Status: Completed

Amnesia

Part Four

Lauren awoke from a nightmare filled sleep at 11am the next morning.

You Have Two New Messages her phone told her once she wandered into the living room - still in her pajamas - and pressed the button.

She flopped down onto the sofa next to the phone as her mom's voice filled the room.

'Hey Lauren. I was just ringing to see how you were. We know it's your day off today - why don't you come visit? We haven't seen you since...well you know. Give me a call anyway. Love you.'

Lauren rolled her eyes as she pressed delete.

'Hey Lauren it's Carla. Listen, I know it's your day off but would you mind coming in? The nurse looking after Mr. Haner had called in sick and it seems as though his condition has improved no end and he's close to waking up. Ring to let me know chick..

*

An hour later Lauren found herself pulling into the hospital car park.

"You're a life saver," Carla met her at the door "We need someone in with him at all times in case he wakes up," She explained as they walked. "We're not sure on the exact damage the crash caused; he may suffer from some sort of amnesia so we need someone with him who can share information if he has any questions."

Lauren glanced across to her boss, confused "Me?"

"Belinda said you'd done some research on him," Carla shrugged.

"Oh! Yeh, not a lot."

"At least it's something."

*

"Any changes?" The intern - Stuart - who was appointed to Mr. Haner, asked a further 2 hours later.

Lauren shook her head "Still the same."

"Page me if anything happens."

She rolled her eyes and nodded, the two had gone through this every 20 minutes.

Did he think she was stupid?

She yawned and stretched. Her bum starting to feel numb after sitting down for so long.

She was about to stand up when something happened. A frown creased her forehead as she concentrated on Mr. Haner's hand, sure it had just moved.

As she was about to look away it moved again.

"Carla!" Lauren called to her boss who had been walking past "Page Stu- Dr. Hoag for me!" She lent over Mr. Haner, sliding her fingers into his hand. "Mr. Haner? If you can hear me squeeze my hand," She said as Stuart rushed in.

She shushed him before he could say anything.

"Mr. Haner? Brian? If you can hear me let me kn-" Before she could finish her sentence Brian's fingers slowly became tighter around hers.

*

"Mr. Haner?"

The voice seemed so far away...

"If you can hear me squeeze my hand!"

It was the voice he had heard talking to him in his dreams. He tried his hardest to get his hand to work.

"Mr. Haner? Brian?"

He willed his hand to perform the simple task as the woman's voice became clearer and clearer.

"If you can hear me let me kn-"

Her sentence was cut off as he managed to wrap his fingers around hers.

The lights were bright as his eyes fluttered open and closed.

Something uncomfortable lay in his throat making it difficult to breathe.

He began to panic, coughing and spluttering as a man leaned over him to release him of this uncomfortable feeling.

Once the tube was out she leaned over once again. Stroking his hair back off his forehead.

Even though his throat was sore and he felt as though he was falling apart; he smiled, remembering the name which he had heard so many times in his slumber.

"Lauren?"