Chapter 02 | Jane Doe
Finley
It was still raining heavily outside and filled up, but the smoke was visible around me, coming from the car I was in and beyond. The back of my head was still aching when I tried to move a little. I saw Rey slumped over the steering wheel, covered in blood. His hand was blocking my chest.
Rey tried to protect me, which caused his life...
I leaned my head on the headrest of my seat and closed my eyes tightly. At this time, I wanted to let go, but a voice broke my plan.
You need to escape, muster your strength and come back to redeem us, your family...
I opened my eyes and moved slowly. I gave my remaining strength to kick the car door.
I cannot die here.
Not in this place.
I still have a lot to do, and like the voice that came back to my mind, I need to muster my strength and return for them.
I almost crawled my way out of the car onto the grass. I can feel the pain of the wound I got from the accident. I tried to stand up but fell several times before doing what I wanted. My gaze focused on the burning car in front.
I saw a woman sitting in the back, and her face was also bloody like Rey's. But I'm not sure if she's still alive. I should think of myself, but here I am, worrying for the lives of others. The worry I felt gave me more strength to go to the car and open the door. I slowly took out the woman who was still emitting shallow breathing.
Using my last strength, I lifted her out of our burning car before it completely exploded. I covered the lady when the two vehicles exploded utterly. And that's when my whole world starts turning pitch black, and I hear no sound other than my heartbeat.
A week later.
Jane Doe is still sleeping right in front of me. A glass window separated us, and I was standing on the other side of it. I don't know if the devices are keeping her alive or if she is still breathing. The doctor said we were both lucky, but my mind was still traveling to the fate of my assistant, Rey. I didn't even give him a proper burial as compensation for his faithful service to my family and me.
I reached the town of Luciana with the help of those my mother called to pick me up after crossing the border to Maldonia. According to the couple, they found the woman I was with on the grass not far from the exploded cars and me. They immediately transported us to a hospital near Luciana to be treated. I recovered in three days while the lady was still sleeping as if she was stuck in a loony bin.
"Nobody knows the girl you're with. We didn't get any identification on her either," said the voice of the man next to me. That halted all my thoughts suddenly. I glanced at the man next to me and watched all the fine lines on his face.
He was Oswald, a friend, and confidant of my parents. His wife, Marietta, is away now and is busy asking questions about Jane Doe's identity. I asked the man's wife to do that to check if there was a report of a missing person in the town.
"We cannot leave her here alone. Maybe she's one of our enemies that stages the accident to kill me." That was my guess because many were chasing us, and I thought we had lost our way.
Oswald nodded and tapped my should gently. "I will fix the house where you will stay and continue your journey," Oswald said goodbye to me after saying the words that were dropped.
I took a deep breath after looking at the girl I brought here to Luciana's town again.
I need to know who she is and her purpose for me. Is she an enemy or an ally I don't have from the beginning? Everyone, including a family member, wants to kill me to make advances on my inheritance. My mother tried her best to save me and died cruelly to be able to do that.
Besides knowing who this woman is, I also need to strengthen myself to hold the people responsible for the misery I have befallen today when I return.
I have a lot to do, but my true self will remain hidden from everyone until I am ready to face the world awaiting for in a different town.
When no one knew then, not even me.
The girl I brought here to Luciana remained asleep as the days and months passed. We still haven't found an identity for her. My wounds have healed, and I visit her daily with Marietta, bearing only a wish for her to wake up. According to the doctors, there is still no sign that she will wake up, which could take a year. The doctors recently removed the edema on Jane Doe's head and are waiting for her to wake up to call the operation a success.
"He is a beautiful child, and her wounds are slowly healing. When will he wake up?" Marietta asked while cleaning the lady.
Even though what she does to the woman is against my will, I still feel pity. A part of my mind says that maybe our cars collided by chance. She did not intend to harm or kill me, as I assumed earlier.
But there is still a lonely question in my mind. Who is she?
"You still can't find any identification on him?" I asked.
The lady shook her head and continued cleaning the girl. "She looks like she's missing, and that dress she was wearing when we saw you, the cloth was used by the members of royal houses."
I was suddenly quiet after hearing what Marietta said. Does that mean this girl is royalty? Whose clan does she belong to, then?
Many people like me who came from Estonia escaped, but I have no idea where they ended up. Destonia has completely taken over my town, and it was created by my father's family that was wild with wealth and power. All our allies were killed in the battle, and I was the only one left. No one knew where I was, and I was introduced here in the town of Luciana as the son of Marietta and Oswald.
"He needs to wake up to answer our questions," I said, then took a deep breath.
It's beautiful here in Luciana. Green trees surround it. The sea that separates it from Maldonia is clean and blue. The town used to be the province of Maldonia, but it broke away and formed its government far from where I came from. Federalism is the type of government here, not a monarchy. It's a part of the kind of government that I grew up with, and I have to abide by the town rules to live freely and muster my strength while hiding.
"Shall we hold her in case she wakes up?"
"Yes, as long as we didn't know her identity and plan. When she wakes up, I must ensure she wasn't a spy sent by the enemy before releasing her in the wilderness." I have no plan of holding her forever. I just need to ensure she's not a threat to my life.
I cannot be caught by anyone, especially my family's oppressors.
"I'm leaving first, Hijo," Marietta said goodbye to me, but she stopped walking and looked at the woman who had just finished cleaning. I saw how the lady moved and reached for Marietta's hand. I also saw the slow opening of her eyes. "She's awake!" My steward seemed afraid to repeat it.
I immediately pressed the button to alert the nurses and doctors outside after hearing Marietta's scream.
I will know who she is after a few months of waiting. That's the plan in my mind right now, and it will never change until she doesn't answer all of my questions about her real identity.