Faraway
Table of Contents
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69 Chapter 70 Chapter 71 Chapter 72 Chapter 73 Chapter 74 Chapter 75 Chapter 76 Chapter 77 Chapter 78 Chapter 79 Chapter 80 Chapter 81 Chapter 82 Chapter 83 Chapter 84 Chapter 85 Chapter 86 Chapter 87 Chapter 88 Chapter 89 Chapter 90 Chapter 91Chapter 48
Slowly opening his eyes, the amnesic young man woke up from an unknown room; his back lay on the comfortable white bed, the soft pillow resting against his back.
For a few seconds, the blurry sunlight entering his room was the only thing he could focus on, causing his pupils to shrink and widen in response to the bright light.
As his vision cleared up, the sight of a plain white ceiling above him came into view, where mass confusion plastered on his face. He was in a room he didn't recognize, and he had no idea how he got there in the first place.
"Huh?" He mumbled, rubbing his forehead in bewilderment, trying to regain his bearings, "where... where am I?" Not a single clue appeared in his mind, making him feel more lost than ever.
The only distracting sounds he could hear were his own breathing, the firm mattress beneath him, a ticking clock nearby, and the distant silence enveloping all around him. It's an oppressive kind of quiet that makes him feel uneasy, like the calm before the storm that is about to break loose.
Getting up from his bed cautiously, he then sat at the edge of the bed, sweat forming on his forehead before dripping onto the cool surface of the wood as he attempted to steady himself from the sudden jolt of adrenaline rushing through his body.
"What's going on?"
The young man doesn't know where or what got him here, nor has he remembered anything in regards to himself. It's as if his very identity was stolen from him, leaving him to wonder who he is. Looking down at his own legs and feet, he notices that he is wearing beige pants and leather brown shoes.
Curious to see what he looks like, he stood up and instinctively grabbed a pair of glasses sitting next to the bed from the small wooden table, putting them on carefully as he then approached the only standing mirror present in this bedroom he finds himself in.
The sight of his own reflection staring back at him caused his heart to skip a beat. He didn't recognize the face looking back at him, but he felt a strange sense of familiarity. "I look weird," he admitted awkwardly, unable to put in words how he truly feels.
The young man in the mirror had short, dark hair with a sharp jawline and a handsome face. His eyes were an orange color, and he seemed to be in good physical shape. Underneath his beige-colored vest is a blue shirt, fitting well around his toned chest.
He was dressed in a clean and neat manner, as if he were someone of importance. Before then, he frowned at the sight. "Why am I forgetting about what I look like?" He said, scratching his hair in frustration at the lack of remembrance about himself.
Just then, a knock on the door made him jump, causing his heart to race in his chest. "Who's there?!" The young man asked loudly, presently cautious about anything and anyone in this new environment.
The door slowly opened to reveal someone nearly his age with a kind smile, wearing what seemed to be a doctor's lab coat and cool blue eyes that filled the room with gentle warmth. The sight of the stranger strangely made him feel at ease, despite having never met this person in his entire life.
"Ah, I see you are awake," the doctor said with a smile. "Before I begin to ask you questions, let me introduce myself." He kindly raised and extended his hand towards him for a handshake.
"I am the head doctor of this hospital you are currently in; some call me Doctor Hansel, but most people just find it easier to call me Hansel." He introduced himself, his hand gently grasping the young man after hesitantly grabbing his. "And your name is...?" Hansel patiently asked as the two gently shook hands.
Placing his hand at the side, his face turned to a deep frown at the mention of his own name: "My name...?" He finally uttered, trying desperately to ash back any memories that could give him a hint to who he is, but all he can do is stare at the doctor blankly.
"I don't remember my name," the young man answered with firm honesty. Showing how fixated he was on the question, "I also don't remember anything about myself either," he admitted how lost he truly is in this world.
Hansel nodded understandingly, his eyes softening when he saw the look of desperation in the young man's eyes. "I understand," he said respectfully.
"Do you remember anything at all? Regarding your parents, where did you come from or what field of work have you been involved in?" He inquired, his tone gentle and soothing, hoping to make the young man feel comfortable enough to share whatever he does remember.
"Even a guess would suffice for our first step in getting to find out who you are."
"I need to take a seat first," he said with concern in his voice, turning and heading straight back to his bed before sitting at the edge with a frown and contemplative expression on his face while the doctor followed suit, sitting beside him with firm interest in his response.
"Okay," he said, taking a deep breath. "I think I remember something, but it's vaguely difficult to find exact words," tapping his own forehead, having difficulty trying to recollect the memory. "There's a flashback of me running away from somewhere," he said hesitantly.
Doctor Hansel nodded his head silently. "Go on," he immediately encouraged, his eyes fixed on the young man, eager to hear more. "What did you see? Who were you running from?" Wondering what kind of trauma or obstacles had made this new patient of his fall into such an unknown situation in the first place.
The young man's eyes scrunched shut as he tried to recall the images in his mind. "I was running from... people, I think," he responded uncertainly.And then I began falling, finding myself in some sort of forest, but it's not the one I know," he continued, opening his eyes and looking up.
"The trees, the air, the smell, everything seemed different,he explained, explaining how he felt out of this world like an alien visiting a different planet. That's all I know,""""doctor. I'm sorry I can't be much of a help."
Laughing softly, Hansel gently patted the young man's back with firm reassurance, "It's alright. It's okay to remember little by little," he said comfortingly. "Don't worry, we will find out who you are," an unwavering promise in his voice.
"For now, we should give you a name," the first thing that comes to mind. "Let's call you Alex," he decided, smiling warmly at the young man. "What do you think?" The first name was chosen at random, believing it to fit well with the mysterious stranger in front of him.
However, what the doctor got was disappointment fluttering across the young man’s face: "Alex?" He questioned with disgust, "I am not Alex," finding the idea of getting a name if he was some dog was irritating and insulting to him.
"I want a real name," he said defiantly, "something that belongs to me." Though he didn't know who he was, he could still sense that the name given to him was far from his own.
The corner of Hansel’s mouth twitched from his response, "What kind of names then?" Answering with growing impatience, "Johnny, Blake, Steve, etc. These are the only names that I can find suitable for the moment," he suggested, finding the young man's request to be a bit odd, but he respected his need for an identity.
"If you don't like any of them, I suggest you think of one yourself," he said, giving his amnesic patient a chance to search for a suitable name that suits him.
The young man was in deep thought for a few moments, his mind racing with possible options as he continued staring above the ceiling, fixated on finding the right name to fill the void of emptiness he felt inside. Finally, he came up with a name.
"How about...Danny?" He quickly announced, "It just sounds good to me," his face lighting up when he said his new chosen name. He quickly decided on the name Danny, feeling a sense of belonging to someone that he had been longing for since he woke up in this unfamiliar place.
Hansel raised an eyebrow. "Danny?" Clicking his tongue before saying, "and why would you choose that name?" Curiosity flickers in his eyes: "Is there a special reason behind it?"
Perspective and intelligent, he finds the name Danny to be interesting; he wants to know if there's a story behind it or simply a random name this person chose because of how it sounded. Either way, it doesn't hurt to try asking more questions about this amnesic young man who is currently under his care.
Shrugging his shoulders, Danny then finally admitted his reason of it, "I don't have any specific reason for choosing it," he said, sounding a bit unsure.
"It just felt right, I guess," he continued, looking down at his open palms, "like it sounds similar to someone I used to be," stating simply, "But I couldn't tell you why," he added, finding the whole situation to be quite odd, but he has no choice but to go along with his instincts.
"Ugh!" Stress suddenly flowed out of him as he placed his hands between his downcast heads in quick manner of display.
"What's the matter?" The head doctor calmly asked, visibly concern flickering in his eyes, "you seem distressed," placing a gentle hand on the young man's shoulder.
"Take your time; we can always change it later if you feel uncomfortable with the name," he reassured, hoping to help the young man find peace and comfort in their current situation. "Inhale five seconds, exhale five seconds, repeat until you are calm," he instructed, teaching him a simple breathing exercise to help ease Danny's tense mind.
Complying with the doctor's instructions, he quickly closed his eyes, attempting to fill his lungs with air as he counted slowly in his head: "one...two...three...four...five," he breathed in deeply, "one...two...three...four...five," he breathed out slowly, repeating the process several times, each breath calming him down from the stress that was previously building up inside.
Feeling at ease now, he managed to have the strength to stand up with his own feet. "Thank you, doctor," grateful for the help, "I feel better now."
Now properly facing each other, Hansel gave his patient a thumbs up. "Good to hear! I'm always finding new ways to help people, but sometimes the simplest methods are the most effective," he said, smiling warmly, his eyes softening as he observed Danny.
"Now that you are relaxed, why don't I give you a tour of the place? Its a hospital, and I believe it will make you feel more at home," eager to show the young man around and to keep his mind off of the unsettling truth of his amnesia.
"That sounds nice," Danny finally agreed, feeling a bit more at ease in this new environment. "Is there any chance we can have lunch?" His stomach visibly suffers from hunger. "I'm starving," he admitted, rubbing his empty stomach.
"I hope you guys have food," he added, crossing his arms over his stomach, currently finding every second to be an eternity, "because I don't think I could keep my mind off from finding out how hungry I'm filling up."
Hansel chuckled softly. "Gah! Don't you worry about it too much," he confidently said. " We have a first-class kitchen here that even the most world known chef would be envious of," he boasted. "There is always food for everyone," he assured greatly.
"And I promise you, after our little tour, we will have a dinner waiting for you," he said, giving his brand new patient a reassuring smile. "Just try to relax and enjoy the ride; it's a fine hospital after all," he emphasized, hoping to put the young man's mind at ease with the thought of a good meal ahead.
Find your way!
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