And then, just for a moment, everything was perfect.

Absolutely perfect, Florence felt like she was flying, swooping in the air and nothing, nothing could bring her down.

"What? What happened?" Cooper looked startled at her sudden smile and change of mood.

"It's Cole! I was about to tell you, he's been in a coma and my friend Charlie just called me and he's woken up Coops, Cole has woken up!"

She couldn't keep the excited squeak out of her voice, everything seemed to be slotting into place, her friendship with Cooper was solid again, she'd uncovered the past, spoke to Levi and was ready for the future, the only thing stopping her from being completely happy had been Cole in that hospital bed.

Florence threw her arms around a bemused Cooper.

"I'm so sorry Coops but I have to go to the hospital, like now! I'll call you later!"

She was already walking out of the door, eager, so eager to get to her car, to be there and see with her own two eyes that Cole was going to be okay, that those eyes were open and awake, that soon she wouldn't be alone in their flat anymore.

Florence was impatient, so impatient as she waited for the traffic to clear, this was torture up ahead she could see the sign for the hospital but in front of her a yellow lorry had decided to block her path into that hospital.

She didn't usually beep on her horn, it was a rude thing to do, but today she beeped to her hearts content, she needed to be in there.

Finally, there was a clearing, she drove at an almost dangerous pace into the car park, hastily parked and then sprinted into the hospital, skipping out on the lift, today her adrenaline and pure happiness would allow her to charge up those steps.

She reached the ward in a rush of flashing lights and conversing patients, her head throbbing.

As she entered the room her eyes registered Charlie near the bed holding steadfast to Cole's hand and a Doctor in the corner adjusting the machines, swapping a bag full of grey liquid for a clear substance.

But whilst her eyes may have seen everything, her heart screamed out one word, and one word alone.

Cole.

Cole was sitting up on the bed, looking pale, looking shaken and bedraggled but so unmistakably alive and awake.

"Cole..." 

Charlie noticed her then, her eyes were filled with happy tears which had left tracks all down her face.

"Florence theres something-"

Florence ignored her, she launched herself at Cole, hugging him tightly not even stopping to think about whether this looked proper or not, or whether this could interfere with whatever the doctor was doing.

"I missed you so much"

It was only after a minute that she realised that whilst she was trying her best to squeeze Cole to death, his arms remained limply by his side and his expression was one of utter confusion.

She pulled away, suddenly feeling less like she was on cloud nine and more like she had been dropped from a height and then winded.

"I was going to tell you..." 

Charlie looked like she wanted to die.

"Wait, I know you"

Cole had spoken, his voice barely a whisper in her screaming mind.

"Your that girl, from Phillipson the one who I bumped into, I know her Charlie"

He turned to Charlie still looking so confused.

"Yes Cole, you do know her"

Charlie was using a voice that a person would usually use when talking to a small child.

Florence didn't understand what was going on, not one bit, every time she'd imagined this situation it had been perfect, she had admitted everything she had read and they'd promised to try and work everything out, they had come out of this whole situation as better people, stronger.

And now she was faced with the reality and it hit her like a ton of bricks.

Cole did't remember her.

"A word please Flo" Charlie practically begged taking her sleeve and pulling her into the corridor.

She was shaking.

"Whats... what just happened.. does he?"

Words weren't even a thing anymore, she'd been so happy on the way here.

"We thought everything was fine when he first shows sign of movement, the doctors were elated, he greeted me as normal but when we tried bringing you up he kept asking who you were, so they did some more scans and they found slight damage to the frontal lobe of his cerebral cortex... the part of the brain that controls memory"

She couldn't breathe.

"So your saying... that Cole doesn't remember me?"

"He doesn't remember much at all, he just remembers up until he was imprisoned and he received Chase's first letter, that's some small mercy we don't have to watch him go through the same pain all over again, but I'm sorry Florence he doesn't remember you, as far as he remembers your a name on a letter, a face he saw his first time at Phillipson"

Cole didn't remember her, he actually didn't, hearing this conformation from Charlie in such an analytical way, knowing that to him she was a literal stranger someone he had briefly crossed paths with broke her, she hadn't thought something like this could affect her so much, at least he was still alive.

The world span round and round and round and she found herself sinking to the floor, clutching her head to her chest, in the background she could hear noises, panic but all she saw were the glints of silver on the black hospital floor and Cole's bewildered face.

She was a stranger.

A stranger.

Charlie crouched down beside her, touching her shoulder gently her red hair tickling Florence's face.

"Flo, Doctor Pradesh says there's every chance that he'll recover his memories, we just need to take him to places he's been, show him pictures and remind him who he is, if there's anyone who can do that it's you"

"What do you mean?"

Speaking was painful after crying until your throat was hoarse.

Charlie laughed softly.

"Oh Florence, I know it, Alex knows it, heck the whole world knows it except you!"

"Knows what?"

She was beginning to feel really agitated at Charlie now, here she was experiencing gut-wrenching pain and the girl wouldn't give her straight answers.

"Wow, a bestselling writer who practically earns her living through romance can't see whats so blindingly staring her in the face, Cole loves you Florence, if anyone can make him remember who he is, and who he used to be it's you"

What.

She had not been expecting that, not in a million years.

"Um.. Charlie we've only know each other a few months, that's crazy"

But Charlie was ignoring her.

"Florence, I'm not going to beat around the bush okay? Cole's told me things that I don't feel right telling you know in the state he's in but the boy is head over heels so please stop acting like you didn't know, I once gave him this book that  was about the world and how accidents don't happen, how people don't just meet for no reason at all, all paths diverge into one"

She was stumped.

What was she meant to do with all that information?

Charlie crouched down beside her and held out her hand.

"Now stop moping, the world isn't over okay? At least, not just yet, shake out of your mood, pull yourself together, for him at least"

Florence took her hand and allowed herself to be pulled up.

What exactly was she meant to do now?