Fake Love - Jaxson Kidman Page 0,1

man asked.

“I’m Winter,” I whispered.

“Of course you are. Hey, Doc, what’s going on here? She’s acting like she doesn’t know me.”

“I don’t know you,” I said.

The man jumped back and stared down at me.

Something about him was really familiar.

“Let’s give her a minute here to actually wake up,” the nurse said.

“Doc, tell me something,” the man said.

“We’ve discussed this, Mr. Seacrum,” the doctor said.

Mr. Seacrum.

The man is Mr. Seacrum.

But who is he, really?

“You were the one talking to me,” I said to him. “I heard your voice.”

“That’s right,” Mr. Seacrum said as he crouched down. He grabbed my hand. “I was here the whole time. I’m sorry about Tank, but we’ll get you a new one. A bigger and better one.”

“Tank?” I asked.

“Your car. I mean, the SUV. You don’t… remember…”

“Tank,” I said. I swallowed hard. “Tank.”

Then I shook my head.

Mr. Seacrum lowered his head and started to cry.

“What’s happening?” I asked.

“Winter, you were in an accident,” the doctor said. “A very bad accident. You’ve been unconscious for two days now.”

“Two days?” I asked.

“We weren’t sure what was going to happen,” the doctor said. “Would you mind doing something for me?”

The doctor was calm and soothing.

I nodded.

“Can you wiggle your toes?” he asked.

I wiggled my toes.

I wasn’t sure how.

I just thought about it and it happened.

Like breathing. Like blinking.

Those were things I knew how to do.

But where I was… the people around me… I had no idea.

“That’s great,” the doctor said. “Let’s do an eye test. I’m going to shine a light in your eyes, okay? It’ll be bright. But I want to see what happens…”

For the next few minutes, the doctor made me follow a light with my eyes. He made me move my arms. Wiggle my fingers. He apologized in advance when he poked me in different spots to make sure I could feel pain.

I told him I could feel pain.

My body hurt.

It hurt really bad. Everywhere.

“I feel like I was in an accident,” I said.

The doctor and the nurse smiled.

I looked to my right and Mr. Seacrum sat in a chair, staring at me, tears running down his cheeks.

“Why are you crying, Mr. Seacrum?” I asked.

“Oh, Winter, please stop calling me that,” he said.

“What should I call you then?”

Mr. Seacrum reached for my hand. “Call me what you’ve called me since you were a baby…”

“Which is?” I asked.

“Dad.”

So, yeah, I was totally screwed.

Mr. Seacrum was my father.

Dad.

And I couldn’t remember a thing.

When I shut my eyes and tried really hard, I would have visions of the accident. But nothing else was there in my mind. It was just an empty void.

I only knew my name because that’s what they called me.

I didn’t even remember my own father.

Which made me wonder…

I looked at my father.

“Where’s my mother?” I asked.

“Do you remember her?” Dad asked.

I shook my head. “No.”

Dad sighed. “I don’t even know where to begin here.” He stood up and walked away from the hospital bed. “Doc, what do we do? This is the best hospital with the best doctors… including you. What the fuck do we do?”

Whoa, Dad said the word fuck.

“Mr. Seacrum,” the doctor said. He looked at me. Then at Dad. “Maybe we can talk in private.”

“No,” I said. “I’m not going to be kept like some secret here. I want to know what’s going on. Maybe hearing words or phrases will help me…”

The doctor nodded. “Okay. There’s a chance Winter’s memory may return. Could be today, tomorrow, a week from now. While this is no consolation, at least she’s alive. It’s nothing short of a miracle she wasn’t injured more.”

“She can’t remember a thing!” Dad yells.

“Dad, relax,” I said.

Dad turned to face me. “Why did you call me that? Do you remember me?”

I waited a few seconds before shaking my head no.

Dad lowered his head.

I couldn’t imagine what he felt.

At the same time, I couldn’t figure out what I felt.

How did I really know he was my father? At that point, anyone could tell me anything and I would probably just believe it.

My entire existence could end up becoming a lie…

A lie.

Lies.

Liars.

You fucking liars.

Cheaters.

Liars and cheaters…

“Winter, are you okay?” the nurse asked.

“Give her a second,” Dad said. “She’s thinking. She’s remembering…”

I licked my lips. “No. I’m fine. I mean, I’m not fine. I can’t remember anything. Wait a second. Doctor… how can I talk? How can I know words and stuff? How can I move my arms and legs?”

The doctor pursed his lips together and nodded. “This is what I tell everyone… the