Chapter Two: This is not my face

There was a deafening ringing sound all over the place that never hoped to stop. It sounded for more than ten minutes before it started to fade away and was immediately replaced with a piece of harmonious music.

Out of nowhere, a single star appeared in the sky and was dancing rhythmically with the melodious music sounding in the background, but soon everything stopped, and silence overwhelmed the place. 

Then, the next moment, few sounds could be heard but this wasn't an ordinary sound but the voices of people talking.

" She is waking up!" One of the voices announced.

" No, she can't wake up now, we need to complete the operation first. Give her the vallium 10mg" another commanded

" Yes ma"

Soon, there was silence everywhere again. 

 After so many times had passed, Kathie woke up again. At first, everything was clouded but soon everything started getting in shape.

The walls were white. There was a beeping machine that was monitoring someone's heartbeat. There were two other empty beds on the sides with empty drip bags hanging on their bedsides.

There was something mixed with the air that was very unpleasant to the nose and the worst thing Kathie hated the most in her life.

The pungent smell of disinfectant …

And there was only one place one could perceive such a smell.

Kathie's eyes immediately opened wide as the realization got to her." Wait, am I in the hospital?!"

" Oh, you are awake"

At the sound of that voice behind her, Kathie's eyes quickly glided to the back out of fear. There was a woman with sponge hair, donning a white coat standing close to a cabinet and monitoring the syringe in her hands.

" Who are you? And how did I get here?" Kathie asked coldly.

The woman then dropped the syringe on her hand on top of the cabinet and walked towards her with a smile.

" Hey, you need to calm down. I know you are facing some kind of trauma but you need to stay calm. We did an operation on you not too long ago that is still healing so stay calm and allow the medicine to take effect, okay?" 

Kathie shot her eyes and inhaled precipitously before opening it up again. " Didn't you get my question? I asked, "Who are you, and what am I doing here!?"

" Well…" the woman began and sat on the opposite bed, facing her. " My name is Doctor Emily and you are the patient that was brought to me by two hunters a week ago, who claims that they found you half dead in the middle of the woods. They are still in the custody of the police. They can only come out after you have clarified their names"

" You mean I have been here a week now?" Kathie asked again with furrowed brows.

" Yes. You merely survived death. You lost a lot of blood and were on the brink of death when you were brought here but you fought it and made it alive. You are indeed a strong lady"  Doctor Emily commented happily, flashing a smile.

" Why!?" 

" Huh?" Doctor Emily asked with confusion written all over her face.

" I said why? Why did you save me!? You could have allowed me to die there? Just why!?" Kathie yelled with so much sorrow in her eyes. The only thing she ever desired.

Tears flow down from her eyes like a river, revealing the pain and deep sorrow in her heart.

The doctor was still shocked and confused. She couldn't understand a bit of the situation at hand. 

At most, to her understanding, people who survived death after anesthesia usually used to be filled with joy and happiness so why was this lady different?

Why was it that this lady wasn't happy about herself being alive? Or hold a second, did she commit suicide?

" I don't understand, why do you prefer death?" Doctor Emily asked after coming out of the shock.

Kathie Martinez chuckled bitterly and asked with regret, " Is this life? The one I am living is life? If it is life then I wish to exist no more"

The doctor was left bewildered. This was her first time facing someone who prefers death rather than life, the dead are praying every day to have it.  

This situation caught the doctor on the hop. She didn't prepare for this. Look at her, waiting patiently for some type of praise and thank you from the patient she has spent days taking care of, instead, what she got was ungratefulness and attitude.

What type of life has this lady lived?

" Miss Ashley Flores, the police had researched you and discovered that you only faced a love triangle crisis but that didn't warrant you taking your own life. Love is nothing but a feeling " Doctor Emily said as she stood up from the bed and went back to the white cabinet in search of something.

" My name isn't Ashley" 

The doctor chortled silently, "Did you also lose your memories?"

" I didn't lose my memory to the extent that I didn't know my name again. My name is not Ashley! And I didn't face any love triangle crisis!" Kathie said with a frown, now becoming furious.

The doctor then found what she was looking for in the cabinet and walked gently toward her. " Then who is this…?" She brought a piece of paper from her hand and showed it to her face.

The paper was kind of a testament or research paper with a picture of a gorgeous young lady with blonde hair and enchanting blue eyes.

" This isn't me," Kathie confirmed.

The doctor then exhaled deeply and started walking away but as she reached the door, she paused.

" Are you sure you didn't lose your memory?"

" I have said it before and I will say it again. That lady is not me. I know my appearance very well"

" Okay," the doctor shrugged and left.

After some minutes, the doctor came back to the room again but this time, with a mirror in her hand which made Kathie roll her eyes inwardly.

"I said I know myself very well. You don't need to bring a mirror" Kathie scoffed.

" I know. I didn't come to argue but to show you proof" Doctor Emily handed her the mirror, "See for yourself"

Kathie hissed and collected the mirror half-heartedly before looking at it.

"What! " She dropped the mirror on the bed and touched her face, with shaky hands, "This isn't me!" She yelled with a confused expression on her face before facing the doctor, "Did you perform any surgery on my face!?"

"Nooo"

" Then, what is going on? This is not my face!!"