn’t mask her confusion and fear.
“I’m not going anywhere with you. I don’t remember you. I want you to leave.”
“What’s wrong baby? Just try to remember.” He stood up and pulled the curtain closed. He looked around the room opening cabinets and drawers. “Where’s your camera Lanie? There are pictures of you and me on there. You’ll see.”
“I washed up on a beach…I’m pretty sure I didn’t snap pictures of my near death experience. Leave me alone,” Lanie snapped. Jason’s back was to her, but she could swear that she heard him mumble something about being ‘more trouble than it was worth’ under his breath. He spun around and grabbed her arm, pulling her upright. The wound that had been stitched earlier began to pulse and pierce. His blood-shot eyes danced with a fury she couldn’t understand. He gripped her tighter and clenched his teeth preparing to say something, but he didn’t get the opportunity. Lilly and Lena walked in with the doctor and opened the curtains. He stood up calmly and put his sunglasses back on. Lena’s eyes narrowed as she tried to make eye contact through his dark glasses.
“She needed help sitting up,” was his explanation. He took a step away from the bed and ran his hand through his hair.
“Are you okay Lanie?” she asked but she never looked at Lanie.
“Fine….I’m fine…just really tired. I just want to sleep.” Lanie didn’t want to explain. She just wanted to be alone.
“How soon can she be discharged doctor?” Lilly asked.
“We need to run a few more tests, but if everything checks out she can go home in a couple of days.”
“Are any of her injuries life threatening?” Jason probed as he began pacing.
“No. Not that we can tell. But that is why we need more tests.” The doctor tried to explain how the amnesia could be the result of major brain trauma, but Jason cut him off before he was able to finish.
“If she’s not critical, we should take her back to the states to a doctor there. The sooner the better I say,” Jason blurted at Lena.
“She needs to rest,” Lilly protested. “It’s not like she just scraped her knee! She’s been kidnapped, stabbed and left to die. She’s in no condition to travel.”
“You are so dramatic Lilly. You should have been the one in acting,” Lena laughed. Lanie watched them carry on this conversation around her, like she was in a coma and couldn’t hear. The doctor was shaking his head and mumbling something in Spanish.
“I’m not leaving!” Lanie screamed over the top of them. “I don’t know anything about who I am except for the crumbs you have fed me. How do I know what’s real? I’m not going anywhere until you show me proof of who I am.”
“Fair enough,” Lena sighed. “We’ll let you rest and get your bearings. We’ll come back later with whatever proof we can rouse.” She pulled Jason towards her and cast a glare that needed no translation. Lilly walked over and patted Lanie’s hand. She smiled innocently at her and promised she’d be back shortly.
When the room was empty of their Hollywood drama, Lanie dozed off slowly and fell into a restless sleep. She dreamt of a choppy ocean near a rickety wooden dock and men frantically screaming at a girl in the water. The water was swirling around her and her head kept getting sucked under. No…not sucked….pushed. Men were pulling her up out of the water by her hair and slamming her onto the swaying dock. They were demanding something….smacking her in the face when she was unable to answer. Her chest jerks violently as she tries to fill her lungs with air. They push her down in the water again. They continue their interrogation until she stops fighting back. She floats away face down.
Check back tomorrow for the exciting conclusion!
“Don’t be like that Lanie.” He sat down on the bed next to her and tucked her hair behind her ear. “We were going to tell her after this trip. Run away with me Lanie. I love you and you love me. It’ll be fine. You’ll see.” She could smell the lies he secreted like the cheap alcohol on his breath. Something was very wrong, but she couldn’t remember what. Her instincts were telling her to not trust him, though her mind refused to tell her why. Sitting there, with him so close, made Lanie uncomfortable. There wasn’t enough space between them, and there was nowhere to run and hide, though she felt like she needed to. Lanie couldn’t mask her confusion and fear.
“I’m not going anywhere with you. I don’t remember you. I want you to leave.”
“What’s wrong baby? Just try to remember.” He stood up and pulled the curtain closed. He looked around the room opening cabinets and drawers. “Where’s your camera Lanie? There are pictures of you and me on there. You’ll see.”
“I washed up on a beach…I’m pretty sure I didn’t snap pictures of my near death experience. Leave me alone,” Lanie snapped. Jason’s back was to her, but she could swear that she heard him mumble something about being ‘more trouble than it was worth’ under his breath. He spun around and grabbed her arm, pulling her upright. The wound that had been stitched earlier began to pulse and pierce. His blood-shot eyes danced with a fury she couldn’t understand. He gripped her tighter and clenched his teeth preparing to say something, but he didn’t get the opportunity. Lilly and Lena walked in with the doctor and opened the curtains. He stood up calmly and put his sunglasses back on. Lena’s eyes narrowed as she tried to make eye contact through his dark glasses.
“She needed help sitting up,” was his explanation. He took a step away from the bed and ran his hand through his hair.
“Are you okay Lanie?” she asked but she never looked at Lanie.
“Fine….I’m fine…just really tired. I just want to sleep.” Lanie didn’t want to explain. She just wanted to be alone.
“How soon can she be discharged doctor?” Lilly asked.
“We need to run a few more tests, but if everything checks out she can go home in a couple of days.”
“Are any of her injuries life threatening?” Jason probed as he began pacing.
“No. Not that we can tell. But that is why we need more tests.” The doctor tried to explain how the amnesia could be the result of major brain trauma, but Jason cut him off before he was able to finish.
“If she’s not critical, we should take her back to the states to a doctor there. The sooner the better I say,” Jason blurted at Lena.
“She needs to rest,” Lilly protested. “It’s not like she just scraped her knee! She’s been kidnapped, stabbed and left to die. She’s in no condition to travel.”
“You are so dramatic Lilly. You should have been the one in acting,” Lena laughed. Lanie watched them carry on this conversation around her, like she was in a coma and couldn’t hear. The doctor was shaking his head and mumbling something in Spanish.
“I’m not leaving!” Lanie screamed over the top of them. “I don’t know anything about who I am except for the crumbs you have fed me. How do I know what’s real? I’m not going anywhere until you show me proof of who I am.”
“Fair enough,” Lena sighed. “We’ll let you rest and get your bearings. We’ll come back later with whatever proof we can rouse.” She pulled Jason towards her and cast a glare that needed no translation. Lilly walked over and patted Lanie’s hand. She smiled innocently at her and promised she’d be back shortly.
When the room was empty of their Hollywood drama, Lanie dozed off slowly and fell into a restless sleep. She dreamt of a choppy ocean near a rickety wooden dock and men frantically screaming at a girl in the water. The water was swirling around her and her head kept getting sucked under. No…not sucked….pushed. Men were pulling her up out of the water by her hair and slamming her onto the swaying dock. They were demanding something….smacking her in the face when she was unable to answer. Her chest jerks violently as she tries to fill her lungs with air. They push her down in the water again. They continue their interrogation until she stops fighting back. She floats away face down.
Check back tomorrow for the exciting conclusion!