Three
1248 Words
Laura's gaze lingered on Ethan for a few more seconds before she fell asleep—right next to him. Even with the threat about her marriage with George, all she wanted was peace, the right to make her own decisions.
Minutes passed by, hours now, but Laura's eyes were still deeply shut, a small smile playing on her lips. She seemed to be having a pleasurable dream, where she lived without having to worry about her family's name and status, but she woke up with a gasp when some shuffling sounds grazed her ears.
Laura blinked her eyes constantly, rubbing it with her fingers, as a small yawn escaped her lips. She stretched her arms, sighing out loud, but her expression changed when she saw Ethan staring at the mirror. She tilted her head, her brows deeply furrowed, “Is something wrong?”
“I can't remember anything.” Ethan's honey toned voice rang out. He had a strange expression in his eyes, a lost look and a gaze filled with pain. He continued staring at the reflection of himself, the numerous scars on his body stirring something within him, “how did this happen? Why am I here?”
Laura got up slowly, “I saved you from the sea, you remember that, right?”
“The sea.” Ethan whispered, images pushing through his head like a hurricane. He gasped, placing his hand over his head as the images persisted, playing before him like a vivid movie. Bodies kept falling into the sea, loud yells piercing his ears. Everything happened so fast, he could only recall their cries of pleas. They were his comrades, people so close he would call them families, but they all lost their lives.
His eyes burned, anger surging through his veins as his head continued throbbing.
Ethan staggered backwards, but Laura was quick to hook her arms around him, “did you recall something?”
He cast a quick glance at Laura, wondering if he could trust her with what he'd just remembered. He sucked in a breath and shook his head, “nothing yet.”
Laura nodded, taking a few steps backwards. She picked up the emblem she set aside earlier and placed it on his palm, “maybe this would help you remember something. Perhaps your name or your family..”
Ethan stared at the emblem, closing his eyes, as he tried to remember where he'd gotten it. Just like his brains were close to getting fried, a groan flowed out of his lips. He shook his head, his fingers trembling, “Just my name.” The emblem fell to the ground, but Laura was quick to pick it up, “then this might be important as well.”
He nodded, his knees weakening.
“What's your name?”
“Ethan.” he staggered again, his heart racing at an extreme rate, “I need to go.”
“Go where?” Laura blinked, holding him in place, “I need to get you to a hospital.”
“You have your own problems to worry about.” Ethan cut her off, pushing her slightly, but she stayed, “you never thought about that when you stopped my father from slapping me. We'll call it even once I get you to a hospital.”
Left with no choice, Ethan nodded slowly.
*****
The ride to the hospital was smooth but extremely quiet. Only the sound of the radio calmed Laura all through, as she sped down the highway to the nearest hospital. Ethan was only a stranger, but she took it upon herself to care for him, make sure he was fine. It felt strange, but she didn't regret it. Upon getting to the hospital, Ethan got down swiftly, waking right after Laura.
The whole place seemed familiar, triggering more images, but he couldn't grasp the full meaning of everything. The fragments of his memory all seemed useless for the time being.
“We need to see the doctor, please.” Laura flashed her widest smile at a nurse, “you don't have to tell my parents I visited.”
The nurse sighed, “the doctor's in the OR.”
“Then we'll wait for him. Can you get us a room?”
“Yes, I'll do that right now.” She flashed Laura a smile, “And yes, your secret’s safe with me.”
As they proceeded to a VIP room, Ethan stared at Laura's hair for a while, Increasing his pace to catch up to her, “do you smile like that all the time?”
Laura frowned, taken aback by his question, “is there something wrong with smiling?” She touched her face, “or my face?”
Ethan shook his head, pressing his lips together, “Nevermind.”
The nurse guided them into the room and gave a small bow before leaving. Ethan walked towards the large bed, sat down calmly and leaned his head on the board. He inhaled a deep breath, overwhelmed by the constant images rushing through his head.
“While we wait for the doctor, let's pass some time with the TV.”
Ethan couldn't be bothered with her small ways of starting conversations. He simply nodded and focused on getting his memories back.
As soon as Laura turned on the TV, the first word that filled the space made Ethan's heart skip a beat.
“Nationwide top military commander is announced dead.”
“Ah, this news again.” Laura sighed, “I heard he's the heart desire of every woman even though only a few people have seen him. He likes his privacy, or so I heard.”
But Ethan remained quiet, his eyes almost bulging out of its socket.
The word kept replaying in his head.
“Nationwide top military commander is announced dead.”
He shook his head, another groan escaping his lips as multiple images assaulted his brain. Laura frowned, rushing towards him, “is something wrong?”
“I'm the top military commander.” Ethan whispered slowly as realization dawned on him, “they just announced my own death.” His voice was barely audible, so Laura couldn't pick up a single word. She placed her hand on his shoulder, worry etching her features, “did you recall something again?”
Ethan's eyes burned, memories flowing in.
“I remember.” He wanted to say, but he kept quiet, a blank look in his eyes, “I remember being poisoned by my fiance during a crucial battle.” but these words simply remained in his heart as a tear slipped down his cheeks. His fiancee, the woman he would give his whole life for poisoned him a few weeks to their wedding! His hands trembled, anger surging through his veins, as another tear slipped down his cheeks.
“What on earth is going on?” Laura asked, completely confused, but Ethan shook his head, giving her a small smile, “I'm getting out of here.” but the nation just reported his death. His fiancee would believe he was dead, her family as well. They might as well be celebrating his death in their well furnished luxurious mansion. Getting out there wasn't safe as well.
“We’re still searching for his body, as his signature mark is the grim reaper tattoo on his back.” The reporter's voice lingered in the air and Laura gasped, taking a few steps backwards, “Ar…are you?”
- Writer
