I open my eyes. The blinding light overhead make me react and I close them right away.
Thats odd. My room does not have overhead lights. The old flourescent lamp in my room had lost its struggle for survival a long time ago. I most certainly hadn't installed any new lamps. Which can only mean one thing.
Toto. I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.
No shit.
The bed is another indicator. Soft. Way too soft. The pillow is featherlike. The only time I've slept on luxuries like these were when I visited my folks. After spending nine hours having my butt take a torture test in a rickety train, the bed in my old room was the greatest friend I have ever had. But this wasnt my bed. This felt more intimate.
I open my eyes slightly. Its hard to get accustomed to the light. But I'm able to see the color white cover my body before I close my eyes again.
Hospital.
I'm in a hospital.
What the fuck am I doing in a hospital??
I cannot remember a single incident that would have rendered me, half blind, on a hospital bed. And that frightens me.
I open my eyes again. Determined this time. It takes longer than usual but I'm finally able to see again.
I look around the room. Large. Air-conditioned. Spotless. I snap to my right and wince at the sudden flash of pain.
What the ... ?
I place my palm gingerly on my head. I wasnt expecting hair. I was expecting the touch of the skin on my bald scalp. What I felt was cloth.
Bandaged.
The implications are boundless. They rush at me all at once and I'm acutely aware that my eyes grow bigger and bigger as I consider each and every one of them.
The first question and the most obvious one needs answering.
I swipe back my covers and sit up. Yup. Everything in place. So far as I can see.
So what happened? Why am I here?
I slowly look to my right. Medical machinery hooked up to my bed. Pretty elaborate machines. My view crosses across to the small chair next to the curtained window (i think) and I see the nurse.
She's sitting on the chair with her head bent all the way back on the headrest. I'm no fortune teller but I forsee a very nasty sore neck in her future. She's sleeping quite peacefully although I can detect no amount of grace in her posture. Her jaw is wide open. I watch her body tuck itself in to let out a nice deep breath and I hear a loud noisy snore.
Ah. So now we know what woke me up.
I clear my throat. She keeps sleeping.
I look around the room some more. Nope, no one around. The ever diligent nurse is the only one here.
I clear my throat again and say "Excuse me".
Except that it seems like my vocal chords have forgotten how to function. It takes me a while before I get the hang of using them.
"Excuse me"
Nothing.
"Excuse me"
She scratches her cheek. Smacks her lips. Continues to sleep.
Ok - lets give my vocal chords the ultimate test.
"YO!!!"
She wakes up with a start. And i mean a start. Her entire body jerks forward as she collects herself in that split second. She blinks twice and stares at me with her mouth agape. It has more to do with the rude awakening than the fact that i'm awake.
That comforts me a bit.
"Hi" I say.
She bolts out of the room. I let out a sigh of relief. At the very least I'll have some answers.
It doesnt take long for the doctor to enter the room followed by the very agitated nurse. The doctor smiles at me.
"Welcome back" she says.
"How long was I out?" I ask.
"Not too long. You were out for three days. It was expected."
"Oh. Ok"
"I'm going to ask you some questions. You dont have to strain yourself. And you dont have to panic if you need to take a moment to gather your thoughts. Ok?"
"Ok."
"What is your name?"
"Sanjay"
"Sanjay ..."
"Dutt."
She begins to scribble on the medical chart.
"I'm kidding, just kidding. Krishna. Sanjay Krishna"
She smiles again.
"It doesnt seem like your personality has changed. You still have that pretty bad sense of humor."
I shrug. "What can I say? i'm consistent."
"Whats your address?"
"sanjay.krish@gmail.com"
"Wonderful. You're still irritating" She smiles again and I swear that if she smiles again I'm going to go nuts.
"I think you're fine. There'll be a few more tests just to make sure your A OK. But I think you're good. I think you made a fine recovery."
"Great!"
"Any questions you have for me?"
"Just one. What am I recovering from?"
Its incredible. The cloud that passes over both the doctor and the nurse. I can see a storm of rational thinking and deduction behind the doctors eyes. She's trying ti figure me out.
"What do you mean?" she asks, less confident about herself. Her smile starts to slowly fade away.
"Exactly what I said. What am I recovering from. Why am I here?"
"You .... you dont know?" she frowns.
"No."
She looks at me. The silence in the room is heavy except for the mental grinding of gears inside her brain.
"What is the last date you remember?" she asks slowly.
I have to think about that. And I remember. Quite clearly actually.
"August fifteenth. Independence Day."
The nurse's eyes widen. She gasps silently and her hand involunatarily rises to cover her lips.
The doctor is deep in thought. "What year?"
"Two thousand and eight"
She sighs, leans forward and takes my hand in hers. Her fingers and soft and warm.
"Whats wrong doc?" I ask. "What day is it today?"
She looks into my eyes.
"Sanjay. Its the seventh of October. Two thousand thirteen."
