I woke to the steady "beep-beep-beep" of a nearby machine. I opened eyes that felt too heavy, taking a quick look around the room. Everything was stark white, the walls, the ceiling, even the bedding. I turned my head and saw a machine that seemed to be monitoring my heart rate, breathing and blood pressure. Beside it, an IV stand holding a large bag of clear fluid steadily dripped into the line connected to my hand.

"He-hello?" I tried to speak, but it came out as a weak whisper. My throat seemed dry as a desert and I coughed harshly. My fingertips found a small oval remote, with a red button at the top. I pressed the button and within a few moments, the door opened and a nurse stood in the doorway. The nurse gasped and rushed over to check me over. "You're awake!" the nurse said softly and I could only stare at her.

"Water?" I pleaded with her in a whisper. She nodded and placed a straw against my lips. I eagerly sucked, pulling in a mouthful of icy-cold liquid. I swallowed it, moaning softly as it relieved the dryness of my throat and landed with a chill in the pit of my stomach. I cleared my throat as the woman checked my vital signs. "Where am I?" I asked, my voice still incredibly weak.

"You're at Mystic Falls General, Miss Gilbert. You were in a car accident with your sister and your parents." she said softly.

My mind whirred. Mystic Falls? Gilbert? None of that sounded familiar.

"Miss Gilbert?" the nurse said, gaining my attention.

"Yes?" I rasped out.

"I'm going to get the doctor now, and call your family," she said. I nodded my assent and she left the room. She returned with an older man, with graying hair and bright blue eyes and a pleasant smile.

"Hello, Miss Gilbert. My name is Doctor Wendell," he said, holding his hand out to shake.

"Hello Doctor Wendell," I replied, taking his hand and shaking it.

"Well, you are quite the lucky young lady, Miss Gilbert. You've been in a coma since the night of the accident. That was almost four months ago," Dr. Wendell explained. "You had some rather severe head trauma when you came in, but you've healed beyond what we expected. There was really no medical reason that you should have stayed in a coma for this long, but then again, the human body is still a mystery. I'm happy to say that you seem to have no remaining damage to your skull or your brain. You had some initial swelling of the brain, which caused a few seizures, but once the swelling was reduced, the seizures seemed to dissipate as well. You've lost about twenty-five pounds that you honestly didn't need to lose. I think that with some healthy protein buildup, you can regain that quickly. It is my opinion that at this time you are ready to be released after some physical therapy to strengthen your body again. That shouldn't take any time at all. In fact, I believe you'll be ready to go when school starts up again in a few weeks."

"Doctor Wendell? There is one small thing, though. I can't remember," I told him.

He blinked for a second. "What do you mean, Miss Gilbert?"

"I mean I can't remember anything. I didn't know my last name was Gilbert until the nurse called me that. I honestly don't even know what my first name is. Who my family is. I don't remember a car accident. I don't remember if I have friends, or who they are. I didn't know I had a sister until Nurse Holt said I did. I simply DO. NOT. REMEMBER!" I cried, tears flooding my eyes.