Page 10 of A Whirlwind of Color (The Light to My Darkness 2)

I wanted to hug the doctor. But all my fears came bubbling to the surface. “Am I sick? Am I dying? I’m delirious. I’m imagining things. I’m imagining him.” I pointed to James, hoping that the doctor couldn’t actually see him. Hoping that I was as confused as I believed I was. Hoping that everything was a dream.

“Mrs. Hunter, I need you to take a deep breath.”

“That’s not my name.”

“Okay, Penny, just take a breath. We’re going to get you back to your room.”

“Make him stay out,” I said and pointed to James. “He slept in my bed last night. I woke up and his arms were around me.” I started to scratch my skin, trying to rid myself of the feeling of his touch.

The doctor frowned. “Mr. Hunter, how many times do we have to talk about visiting hours? You’re not allowed…”

“She needs me,” James said, trying to sidestep the doctor. “How can she remember if I stay away from her?”

I started sobbing harder. “I don’t need you. I need to get out of here. I need to go home. Let me go home! Mom, Dad, please. Please.”

A nurse rushed in carrying a needle.

“Don’t hurt her!” James yelled.

But the needle was already being pierced into my arm. The room slowly blurred in front of me. And I entered the dreamlike state I thought I was already in.

Chapter 6

Thursday

No matter what I did, I couldn’t wake up from this dream.

“Today’s the day you get out of here,” my doctor said cheerily as he strolled into my room. He sighed when he saw me. “You need to stop pinching yourself, Penny. This isn’t a dream that you can wake up from. He put his hand on top of mine to stop me from pinching my skin.

“I know it’s not a dream. It’s a freaking nightmare.”

He lifted his hand. “We’ve talked about this. You’re suffering from amnesia. Your memory should come back.”

“My memory is fine.”

“You fighting it isn’t helping.”

“I’m trying to hold on to my life.” I felt like I was drowning.

“Getting back into your normal routine is going to help you remember,” he said, ignoring me. “Your husband is filling out the discharge forms as we speak. And he left a change of clothes for you in the restroom.”

“Please don’t make me leave with him.”

“From everything I’ve heard and seen, you two are very much in love.”

A forced laugh came from my lips.

“You’re one of the lucky ones.”

I certainly didn’t feel lucky. Everything I knew and loved had been stripped from me. I was transported into this world I didn’t understand. With a brooding fake husband and a daughter? I didn’t know what was real anymore. Maybe I had imagined the little girl. I probably had. She’d never come to visit me in my room. Maybe I was imagining James. Please let me have imagined James too.

“Are you ever going to tell me about my scars?” I had brought it up yesterday after I came out of my forced sleep. But the doctor had insisted that I needed more rest.

He sat down in the chair next to my bed. “You’ve been having a hard time accepting things as it is. How about we make an appointment for you to come talk next week?”

“So it’s bad, huh?”

“You need to take it easy. You were unconscious for two weeks. You can’t resume normal activity for at least another two.”

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