Chapter 142: Were You Jealous?

~~~~~~ Amelia’s POV ~~~~~

I stared at Sylvia for a moment. The anger and jealousy I was feeling started to weaken.

She looked like a cat that was being abandoned by its owner.

Her lips were slightly pushed forward, and there was a helpless look in her eyes that made it difficult for me to stay angry with her.

A small smile appeared on my face as I reached out and placed my hand on hers.

Sylvia looked up at me with a pout and blinked.

"I’m not angry with you," I finally said slowly. I pointed to her phone. "Looks like your boyfriend called you."

Sylvia frowned and looked at her phone.

"Boyfriend?" She pointed to herself in confusion. "My boyfriend?"

I stared at her for a moment.

Why is she acting surprised?

Sylvia reached for her phone and unlocked it. After a few seconds, she looked up at me with a wide smile.

"Were you jealous?"

I looked away. "Who’s jealous?" I said immediately. "And why will I be jealous?"

Sylvia let out a quiet laugh. I turned slowly to look at her.

She was still smiling and shook her head.

"Although you lost your memories, your behavior is still there, and I’m grateful for that," Sylvia said as she leaned back on the chair.

I didn’t say anything.

"Don’t worry. That’s Venny, my big brother."

I somehow felt relieved when she said that the man who called her was her brother.

I really misunderstood things again.

Wait...

Again?

How?

I haven’t had any misunderstanding with her except for this.

Why is my mind saying again like I have done this plenty of times?

I frowned slightly.

The word stayed in my mind. It felt strangely familiar, as though it belonged to something I couldn’t remember.

I tried to think about it, but nothing came.

Instead, a faint pressure began building behind my forehead.

I immediately stopped.

I didn’t want another headache.

Sylvia seemed to notice the change in my expression. She watched me for a few seconds before laughing softly.

"Why do I think you seem relieved at what I just said?"

I shot her a cold glare.

"Shut up."

Sylvia raised both hands and used one hand to zip her mouth shut before pretending to throw something away.

I stared at her.

She looked ridiculous.

A small smile almost appeared on my face again, but I quickly looked away.

Before I could say anything else, the door opened.

The doctor walked into the room with two nurses. They were different from the nurses who had come yesterday.

One nurse carried a small tray, while the other pushed a portable vital-signs monitor into the room. The wheels rolled quietly across the polished floor as they approached the bed.

"Good morning," the doctor greeted.

"Good morning, Doctor," Sylvia replied as she stood from the chair.

The doctor gave us a small smile before walking towards me.

"How are you feeling this morning, Amelia?"

I shifted slightly against the pillows. "I’m okay."

The doctor studied my face for a moment.

"Any headache?"

I hesitated. "A little."

Sylvia immediately looked at me. "How bad?"

I glanced at her. "Not that bad."

The doctor nodded. "That’s good. Any dizziness?"

"No."

"Nausea?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Any pain anywhere?"

I thought for a moment before shaking my head again. "No."

The doctor checked something on the tablet in his hand. "Good. Your vital signs are stable, and that’s what we want to see."

One of the nurses stepped closer to the bed. "Amelia, I’m going to check your blood pressure and temperature first."

I nodded.

The nurse wrapped the blood pressure cuff around my arm. It tightened around my skin, squeezing firmly for a few seconds before slowly loosening.

I watched the numbers appear on the small screen.

The nurse recorded the result before checking my temperature. After that, she placed a small pulse oximeter on my finger.

A tiny red light shone against my skin, and the monitor beeped quietly.

I stared at it for a moment.

"Everything is fine," the doctor assured me. "We’re just monitoring you."

I nodded.

The second nurse moved closer and checked the IV line attached to the back of my hand.

She examined the tape holding it in place and followed the tube to the fluid bag hanging beside my bed.

"The IV is flowing properly," she said.

The doctor nodded. "Good."

He turned his attention back to me.

"Your body is responding well to the treatment. Your vital signs are stable, and you’re able to eat and communicate normally. Those are all good signs."

I listened quietly.

"But we’re still watching your memory."

My fingers tightened slightly around the blanket. "My memory?"

"Yes."

The doctor pulled the chair closer and sat down so he was at eye level with me.

"Your accident placed a lot of stress on your body. Temporary memory loss can happen after an accident, especially when the brain has gone through trauma."

I stared at him. "So... I really have amnesia?"

The doctor paused before answering.

"You are experiencing memory loss. We can’t tell yet exactly how much of your memory has been affected or how quickly it will return."

My chest tightened. "Will I remember?"

"There is a good possibility that your memories will gradually return," he said. "But we don’t want you to force them."

I lowered my eyes.

The doctor continued.

"Yesterday, you pushed yourself too hard trying to remember. That caused your severe headache and made you lose consciousness."

I swallowed.

"So I shouldn’t try to remember?"

"You can allow memories to return naturally," the doctor explained. "If something comes to you on its own, don’t be afraid of it. But don’t sit there and force yourself to remember."

I nodded slowly. "Okay."

"Don’t repeatedly question yourself about what happened before the accident. Don’t try to recreate every event in your mind. If you feel a headache coming, stop immediately."

"Okay."

"If you experience a severe headache, dizziness, vomiting, confusion, unusual weakness, difficulty speaking, excessive sleepiness, or lose consciousness again, tell the nurse immediately."

I nodded again.

The doctor looked towards Sylvia. "She also needs plenty of rest. Keep the room calm and don’t overwhelm her."

Sylvia nodded.

"Okay, Doctor."

"Don’t keep asking her questions about her past. Familiar conversations are fine, but don’t pressure her to remember names, places, or events."

"I understand."

The doctor looked back at me. "You should also avoid getting out of bed without assistance for now."

I frowned. "I can walk."

"I know you can." His voice remained patient. "But your body is still recovering. You may feel stronger than you actually are, especially while lying down. When you need to stand, call the nurse or ask her to help you."

I nodded reluctantly. "Okay."

"And you need to keep eating."

My eyes moved towards the empty food flask.

"Your body needs enough energy to heal," the doctor continued. "Try to eat small meals if you don’t have much appetite. Drink enough water as well, unless we tell you otherwise."

I nodded.

The second nurse checked my IV again.

"You’ll continue receiving fluids through the IV for now," the doctor said. "We’ll decide when to remove it depending on how well you’re eating and drinking."

I looked at the needle taped to the back of my hand.

I still didn’t like seeing it.

The doctor noticed my expression. "It won’t be there forever."

"I know."

Sylvia smiled faintly. "You look like you’re planning how to escape from it."

I turned towards her. "I’m not."

The doctor chuckled softly. "Just leave it alone, Amelia. Don’t pull it out yourself. You could cause bleeding or injure the area."

I immediately looked away from the IV.

Fine.

I wouldn’t touch it.

The doctor entered something into his tablet. "We’ll continue observing you today. If your condition remains stable, we’ll discuss the next step."

He turned towards the nurses. "Continue monitoring her vital signs."

"Yes, Doctor," one of the nurses replied.

The doctor looked at me again.

"Most importantly, don’t be afraid because you can’t remember everything right now."

I stared at him. "It’s frightening."

"I know."

His voice softened.

"But memory loss doesn’t necessarily mean the memories are gone forever. Give your brain time to recover."

I nodded slowly. "Okay."

The doctor gave me a reassuring smile.

"Get some rest, Amelia." He turned towards Sylvia. "And make sure she rests."

Sylvia smiled. "I will."

The doctor and the two nurses began preparing to leave.

One nurse checked the monitor one last time while the other adjusted the IV stand and made sure the line wasn’t twisted.

Then they walked out.

The door closed softly behind them.

The room became quiet again. I remained still for a moment, staring at the blanket covering my legs.

Give your brain time.

The words remained in my head.

I wanted to remember.

I wanted to remember my parents.

My friends.

My life.

And most of all...

I wanted to remember Sylvia.

I turned my head towards her. She was already looking at me.

"What?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing."

I narrowed my eyes. "You were staring."

"I was checking if you’re okay."

"I’m fine."

She smiled. "You always say that."

I frowned. "Always?"

For a brief moment, her smile froze, and then she nodded.

"Yes."

I stared at her.

Again, something about her answer made me curious.

Always.

Again.

Those words made me feel as though there was a part of my life that everyone else remembered except me.

I wanted to ask her what she meant.

But I stopped myself.

The doctor’s warning was still fresh in my mind.

Don’t force yourself to remember.

I didn’t want another headache.

A few minutes passed.

The room remained peaceful.

The sunlight had moved higher, slipping through the curtains and spreading across the floor. The air conditioner hummed softly overhead, sending cool air across the room.

The monitor continued its steady beeping.

Sylvia remained beside me.

She didn’t say much. She simply stayed, and strangely, I liked having her there.

The door suddenly opened, and I lifted my head.

Mom and Dad walked into the room. Mom’s eyes immediately found mine, and her expression softened.

"Amelia." She walked quickly towards the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I’m okay, Mom."

She reached out and gently touched my forehead. Her palm was warm against my skin.

Dad walked towards the other side of the bed. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

"I’m fine."

He smiled with relief. "That’s good."

Mom glanced at Sylvia before looking back at me. "Did the doctor come?"

"Yes," Sylvia answered.

"What did he say?"

"He said her condition is stable," Sylvia explained. "She’s still experiencing memory loss, so she needs plenty of rest. He also told us not to pressure her into remembering."

Mom nodded slowly. "That’s good."

She pulled the chair closer and sat beside my bed.

Mom smiled, reached for my hand, and held it gently.

I looked down at her fingers wrapped around mine.

Dad watched me carefully. "You’re going to be okay."

I looked at him. "I hope so."

Mom squeezed my hand gently. "You will."

I looked from Mom to Dad, and then my eyes slowly moved towards Sylvia.

I smiled and nodded slowly.

"Alright. But where’s Dominic?"