JANE DOE

Jane and James met unusually, James had saved her life and since she has no memory of who she was before the moment she opened her eyes at the hospital she adopted the name Jane, the hospital staff had labelled her Jane Doe when they discovered she has lost her memory.

James helped Jane through her difficult period and gave her a place to stay, gradually love blossoms between them BUT what will happen when James realises she is the daughter of the man who ruined his life's savings coupled with the fact that some people were after her life for a crime she claims to know nothing about. Can he trusts that she knows nothing of the crime? Can their love overcome this hurdle or will they stand on opposite sides, eventually?

James was walking aimlessly around mourning the loss of his life's savings when he saw a bright colour shining forth, he was on top of a hill so he looked down to see what could be reflecting so bright; he squinted his eyes and shield his face from the early morning Ray of light; he saw the form of a person laying in the ditch and ran to help; she was lifeless, her head stained with thick blood that seems to have dried up, he dialled the emergency line and they rushed her to the hospital as fast as they can, James forgot all about his own sorrow, a life was at stake.

Clara Jack is the daughter of the famous Mr Jack owner of Jackson's Bank, she had been shielded and well provided for all her life but she wasn't a spoilt brat, her parents had taught her good manners and she had just graduated and joined her Dad's business when tragedy struck and Clara Jack became a missing person, no one knows where she is and her mother who was looking for her couldn't release her pictures to the media for fear that her father's enemy might also locate her and kill her.

"you've reached the emergency line. How may I help you"

A female voice sounded over the phone.

James had put his phone on speaker as he dialled the number

"I'm close to Tilly fall, I found someone unconscious, I need an ambulance immediately"

He said into the phone in a panicked voice

"help is on the way sir, do hold on," the lady said.

James kept trying CPR for the lady he had found, he could tell she was still alive, she had a weak pulse and had coughed once after he gave her the first CPR, but soon he heard the sound of an approaching ambulance and he could breathe a sigh of relief. The ambulance came and the medical personnel took charge and thanked him for his help. He was asked to ride with her at the back, which he obliged. Somehow, he felt it was his duty to help her.

Days after the incident, James sat down in the ward with the lady he rescued, he had been labelled as Jane Doe since no one knew who she was; she had remained unconscious for four days now, and he came by to check up on her as he has been doing every day since he brought her in but he could see there has been no changes, her wounds have been tended to and colour seems to be coming back to her body but she was yet to open her eyes. James looked at the lady and wondered what could have happened to her, he held her hand and whispered softly into her ears

"I don't know the battle you're fighting, I don't know who you are but I believe in you, you stayed alive till now so don't give up, keep fighting till you succeed"

his words sounded ironic to him because here he was giving up hopes because he lost his saving and on the other hand he's telling someone else to keep fighting, he decided it was time for him to take his own advice, he had shut down his In and out fast-food joint for a week now but decided it was time to open it.

"Dad, can you help me out this time, I promise to refund it in the next three months"

James said to his father that same afternoon, the moment he left the hospital he drove straight to his parent's house at Bumpass Hill to seek help from them.

"Why didn't you come to us sooner," his father asked looking at him sternly, he didn't know his son had invested in the bank that got burnt down recently, he saw the news about the fire incident a week ago but didn't know his son was affected, the owner of the bank Mr Jack had been declared dead and the police are still investigating the cause of the fire.

"I didn't know how or what to say, I know your savings are going into Riley's schooling and I didn't want to be a burden to you"

James finally said

"You could never be a burden son, when you need help, you ask, okay?"

Mr Charles said and James nodded saying

"Yes Dad"

"Well, we don't have much but I think we can spare you a few bucks to start up again, and you don't need to pay back anything," his father said and James got up to shake hands with his father as he said

"Thanks Pops"

His father laughed and said,

"I see my nickname is back"

Riley came in like the whirlwind shouting

"James, you better not be talking about me to Dad" both James and Charles looked up and said,

"What!!"

"Erm, nothing," Riley said seeing that they weren't talking about her.

James had a sinister smile on his face

"Oh, you mean I shouldn't tell Dad about that party I saw you at last week, oops!! Guess I let the cat out of the bag now"

He said and covered his mouth with his hand, faking his remorse.

Riley's eyes widen, and she charged forward to blow James for spilling her secret.

Mrs Charles came out of the kitchen and shouted,

"Riley Charles!!"

Riley became frozen at a point. She didn't move and didn't blink, she stood still like a stature.

"You went to a party without our consent? Well now, you're grounded," Mrs Charles said.

"Oh! come on Mum, how could you believe James so easily, he didn't see me at any party, James tell her," Riley said turning to James for help

"Sorry but I don't lie," James said smiling in an evil manner at Riley who narrowed her eyes and said,

"I'll get you for this" she stomped back into her room leaving the three adults in the sitting room.

Back at the hospital, Doctor Prez came in to check on their unconscious Jane Doe and saw her eyes flickering open slightly and almost immediately she shut her eyes, the brightness of the room was too much for her, Doctor Prez waited patiently for some minutes talking to her gently

"that's it, open your eyes gently and your eyes will adjust to the brightness" the lady opened her eyes and looked at the Doctor confused.

She attempted to talk but her throat felt dry and she could hardly get any sound out, Doctor Prez called a nurse and asked her to rub the patient's lip with water, feeling the moisture on her lip, the patient rubbed her tongue on her lip and attempted to talk once again, her voice sounded coarse at first but became clearer with time

"Why am I here," she asked and Doctor Prez smiled at her and said,

"Am Doctor Prez and you were brought in four days ago by a young man who said he found you in a ditch near the Tilly fall, can you recall how you got there"

"No, I don't know," she said looking confused

"Okay, let's start with a few basic" Doctor Prez said

"what's your name and where ate you from"

The lady searched her head but came up with nothing, looking more confused she finally said

"I don't remember anything"

"Okay, calm down, let's run some tests"

The doctor performed the extra ocular muscle function testing and other reflex tests on the patient and noted some things down

"Doctor what is wrong with me," the patient asked

Doctor Prez shook his head and said,

"You're okay, as for the memory loss, it's just temporary and it was caused by the impact of your fall or whatever caused the injury on your head but not to worry, you'll be fine"

The Doctor turned to the nurse beside him and said,

"Notify the man that brought her in"

The nurse nodded and said,

"Okay Doctor"

Ring! Ring!! Ring!!!

James' phone rang as he sat in his parent's living room chatting with his dad,

"Excuse me Dad, I have to pick up this call," he said and picked up the call, he listened to the caller for a while before saying

"Okay, thank you, I'll be there shortly"

He hung up the call and turned to his father

"you're leaving?" his dad asked before he could say anything

"Yes Dad, am going to the hospital"

James said getting up

"Are you alright Son?" Mr Charles asked his son sounding worried

"Oh, am fine, I saw a lady in a ditch close to Tilly fall some days ago so I took her to the hospital, a nurse just called to say she is awake so I want to go check on her"

James explained to his dad

"I see, alright, we'll talk later"

Mr Charles said

And James walked out saying

"Later dad"

"What!! Doctor, she can't recall who she is" James repeated after the doctor told him about the patient's condition

"Yes, but it's temporary, she can regain her memory at any time but until then, she needs to rest and recover"

Doctor Prez explained to James.

"Okay, Doctor, can I see her now?" James asked and the doctor said yes.

Walking into the ward with Doctor Prez, the lady was awake but she was staring blankly at the wall, Doctor Prez cleared his throat to call her attention and she turned slowly towards them

"This is the man that brought you to the hospital," Doctor Prez said introducing James

"Hi, am James Charles, it's nice to finally me you"

James said holding out his hand for a handshake

The lady stretched her hand to shake him but said

"Am sorry, I can't introduce myself cos I don't know who I am but thanks for saving me, am grateful"

"It's okay, you're welcome," James said, the atmosphere was becoming awkward as there was nothing more for them to say to each other, the Doctor intervene by saying

"She'll be under observation for some time but I'll let the police take up her case, they may have a case of a missing person and she might just be the person missing"

"No, Doctor please don't"

James said surprising the lady and the doctor

"Why," the doctor asked

"Because, we don't know how she got to the ditch, what if someone was after her, there's been no missing person poster around or in the news, we may be putting her life in danger by exposing her" James explained his reason to the doctor

"So, what do we do with her after her treatment then," the doctor asked

James thought for a while and said,

"don't worry, I'll speak with my parent she can stay with them for a while until she recovers"

"Hmm," the doctor said nodding.

"Get better soon, okay, don't worry about anything," James said to the lady before walking out of her room with the doctor.

He bit his tongue after getting out of the hospital, walking slowly as he kept thinking of what he just commuted to.

"James oh James, how could you commit on your parent's behalf without consulting them first" he muttered, admonishing himself.

"It has been said, now I can't take it back, might as well tell Pops I got them a new daughter," he said waving his hand as he walked away from the hospital, thinking about all the things he needs to sort out, he has to arrange to open his shop back and he just committed into taking care of an unknown person.