Bright

I wake up abruptly sitting up, Im sweaty and thirsty. The lights are bright and piercing, they burn into my eyes. My head hurts, and everything is a bright white, and it burns my eyes.

I cover my eyes trying to stop the burning before I'm interrupted by some woman

"Sir? Are you alright?"

I look up at her, dazed and confused.

"Its too bright"

As I speak, my voice sounds gravely, and unfamiliar, Not like my voice that I remember.

"Oh sorry about that sir"

She turns the lights to dim, the burning faded. Slow as it was, it was definitely fading. I looked at her, finally getting a good unblocked view. Her eyes were a deep amber, and her hair was a bright blond with a healthy shine. She was wearing a white jacket, she was a nurse or a doctor.

She walked up to me slowly and gracefully. When she pulled out a chair and sat on it she started asking me questions.

"Sir, do you know where you are?"

"No actually I was just about to ask that." Suddenly my body felt extremely heavy, like I was made of lead. I couldn't help but to fall back so I did my best to scooch back to the headboard.

"Sir you are in a hospital." I nodded in understanding.

"Uh wait why am I here then?"

"Sir can you tell me your name?

Immediately I was concerned, and confused, why did she avoid my question? I decided to press it a little bit.

"uh, why am I here?"

"First tell me your name" I could tell she was getting aggravated.

"Uh ok then, its Seth. I think" I saw her eyes light up as she looked at me. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Wait, you think?"

"Yeah, that sounds right. Everything is fuzzy right now and I don't know why." She nodded in understanding.

"So why am I here?" She sighed.

"Seth, you were in an accident." I felt myself tense up.

"you mean car crash, right?"

"Yes, you have been in a coma for a year. I think"

"Well I've only been a doctor for around 9 months, and you've been here the entire time. I did ask someone about you but its been a while. Matter of fact, I'm going to inform the head doctor, or well, Your doctor" Before I could ask any questions she was gone.

Eventually, the lights seemed to get brighter. As if every second she was gone the lights got brighter, I felt it burning my eyes, I closed my eyes but they still got brighter. I desperately covered my eyes in pain, but it burned still. More and more every second that passed.

I heard a whimpering sound, only to realize it came from me. I noticed again, my voice sounded nothing like I remember. way more gruff and deep.

"Seth?"

A voice pulled me out of the bright burning hellscape I was trapped in. The lights seemed to disappear from the room. I opened and uncovered my eyes, my hands shaking.

"Yes?" My voice sounded a little higher pitched than before, but that was from the fear and pain I had just experienced.

"Seth, do you know where y-" I cut him off to tell him I had been caught up.

"Yes, I know I'm in a hospital, I know I was in an accident. And I know I was in a coma, for a year? What I don't know is why cant I remember it?"

"you've been in a coma for a long time, it was due to heavy trauma to the head. Also you may have noticed, your body is much weaker, your muscle mass has deteriorated to near nothing." I interrupt him thinking he was done talking.

"Wait, so am I going to need physical therapy?" He sighs

"Yes Seth you're going to need physical therapy." I felt shocked, sad, and empty. I look at my hands, I notice something about them is different. Are they really that skinny? Where did that scar come from?

Something was different with me. I could tell.

"Seth, How old are you?" I look at him confused.

"like, 17. or well 18 now if its been a year." He got up holding up a finger silently telling me to stay put. He left the room to go to that woman from before. They started talking.

Eventually the male doctor peeked around the door

"Seth stay right there, we need to check something. Actually, What is your date of birth?

"September, 21, 2002." He nodded and then left with the female doctor.

The room lit up again, it was subtle this time, and it seemed like there was a point it came from. I heard a noise, like a car honking, but it was muffled, and barely there. I assumed it was from outside.

The light became brighter, almost burning again, I closed my eyes covering them with my hands. I saw it just as clear, and it looked like headlights.

I heard a car horn, and it was loud. I heard someone screaming, and sirens. I saw red and blue lights, I felt a thudding pain in my head, all of this hitting me at once startled me. I froze, mentally and physically.

"Seth! Calm down Seth!" I heard a woman screaming, I must've been shaking or something because they sounded scared and panicked.

The lights, the sound, the pain all disappeared in and instant. When I looked up opening my eyes the female doctor had a panicked look on her face, her clipboard was on the ground and her arms were on mine.

"Seth? Seth its ok."

"What happened?" I asked, trying to not let on what was happening, I must've been going insane.

"You were screaming and shaking."

"oh" I tried to sound as unknowing of that as I could.

"Seth, were you seeing something?" I looked at her, my poker face faltering for a moment, I knew I fucked up right there.

"Yes, I saw headlights, blue and red lights too. and I heard honking, and sirens. My head started hurting, and. Wait actually that's it" I saw her face turn into a more sympathetic look.

"Seth, did you say you were 17?" I nodded still confused, and not sure why she was asking.

"Well, your actually 22 and a half."

What? I was 22?! Did I drink and drive?! Is that why I'm here?! Is that why I cant remember jack shit?!

I tried sitting up, but my body failed. The lights shone brightly suddenly, It burned my eyes, made me feel like I was next to the sun and staring at it.

I covered my eyes and heard myself shout "TOO BRIGHT!!!"

Almost immediately I was plunged into darkness, silence. Nothing was around me, under me, or above me. I was floating in an abyss of darkness. I felt comfortable there, but then I felt panic. Did I just die? Where am I? Whats happening?!

I open my eyes to see the doctors shaking me awake. I put my hands in front of them. I felt less heavy by a lot. I saw their faces brighten up immediately. They smiled as if I was a close friend, as if i'd gotten to know them.

I noticed I was in a new place, it was shaky. Ambulance, That though shot into my mind, I remembered what was happening. Id been awake for a month now.

Me and the doctors, Samantha and daniel have gotten to be friends. Something I noticed a while ago is that sometimes I forget things when I wake up. I assumed it was some brain damage or something.

Slowly I was regaining my memories from when I was 17-22. But I'm still not sure if I will regain everything.

I remembered where we were going, to my new house, I had finally gained just enough strength to walk. I chose to go to my house, although against what my doctors said.

Eventually I will have to go to therapy, Ive been diagnosed with repression disorder or something like that, where I'm repressing traumatic memories, and even before due to brain trauma. and apparently the reason of me forgetting things in the morning when I wake up is for that disorder.

I don't know what will happen to me, I don't know if I will make it better, I don't know if I wont. I hope I get better soon though.