Chapter 16 Chapter 16
Chapter 16
“So you mean she’s never getting her memory back?” Ariana asked quietly, her tone filled with worry.
On the other end of the line, Doctor Mark sighed. “The probability is zero,” he said.
Ariana sat back in the chair, holding her phone tight. “That’s… that’s terrible.”
“I know,” the doctor said softly. “It’s hard, really hard, for her family members to locate her. She’s changed completely. Nothing about her looks the same as she did a year ago.
Her face healed differently, her hair, even her voice tone slightly changed. If they saw her now, they wouldn’t even recognize her.”
Ariana felt her heart twist. “You mean there’s no way to reverse it?”
“Her memory loss is chronic, Ariana,” the doctor replied. “She survived something that ninety percent of people wouldn’t have survived. She’s lucky to even be alive.”
Ariana pressed her lips together, trying to stop her tears.
“She’s also lucky,” the doctor continued, “that someone like you took her in. Most people would have left her at the hospital.”
Ariana wiped her cheek. “So… nothing can be done?” she asked again, hoping for a miracle even though she already knew the answer.
“Patience and consistency,” Doctor Mark said. “That’s all I can advise. Maybe, someday, something will trigger her memory. But until then, she just needs stability, calmness, and support.”
Ariana nodded even though he couldn’t see her. “I understand.”
.
They spoke for a few more minutes — about her progress, her behavior, how she sometimes woke up confused. The doctor told her to keep giving her the mild memory supplements and to encourage light, familiar activities.
When the call ended, Ariana sat there for a while, staring blankly at the table.
“She’s such a hardworking and sweet girl,” she whispered to herself. “She doesn’t deserve this.”
Suddenly, she heard the creak of the wooden door behind her. Ariana quickly wiped her eyes and turned.
Celine stood there in her loose t-shirt and joggers, rubbing her palms together. Her hair was still messy from her nap.
“You’re awake?” Ariana asked, forcing a small smile.
“Yes,” Celine said, her voice low. She sat on the couch and looked around the room for a moment before her eyes went to Ariana. “Were you talking to someone?”
Ariana nodded. “Just a quick call.”
“Oh,” Celine murmured. She rubbed her temple slowly. “My head hurts again.”
Ariana got up, went to the kitchen cabinet, and poured her a glass of water. “Here, drink this. It’ll help a little.”
Celine took the glass and nodded. “Thank you.”
“Are you okay?” Ariana asked gently.
Celine hesitated, then said in a low tone, “I think I am, but I’m… struggling too.”
She looked down at her hands. “I’m trying to remember my past, but everything is just blurred. I can’t see faces. I can’t remember names. It’s like my mind refuses to open.”
Ariana sat beside her. “You don’t have to force it, Celine.”
“But I want to know who I am,” she said in a trembling voice. “I want to remember something… anything.
Every time I close my eyes, I feel like there’s a part of me missing. Like I was someone else before all this. Sometimes I even dream about a man’s voice, but when I wake up, it disappears.”
Ariana’s chest tightened. She smiled softly, pretending not to be affected. “I’m sure very soon you’ll remember who you were.”
Celine looked up with a faint smile. “Really?”
“Yes,” Ariana said, lying gently. “You just have to be patient. Don’t stress yourself. You’re doing well already.”
Celine nodded, looking a little more comforted. “I hope so. I don’t want to live like a stranger in my own body forever.”
“You won’t,” Ariana said, rubbing her shoulder. “Just take each day one step at a time.”
For a moment, silence filled the room. The air was still. Celine looked around the small living space that had slowly started to feel like home — even if she couldn’t remember when or how she came here.
She didn’t have a single picture, not one piece of her old life. Just the name Celine that Ariana gave her.
Sometimes she wondered if it was even her real name.
Ariana stood up after a while. “Come, let’s have dinner early today. You didn’t eat properly before your nap.”
Celine smiled faintly and followed her into the kitchen. She helped Ariana set the table and cut vegetables while they talked about random things — the weather, work, the grocery list.
“You’ve been quiet lately,” Ariana said after a few minutes.
Celine gave a weak smile. “I just feel… empty sometimes.
Like something important is missing but I can’t explain what it is.”
Ariana forced a small laugh. “Everyone feels like that sometimes. You just need rest.”
Celine nodded, but deep down, she knew Ariana was hiding something. She could feel it in the way Ariana sometimes looked at her — with too much care, too much guilt.
But Celine didn’t push it. She was tired of chasing answers that never came.
After dinner, Ariana washed the plates while Celine sat by the small window, staring out. The city lights were dim in the distance.
She rested her chin on her hand and thought again about that faceless man in her dreams. His voice was deep and husky.
But every time she tried to see his face, it vanished.
She sighed and stood up, walking slowly to her room.
Ariana watched her go, her hands still in the sink. Her heart felt heavy.
When she was sure Celine had gone inside, she leaned against the counter and closed her eyes.
She sighed and wiped her wet hands. “Please let her heal,” she murmured quietly.