Free The Girl Without a Name by Sandra Block

just-popped-up toast.
    “Okay.” I look around one last time. “Am I forgetting anything? My phone…”
    “In your hand.”
    “Right.”
    “Zoe.” He scrapes butter on his toast. “I don’t want to intrude, but—”
    “Yes, I’ve taken my meds.”
    “No,” he says, chewing. “You mentioned the dose change, and…”
    “And?”
    He dips his knife in the butter again. “You just seem a little up is all.”
    I give him a look.
    “Or something.”
    I give him another look.
    “Or nothing. Forget it. Arthur, did you hear anything? Some idiot making noise? No? Me neither.”
    As I grab my car keys, I catch a glimpse of Arthur panting up at him, and I could swear the dog is smiling.
    *  *  *
    My heart thumps out of my chest. I take two deep breaths and wait for it to stop, which it does. Palpitations—something else Sam warned me about.
    Jane looks at me with curiosity. Maybe she can tell something is wrong. Hard to know, because she still isn’t talking. My heart thuds again, then stops. I stand up and give Jane a bright smile. “I guess we’ll see you later then, with the team.” I’m walking out the door when I hear a soft voice.
    “Where am I?”
    I spin back around and look at her. She stares at me blankly, and for a moment I think I might be hearing things, when she repeats it. “Where am I?”
    “Um.” I’m floored. It’s like a beloved doll suddenly opens her mouth and starts talking to you. “You’re in the hospital.”
    She nods and looks around. “Why?”
    “You were…” I pause, thinking of the right way to put this. “You were sick, honey. You were sick.”
    She nods again, like she’s in slow motion.
    I take a seat next to her. “What’s your name?”
    She purses her lips and takes a long time to answer. “I don’t know.”
    “Do you know how you got here?”
    She ponders this deeply again and finally comes up with “No.”
    A cart of food trays rumbles by out in the hall, silverware clinking. “The police brought you in. Do you remember that at all?”
    Jane looks confused. “The police?”
    “Yeah. They found you wandering around on the streets.”
    “The streets?” she repeats. “Where?”
    “Buffalo. We’re in Buffalo.”
    She shakes her head like she’s shaking off sleep.
    “Where did you think we were?”
    “I don’t know. New York City maybe.”
    “New York City?” I ask. “Is that where you’re from?”
    She doesn’t answer but sits up and surveys the room. “How long have I been here?”
    I retrace the time. “Three weeks now? Almost a month.”
    “A month?” She looks gobsmacked.
    “Yeah.” I put her chart on the foot of her bed. “What’s the last thing you do remember?”
    “The last thing I remember…” She pauses again, for an uncomfortably long time. “A limousine.”
    That’s the last thing I expected her to say. “Where was it going?”
    “I don’t know.” She picks at some tape on her arm from a blood draw.
    “Were you in it?”
    “No, I was watching it,” she says.
    “Watching it?”
    “Trying to chase after it.”
    I pause. “Why were you chasing after it?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Who was in it then?”
    “I don’t know.” Jane scratches her elbow. “You know what?”
    I ready my pen. “What?”
    “I’m hungry.”
    “Hungry?” I laugh. “Hungry is a good thing! We can fix that.”
    She gives me a hesitant smile, which grows into a full-fledged smile. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen her smile, and it’s a gorgeous sight.
    “Nancy is your nurse. I’ll talk to her about grabbing you some food. Then I’ll come back later with the team. You remember the tall guy? I mean, taller than me. And the one with the bow ties?”
    Her expression turns nervous. “No.”
    “Never mind. I’ll do proper introductions when we round this afternoon.” I turn back when I get to the door. “By the way, you have a scar…on your ankle?”
    She reaches down automatically to the left side.
    “Do you have any