Stranded [ 10 ]

>Today would mark the beginning of your third week in the hospital.
>Nothing interesting ever seemed to happen in this place, except for the occasional police officer coming to ask you questions.
>Your memory still hadn't come back yet, so there was nothing to share with them.
>Soon, even they stopped showing up.
>It was always quiet except for the idle chatter in the halls and the shows on the television.
>The nurse that had spoken with you when you first woke up was still tending to you though.
>She was a kind woman, though she had a sharp tongue.
>Her name was Diana, and she was also a part of some organized crime thing.
>Apparently you were also involved in this, though you still couldn't remember any of it.
>You didn't mind.
>It was probably for the better if you left that part of you behind.

>"I see you've taken a liking to the soap operas."
>Diana stood next to your bed.
>"I couldn't get my head around all of that sappy romantic stuff. I've never really liked someone like that either."
>She seemed to be in a thoughtful mood lately, and she talked a lot more about herself than before.
>The idea of her having never loved someone in a manner such as that on the show was an odd one.
"You've never been in a relationship?"
>"Nope. Never had the time or interest. It seems to be a lot more trouble than it's worth."
>You didn't share her sentiment.
>It was still odd how she was opening up to you like this though.

>Time passed, and the wound in your chest had nearly finished healing.
>And Diana had been there every day, keeping an eye on you and making sure you knew about the recent events in the underground.
>At this point, she was a very good friend of yours.
>It became apparent that she had met someone she actually liked in a romantic sort of way.
>She wouldn't say who it was though.

>You had just finished eating dinner when Diana took a seat in a chair in your room.
>"So, they served hamburgers again."
"Yeah, second time this week."
>The food here was decent, nothing to hate or love about it.
>"Well, tomorrow is... Christmas, actually. I think they'll make something different."
>The idea of Christmas had driven the point home of how long you'd been here.
>You had no family to see, apparently, so it'd be a relatively quiet holiday.
>Though there was some odd feeling you had about the entire situation.
>"You okay? I'm sorry for bringing up-"
"It's alright. No harm done."
>She sighed and scooted the chair closer to you.
>"You've had a rough time, haven't you?"
"I have no idea. Still can't remember shit."
>She reached over and grabbed your hand.
>"You'll be okay."

>You put it all together.
>The way she always seemed to smile a little more while she was with you.
>How she laughed often at each small joke you threw out there.
>Even the references to the soap operas should have given you the hint.
>Diana noticed the look on your face, then her cheeks reddened slightly.
>"I guess the jig is up, ain't it?"
"You... you have a thing for me?"
>She nodded.
>"Well, yeah. I probably should have said something earlier. The issue is, do you... well, do you think the same of me?"
>The nurse had been kind to you throughout your entire time here.
>Even if it was her job, Diana did it with care and purpose.
>And you had actually began to think of her as a close friend.
>Until today, that is.

>Something in the back of your mind told you to be a bit cautious about the situation.
>Even so, you did enjoy her company more than any of the other people in the place.
"I, uh, don't know."
>You stumbled over your words for a moment.
>Considering your loss of memory, you didn't know if there was someone out there waiting for you.
>She turned away, looking hurt.
"I don't mean anything bad by it. I just don't know if someone is out there that saw me like you do."
>A tear ran down her face.
>"I get it. There's nothing here for me..."
>Her tone was hopeless.
>She looked at you and shook her head.
>"Don't worry. It's no big deal. We're still friends... right?"
>The look on her face was pained, but her voice indicated that she was okay.
"Of course."

>After dinner, things continued as usual.
>The place fell quiet after nine, and your room had been cleaned out.
>At this point, you could get up and move around on your own.
>You could breathe easier, lacked the dizzy feeling that had accompanied your steps, and the physical therapy was helping you avoid losing muscle mass.
>You took a piss and looked at your reflection in the mirror as you washed your hands.
>Your face looked fine, and for the first time in a while, there were no bags under your eyes.
>There were nightmares that had kept you up at night, but they had faded as you recovered from your wound.
>You were due to check out in a week, but the doctor had said you could leave right now if you wanted.
>There was some feeling in the back of your mind though.
>Like you were supposed to be waiting for something to happen.
>Or waiting for someone to arrive.

>You laid back down in the bed and looked out the window.
>The stars had always caught your eye every time you looked outside.
>You had a feeling that whoever your memories had shaped as a person wanted to be an astronomer.
>And so did you.
>The idea of exploring that massive stretch of never-ending sky was something that your mind lingered on night after night.

>The medical and government records on you had nothing past the age of nineteen.
>As if you'd dissappeared completely at that time, completely gone from the records.
>It presented a unique situation though.
>The feds had stopped hounding you for answers, and you were free to leave and live your life after completely recovering.
>You had decided to work for a while and save some money, then go to college.
>Whatever you had been doing before was not an option anymore.
>Diana had made it clear that you were a part of some highly illegal activities, though she couldn't be bothered to specify.
>That was behind you.

>You woke up to the sound of the door creaking open.
>A hooded figure was walking into your room with something trailing behind them.
>You chose to remain still, hoping that you could figure out their intentions.
>The knife glinting in the moonlight made said intentions quite clear to you.
>They quietly stepped towards you.
>They still hadn't noticed that you were awake.

>Before they could bring the knife down on you, you reflexively brought your arm up and jabbed the person's wrist.
>The knife spun through the air and you caught it.
>Then you rolled out of the bed and kicked the guy in the face in the same motion.
>He staggered backwards and raised his hands in a fighting stance.
>The moves were in your mind, you just had to utilize them.
>He threw a punch at you, which was sidestepped.
>Then you drove the knife in between the bones in his forearm before kicking the man in the crotch.
>He dropped to the ground while writhing in agony.
"Please tell me who you are and like, why you're here."

>You recieved naught in reply but a middle finger raised in your general direction.
>Then you heard the sound of a pistol's safety being switched off.
>Someone was behind you with the gun aimed directly at your back.
>You heard someone running, then the awful, but familiar sound of a gunshot and a scream entwined into a single moment.
>As you turned around, you saw Diana's body falling to the ground with a single, bloody hole where her heart should've been.

>She had leapt in front of the man as he fired.
>The bullet meant for you now meant the death of your only friend.
>The man wielding the pistol had been caught off guard by this.
>A single moment of weakness, and you took it and used it.
>You rushed forwards, broke the man's arm, and pulled the pistol from his hands in one fluid motion.
>This was some Jason Bourne shit.
>The movements kept playing out in your mind, and you followed them closely.
>Strike to the collarbone, sweep his leg, crush his windpipe with your knee.
>The man was on the ground and would not be moving any time soon.
>You picked the pistol up and fired into the skull of the first assailant.
>The gun was silenced, which you were extremely thankful for.

>Now you were in a hospital room with three bodies.
>"Hey... you..."
>Diana looked up from her slumped over position.
>You jumped from the shock, then leaned down to look her in the face.
>"Just press the emergency call button... then get the hell out of here..."
>She coughed up a splash of blood and took a wheezing breath.
>"I'll be okay. This is a hospital, remember?"
>She gave you a pained smile.

>You had no choice but to leave.
>The bodies and other evidence in the room would not help your case.
"Alright. Just... don't die."
>"I don't plan on it. Now go."
>You slam the button, then rush out of the room.
>The sound of footsteps echoing down the hall reminded you to take it slow.
>You would need to get out of here undetected.
>Surprisingly, it wasn't difficult to avoid the few people that were still here this late at night.
>They were more focused on trying to stay awake than trying to catch someone sneaking around.
>You made your way to a staircase and luckily found an emergency exit at the bottom.
>The door was already cracked open.
>This was likely how your assailants had enterted the building.
>Now they were dead, and you were on the run.
>And you had successfully escaped the place.

>You stepped through the door and out into a space that contained a few parking spaces and a dumpster.
>Out of sight from any pursuers, thankfully.
>Well, there was someone watching you.
>You could feel their eyes lingering on you.
"Hey, whoever's out here, let me see you. If I have to look for your ass, you're getting a bullet through the fucking skull."
>Your breath turned to fog as you spoke, and your words seeemed to echo through the small area behind the building.
>You waited for a few moments, then you heard something odd.
>It was not unlike... flapping wings.