welcome,

The walls are a sterile white. That, coupled with the way the fluorescent overhead lights nearly blinded you once you were finally able to crack your eyes open, are enough clues to tell you that you’re in a hospital. The stiff sheets scratching at your skin and the beeping machines with tubes connected to you register later, but they only serve to further confirm your suspicions. 

Your senses are coming back to you, though slowly. Your sight is a little blurry, but you can manage, and your hearing cycles through being muffled to almost piercingly loud. The only thing you can focus on clearly is the ache on the back of your skull.

“You’re awake.” A voice says. You fight through the pain and turn to your left, moving only at the neck. It takes far more effort than you’d like it to. You’re wholly unsurprised to find that you don’t recognize the figure sitting in a chair beside your bed. Which is a shame, really, because he’s looking at you like he hasn’t breathed the whole time you were sleeping.

Which, you don’t know how long that’s been, either.

You don’t answer him at first. Not that your dry throat would make that an easy task. But you don’t exactly know what to say to a total stranger who only pointed out the obvious. He’s far too young to be a nurse or doctor; he’s wearing a high school uniform, you think. Actually, it looks like the Furin uniform from the local all boys school.

He’s really pretty, too, your addled mind deciphers. Half his hair is a stark white while the other side is black as night. Even his eyes are different colors from each other, amber and steel. If he didn’t look so distraught, if you didn’t have other things to worry about, you’d call him handsome.

“You’ve been out for two days,” He fills the silence for you, voice rough enough for you to realize whatever happened to you has really affected him. You’re finding it harder and harder to address the fact that you don’t know him, even though that probably means that something is horribly wrong. “Your folks just left. They went home to shower and change clothes but they’ll be here soon.”

You nod, not wanting to test out how really dry your throat is.

“It happened too fast.” He says, and you think the it he’s referring to is whatever happened to land you in the bed you’re currently occupying. “I didn’t see them coming. It’s my fault. I got too caught up, and—”

He cuts himself off, face scrunching tight as he twists his head to the side. He looks angry, but something deep inside you resists that thought. He’s not… angry. Scared, maybe. But you don’t know him, so all you can do is wonder. 

“Oh,” You say, because it’s taking far longer than you’d comfortably like for his recounting of events to process in your mind. Not that you’re exactly processing, considering you don't know about ninety percent of the information crucial to understand what he said. Instead, you’re left trying to piece together the big parts. 

“I’m so damn sorry,” He breathes a name, your name, on a gasp that punches the wind out of you just as much as it does him. 

You can’t put it off any longer. You have to bring it up now.

“I don’t understand,” You clear your throat. Your hand lifts like it wants to touch the back of your head, to feel with the tips of your fingers what’s causing you so much hurt, but you think better of it halfway and settle back against the hospital bed. For now. “Who… are you?” 

You don’t want to ask him that. Honestly, you can’t think of anything you’d like to do less. Because you know enough to realize that this stranger knows you—knows you well. And you have no idea who he is. 

You see the way your words land on him like a physical blow. It ripples through his features, shock blowing his mismatched eyes wide and jaw going slack an inch or two. 

“Who… what?” He stands so abruptly the chair skids back. His voice is a touch too loud, and you wince as the sound rattles in your skull. You know he sees it all play out on your face, because the color drains from his and he’s much quieter when he talks next. “I’m getting the nurse. Now.” 

He runs out the room to make good on his word, leaving you alone for the first time. Now, while you’re sitting in this hospital room by yourself, devoid of the company of even a stranger, you finally feel real fear. 

Because there are clearly things you should know, that you have no memory of.