Hospital feels like home to some (scene 12)

Tara's parents still look like they haven't slept. I suppose it's the last thing they are thinking about.

'How are you doing Reilly?' I'm caught off guard by the question from Tara's dad.

'Oh fine,' I say.

'I know this is a difficult situation, but I'm confident having her best friend around, things will start to come back to Tara.' I nod. No pressure then. They all seem to be staring at me expectantly.

'Should I go in?' I falter.

'Go right ahead sweetie, she's waiting.'

'Tara knows I'm here?' I say confused.

'We've told her you're coming to visit and we've told her your history, who you are. The doctors think it's some sort of amnesia and that slowly over time her memory will come back to her.'

I nod again. I walk past them all with a clear focus. Tara might not remember me, but I'm going to try and make her remember us.

When I walk into the room, Tara sits up on her bed. Except that vacant look in her eyes, she's almost looking like the Tara I know.

'Hey,' I say.

'Hey,' she says, equally cheery, equally nervous. Even though she doesn't remember me, I can tell she is pleased to see someone else. Someone that's not her family. Someone else her own age group, that stuff is old Tara and it makes me relax a little.

'How are you feeling?' I start.

'Oh you know, like my brain has fallen out of my head and I don't remember a thing.' We both chuckle and I really think about her situation for a minute.

'Wow, that sucks.' She bursts into laughter and I want to cry.

'I wouldn't know?' We both laugh. I can almost feel the relief seeping in through the hospital blinds from the adults pretending not to stare.

'How's the food?' I say moving onto my second practiced question.

'It's not bad. I think?' More memory jokes. It suddenly dawns on me, although Tara has forgotten lots of things, she hasn't changed. She's still Tara. I begin to chat away like I normally would. Normal is what the doctors' wanted after-all.

Back in the car, on the way home, I'm really mad at myself for the way I have been behaving up to now. Get real Reilly, you were scared. But she's Tara. I smile, and genuinely believe for the first time since Tara showed up after her dissapperance things were going to be alright.

#Memoryloss #Bestfriend #Parents #Hospital #Bethereforyourlovedones #Rememberme