Page 17 of Until the Sea Runs Dry

5

Hours had passed since her talk with Detective Summers.

After some time examining every inch of her face and body only to not have learned anything new about herself, Jane had given up and crawled into bed.

There, she tugged the blanket over the top of the head, and in the blessed softness of her cocoon, shut out the world, the uncertainty and fear, and fell asleep.

When she woke, the sun was preparing to set against a purple-orange sky. Jane started, blinking at the sky, surprised to see how late it was. She had slept for an entire day.

Staring at the unfamiliar room, everything came crashing back.

Waking on the beach. The terrifying condition of her body. Losing her memory. The puppy. Then Logan, and how he had left her so abruptly.

Her eyes were drawn to the clipboard hanging from the end of her bed. The chart attached to it was neatly filled with signatures and timings. Though Jane had been fast asleep, the staff had kept their eyes on her, checking her status around the clock.

This should have filled her with assurance, but the idea of strangers entering her room, watching and assessing her while she was unconscious, left an unpleasant taste in her mouth.

Her head started to thump.

What had the Doctor said yesterday… to watch out for headaches? Did this qualify as a concern?

She pondered the thought when she noticed how thick her tongue felt, how dry her lips had become again.

Most likely she was dehydrated. She couldn’t remember when she had last had a drink.

She sat up, but the very act caused every muscle to shriek. Jane flinched, her lips thinning into a tight, thin line.

Not exactly the best start to the day.

Catching herself, a mirthless laugh came out. However badly she felt now, it was a good sight better than yesterday. She should stop feeling sorry for herself. At least she was safe here. She reached for the jug of water that someone had considerately left, filling the tumbler beside it to the brim.

She gulped the cool water down, marveling at how quickly it seemed to kick her body into gear. Almost instantly, she felt less groggy, more clear-headed — like she could finally begin to think about her current predicament.

Possibly.

She poured herself another glass. Drank that down, too, before she stopped, quenched for the moment at least.

Setting the tumbler down, she swung her legs to the edge of the bed — wincing from the various cuts that needed more time to heal — and stood up to peer through the window.

The Hollywood hills loomed in the distance, though the famous sign was half-hidden under a layer of smog. An ambulance with its flashing red lights pulled into the parking lot below. Though she was five storeys up from the ground, she could see the patient, strapped securely to the gurney, as the ambulance crew rolled them out of the vehicle and into the hospital.

Across the Los Angeles skyline, the bustling city prepared for another busy night. Everywhere she looked, there was movement. People rushed below, getting in and out of their vehicles, while across the horizon, streetlamps flickered on as the glow of headlights streaked across the motorway.

People hurrying home to their families and loved ones, while her own life was a complete and utter mystery.

Pressing a hand against the glass, Jane stared down at a couple walking hand-in-hand as a wave of crushing loneliness hit.

Everywhere she looked, it seemed that she was the only one who was alone. Tears welled in her eyes. An ache tugged at her heart.

No!

She would not sit here crying and feeling sorry for herself. She was alive, and that was something. The rest would come naturally.

Hating the silence that gave the room an oppressive feel, Jane reached for a remote control and pressed on. The large flat-screen television on the wall opposite her bed flashed onto a movie channel, where a black and white comedy played.

While she wasn’t interested in watching a movie, she studied the actors joking on the screen and tried to place them. Should she know who they were?

But just as Logan’s had, their faces drew a blank.

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