The man looked uo into the face of the doctor as sweat beaded on her face and dripped down onto his. “Hey, that’s unsanitary!” She looked down and saw his eyes open staring into hers. “That’s not right!” she remarked, and promptly hit him on the head with a hammer. He felt himself falled down through darkness for what felt like an eternity until he hit solid ground. He could feel the grass under his hands now. It felt comforting. The scene focused slowly as his eyes adjusted to the light. He raised himself up on an elbow and was relieved to not feel the pain. In the distance a cozy red house sat on a small hill. Kids played on the swing in the yard, sounds of joy coming from their lips as they challenged each other to jump further than the last.
Alerted by his movement, a woman stirred beside him and also propped up on an elbow. “Oh, you’re finally awake! It seems like I’ve been waiting forever to head inside. The kids are busy, we could…” She smiled coyly, her lips framed by her long blond hair. She was thin, but with attractive… The man rubbed his temples, feeling confusion aching his brain. “I, ummm.”
“Shh, it’s ok, just relax, I’ll umm you the way you like. Come on honey, let’s go and take advantage of the time.” She pulled at his arm and it gave way easy to her leading, along with the rest of his body. As they passed the children he could see two boys and two girls, all blonde, laughing and playing. He looked at their faces, but the ache returned and his vision blurred. He couldn’t get a good look at any of their features. He felt the puling against his arm again. “Come on… Before they get bored. I know we won’t.”
They neared the house, at the door now, plain white framed by the blue of the house. He felt that ache again as he looked at the house. Yellow. Yes, it was yellow. The door a gunmetal grey. Familiar door… He pushed it open at the urging of the blonde woman and went to step inside. A figure blocked his path.
“Couldn’t have one, so you thought you’d take the other? You BAST…” He caught a glimpse of the blonde woman in the doorway just before her fist made contact, sending another blast of pain through his head as he fell back into darkness onto something solid.
This time the pain remained a slight throb as vision returned. Lights glared down from the ceiling, causing him to keep his eyes narowed. A voice pierced the throbbing. He turned his head and opened his eyes further. A doctor filled his view. Female. “Do you know me?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No. Sorry.”
“Ok, do you know your name.”
“Of course I do! It’s…. My name is…” The throb intensified, drowning his ability to think, to recall even the most basic of things, a name. He looked up into her eyes. “I don’t.”
“You took quite a knock on the noggin. I’m not surprised. We’ll try and jar your memory by visiting some familiar places on the station. I’m sure it’ll all come back in time. Don’t worry.”
Worry hadn’t really been on the top of his mind. Throbbing, yes, but worry… He actually felt a sense of calm. His mind should be racing, but at the same time, any pressing concerns he might have had we forgotten. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad, if the pain would subside…
“Got anything for the throbbing?”
“The doctor smiled. Yes, take these, two every four hours should keep your headache down. It should subside naturally in a couple days. You’ll need to come back and have the stitches removed. Let’s give you a bit to come out of anesthetic and then take a walk.”
He nodded his agreement and slammed the pills back with the glass of water she offered waiting for the pain to dull.