A/N: Not betaed, errors are entirely my own.

I do not own Austin & Ally.

Chapter 3

She stared intensely at the straw, surgical needle and thread in hand; she moved to join the split plastic together.

"Doctor!"

Her hand jerked and the straw tightened and twisted as the thread was pulled.

"What is it, Carrie? Just so you know, you just made me stitch a very ugly suture."

"The patient just woke up!"

"Which patient?"

"The Jane Doe from that car crash a year ago!"

The doctor's eyes widened. "The girl with severe brain injury and had been declared level 1 comatose?"

The nurse nodded and the doctor immediately rushed out with her to inspect the patient.

"She seems to be alert and awake with no focal motor or sensory deficit noted," reported Nurse Carrie.

The stern doctor, or at least that's how it looked to her, frowned further as she held a penlight to inspect the girl's reactions.

"Who're you?" The girl asked a little shyly.

"I'm Grant, your doctor, and this here is Nurse Carrie."

"I feel like I know those names…"

"Do you? It would help if we could contact your family or friends."

"I'm…not…" The patient shook her head lightly, trying to focus her thoughts. "I'm not sure…"

"Well, you were in pretty bad shape for a while. Perhaps you're just a little disoriented and a little rest will allow you to get your senses back together. Carrie here will tell you which tests you'll still need to undergo."

Trish smiled back at the healthcare professionals and nodded.

"You had intraparenchymal haemorrhages."

The girl furrowed her brows at the doctor in lack of understanding.

"Simply put, you had contusions which could be seen on your CT scan. The force of an impact on one side of the brain can cause the brain to bounce or ricochet within the skull. This can cause harm in two places—one directly beneath the "hit", and a second area of damage on the opposite side of the brain. You also had symptoms of a severe concussion such as confusion, memory impairment and loss of consciousness after traumatic brain injury. Fortunately, the swelling subsided and the blood flow to your brain regulated. However, it seems that the regaining of your memories might take some time. Your physical mobility will also require intensive therapy to regain its usual agility."

The doctor frowned. "It also seems that you also have a cerebral sinus venous thrombosis; a blood clot terribly near your optic nerves. It's too near for us to operate on, and you'll have to stay on blood thinners so that the clot can hopefully dissipate by itself over time. It seems benign for now, however, and shouldn't pose a problem for your sight."

Trish looked confused and fearful as she contemplated Doctor Grant's words. She wasn't sure what to do. She felt so alone at that moment, not knowing anyone who could help her and what she should do now.

Nurse Carrie placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Don't worry, Sweetie. You'll figure it all out."

Under the watchful eyes of Nurse Carrie and a physical therapist, Trish was progressively making small but steady improvements during her sessions. There were, however, of course, times when the girl almost gave up on the whole process.

Trish fell to the ground with another grunt and sat there in frustration.

"Keep trying," the physical therapist coaxed the girl.

"What's the point?! Even if I manage to find myself walking, where the heck am I supposed to walk to?!" Trish snapped. "I don't know who I am, it's been more than a month since I awoke and apparently no one is looking for me! I am all alone in this world! Ain't that just dandy?!" The angry girl huffed once more, glaring at nothing in particular before her gaze dropped to one of sadness.

The police had said that there were no missing reports fitting her description but they would keep a look out. According to the nurses, the other girl, Rish?, had told them that Trish had hitchhiked a ride with her and she didn't know her name. Maybe she was a homeless nobody. Trish sighed as Nurse Carrie looked her over in consideration. She had watched over the girl over the past couple of months and felt a certain fondness for her.

"Well, tell you what. If you manage to finish this course, why don't you come and stay with me?"

Trish stared out the window as she waited for the doctor to return to her room. After almost 6 months more of physical therapy, most of Trish's mobility had returned, although the clot in her brain had yet to dissipate. The doctor had advised her not to perform strenuous activity for fear that the clot might get dislodged and affect her brain and motor functions.

"Well, you're all ready and cleared to go."

Trish glanced towards the door as Dr Grant entered and smiled at her. Trish returned the gesture and hopped off the bed, grabbing her bag along. There wasn't much, just the cleaned clothes that she had been admitted in.

"Thanks for all your help, Dr Grant. I promise that I'll handle the bills somehow. With or without insurance," Trish nodded and left rapidly as the doctor attempted to speak again. "Wait-"

Trish looked around her surroundings as she stepped out of the hospital. She couldn't get a taxi; she was broke. She rummaged around her pockets for the list of places that she had searched through newspapers for jobs that provided food & lodging. Some of them sounded really dodgy though, she'd have to be careful.

"Wait!" Trish spun around to see Nurse Carrie, out of her usual nurse attire, jogging up to her.

"Where do you think you're going? You should've waited for me!"

Nurse Carrie breathed out a sigh of relief and then, at Trish's questioning gaze, continued, "You don't have my address, do you? How were you expecting to travel too?"

"Are-are you serious?"

Nurse Carrie frowned at the surprised tone. "What? Did you think I was some old fuddy duddy who lies for the sake of convenience?"

"No…?" Trish looked uncertain. "But I thought you just said that to give me some hope at the time."

"Well. Let's go then." Nurse Carrie beamed at her and totted over to her little car as Trish stared, wide-eyed, after her before smiling gratefully.

"…Thank you."

-end-

A/N: The doctor who had treated Austin's vocal nodules is also called Grant and well, Carrie, you know who else is named the same. :) The next chapter gets the plot going with the gang and Trish and Trixie! And yes, it has been more than a year and 6 months since the accident happened.