Chapter 4

Days later, Venus opened her eyes to a loud beeping machine.

The sound was intense, drilling into her head. The light was too bright, stabbing into her eyes even before she opened them.

She blinked slowly, her eyelids heavy. Her head felt thick, like it was stuffed with cotton. Every thought she tried to hold onto slipped away.

Pain spread through her ribs, her shoulder, her back. Her fingers hurt when she tried to move them. Even her legs ached. She stopped moving altogether, breathing shallowly, afraid of making it worse.

She opened her eyes fully now.

The walls were pale and smooth. The ceiling above her was white and shining. Machines beeped beside the bed, their screens glowing softly. The room smelled clean and unfamiliar.

A tube ran into her arm. Cold liquid dripped through it, sending a chill through her veins. She shivered slightly.

She tried to remembered.

A road. Screeching tires. Metal twisting. Glass everywhere. A face, someone screaming but it slipped away before she could hold it.

Her throat burned, dry and raw. She swallowed.

“Where… am I?” she whispered, her voice barely louder than a breath.

“Hello.”

The door opened, and a woman stepped inside. She wore a crisp nurse uniform and a soft smile. Venus could see relief in her eyes, like she had been waiting for this moment.

“Oh,” the nurse said gently. “You’re finally awake.”

Venus looked at her, confusion consistently in her mind. She tried to speak, but she didn’t know what to say.

“Can you hear me?” the nurse asked, leaning slightly closer.

Venus nodded slightly, twitching her fingers.

The nurse moved closer, checking the monitor and adjusting the drip. “Try not to move too much,” she said.

Venus turned slowly toward her. “Please… where am I?” Her voice sounded weak and flat.

“You’re in the hospital,” the nurse said gently. “You were brought in after an accident.”

“Accident?” Venus repeated quietly. “I don’t remember anything,” she said.

The nurse smiled in a polite way. “That’s expected. You were unconscious for a while.”

“How long?” Venus asked.

“Three days.” the nurse responded

Three days? Venus’s heart skipped. I had been asleep for three days.

“That’s alright,” the nurse reassured her. She picked up a chart. “I’m going to ask you some questions. Okay?”

Venus nodded, her eyes flicking around the room.

“What’s your name?”

She stared at the nurse. “I… I don’t know,” she whispered.

The nurse paused. “It’s okay. Take your time.”

Venus closed her eyes. The emptiness pressed down on her chest. She felt hollow, like she was missing something essential.

“I… don’t remember,” she said again, her voice trembling.

The nurse wrote something down.

“Do you know what day it is?”

“No, she said quietly.”

“Do you remember what happened before the accident?”

“No!” Venus shouted suddenly, frustration and fear coiling together in her chest. “No… I can’t remember! Why… why can’t I remember anything?”

Tears blurred her vision. She gripped the sheets tightly and cried.

The nurse moved closer and held her hands. They were warm and steady.

“You’ve been through a lot,” she said softly. “Your body… your mind… it needs time to heal.”

Venus blinked, trying to control her breathing. “I… I’m sorry I yelled,” she whispered.

The nurse didn’t move quickly. She stayed calm. “Memory loss can happen after trauma. It’s normal. You’ll be fine.”

Venus looked at her. “How long… will it take?”

Venus looked at her body. Bandages wrapped her ribs and shoulder. Bruises covered her skin. They looked dark, ugly. She shivered.

The nurse hesitated. “I don’t know. But the doctor will be here soon. He’ll explain more.”

Venus swallowed hard. Her throat was dry, “Do I… have a family?” she asked.

“No one has come forward yet,” the nurse said.

“Was I… alone?”

“No,” the nurse said softly. “Someone brought you here.”

“Who?” Venus asked, curling her fingers into fists.

A man,” the nurse said quietly. “He found you after the crash. He stayed until the ambulance arrived.”

A man? Her heart sank. Why wasn’t he here now?

“Did he say anything about me?” she asked, voice shaking.

“No,” the nurse shook her head.

“When will he be back?”

Before the nurse could answer, footsteps echoed softly outside the door. They stopped.

The nurse glanced toward the door. “The doctor’s here now,” she said quietly.

The curtain shifted.

Venus lifted her head slowly. Every movement sent sharp pain through her ribs, shoulder, and back.

A man in a white coat walked in. Calm, Serious. He carried a clipboard and looked at the machines before settling his gaze on her.

“Venus?” His voice was low, gentle. “I’m Dr. Adrian Keller. I’m your doctor.”

Venus blinked, trying to make sense of the words. “Doctor…?” she whispered.

Dr. Keller nodded. “You had a bad accident. You’re hurt, but you’re stable now. We’ll watch you closely.”

Her heart beat faster. “My memory?”

He took a careful step closer. “Your memory may come back. Sometimes it’s days, sometimes weeks. Right now, you need to focus on healing.”

Venus swallowed hard. She wanted to ask about the man who brought her, but her body was too sore.

The doctor wrote something on his clipboard. “We’ll help you recover. For now, rest. Your body needs time, and your mind will catch up.

The beeping of the machines filled the room, steady and rhythmic. The nurse’s hand squeezed hers gently.

“You’re safe here,” she whispered. “Just rest for now.”

Venus nodded faintly. Her thoughts drifted. Who was the man who found me? Would he come back? And who… who am I?