I Want to Remember [Inactive]

The sun sits low on the horizon as Mattias goes about his home, straightening out what he hadn't had a chance to the night before and making himself an early dinner. He gathers a few books of differing genres in a bag and scritches the cat behind the ears before heading over to the hospital.


He's much more rested this time around, and waves to the receptionist cheerily before signing himself in for visitation. The hospital doesn't feel as confining and stressed curing the day, and he strolls along the halls to the girl's room with more of a bounce in his step. Knocking on the door to announce his arrival, he steps in and again closes it behind him to shut out unnecessary noise.


"Hello," he greets with a small nod and a smile, setting his bag down on the chair. "You are looking much better today."
 
"Mattias." She smiled, happy to see the only face she could recognize. It wasn't simply because of the red hair, either, the first thing she saw was his face, and she doubted she'd soon forget.


When she smiled, it was a relief to see all of her teeth remained intact, and they were still a pearly white. Her eyes were brighter than yesterday, better rested and working towards health.


"I feel a little better, besides the fact that I'm covered head to toe in bandages." She sighed, and looked down at her arm. They'd removed the sling just an hour earlier. Her wrist was only sprained, and the nurse who removed the sling figured she would like the added mobility in her arms.


"Mattias, I..." She started, her hands held useless in the air as she searched for the words to thank the man who'd saved her life. "I don't know what to say to you. Thank you."
 
Mattias' face breaks out in a grin as she talks, it's a light, clear voice. Not the rasping pleas he had heard yesterday, and a very welcome change. He pulls the chair to her bedside as he had before and sits cross-legged in it, slightly cramped but comfortable.


"I'm really glad you're doing better, you look good!" He exclaims, meaning every word of it. Behind the bandages and bruises he could she was a lovely girl, her eyes shining with curiosity.


"And truly, there's nothing to thank me for. I would never leave someone injured like you were on the street, I'm happy to help," smiling gently, he rests his hand on hers in a calming gesture. "Also, you can call me Matty if you want, most do."


Reaching over, he pulls the bag onto his lap and starts taking out books. One by one they fill the table at her side, a collection of stories by Edger Allen Poe, Alice In Wonderland, a humorous novel titled Fool by Christopher Moore, and a few others.


"I brought these, I figured you'd get bored sitting here on your own. If you have anything specific that you'd like, I work in a bookstore so I can get you pretty much anything."
 
The girl's eyes were immediately drawn to Alice in Wonderland, something about the image of the girl and rabbit on the front triggered a memory in her mind. She carefully picked up the book and opened it to the first page. She winced slightly, then looked down at her fingers. "The doctor told me my fingers were burned with acid." It was a sad statement, so the girl quickly went back to the book to distract herself.


After skimming the first few pages she looked at Mattias and flashed a brilliant smile.


"I know this book, there's a Disney movie based on it, right?" She was fairly positive there was, anyways. Next, she reached for Poe, again she smiled once she realized the book was familiar to her. The only one she hadn't heard of was Fool.


"Thank you so much." The girl smiled once more. She was over the moon knowing her savior of sorts had come back. "I wish I could remember any more books, but my memories are all mixed up. I don't even know my name. People here have been calling me Jane Doe. They use that for dead people don't they?"
 
Mattias nods enthusiastically, "yeah, there are a few renditions of the novel, a lot of them unknown to the general populous, but they're all really great. Many stories have been based off of Carroll's work, some more twisted than others."


He relaxes back, deciding not to bring much attention to her wounds and what may have caused them. If she wanted to talk about them, he was sure that he was making it obvious enough that she could be open with him. Though he very much wanted to know who had done this, so that they could be brought to justice and made to pay for it. He hated cruel people, seeing no reason for it, simple and awful sadism.


With a small frown, he breaks out of his reverie at her question.


"They use Jane Doe for a person that can't be identified via records or on file, and those who cannot remember who they are or what happened to them, not just for the deceased. You have nothing to worry about, I'm more than certain you're in the clear for dying," Mattias finishes with a kind smile.
 
"Oh, I'm sorry, I guess that would make sense." She apologized, and raised a hand to her lips, she focused on trying to remember the fact.


"I don't like the name, Jane Doe, I want to be called something else." The girl wrinkled her nose as if she'd smelled something rotten, her distaste for the name was clear. Being missing was odd to her, seeing as she knew exactly where she was. It was just that no one else knew. "Do you think they would call me something else if I asked? I bet they would."


Only after she spoke did she focus on the fact she couldn't be identified. Her fingers had no prints, and there hadn't been a match for any sort of DNA. It was a comfort knowing at least she wasn't some petty criminal in a police database somewhere. Still, the fact remained that she was a mystery to everyone here.


"Maybe Alice." The girl picked up the book again and stared at the cover, it wasn't a bad name, better than Jane at least. "Or something else? I don't know, there are a lot of names."
 
"No need to apologise," Mattias gestures dismissively. "Any questions you have, I would be happy to answer."


He thinks for a moment, studying the cover of the book in her hands as well. Tapping the arm of the chair contemplatively, he smiles over at her. "I think Alice would be a wonderful name for you. You are rather lost, though I can assure you this is no Wonderland. Whatever name you choose is fine, though. Even if you change your mind."


He stares off into space for a moment or two, keeping an unsteady beat with his fingertips. The fan whirrs above them, blowing a strand of cobweb about the tiles of the ceiling. There is a buzzing from standard hospital machines and a din of voices and televisions from the other rooms. The sun filters in weakly as it sets, a light indigo setting in above its last soft rays.


"If you don't mind, I'd like to ask," he begins hesitantly. "What are you going to do once you've recovered enough to leave?"
 
"I'd like to be Alice, then." She decided, a triumphant grin played across her face. Alice had gained a small part of her identity back. It was only a name, but it was a step in the right direction.


"What will I do?" The girl, now Alice, asked, aimed more toward herself than a repetition of what Mattias had said. She frowned and furrowed her brow. "I guess I'll have to get a job, try to find somewhere to live. I don't have anything, just me, myself, and I." Alice motioned to herself when she said the last sentence.


What am I going to do? I have no idea.


"I know I'll be stuck in a wheelchair for a while, that's what I was told. But I don't know, I've got nowhere to go."
 
Mattias returns the grin, clapping his hands together. "A pleasure to meet you, Alice."


His good spirits decline as he watches her realise that she doesn't have anything in the world. She really was all alone. She'd been beaten and hurt and left to die and now she has nothing.


God. I'm too soft for this. Even though it's not my responsibility, I still feel the need to take care of her. I have an extra room, maybe I could let her stay there while she's recovering. It'd be nice to have someone else around the house.


Then again, it's a little creepy. Stranger she's known for no more than a day offers to house her when she knows nothing. Urgh.





He sighs heavily, ruffling his hair and giving her a crooked smile.


"Well, if nothing else works out you could always stay with me. I have a spare room on the main floor, and could install some sort of ramp. Especially considering you don't have any sort of resources, I wouldn't want you ending up on the streets again..."
 
Alice gasped and covered her mouth with both hands, "No, I couldn't, that's too kind of you. I don't have any money either, if I stayed, I'd have no way to pay my fair share."


The offer was something she hadn't expected. Sure, they were strangers, but even so Alice wasn't sure she could accept without some sort of payment. In a wheelchair she wouldn't be able to clean much, more or less help around anywhere.


Alice knew she had nothing. Even the clothes on her back were too cut up and raw to keep. She wouldn't have wanted them back anyways. There wasn't even a dime in her pocket.
 
Mattias puts up his hands reassuringly, waving them slightly. "Hey, it's alright. It's really no trouble. It would be a lot more trouble for me to know you're out there on your own. You can't exactly support yourself while you're in a wheelchair, and being on wellfare and foodstamps and living on the streets isn't a good way to live, I did it for a while."


He thinks for a few seconds, humming softly. "You know, if you really feel that bad about it, you could help in my bookstore once you're back on your feet. It's not hard work, and the people that come by are very friendly."


Mattias was invested now, there really was no turning back. "As well, Lenore would be ecstatic to have someone around while I'm at work or school, and I have more than enough money to set you up for as long as you need."
 
"Are you sure?" Alice leaned forward in the hospital bed, her looked as if she might cry out of joy. She pressed her hands together before interlocking her fingers. Her luck was considerably better than it was a few days ago. "Thank you so much, I'll do whatever I can to help out, I promise."


For a moment she was confused, "Who is Lenore? Your girlfriend?" Alice set her hands in her lap and worried about how she might be causing an awkward situation.
 
Leaning back, Mattias gives her another smile. "Yeah of course I'm sure. I really have more than enough room."


At her question he balks, and then laughs heartily, holding onto his knees. "Oh yeah, she's my little princess. Light of my life, stars in my sky, eater of my fish."


He giggles a little more as he pulls out his phone, showing her the front screen. It's a picture of a pure black cat with a purple collar standing over a large fish tank, up to her chin in water trying to get at a bright orange goldfish. "This is Lenore."
 
"Well how was I supposed to know?" Alice laughed for a while at her own confusion. "I didn't want to make an awkward situation for your girlfriend, who's actually a cat, and not your girlfriend."


Cats were, in Alice's opinion, some of the most adorable pets a person could own. She noted the fish tank and wondered if Mattias had fish as well as a cat. He was a charismatic guy, and she wouldn't have been surprised to hear he had another pet or two.


"But really, thank you so much. I promise I'll try not to be too much of a bother." Alice again was smiling, she felt fortunate Mattias had found her. Had he not, well, the thought wasn't pleasant. "I think I get out in another week, but I'm not really sure. Doctors talk, more to each other than me." She shrugged. "Casts will be on for a long time, unfortunately. The left one is worse. That one is last to come off."


Mattias was there in the alley, he discovered Alice. It only occurred to her now he may have seen something. Anything. Even the street name would be valuable information. "Matti-, Matty, when you found me. I mean." She stuttered, asking about it was hard. All she could think of was her mangled leg, and the pain she felt, then the blood. "Did you see anything at all? Anything? What street was it? I don't know anything."


((Sorry, I've got to head to bed, it's near 2am here))
 
This role play has been marked "inactive". Inactive role plays are defined as "role plays showing 0 activity within a 30 day period".


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