AHHHHH ALRIGHTY Let's not keep you guys anyyyyyyy longer. I'm scared to death of this chapter and I never want to see it again.

Chapter 13: Forget-Me-Nots

In the previous chapter...

A loud cry rang throughout the abandoned structure, the wailing of police cars soon drowning the wretched screaming as they approached.

My eyes focused back onto the same dirtied linoleum floor. I peeked at the pant leg clinging to the... argh, I can't say it.I threw my head back in aggravation and groaned loudly. Another question made it's starring appearance.

Where will I go from here?

I personally couldn't give a flying fuck at the moment. And to prove it, I will take a nap. Screw you, reality.

"Ohhhhh, whada'bout 'Rebecca?' Eh, eh?" Officer Bridger suggested, very much enthused and spurred on by a new found challenge. They were practically bouncing in their seat, the large device that resembled a souped-up laptop shaking with every sudden movement. It scared me half to death every time we hit a pothole, too, the expensive piece of technology nearly falling off its stand. But forget about that, I got shotgun! Because the back has vomit in it, that's why. Fuck you, let me enjoy the small victories.

It had taken Officer Bridger a good deal of patience to get my freaked out ass in the car. I'm not going to lie, just the thought of the police car sent heebie-jeebies right up my back.

Speaking of whom, the aforementioned officer hummed as if stuck on a sticky crossword puzzle.

"No no, ya don' look like a Rebecca." A sad, childish pout scrunched up their features, "Well now tha's great, I'm ou'of ideas."

Ever since I had hopped into the cruiser -19 minutes ago, mind you- Officer Bridger had been listing off all the possible candidates for a name. One by one. With very detailed descriptions. Thankfully, they would quickly eliminate them if they did not sound fitting enough.

Never did my officer companion ask for my opinion. Don't know whether I should be thankful or offended.

It wasn't that I had nothing to say about the matter; well... I did have nothing to say, only a lot to think about. A name meant a life, and I wasn't quite sure I had one of those. Despite my thoughts on the matter; thank the lord for this beautiful, beautiful person.

I turned my stinging eyes to the dark glass, catching a quick glimpse of my reflection in the rear-view mirror. I quickly turned my gaze away. I'm not exactly ready to... don't you dare... 'face' my own reflection just yet. Bitch, that was horrible. I know.

I shook my head and withheld a disappointed sigh. The internal debates weren't going to stop anytime soon.

I turned my eyes to the scene beyond the car. The angry glare of bright car lights shone off the tinted windows, tall buildings passing by with all their glorious brick grandeur. The sky was still dark, but the city illuminated the hovering clouds above with a haunting orange. It all felt oddly familiar; homely even, but left a nasty taste layering my tongue. I wanted to spit it out, scratch my nails across it till blood erupted; anything to get it out. It took all my restraint to not claw at my own tongue like an idiot. Or a cat with a hair in its mouth. I would still look like an idiot.

It made me wonder. Did I once know this city? Call it home? Have a family, even? Good god, the questions could go on forever. However, Officer Bridger's focused exuberance upon the whole naming-business was... well, very thought-provoking. Accepting a new name would be the first step in starting a new life, right? What would I do if I remembered my old life? I felt my arms tense and my spine stiffen. The thought seemed frightening, yet oddly enticing. Most of people's question revolve around "what if?" While most of mine revolve around what was.

Goddamn, this is more complex than it needs to be.

I don't like it.

I turned my attention back over to Officer Bridger; the officer a well needed distraction from all the suffocating questions, but Officer Bridger had seemed to go silent. A large white building pulled into view, simple red letter's glowing on the walls. The air seem to grow more still than before, the officer's shoulder's tensing up.

Oh. Oh.

"I don' like hospitals all that much, personally. But I'll do it just for ya, sweetheart," they managed, eyes away and fixated upon the intimidating structure. Their tired eyes had seemed to gloss over, the wrinkles etched deeper and the bags under their glassy orbs became darker. It was beyond obvious that this human had seen some serious shit. I can't begin to imagine.

Turning their thoughts back onto the road, Officer Bridger turned into the hospital's main entrance parking lot. The lot wasn't filled completely, but there was still a considerable amount of cars strewn across the space. There were people with smiles on their faces and phones in their hands, standing in front of the entrance's glass doors. And then there people with empty stares marching stiffly across the lot. Officer Bridger's stare was one of the in-between; a focused empty stare boring holes into the front window, while a small, forced smile stuck upon their lips.

With a sharp turn, Officer Bridger pulled between the white lines. 'Maybe we'll find some real smiles.'

Time ticked by at an agonizingly slow pace. The obnoxious squeaking of stretchers and distant monitors beeping were the only boredom-easing relief to be found; other than doggy-paddling through innumerable amounts of questions, that is. It just doesn't seem to ever end. Thank goodness Officer Bridger is here or else this would be boring as shite.

During our time in the waiting room, I had lost a few games of 'rock-paper-scissors' against Officer Bridger. After the boredom started to kick in; a strong sense of deja-vu started. Maybe it had something to do with these... stiff plastic seats.Wait, no.I don't think it's deja-vu... you're right, it's not. It was thrity minutes ago, you idiot.Shut up, douche.Not until you do, moron.

'Oh god, I'm going insane.'

"Hey, sweetheart, ya there?" I swung my head in search of Officer Bridger, surprised by the sudden interruption. Never had being jerked back into reality been such a relief. They looked confused and concerned, eyes raking up and down my tense form.

I gave a short nod and a one-sided telepathic thanks. There wasn't much I could do to relieve the stress, so I let the tension be.

Officer Bridger sighed and slumped back into the seat, "'Kay, makin' sure ya weren't leavin' for la-la land. Ya looked a little out of it," they grumbled anxiously. Their eyes skittered from left to right, analyzing everything that moved, their foot bouncing up and down rapidly. They watched everything with a strikingly acute awareness, cautious about any possible outcome. They can't take this for much longer.

It was time to intervene.

"You can wait out in the car, if you want. I'll come out when they're done with me," I droned, giving the officer a stare from the corner of my eye. I don't think I've ever seen someone's attention turn so fast in my couple hours of life. Their eyes were wide and bewildered, as if I had three heads. They were about opened their mouth to object, but I beat them to it.

"N-,"

"I'll be perfectly fine. You," I whipped my head around and gave a full stern glare, "Won't be. Now go. You're starting to worry me," I interrupted with a straight face. I was not about to give any room for a debate, and I was definitely not letting them suffer here just for my sake. I expected a fight, an objection, maybe even a shrug and a "nope." I didn't expect the fear that showed in their eyes.

I felt my heart clench. That ache felt familiar.

My tense shoulder's dropped and I looked away. I didn't want to see that look. That fear. It made my stomach churn; made it want to spit up whatever meal I had last. Reassure them. Tell them everything is okay now. Tell them you're alright.

Tell them you won't do it…

Do what?

At that those simple words a massive headache began to sear behind my eyes, and faded as soon as it appeared. Common sense screamed to ignore it as best as I could, but all I felt was uncertainty. It crept up my fingers like a chill, and the air froze dead. Everything surrounding me went still; from the people to the hands on the clock. The light was beginning to fade, darkness creeping at the corner's of my vision. I could feel the walls shrinking and approaching; the very air that kept me alive felt suffocating, sticking to my flesh like a skintight suit. My heart began to thunder in my ears.

Breathe. Just breathe. 'Everything will be alright.'

A deep breath in and time continued on like nothing ever happened.

"I'll be alright. Now go."

They stood up slowly, before running out the building like a shot. 'Well, wasn't that was considerate.'

It was now, alone in a room full of strangers, that the boredom set in full force. Twiddling-your-thumbs-boredom. It was like waiting for agony, whether it be for two minutes or twenty. Every sense became heightened, the details each picked up making me feel more and more uncomfortable in my own skin. Long forgotten tunes from a past life sat on the tip on my tongue, the words to far to even bother reaching for. The pungent smell of disinfectant became stronger and stronger with every inhale, the soapy smell of lemon now beyond irritating. Sounds blended together, becoming muffled by purposeful distractions. Dear lord, this is hell.

"Excuse me, uhh, miss?"

I totally didn't almost scream just then.Not at all.

The nurse who nearly gave me a heart attack stood anxiously beside me, their hands behind their back. It was easy to tell the trademark smile was stressed, so I made an effort to not appear so... 'me?' Do I look scary? Your short ass couldn't frighten a bunny if it tried. 'Shut up.'

"Yes?" No matter how hard I try, I still sound like a robot. Also, your shoulders don't have to be so tense, y'know. And don't forget to breathe. 'I got it, I got it.'

"You'll be seen now. Follow me please," they chirped quietly. It was obvious they were making quite the effort to appear hospitable, and good lord knows it's hard. I stood with a sharp nod and a small smile. The nurse turned quickly and stiffly marched along, me close on their heels. It seemed every time I managed to get a little closer, they'd speed back up again. 'Must be busy.'

It wasn't long before I couldn't keep up with the panicky nurse anymore. They had a some distance on me and they never bothered to check back to see if I was still following. The distance finally paid the price when a throng of people blocked my effing way. They scrambled by, tripping over one another; some with cameras, and others with tears and scared expressions. This peculiarity bit my ass hard, and I followed behind a new crowd.

Curiosity killed the cat...

The crowd slowed to a stop after the sound of door slamming shook the air. Many with cameras dispersed away to find another story to film; while the ones with tear-stained cheeks turned away from the dark window. I took this oddly opportune moment to peek into the medical room.

First thing that caught my eye was the large amount of people in the space, each running around the dimly lit operating room while only one one worked on the person on the table. Blood covered the pastel gloves like paint, the crimson standing bright against the pale green. Someone rushed past the window and in stood front of the patient, effectively blocking my view.

What felt like a stone sunk to the bottom of my stomach. 'I should leave.'

Curiosity killed the cat...

What harm could getting a better view do? 'No, no I shouldn't.' Eh, you're right. You could be a little sensitive to something like that, anyways.

I shifted on my heel and turned back around. It was probably a good idea to find that nurse again.

I turned to take a step down the hallway, until I felt my blood freeze.

Gold hair. Bright gold hair. It burned my eyes just to look at it, but I couldn't seem to look away. The long locks were gorgeous, yet that wasn't why I was stuck. I know that...

The last thing I saw before everything disappeared were those locks of blonde hair.

My heart was beating out of my chest as I stumbled around aimlessly, my shoulder ramming into the walls of the hallway and my feet kicking things that probably shouldn't have been kicked. I felt lost, lost in the hallways of this hospital and lost in the corridors of my own head. My mind throbbed with the sound of thunder, and pain shot through every nerve like lightning. All that could see was black, with no light in the dark. All I could hear was emptiness, and it scared me the hell out of me.

The only thing that wasn't stuffed silent and blocked, was the faint tingling of the crappy wallpaper at the end of my fingertips.

I followed the flat surface until I stubbed my fingers against the decorative borderline ridges. A hope bloomed in the pit of my chest, and my fingers gripped the wood indents tight. If I could see them right now, they'd probably be as white as freshly pressed paper.

When my knuckles collided with an opposing path of wood, my sight returned with a vengeance of color and my hearing turned the volume up to an odd number. After so many minutes of tripping over what I couldn't see, I don't think I had ever been so grateful for getting my senses bombarded.

I pulled my shoulders back and rolled them, the snapping of the joints more satisfying than I ever remembered; despite of how little I do remember. All pain that I felt before gone without a trace, and honestly it was screwing with my head. These headaches were getting more insane and more concerning.

It was now that I realized I was in a completely new and unfamiliar hallway of the hospital. It wasn't this foreign scenethat sent a chill down my spine, though. It was how this particular hallway had not another soul within its walls. Unusual, seeing as this is a hospital.

Everything was too calm to be okay.

I shook my head, shaking the uncomfortable feeling sticking its claws in my back. I wanted to find out where I was, and that would require a slight amount of snooping. 'Well, maybe snooping wasn't the most accurate of terms, but I don't really care.'

Curiosity killed the cat...

I peeked into the room ahead of me. Perhaps the room could give me a hint why or where I was. 'I am seriously lost.' My eyes first landed on a brightly decorated vase beside the large medical bed. Dim and dying white and yellow petals flitted down from the stems within the purple container. Only a couple of flowers were left intact, but their liveliness was no longer upon their leaves. I know those...

My gaze drifted over and away from the dead flora; noticing the pale hand hanging off the medical bed. My gaze followed up the limb, falling on a lanky shoulder, a neck, and finally onto dark tresses.

Everything broke loose.

I couldn't feel the brisk air of the hospital upon my skin anymore. Now all I felt was people running into me, tripping over me, completely ignoring my presence among them as the rushed through what appeared to be a new corridor belonging to the hospital. It was like I wasn't even there. Was I there? Another person rammed into my shoulder, knocking me out of my daze before I could even fall into it. 'Oh, I'm definitely here.'

I whirled around to give that impolite person a piece of my mind, but they were gone in the flow of the crowd. A flow of which was parted like the Red Sea around two people. No one paid attention to them, but made it a point for them not to be touched. They looked like all the other ordinary bystanders passing by, but the amalgamated senses of warmth and coolness they seemed to project made this pair seem anything other than ordinary.

My foot seemed to move on it's own, stretching out to bring me closer to the strangers before me; hesitating before it planted itself surely on the tile. The mixed awareness was no longer hot and cold. No, that wouldn't do the feeling in the pit of my chest justice. It was as if I had been wrapped in a soft blanket of protection, and if I dared leave its security I'd be met with a defiant iron shield, hell bent on keeping its treasures safe from the outside threats. Both of these presences led back to those strangers ahead.

I could see them more clearly than before.

The shorter of the two seemed much more organized and refined in their stance, but the way they dressed put on the impression of a rebel. Straight black hair fell neatly on a cheap dark blue hoodie; ripped skinny jeans hung loose on their right leg. Their tan, sun-kissed skin appeared devoid and unhealthy; and their dark eyes were shadowed by their bangs, but shined something fearsome.

The other one's manner appeared exactly the opposite.

Laid back, was the term best to describe the taller of the two. Her shoulders were relaxed and her arms were crossed, a small smirk pulling at the edges of her lips. The way the second stood gave off an undeniable confidence, but apprehension poked at the edges of her posture. A red and black flannel was left unbuttoned, revealing a grey tee beneath it. Her brown hair was tossed to one side in a knotted, but somehow charming way. Despite the lively emotions that the second gave off, her eyes looked empty and dark despite the flecks of green in the depths.

Altogether, they were an impressionable duo that would probably never be see next to the other; at least, from what I could assume. Their presence here before me proved that assumption wrong, but I couldn't shake the idea.

They stood as still as they had before, until the taller unceremoniously broke the silence.

"Welp, I call dibs on going first."

...But satisfaction brought it back.

Ohhhhhhhhhhh I feeeel so baaad. I'm so sorry for the long wait. I could go on for hours making excuses, but half the time it was just me not feeling up to it. The other half was school kicking my bum across the earth. I was tired. So, so very tired. I am sorry. But your support kicked me back into the swing of things. Thank you for being patient and thank you for not giving up.

I would like to thank...

LiVe-in-colour, MisukiTheOtaku, Guest(1), Guest(2, or are you the same person? Sorry if I get it wrong), Sorvel Decima, zRedgrave, Bee4ever, Vodid, and CarsCars2Fanatic FOR REVIEWING!

LiVe-in-colour: I'm glad ya like it! And nah, that's too predictable. I like to throw everyone for a loop in an unnecessarily complicated way that alters the story as it is. But at the end of it, Beth will always have her child-safe potty mouth.

MisukiTheOtaku: Do not fret! The real Ironhide is coming soon... very soon (insert villain laugh here).

Guest(1): She won't be entirely different, if we're gettin' technical here; but don't think for a second something interesting won't happen.

Guest(2): *Sweats nervously* Y-yeah, tha-that's TOTALLY what happens. Ohhhh boy, y-you got me!

Sorvel Decima(that's such a cool name): This chapter probably didn't help solve anything, did it? Sorry. Also very, very sorry for not updating sooner.

zRedgrave: *Bursts into tears* Ahhhhh, I'm so sooorrrrry. But if it's of any note, 'Hide is gonna make an appearance soon! Please forgive meeeeeh.

Bee4ever: N-n-nailed it! Yeah, Lucy has quite a field day handling feels, which is a vibrant contrast to Beth is literally is feels. No logic in Beth's brain. Not a single bit.

Vodid: I... I never thought about it like that. Huh. That's a great way to see it. Very encouraging, too. I thought I went a little overboard with the complexities. And concerning Ironhide... it's not at all what you'll be expecting. Muahaha.

CarsCars2Fanatic: Ayy, mysterious was what aiming for! Whooohoo! Switching subjects, better hold on, the next chapter is going to be a bumpy ride!

Before I go, I have a question for you guys. I have discovered a way to edit previous chapters of which their original files had be deleted, thus granting the ability for them to be revised. Buuuut in a way, the crappiness of those earlier chapters is important in a very, very special and crudely unique way. Two ways actually. But I'll get to that later. So do you guys want me to edit and revise the previous chapters (which will put the story on a hiatus) or continue on?

I'll see you guys soon! Thanks for sticking with me!

~Adamas out