Broken Dolls (21 page)

lla?” Daniel’s voice was urgent. “Gabriella? Gabriella, speak to me!”

Why was it so hard to keep my eyes open? How did he find me? Had I been sleeping for long? I caught glimpses of Daniel–the gash on his head and the dirt on his face.

“What happened?” I push through lips too cold to properly obey me. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I was thrown from the window, but I didn’t go far. I found you by the driver’s door.” He pulled me closer to his body, my blood staining his shirt. The sound of sirens echoed in the distance. It was a sound I always dreaded when I heard it in town, but at this moment the piercing ring was a sign of hope.

“Have I been dreaming?” My voice was slurred and I had no real control of my words. It was like I wasn’t in my body. “I had that dream of the ox again. Recurring dreams are just my imagination being lazy.”

“Shh, Ella,” Daniel said, rocking me like a baby. “Everything will be okay.”

“You called me Gabriella?” I pointed out, my eyes rolling to the back of my head. “You only call me that when there’s a problem. Is there a problem?”

“You’re concussed, my love,” he whispered, closing his eyes and gulping on his words. “Your legs aren’t working right now, but they will. I promise they will.”

“I have to dance next month,” I reminded him, my face growing cold. Lucidity was not on the cards right now. “I’m enrolling Jason in dance class, even if he
is
a boy. When he’s older, he can be a scientist by day and a dancer by night. He’s wonderful, isn’t he? He’ll be the best of both of us.”

Daniel suddenly howled, the way I did when I was giving birth to Jason. His pained cries matched the level of the ambulance and police cars that came to an abrupt halt when they found us huddled in the middle of the road.

“Why are you crying, Daniel?” I asked as the medical team lifted me onto some portable bed thing.

“Because I ruined you!” he sobbed, pacing with his head in his hands.

“Don’t be silly! I’m so lucky!” My voice was slow and nonsensical. “I’m the luckiest girl in the world…”

ou might walk again,” Daniel said reassuringly, stroking my hair. He looked so vulnerable with that bandage wrapped around his head.

I
hated
the hospital. The constant glare, the sanitized smell, the random beeps. No Jason.

“They said I wouldn’t.” I stared to the side. How could this paralyzed lump of meat and tears ever be enough for him now? I was half a woman, a burden. I couldn’t walk, and I couldn’t dance. Without dancing, I was nothing. After years of hard work, I would’ve had my first paid performance next month. It was going in front of casting agents and renowned artists… All a pipe dream, just like chasing my growing son around the neighborhood playground.

Daniel tugged on the sling that his arm was in, struggling with the itchy material. “What if…” He cleared his throat.

“Out with it,” I said, my voice dull from lack of sleep and constant crying. “What if what?”

Daniel scratched his nose as his chair tilted against the bed. “What if you were part of my experiment?”

“Which one?”

“The one where I transfer consciousness to another object so that the body can heal!” His eyes filled with enthusiasm, like he’d just split the atom. “We can do it!”

I shook my head. “No. It only works with disease. This is bone and nerve damage.”

“It’s
worth a shot
, Ella!” Daniel pleaded, his eyes watering. “I hate that I did this to you! What if… what if I put you inside a doll? That way you could still dance? Your body would heal in a… in a tank, yes! You could still do everything you wanted while you waited. You could still
dance
!”

I hesitated, mulling over the repercussions. It wasn’t like I had a job or could care for my child. And hey, there was a chance it could actually work!

“There’s just one catch,” Daniel lowered his voice. “I’d need to wipe your memories, but only temporarily.”

I blinked. “Why?”

“Because how can the body heal when you remember what happened to you? The concept is this: if you’re happy, then you give positive vibes to your body. You can’t know anything about your life except for the things that bring you happiness–like dancing, painting, nature.”

“That makes sense…” I said slowly, my chest tightening. Could I really do this? Forget my wedding, my family, my
life
? “How long would you put me in for?”

“We could try a year and see how you do. After one year, I will return your memories, and we’ll assess the changes. Then it will be up to you whether you want to return to your human life…” Daniel inhaled nervously. “God, it has to work! I
need
to fix you. I can’t live with the guilt.”

“Can’t I be allowed to remember who
you
are?” I swept his hair behind his ear and wiped away the single tear from his cheek.

He shook his head, pursing his lips to control the sobs. “No. It might trigger everything. As far as you’ll know… I’ll just be a professor. A crazy professor, secretly in love with a little doll.”

“But you’ll still be in my life?” I swallowed against my own tears. “You’ll never be far?”

“I’ll be right there with you.
Every
day. I made a vow, and I intend to keep it.”

“But I’ll remember what the house looks like!” I reached for the tissue box. “I picked out everything. What if I see our wedding photos? The curtains I put up? The monkey bars we just installed for Jason?”

“I’ll keep you in the attic.” Daniel looked shocked by his own words. “I mean…yeah, you can live in the attic. I’ll make it nice for you, though. You’re never there, so nothing should trigger a memory. Plus, you’ll be right beside my lab, so I can keep an eye on you.”

“You can’t clean to save your life. The place will be a mess.”

“I’ll try. I’ll try my hardest!”

“But won’t I remember you? You’re my husband, Daniel.”

“It’ll be like amnesia. You’ll be comforted by me, and you’ll love me, but you won’t know who I am in context. But if I expose you to too many ties to our past, like the rest of the house, your memories might come flooding back.”

“And what about our son?” My voice cracks. “What about Jason?”

“Your mother can take care of him, or, maybe, Sianne. At least until you get better.” Daniel wrapped his good arm around me, allowing me to weep into his shoulder.

“I was going to dance onstage next month.” I burrowed into his neck. “It was a sold-out performance.”

“You’ll dance again.” He said firmly. “I’ll make sure of that!”

“As a doll?” I laughed, almost hysterically. “Do you really think it could work?”

When Daniel nodded, his head became a vicious blur. “Yes, Ella. This will be revolutionary, and I promise, you won’t be gone for long. Jason won’t even have the time to miss you. For a short time, you will be my little broken doll.”

I leaned back in the bed and squeezed Daniel’s hand tightly. “Let’s do this.”

ntie my husband,” I say, staring at the professor in the corner.

Lisa’s eyebrows raise and her jaw drops. “
Husband
?”

“Yes.” I click my fingers impatiently. “Untie him.”

Lisa shakes her head. “No way! He’s a psychopath! He turned us into dolls!”

“This was my choice. And if I recall correctly, your parents asked Daniel to turn you into a doll. I reverted back to my human form last month when Daniel decided to clean out the tanks. He told me all about you.”