Linda awakens with a start.
“Easy there!” the black doctor says, trying to calm her down. “You're safe. You're in the hospital.”
“Hospital.” Linda breathes. “I was hurt.”
“Yes, but not as badly as we feared.” the doctor assures her. “It's good to have you back, Linda.”
Linda stared at him blankly.
“Linda?” the doctor asks.
Linda looks around the room as if she's never seen a hospital before.
“Linda, it's me. PJ. Mattie's older brother.” the doctor says in a worried tone. “You remember Mattie, don't you? Your best friend?”
Linda shakes her head.
PJ gets really worried. “Is there anything you do remember?”
Linda looks down. “I-I was really hurt...and I was...empty....I needed to learn...”
PJ's mouth hangs open as he tries to process the nonsense Linda said.
Linda shakes her head. “I have no idea what I'm saying.”
PJ smiles grimly. “That's a relief.”
He takes out a small mirror. “Here. Do you recognize yourself?”
Linda stares intently into the blue eyes of her reflection. “My eyes...they were brown.”
PJ nods. “Good. You remember that, at least. Your eye color isn't anything to worry about. The change can be attributed to stress.”
Linda asks “What happened to me? Who am I?”
PJ sits down next to her. “Your name is Linda Danvers. You're a high school student and an art prodigy. Your father is a cop. Your mother works as at your church. Your best friend is Mattie Harcourt, my little sister. Does any of this ring a bell? Do you remember your parents, at least?”
Linda's eyes widen. The scene shifts to a living room bathed in a light blue to signify that it is a memory. Linda remembers her father's face contorted in rage, yelling at her.
Linda shakes herself out of the memory and looks like she is about to cry. “What happened to me?” she asks again.
“Look,” PJ says seriously, “you were kidnapped by this cult that's committed some grisly murders recently. We were terrified that you would be the latest victim.”
As PJ talks Linda slips into another memory, again bathed in blue. A man with messy light hair, a long black trench coat, and a creepy smile is walking towards her. His trench coat billows in the wind. The camera slowly focuses in on his face, and Linda hears a creepy laugh.
“Hey,” PJ asks, “you ok?”
Linda looks horrified. “How am I still alive?”
“Your parents went on tv and asked Supergirl to pitch in on the search.”
“Supergirl?” Linda asks.
“Yeah. You're a big Supergirl fan. After their public request Supergirl took part in the investigation of the cult.”
Yet again Linda slips into a blue-tinted memory, this time of a small sculpture of Supergirl. She put her hand on the statue.
“Supergirl?” Sylvia's voice asks. The camera moves away from the first person point of view and we see that this memory is Supergirl's, not Linda's.
“I'm sorry.” Supergirl says. “I was admiring the statue Linda made. “It's very lovely.”
“Linda thought-thinks you're wonderful.” Sylvia explains. “She looks up to you.”
Sylvia walks up to Supergirl. “Look, I'm a spiritual woman. God put you on this earth to give hope to people-”
“Stop, Sylvia.” Fred says irritably. He has been standing by the window the whole time. “You're talking spirituality to someone to isn't even human.”
He turns to Supergirl. “What are you? An alien? A mutant?”
“Mr. Danvers,” Supergirl says, “you know nothing about me. I'm here to help you, so I'd appreciate it if you stopped trying to hurt me.”
Fred's angry facade fades. “I'm sorry.” he moans, starting to break down and cry. “Please don't let them kill her.”
“I won't.” Supergirl declares. “I promise.”
In the present, Linda closes her eyes as PJ continues his explanation.
“This morning there was a big fire at a local warehouse. The police found some fried cultists, Supergirl's costume, and you.”
Linda starts pulling on her hair, unable to process the information she is receiving and the memories she is seeing.
“Can I be left alone, please?” she asks. “I need...I need...”
“You need some time and privacy?” PJ asks. “Ok.” He goes to the door, then asks “Your parents are here. Do you want to see them?”
Linda doesn't answer. She is still frightened after PJ leaves.
CS
PJ goes over to the Danvers. “Linda's awake.” he tells them.
Fred and Sylvia practically leap to their feet.
PJ puts his hands up. “She doesn't want to see anyone right now.”
Sylvia protests. “But we're her parents!”
“I know.” PJ says. “Look, Linda may be fine physically, but mentally there's been a toll. She's suffering from extreme amnesia. She's feeling scared and overwhelmed, and she probably wouldn't recognize you.”
Sylvia leans on Fred and starts to cry. “Oh, god.” Fred holds her, trying to be brave.
“Is it permanent?” Fred asks.
“We can't be sure at this stage. I think it's a result of emotional trauma and not brain damage, but we'll have to conduct an MRI and bring in a psychiatrist to be sure of that.”
Fred nods, looking grim. “Thank you for letting us know.”