Chapter 8: Elise

Friday, July 22nd. 2050

Quiet whispers of noise intrude on her dream. She floats through the sky on a wisp of cloud, the earth far beneath her feet. It's peaceful up here and Elise doesn't want to leave. But the murmurs continue to disturb her welcome haven.

"Come on Elise. It's time to wake up. You've slept long enough." She feels a hand gently shaking her shoulder.

"Momma?" Elise wakes in a daze, her eyes squinting in the bright light as she takes in her unfamiliar surroundings. Slowly sitting up, she notices a white coated woman standing by her bed. "Where am I?" She asks.

"Ah, you're finally awake then I see." The woman smiles and hands Elise a glass of water from the bedside. "Here, drink this. It'll help with the wicked cotton mouth I'm sure you have. After all it's not normal to sleep a almost a full day away." Taking the glass Elise sniffs at it cautiously. The woman laughs. "It's just water Elise. Nothing more, nothing less. Drink up, you need the fluids."

Elise takes a small sip of the water. "Who are you?" She asks as she takes another sip. Her eyes track the woman as she putters around the room tidying. She looks younger than Momma, but older than herself. Her dark black hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail, making her face look severe. Her smile seems out of place, but somehow it softens the sharpness of her long thin face.

"My name is McKenzie Lewis. I'm a junior Doctor here." She replies. Elise blinks, slow and confused as she repeats the name to herself, McKenzie laughs, a bright, happy husky laugh that shivers along Elise's skin. "I know. My name's weird. Personally I blame my father. He's got a wicked sense of humour." She shrugs negligently. "I was told as a child, that seeing as our last name was a first name, my first name might as well be a last name, just to even things out." Her eyes sparkle with suppressed laughter as she explains her name to Elise.

She looks much younger like this Elise thinks. She continues to sip at the water, looking away from McKenzie to the room she woke up in. The room is all shiny metal and white, with an antiseptic smell that only hospital rooms seems to have. There's nothing special or identifying about the room. Just the usual medical equipment, cabinets and the med bed she was sitting on. Nothing that could tell her where she was. Curious to see how Dr McKenzie Lewis would avoid the question again, Elise opens her mouth to ask where she is, when the door to the room slides open.

An older man walks in, his stride confident. A magnificent, too long main of salt and pepper hair adorns his head, making it appear shaggy and unkempt. The toned body underneath slacks and shirt, belies the age of his face and Elise can't decide if he's a fit old man, or an old looking younger man.

"Ah, I see my prettiest patient is awake." he says, spotting Elise sitting up in the bed. Looking towards McKenzie he asks. "And how long has she been awake McKenzie?" She walks over to this distinguished gentleman and hands him a white coat. 'So' Elise thinks. Another Doctor. 'Bet he's the one in charge.'

"About five minutes Dr Lewis." She replies.

Elise visibly starts at his surname, her gaze going from McKenzie to the other Doctor, and back again. her mouth gaping in an 'O' of surprise. He chuckles quietly at the look on Elise's face as he draws McKenzie into a one armed hug, pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead.

"I see my darling daughter has already introduced herself." he laughs again. "My name is Michael Lewis, and I'm the primary physician for this fine facility. It's nice to finally meet you while you're awake young lady." He smiles and strides forward, his hand clasping her arm at the wrist. As his finger goes to her pulse point, she realized he's taking her pulse. 'Wow.' She thinks. 'He's old school!'

"Dr Lewis. Where exactly am I?" She asks. "Your daughter. Uh. I mean Dr Lewis, uh, I mean, the other Dr Lewis." she pauses, a look of consternation passing over her face. "Wow. This is confusing!" McKenzie laughs and turns from what she's doing.

"Just call me McKenzie, Okay Elise. I'm much less fuddy duddy then Dr Lewis there." Elise nods in McKenzie's direction as her father harrumphs.

"No respect from the young ones these days." he sighs, shaking his head as if in despair. He drops Elise's wrist and turns to his daughter as she laughs. "Her pulse is level and she seems calm. Why don't you head to the main ward, we've some new admissions that require your tender touch m'dear." He turns back to Elise and smiles at her. "Elise and I have some talking to do."

McKenzie nods and heads out the door.

Dr Lewis retrieves the chair set aside for visitors and seats himself in the uncomfortable contraption. "So, you want to know where you are. And, perhaps, why McKenzie didn't answer you when you asked her." He asks. Elise nods. "Firstly, she didn't tell you, because I asked her not to." He responds.

"But... Why?" She asks.

Catching her gaze with his own he speaks. "What do you remember before waking up here Elise?"

Fidgeting a little, she procrastinates. Taking the time to place the half empty glass of water onto the table. She thinks back to her last memory.

"I went window shopping." She blurts out. "Downtown, because my classes were let out early." He nods and encourages her to continue, but Elise is unsure of how to continue. The memory is hazy and ill formed. "I. I think I heard someone scream." She stops, shrugs her shoulders and slumps into herself a little. "Then I, woke up here."

Doctor Lewis nods again. "Go a little more in depth for me please Elise." He asks. "Explain your day from your courses letting out, if you wouldn't mind dear." She looks confused but complies.

"Like I said, Uni finished early. No one's at home right now and I didn't want to go back to an empty house. I figured being outside and looking at all the stuff I can't afford to buy, was an infinitely better use of my time than moping in a lonely house." He stops her there with a lift of his hand.

"Why is no one at home Elise? Where's your family?" he asks.

She smiles, a wistful expression on her face. "Disneyland." She replies. "My younger brother is old enough now to enjoy it, so my parents took him to go experience it, before..." She pauses, remembering the dire straits the world is in and sighs. "Before it's all gone." She finishes.

"I see." he replies. "Go on, tell me more Elise."

"Well. The weather was lovely, so, I decided to eat out. I crossed the street, heading towards the Deli market." She stops again, her mind trying to piece together what happened. "Someone screamed. I remember screaming. But everything's so hazy after that." She huffs in frustration as tears fall silently down her cheeks. "Why can't I remember anything else?" She whispers.

Doctor Lewis rises from the chair and seats himself on the bed next to Elise. Wrapping his arms around her as she cries.

"Elise my dear. You, are a strong young woman, both in mind and in body. I am so amazingly proud of you. And I know your parents are too. But." Here, he pauses, as if trying to think of the right words, as Elise cries in his arms. She's not even sure why she's crying. Only that it feels like she needs to. "You've been through something extremely traumatic child." he continues. "We don't know the details, but we do know enough to know that it had a dramatic effect on your body."

She lifts her head, pulling slightly out of his embrace as she wipes at her tears. "I don't understand." She responds, her voice husky from crying.

"The memory loss you have right now, is a self-defence mechanism. You're suffering from Psychogenic Amnesia." he pauses, takes a deep breath and asks. "Do you know your last name?"

"Yes, of course. It's McCormick." She responds. Blinking in confusion at the strange question.

"And how old are you Elise?" he asks.

"Nineteen. Why are you asking me stuff like that? Isn't it in my chip?" She asks curiously. He nods.

"Yes it is. but I needed to know if YOU remembered." he replies. "Psychogenic Amnesia has two states. Global, and Situation-specific. I needed to be sure you remembered details about yourself." He explained.

"So, what does that mean?" She asks curiously, her tears, drying forgotten on her cheeks as she turns her mind towards unravelling the information being given her. She'd always been an analytical child. Adulthood had only strengthened that trait in her.

"It means, my dear. That your memory loss was caused by an extremely stressful event. In order for you to be able to function, your brain has repressed the memory. You may eventually recover the memories, or you may not." he shrugs. "There are processes that can help you regain the memories, but that's up to you."

They sit together on the bed, an uncomfortable silence forming as they look at each other. Elise's brain whirring with information. The Doctor, waiting.

"So" She says. "Feel like telling me what you DO know? Because, I have to say not knowing even a little of what happened is making me feel... Uncomfortable." She shifts on the bed, her eyes meeting and holding the Doctors; determined to make him tell her what he knows.

He nods resignedly. "Yes, no more stalling."

Elise looks at him curiously. What could be so bad that it has a Doctor not wanting to talk about it she wonders. Surely nothing is that bad. Did she kill someone? Not knowing the answer she sits, silently waiting for him to continue talking.

Taking her hands in his, he starts talking. "You want to know where you are?" He asks. She nods. "You're in one of the private rooms of the Resolute med bay dear."

Elise blinks, the name not registering. Moments later, it clicks in her mind. Like a long lost memory finally coming home.  "I'm on the colony ship? Why am I on the colony ship?" The question is like a whispered plea. Not sure she wants to know the answer, her gaze lowers to her clasped hands.

"For now." he replies. "Everyone that can be onboard, is onboard. Hopefully it's only a temporary measure. We decided to open her up as a shelter until everything calms down outside and the situation can be assessed." he pauses as if unwilling to say more. Elise takes this as her cue to ask more questions, but something stops her and she looks back up at Doctor Lewis. Something about the way he's been handling her, skirting around answering her questions gives her pause.

"Hey Doc, do you know what I'm studying at university?" She asks.

Surprised at her sudden change of subject Doctor Lewis blinks and nods. "Of course." he answers. "You're majoring in animal husbandry."

"You're right, That's one of my Majors. But what's the other Doc?" She asks again. Eyes firmly fixed on his, she see's when understanding dawns in his face.

"Psychology." he says. "You're studying psychology."

"That's right. So, why are you handling me doc? I know something bad has happened. It's obvious that whatever I went through, my mind couldn't handle it. But I've already lived it and I'm here. Is your faith in your own specialisation that bad you don't think any measures you've taken will work? That I'll wilt like a flower under too much sun when I hear the truth?" She sighs and looks down. Unclenching her hands, she reaches out and grasps hold of the doctors hands, her eyes raising back up to his. "Is it really that bad that you'd try to handle someone training to deal with broken minds?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

His hands tighten in hers and she sees a lone tear trickle down his cheek. Has it started? She thinks. Has the ring of fire finally started erupting? No. She shakes her head mentally. he said this was a temporary shelter. So, if not the end of the world scenario everyone knew was coming. Then what? She decides to ask.

"Has it started? Have the earthquakes and eruptions started?" She asks him.

"Oh Elise, would that it were so. At least we're somewhat prepared for that." He shakes his head. "No. It seems that the sky has decided to fall." His eyes unconsciously flick towards the ceiling.

"The sky!?"

"We were hit by a massive meteor storm. From what I've gathered from the survivors." He pauses as a shudder ripples through his body. "The devastation is total. Our lovely town is no more. And you Elise, You were in the thick of it."

Elise gasps, her mind throwing out images of people running and screaming, the choking ash in the air from fallen buildings and raging fires. Gasping for breath, she reaches for the water. Taking big gulps until the glass is empty.

Doctor Lewis changes his grip on her hands, feeling for a pulse point. "Flashback m'dear?" He asks solicitously. "This is why I was worried about telling you. You had to be sedated. You were hysterical child. Your body was releasing so much fight or flight hormones you were shutting down."

"God!" She shudders, her pulse calming as she takes deep breaths. "That was. Intense. Is that going to happen often?" She wonders out loud.

"It may, it may not. But I'm guessing that fine strong mind of yours won't take much nudging. I'll be giving you some medication that you ARE going to take. It's that or I restrict you to this med room." He looks at her sternly, he can feel that her pulse rate is still a little high, his concern for her shows on his face. "Promise me Elise."

"Sure Doc. I promise." She smiles raggedly and takes another deep breath. The door opens and McKenzie's head pops past the doorway.

"She's crying again. We've done everything but nothing's calming her down. I'm worried she's going to hurt herself." her gaze flicks to Elise and back to her father as if asking for tacit permission. He nods and her head disappears back into the next room.

"Elise. There's someone I want you to meet." He says gently. "There's a reason I've been so careful with you." Elise tries to take in what he's saying, but a noise is intruding. She can't seem to focus on anything else.

"Is that a baby crying?" She asks distractedly. "Why isn't anyone looking after her?" Her eyes become slightly unfocused, her body trembles as the crying gets louder. Her hands itch to reach out and comfort the crying child. The door slides open and the crying gets louder as McKenzie walks in, carrying a crying bundle in her arms. Before she realizes she's doing it Elise jumps from the bed, almost snatching the child from McKenzie's arms.

"It's okay little one. You're safe." She coos to the baby cradled in her arms, tears streaming down her face as she brushes a single finger down her tiny face with a gentle touch. The babies full body wails peter into quiet sobs, until, exhausted she falls asleep in Elise's arms.

The doctors gently guide Elise back to the waiting bed, settling her onto it as she continues staring down at the baby in her arms. Minutes pass as she continues quietly murmuring to the baby. When she finally looks up, McKenzie has disappeared and Dr Lewis is sat back in the visitor's chair. 

"Why did I do that?" She whispers, wide eyed and confused. She glances again at the sleeping baby, an unconscious smile lifting her lips. "Who is she?"

"We don't know." Doctor Lewis responds. "She was with you when you entered the ship." He gestures towards the baby. "She's too young yet for an ID chip. Only a couple of months old at most. We don't chip babies till at least 6 months old." he smiles at the picture of Elise holding the baby in her arms. "She's refused to settle the entire time you've been separated. We've had to very carefully sedate her so you could sleep and recover."

She can see the tiredness and sadness in the slump of his shoulders. "We've tested her haploid group with those already registered, and she has no living close relatives registered aboard the ship. So, for now, if you want her, she's your responsibility."

Elise looks back at the baby, giving her sleeping form a sad smile. "You say she was with me when I was registered?" She asks.

He nods. "Yes."

"and she's not related to me at all?" He shakes his head.

Her eyes widen as she sees the small gash on the baby's head. "Oh my God!" She traces the cleaned and sealed wound gently. tears falling onto the baby blanket. "Her mother's dead." She whispers. "We were running together, trying to reach the ship. Something exploded. She died, so I took the baby and ran." She starts to sob "I'm so sorry little one." She whispers through the sobs.

"Elise, It's okay. You saved her. This baby is alive now because of you." He whispers. She nods, shakily. Still crying.

"It's okay doc. I remembered what happened. Just a flash, like a photograph of us running, of her mother dead. Of me holding the baby and running." She shakes her head softly, so as not to disturb the baby. "I don't even know her name."

"Little one sounds good for now. Once things calm down outside we should be able to find a family member to take her in."

A thought occurs to Elise and she turns her head to the doctor.

"Was it just us?" She asks. "Was it limited to Resolute town?"

His smile vanishes.

"No."