What Separates Me and You

Shocked, Quintin stared at her, his eyes wide open. He was at an utter loss for words.

Josephine chomped on the cotton candy, unaware of the rampaging whirlwind in his mind.

He opened his mouth to say something but realized he couldn't come up with anything.

He didn't even know when the onset was. He would've thought Josephine was pulling a trick on him if he hadn't noticed her clear, innocent eyes. He lost all interest in strolling the park and led Josephine to a bench.

He fixed his eyes on her, searching her face for a hint.

Josephine kept munching on the cotton candy until she finished the whole thing. Then, she began to tear the packaging on the second cotton candy. However, the packaging proved to be too difficult for her to open. At last, she bit on the plastic and tore the entire candy in half.

Watching her, Quintin couldn't help but dab on the cold sweat on his forehead.

Josephine devoured this cotton candy in no time as well. Looking at the sticks in her hand, she turned toward Quintin and passed them to him.

He blankly took the sticks from her, in a perpetual state of confusion and dumbfoundedness, as he stared at her. His gaze swept across her face, trying to see right through her.

She licked the residue on her lips, staring wide-eyed at Quintin. She looked like she was longing for more.

Quintin scratched his head and was silent momentarily. Then, he asked tentatively, "Do you want more?" Josephine nodded.

Clearing his throat, he said, "You can't have too much candy, or you'll have carious teeth."

Josephine blinked and stared directly at him.

After throwing the sticks into the trash can nearby, he clutched Josephine's hand and asked urgently, "D-Do you really have no idea what your name is?"

She returned his stare calmly. She tilted her head as she tried to recall, but she shook her head blankly.

"Then do you know your age?"

Josephine nodded and extended five fingers.

Quintin was speechless. He swallowed and peered at her, "Are you saying that you're only five years old?"

Josephine nodded vigorously. She had always been five years old.

"D-Do you remember your family? Do you remember Lewis and your other relatives?"

She was in a daze again. Tilting her head, she scrutinized Quintin, trying to recall who he was.

He saw her reaction and knew she had forgotten everything and everyone except her age.

He weakly held his forehead. What was going on?

Quintin recalled the details of what had happened. He didn't do anything to trigger her, so how did she suddenly forget everything?

He dared not stall and immediately brought Josephine to the hospital.

They had to wait for their turn at the hospital. Quintin now had nothing to his name, and they had to book an appointment in advance to meet the specialists. Therefore, they queued up for the regular doctors instead.

Quintin held Josephine's hand tightly, not releasing her for even a second. They waited in the lobby for their turn.

Josephine looked around her blankly, her mind void like a barren land. She could recall absolutely nothing.

Quintin was the only person Josephine had etched onto her blank memories. However, she didn't even know who he was. She merely followed him because he gave her two sticks of cotton candy. Therefore, she could now only cling to Quintin.

They waited almost an hour before it was their turn.

Quintin quickly led her to the doctor. "S-She cried a-and forgot who she is. She's forgotten everyone!"

The doctor listened to his jumbled explanation and frowned. "What are you talking about? Do you have her medical records?"

Quintin searched himself and shook his head. "No, I forgot to bring them. But what's wrong with her?"

"Tell me what happened to her before this and any diseases she has. I can't make sense of her condition based on what you just said."

Quintin was in a panic. He calmed down slightly after listening to the doctor and arranged the sentences in his mind before explaining whatever information he knew to the doctor-not that he knew much, anyway.

The doctor listened to him, confused. The only information he deemed worthwhile was that Josephine had Alzheimer's disease.

The doctor thought about it and said, "You're saying that she only knows she's five years old and knows nothing else, am I right?" Quintin nodded with anticipation.

"Can she understand you?"

"She can."

"Can she speak?"

"I don't think so. She was mute even before this. It's highly unlikely that she can speak now. So what is it that's happening to her?"

The doctor glanced at Josephine, who was sitting docilely beside Quintin. She looked so much more composed in comparison to Quintin.

She sat prim and proper, like a student waiting for the teacher.

"Does she have any memory before the age of five?"

Quintin fell silent. He looked at Josephine and tugged her hand. "Josephine, do you remember anything else?"

Josephine shook her head. She couldn't remember anything at all.

The doctor observed her and jotted down notes on his computer.

"Doctor, do you think there's a cure for her condition?" Quintin had looked up Josephine's condition. There was a possibility that she would end up in a vegetative state as the disease progressed. She was now only five years old mentally. It was only natural for Quintin to feel afraid.

The doctor looked sullen. He pondered and said, "I can't say for sure. If what you've just said about her condition is true, there has been no known record of a fully recovered case to date."

"Oh..."

"However, I'm more curious about how she's aware of her age, understands what others say, and has intact cognitive functions but has apparently zero memory."

Quintin wasn't well-versed in this. He asked, "What's so weird about that?"

The doctor replied, "When someone with her condition deteriorates to the extent of forgetting their identity, they can't possibly have intact cognitive functions. Their hearing, perception, and language skills will deteriorate as well."

"So?"

The doctor thought about it before saying, "From how I see it, she may have lost her memory before she was five. It has nothing to do with her current ailment. That's how she may have retained her cognitive and physical functions."

Quintin scratched his head. Oh dear, he understood absolutely nothing.

The doctor continued, "But, of course, you can try getting a second opinion from a different hospital."

This hospital was more well-known for its expertise in oncology. The doctors here were not as specialized in neurology.

"Sure. I'll do that." Quintin held Josephine's hand and continued, "Are you going to prescribe any medication for her?"

The doctor glanced at him. "Didn't the hospital you visited before this prescribe any medication for her?"

"Uhm, I guess there should be."

"What do you mean by that? Who are you to her?" The doctor looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze as though he suspected Quintin of being a trafficker.

He replied in a hurry, "I'm her husband!"

"Then how is it that you don't know what medications she's been taking?"

He braced himself and explained, "She wasn't staying with me before this."

The doctor wasn't inclined to bring this topic any further. He printed out a medical certificate and handed it to Quintin. "You can bring this to a hospital specializing in this area."

"Alright. Thank you, doctor." Quintin took the medical certificate and led Josephine out of the treatment room. He pulled out his phone and found Lewis' number.

He had to inform Lewis of Josephine's condition now that she was in such a state.