The Girl Named Mirage

The room suddenly filled with warm smiles. Don Augustus’ eyes teared up. He didn’t mind who could see, he was extremely glad to be bothered by the trivial things. Nicolo kneels on his one knee before Euphemia and sits her on his lap.

” Look sweetie, Mommy’s awake! ”

Travis smiles and breathes out a sigh of relief. A thorn has been taken out of his heart. He walked to the other side of the bed and checked her eyes.

” Do you know where you are? ”

Mirage tries to open her mouth and utter hospital in a hoarse voice. She tried to get up and sit again. Travis is quick to attend to her this time and helps her sit up.

She looks around and tries to focus on any familiar things.

” Mommy!!! ”

Mirage’s face lit up as she found her baby at the other side of the bed. Nicolo lifts her up and lets her sit beside her mom. She hugs her tight and kisses her hair. Euphemia is so happy she’s singing Mommy non-stop. Everyone laughed at the sweet child’s delightfulness.

” Do you remember what happened? ”

Mirage tore away her gaze from her child and scanned the room around once again and looked at the people’s faces before she answered.

” No. ”

Her forehead started to crease. Something is bothering her. The way everyone looks at each other, like they’re thinking the same thing. Her gaze goes back to her daughter.

” Why am I even here?”

Everyone in the room stayed silent. They all have an expression that tells them they know what she meant but are choosing not to jump quickly into a conclusion.

” How about, I asked you if you remember anything about what happened? ” Dr. Travis carefully asked.

Mirage held her breath and then looked at Travis very intently. Euphemia started to rub her eyes and yawns. This sweet child doesn’t have the slightest idea about the brewing tension. The silence kept way too long before she muttered under her breath.

” I don’t know. I can’t remember what happened…”

“… I can’t even remember my own name… ”

An audible gasp was heard inside the room after she dropped those words. But her face remains passive. Emotionless. Uncomfortably calm.

” We need further examination. ”

Travis initiated and took Mirage himself to be examined. Euphemia, who was already sleeping, was left in Nicolo’s care. Don Augustus slumped on the sofa when everyone was out of sight. He wipes his face using both of his hands out of helplessness.

‘ Why does she need to suffer more? ‘

After a while, Dr. Travis came back with Mirage. She sweeps the room with her gaze and only feels at ease after she sees her daughter sleeping on the crib. She looks at Nicolo with probing eyes as he slowly rocks the crib back and forth. Dr. Travis helped her sit back on her hospital bed. Don Augustus walks near the bed with a wary face. Dr. Travis exhaled exasperatedly.

” She… both have localized and selective amnesia. ”

” Oh dear. ”

Don Augustus couldn’t believe what he heard. His heart dropped on his feet. He weakly sat down on the chair beside her bed. His whole world just crumbled. All the emotions and hope of being reunited again with his granddaughter vanished into thin air. He knew it was coming. But he hoped that she would be fine, that she is fine. He just wished that she would stay healthy. For all of them.

Nicolo expected the result but not to this extreme. Dr. Travis put his hand on his waist and the other one on his forehead. He gotta have a headache.

Mirage still wore her poker face. She looks unbothered. Nicolo stands up and walks over them, hands in his pockets.

” You don’t remember your name, right? ”

Mirage nods in response. She seems somehow relieved that they finally knew that something was wrong with her.

” Is there anything else you want to tell us? ”

Nicolo walks again away from them and leans on the door and stares at the ceiling.

” You have no memory of where you came from, where you lived before, or your family, friends, or even who you were, correct? ”Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

He looks back at Mirage and continues.

“But you remember you have a baby? ”

” Yes. ”

” Do you remember her name? ”

” Euphemia…”

She doesn’t remember the surname. Nicolo waves his hand gesturing it doesn’t matter if she doesn’t know.

” Hmm.. What exactly do you know then? ”

” That I’m her mom and she’s my daughter named Euphemia. ”

Nicolo’s lips pressed into a thin line and heaved a deep sigh. They may be doing this often for a long time.

” That’s all? ”

” Obviously. ”

Another sigh.

” What is your take on this? I mean, you can’t remember anything but you’re… you’re way too calm..? ”

Travis and Don Augustus who were just listening take a pause and slightly nod. Indeed. This isn’t the reaction of most patients who wake up and don’t remember anything.

” Do you want me to be hysterical about this like the way they do in the movies? ”

She’s not being sarcastic but it definitely sounds sarcastic. Nicolo’s brow arch in amusement. Travis covers his little smile. Don Augustus suppressed a laugh with a fake cough.

” I wasn’t expecting this kind of answer. ”

” It doesn’t matter. I don’t really care how I look to anyone, least of all you. ”

She says with a shrug.

Travis and Don Augustus share glances. Nicolo seems a bit different today. Not the usual Nicolo who always keeps a straight face. His hot headedness and sarcasm always come first before anything else.

” You seem well educated and smart since you know how to speak in foreign language. ”

Nicolo muttered this to himself. It was just him taking a note of her condition or rather his own observation of her. But Mirage rolled her eyes after she heard Nicolo’s audible whisper.

” Am I supposed to be stupid from having an amnesia? ”

Nicolo raises his eyebrow at her remark. Travis was also surprised by her sudden comment. Don Augustus had to keep himself from bursting out laughing.

” Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to offend you. It’s just a bad habit of mine, talking to myself even when there’s people around. ”

Nicolo said not really apologetic but there’s a bit of it. Mirage snorted at his attempt to reassure her.

” What a weirdo. ”

Nicolo rolls his eyes at this remark. He turns his head away.

” This is what I get for saving you? ”

Mirage huffs. She was going to retort when Nicolo continued talking.

” You don’t even remember your real name yet. What makes you think that I give a fvck about whatever you say about me? ”

Nicolo said, trying to end the conversation already because he thinks she needed to rest because of her condition.

Mirage was silent for a moment. Then she gave him a small smirk.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say anything more. After all, you really care for me is all that matters, right? ”

Nicolo glared at her with a heated face. She obviously wanted him to feel embarrassed. She’s really trying his patience right now. Travis decided to intervene.

” Alright, let’s end this discussion. I’ll let you two to give it a rest. ”

Both of them look away from each other.

” Seems like you found your match, Nick. ”

Travis said with a laugh.

” It seems the DNA results aren’t needed. It runs in the blood. ”

Don Augustus remarked and he and Dr. Travis laughed again in front of the poker faced Mirage and blushing Nicolo who didn’t know how to back down but he did. For his cousin’s sake.

Looks like their worries slip a bit for a while.