Chapter 1

Beginning Or A Semi-colon

"Hey all the best" the chirpy receptionist greeted him "here are all your belongings." She handed his box of belongings that were kept during his admission. "The hard disk was taken away" she said sheepishly "you know they wanted to learn more about you. Apologies"

"Thanks err...." he looked at the nametag "Julie. You don't need to apologize. It wasn't your fault" he waved it off emptying the contents of the box in the table but found nothing that could help his identity "a stale chewing gum which probably was expired since he was sleeping for sixteen months, a handkerchief which he is sure wasn't his. Why would he get a stamp of Mickey Mouse on a perfectly white cloth? The box also contained an old spirit watch that was surprisingly still working. Then there was this ring, his ring that probably would have fitted him well when he got admitted.

"Hey Julie do you think this was taken from my right hand." He paused "Do you think I am married?"

She eyed him flirtatiously from top to bottom" I hope not" she winked "you are such an eye candy. I wouldn't want you to be married" she winked "but I am sorry I wouldn't know. I just joined the duty couple of months back."

Next was his leather belt that had been worn out more than he probably had in the dumps of the hospital store.

He wrapped it around his loose beige trousers but it was size two small.

Louisa who was continuously pouting and sighing at his every word, with every breath it looked liked her bosoms would pop out of her tight blue shirt.

He had been ignoring her flirtations since the day he woke from his comatose.

"Hey you may take this" she lifted her shirt from her chest just enough to hide the tints of browns beneath the miniscule bra that she was wearing and pulled the pin offering to him "this might help"

"No no I am fine" he said embarrassed and flushed

"Oh yeah" he remembered " it was her first day of duty when he'd gained conscious. So while every one was shocked that he was wide-awake after almost a year, she was shocked at everybody's reaction. "You have most wondrous blue eyes" she'd gushed, "I can never imagine they were hidden from the world for so long."

"You have no idea" one of the young yet senior nurses had said "he had lovely blonde hair too but he hid them under the dyed black ones."

'What a shame" Julie had pointed out "his tall physique and lovely blue eyes and oh" she gushed "the dimples that any girl would love to..." he could actually read the dirty thoughts running in her mind.

He definitely might have been a heartthrob of the millions when he was not in comma.

And he knew they were right with the dark hair color.

He'd seen the left over dark color trimmed by the local hospital barber once he was awake.

"Is that all, nothing else?" he asked politely very well aware of his futile attempt to know about his identity.

"I am so sorry honey" the middle aged receptionist said empathically "I know how lost you'd be feeling right now. I wish I could help"

He simply nodded and walked away.

He did not believe his life. He knew nothing about himself, neither his name nor nationality. He does not even remember his immediate family.

He does remember his mother though a pretty young lady with golden eyes and golden hair always smiling at him baking him spaghetti and cheese all the time and taking him to the garden.

His father, he only remembers his stone blue eyes staring at him from behind the newspaper that he'd read with so much concentration.

But their names ...

Nopes nada!

In spite of regular exercises and drills about names of colors, fruits, vegetables, days of weeks, months.

He answered them all fluently but when asked his name or his mother or father he was completely blank.

A severe point headache would engulf him to the extent that doctors had to inject him with sedatives along with painkillers.

They tried a lot to revive his memory but nothing would work and the experts finally concluded that it would happen gradually.

There was however no assurances that he would get his complete memory back.

Now since his funds were cut down and he had no money for further treatment he had to leave the hospital premises, which were now feeling, to him like his home.

All the doctors and staff were very polite to him.

Everyone had his or her own theories about him.

Some said hat he was a tourist and therefore there are no records about him

Some thought that he was an orphan and therefore no one ever tried to get him even though he'd been missing since eternity.

Some thought that he was a local thug and got caught shot in the gang war that happened the other day he was admitted.

Scared of legal action, no body came to be his kin.

One of them termed him as a circus clown who is more of a vagabond traveling from one place to another

The best one being he to be a spy like Sherlock Holmes who was in his mission to save the country but caught up amongst the goons.

He laughed it off.

He also wondered when he'd have that hearty laugh again.

Hospital staff and patients had become his little family

And they'd give him ample reason to both laugh and cry at

He cried when Mrs. Delma whose 9 year old son was diagnosed with cancer. He cried when a young man of thirty in the next room of his passed away with year long disease and suffering leaving his family of a wife and two daughters.

And not to forget he laughed heartily when one of the nurses by mistake shaved off half the moustache of a fellow patient.

He laughed when one of the nurses had to rush their date to the hospital since his condom got stuck in his genitals.

He had fits of laughter when doctor pressed the butts of his nurse instead of pressing his patients stomach looking for swelling.

Well you don't need to judge the doctor because the patient was so bulky and chubby that his stomach almost fell out of the bed.

Again there were mysterious patients who were cocooned alone in their rooms not communicating with anyone from the nurses to fellow patients especially the green eyed Cynthia who'd been so lost and lonely yet so very attractive to his eyes.

He'd never seen such a beauty before.

Too bad she was admitted because she was suicidal.

She had swallowed too many sleeping pills together.

Her father visited her every morning but there was no sign of her mother.

She looked very sad, lost and lonely.

Even he tried to reach her but the cold shoulder that she gave to everybody was extended to him too.

Then there was this dark guy with long hair pierced eyebrows and tattoos all over

He'd once helped him with water since he was on his daily stroll around the hospital premises; an exercise that doctors had told was good for his health.

He couldn't thank him enough for he was dying of thirst and promised to help him one day.

He'd laughed at the tattoo guy wondering if there was anyone who could ever help him

Till he ever remembers what help he might actually need

Till he remembers who he actually is,

A loud thud was heard as he reached the final stair of the hospital, he had turned around to bid a final good bye when he noticed that he couldn't see a thing. There was smoke everywhere; people were shouting in panic, he couldn't breath either.

Just then soft warm hands engulfed his wrists and pulled him.

He immediately succumbed to the force and followed

Everything was a blur as he was running along with her.

Yes he could differentiate between a female touch, then he also happened to see the silhouette of a girl who'd been pulling him all the while, her face covered as she pushed him inside the tinted glassed van.

And before he could ask the speeding van came to an abrupt halt

The heavy breathing had now ceased but he couldn't dwell into the calm for long as she pulled him again to a secluded building, which looked more like a closed down unit of a factory.

"Excuse me ma'am" he called politely but she picked to ignore.

"At least tell me who are you? " a slight hope rising inside him that she knew him and he would finally get his identity.

He entered into another hospital like room which was also a make shift operation theatre.

"Why have you brought me here?" he asked irritated now.

The girl pulled the stocking off her face and he looked at her squinting again a silhouette that he couldn't recognize from the strong lights that were blinding him.

"Do I even know you?" he asked defeated.

"See we don't know each other" she said curtly " you are my job. I brought you here and I will be paid. We are not accomplices, weren't " she completed "ever"

"Then what am I doing here?' he asked obviously irritated.

Now you don't expect a person who had been smoked and abducted to be happy and gaiety.

"Sakina" a voice called.

He looked around at the source of voice and moved towards the caller wondering if he knew who he was and why was he brought there.

Another silhouette this time a male came into his line of vision "here's your pay" he threw bundle of bills at her which she caught swiftly "Job well done!" he compliment "as always"

"Always at your services" she teased "just keep them coming." With a bow and a small wave she left the building.

"Wait" he shouted after her.

"What?" she said irritated" all he could see was a milky white face wrapped between folds of black clothe.

"Why the F##k did you get me here?" He asked again.

"Well that is a question for him to answer" she directed ta the silhouette of male figure "I gotta go" she shrugged and left without looking behind.

He turned around to come face with the tall guy dressed in scrubs, probably doctor who had his smirk wider than his jaw

"I can answer your questions only if you cooperate." He said, "Why don't you lie down?"

He almost stepped forward to follow the doctors instruction but thought against it.

He was tired of blindly following people.

He wanted answers

"Do I know you?" he asked

"The answer to that question would be No. We have never met before." Doctor asked calmly as he opened the new syringe and filled it with red liquid from a small bottle.

"What am I doing here?' he asked, "Who are you? I have never seen you in hospital before."

"I told you' the doctor said teasingly "we haven't met before. Now will you please lie down."

Doctor asked politely.

"What are you going to do to me?" he asked, "Dr. Paul said I do not need any further treatment. I am completely fit and healthy."

"Yes my friend Paul is absolutely correct. You are fit and healthy like a horse and that is why we are operating you for a transplant."

"Transplant?' the sixth sense in his head was violently churning "yes it is simple we'd extract a kidney and then pass it to other."

"Isn't that illegal or something" all his senses alert.

"Well it is my friend' doctor said "that doesn't stop people in damaging their kidneys and wouldn't it help us in fulfilling the oath that we had taken to save the mankind." The twist in the curve of lips suggested the evil in his eyes.

"Aren't you manipulating your oath for some easy money?" he asked.

"Its up to you what you think and moved towards him."

"But I haven't given my consent." He was alarmed by now.

"You don't intend to make it difficult for me. Do you?" the doctor asked.

"I do" he immediately answered, "I am not going to let you steal my organs" he rebelled.

"Then you leave me no choice" the sinister smile was back on the doctor's face.

"Bill and Jimmy" he called and two huge built guys with physique of that of bouncers dressed like WWE champions entered the room each of them flexing their muscles ready for a knock out.

As on cue as if a lightening had struck him as if he was loaded with extra powers a do or die feeling resided in him.

In quick strides the two guys reached after him crushing his fantasy to escape.

When the two held either of his legs, he held himself on the roof of the wrought iron gate hard and tough.

But the machoism didn't last long as with the power of his opponents he couldn't fight the force and had to wriggle out of his pants.

Looking at himself shocked in his old and tattered boxers he mumbled "should have listened to that nurse Louisa"

It wasn't funny for the two who threw his pants on his face.

With a move that could put Jackie Chang of Chinese movies to shame he wrapped the two legs of his loose trousers around his waist and watched the two monsters predating on him.

In lightening bolt speed he marched towards the exit the two heavy weight monsters after him, the adrenaline to save himself palpable in the air as jumping in the air he kicked both of them with his two feet throwing them on the floor both proud and shocked at his own move.

Falling on his butt himself did hurt him but he sensed the urgency and immediately stood up for his escape, the two monsters towering after him, he might have lost count of the amount of walls he'd jumped through or the number of punches and kicks that he hit to the two men trying to get hold of him wincing every time he hit them as he'd get hit harder.

He wasted very little time dwelling on how he could defend and fight so well, not to forget how swiftly he buckled up his loose pants and yet miraculously somehow managed out of the mutilated building that was once a plastic factory, the broken pieces and leftovers of plastic along the foul smell of burnt plastic said it all.

Once out of the building and in open surrounded by local public he felt he was safe but he turned around to see two familiar faces coming after him.

He quickly jumped into the touring vehicle, the conductor hurrying the tourists into the vehicle "hurry up we are running late, we might miss next location."

He was the last one to enter the tourist vehicle and the two fat guys narrowly missed him.

He took a sigh of relief chuckling at his macho act when two arms circled around him "I can't believe it." She exclaimed, "You are here." She hugged him and then looked at him in awe and hugged him again

"Do you know me miss?" he asked with a combination of surprise and relief.

"Of course I know you" she said excitedly "who can forget his fiancé?'
"Fiancé?" the word left hanging in the air