Chapter Text
I woke up in fragments.
It wasn’t like the movies. I didn’t go from sleep to wakefulness in one clean moment. First came the muffled sounds, like being underwater with my eyes closed. Beeps. Voices. Faint, far away, almost like they belonged to someone else. I tried to make sense of them. A rhythmic hum, a sharp metallic click, a whisper I couldn’t catch. Then came the light. It was so bright I had to squeeze my eyes shut. Gradually, the room, my world, came into focus. Everything was too sharp, too colorful, too loud. The sterile scent of antiseptic mingled with something floral. The sheets beneath me were soft. My arms heavy. I could move everything, so that was at least a good sign.
“Hello. We’re glad you’re back.” A woman in pink scrubs stood over me, calm and matter-of-fact. A nurse, I guessed. The hospital room was unmistakable. But how I’d gotten here? And what was wrong with me? My memory slipped through my fingers like sand. I had the worst headache of my life.
Panic hit me. My chest tightened, heart racing, breath shallow. The nurse didn’t flinch. She adjusted the IV in my arm, then inserted a syringe. Calm washed over me, and the darkness reclaimed me.
When I woke again, I was alone. Minutes? Hours? Days? I had no sense. The room felt slightly less overwhelming, and so did my sense of self. Isabel Conklin. Student at Finch College. Finals coming up. I work at a café on campus. And I had the sweetest boyfriend…wait, fiancé? In the world.
My mind bounced between half-formed memories: Jeremiah’s smile when holding up the ring to me, the coziness of my dorm room, singing along with Taylor to our other favorite Taylor on my favorite playlist. The fragments that felt real and unreal at the same time. My life was there but it felt like there were still gaps. What classes was I in now? Did we have a date for the wedding? Had we told my parents yet?
The nurse returned.
“Hello, Mrs. Fisher,” she said, smiling. “Waking up can be disorienting after a coma. We’ve given you something to keep you calm.”
Mrs. Fisher. Tears welled up despite the medication. I couldn’t remember getting married. Jeremiah and I were already married? I couldn’t remember the most important day of my life? I was supposed to marry my best friend. The most special day of our lives and I couldn’t remember it?
“We’re going to check you over. How are you doing right now?” the nurse asked.
“I’m…not sure.” My voice rasped as though I hadn’t used it in weeks. Maybe I hadn’t.
“It’s normal. You’ve been asleep for…” She glanced at her tablet. “…five days.”
“I…don’t…” I was going to say remember getting married. Remember how I got here.
Before I could speak, a man in a white coat appeared. He introduced himself as my doctor, Dr. Gilbert. He examined me, checked vitals, and asked questions. Some I could answer, like my name, my parents. Others slipped away, like the day, the month, my address. My mind felt foreign, weak, and unsteady. The medication was keeping the panic at bay but I knew things weren’t right. Steven had been in an accident. The memory suddenly came back to me. Had I been in the car with him? I couldn’t remember the accident or anything before it just that Steven was injured.
Dr. Gilbert remained outwardly calm but seemed more serious as the list of questions went on.
“What year is it?” He asked.
“2025”
“What’s your husband’s name?” he asked.
“Jeremiah,” I said, confidently even though I didn’t recall our wedding.
“And your job?”
“I’m a student at Finch. I also work at a café a couple days a week.”
“It can be very challenging to wake up from a coma,” he said, patting my shoulder.
The nurse came back in and spoke quietly to him. “Isabel’s husband is here. Should he wait or…?”
The doctor pauses considering. “I’m not…”
“I want to see him,” I said immediately.
The nurse laughed. “Good. He’s been dying to see you. I’m not sure he’d take no for an answer.”
My chest warmed at the thought of Jeremiah. I couldn’t wait to have his arms around me, warm and safe. His smile and jokes would be sure to help me feel more like myself. He’d probably be sad that I didn’t remember the wedding, but I was sure it would all come back to me in a few days. Memories were already starting to pop back in. Dancing with him in the quad. Nights drinking too much with Taylor and Anika. Cramming for finals fueled on coffee.
And that’s when Conrad Fisher walked in the room.