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 Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 1:57 pm
"Thanks, Julie, you're a lifesaver. Again."
She laughed lightly, the sound soft and gentle. "Not a problem, Kevin. You know I don't mind. You'd do the same."
"Yeah, maybe. But I wouldn't bring cookies."
The nurse simply smiled back, giving the evening's charge nurse a half-wave as she made her way down the unit and out through the automatic sliding doors into the cool night. He wasn't paying attention, the young man having picked up another chocolate chip from the basket at the station's desk and shoving it in his mouth, soon followed by an enraptured mmmm.
Jules didn't mind working extra shifts. A new job, new house - new things required money and it wasn't as if she had many other things to do in this new city. New friends didn't come with the new paycheck and while her coworkers seemed to greatly appreciate her eagerness (and baked goods), she hadn't felt comfortable just yet agreeing to meet up with them on her days off. So, extra shifts made up for empty time, plus there was a cute little recliner she'd seen the other day that would look perfect in her scarce new living room...ah, well.
The city was beautiful at night, she'd soon learned from working the evening hours. Even at three in the morning, the streets were devoid of people but filled with the plethora of lights surrounding it all. Light from the street lamps danced on the sidewalk as lit-up windows from the skyscrapers around the hospital twinkled like stars. She loved it, the quiet, the beauty, everything.
Shifting her bag's strap higher on her shoulder, her worn-out sneakers made their way towards the darkened parking lot across the street, where her equally worn-out Beetle sat in waiting for her.
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 1:58 pm
Unfortunately, there was someone lurking near Julie's car, studying the simple curves of the vehicle. Did he have a car? Hell, did he even know how to drive? Yes, he thought after a moment, he did. Or, he thought he did. s**t, for all he knew, he sat around in a dumpster and pretended like he was driving to work every day. Or, you know, whenever. A solid sense of time was pretty much lost on him these days, considering he didn't really have anything to do but look for the next place to stay and a meal to fill his belly.
Man. He was a loser.
He suddenly realized someone was walking his way--likely towards the car, considering the time of night. s**t. He put his hands up and backed away casually, calling out so he wouldn't startle the... woman, definitely a woman. Short hair, bright eyes, cute. "Don't freak out, I'm leaving, promise."
s**t. She was totally gonna call the cops. s**t s**t s**t s**t he was too pretty for prison now that he'd actually showered and combed his hair. He'd never last!
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 1:59 pm
Momentarily startled, she stopped in her tracks. For a brief second, she regretted not taking advantage of a security escort to her car. But as she studied the shadowy figure under the dim light of the garage, her worry transitioned into curiosity.
"I think you and I both know that by the time the police arrived, you would be long gone."
His hands, still raised in the air, held nothing in them. His face looked rather clean, but his hair looked disheveled. By first glance, he looked young, but it was hard to guess, age wise. His eyes were shadowed by the terrible light but she could see they were also sunken in. His weight was remarkable as well - remarkably horrible. He looked to be a good forty pounds underweight for his height, she figured. An addict, no doubt.
"If you're looking for a fix, I don't have anything."
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 1:59 pm
"A what?"
His bark of laughter was ragged and hoarse in the silence of the garage, echoing eerily before it faded off into the night. His hands waved slightly as though to reject the very notion of her statement, but for some reason, there was a tug in his guts, like a memory of a craving. "If I was an addict, lady, I don't remember it. Best not to get on that bandwagon again."
She hadn't started screaming, though. That was a huge plus. He studied her just as intently as she studied him, taking in the scrubs. Nurse. Duh. He was near the hospital, what had he expected? "I was just walking." He said lamely, offering a very white grin. "Honest. Not looking for any trouble."
This place hadn't done anything to jog his memory, anyway.
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 2:00 pm
Not remember? How could someone not remember being on drugs? Intriguing.
"Well, if you were going for supermodel thin, I'd say you're an overachiever."
She didn't comment about his walking statement - obvious lie, but he definitely seemed guarded. Probably thought she was still contemplating calling the police, which wasn't an all-together terrible idea, but her curiosity once again was getting the better of her. She'd encountered more than her fair share of addicts and the homeless, but this man didn't seem to fit any of the stereotypes she normally cared after.
Taking a tentative step forward, her head tilted slightly to the left, her inquisitive side taking over. "Alright, well, have you ever considered walking your way over to the ER?"
One finger casually rose to point behind her. "You look like you could use a check-up, no offense. Supermodel thin just doesn't seem to suit you."
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 2:00 pm
A brow arched slowly at that, and he looked torn between incredulity and mirth. "Are you saying you'd like to see me with love handles, ma'am? Would you pinch them?" He ignored the former comment, still mulling it over in his mind. A trip to the ER? Nah. He wasn't sick, and that seemed like more trouble than it was worth. Sure, they might be able to help him find out who he was... but was it worth being hospitalized?
Like hell he wanted to find himself cooped up in a bed.
"I think I'll pass, though. Hospitals don't really seem like my thing."
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 2:00 pm
"Not your thing, yet you decided to lurk in a hospital's parking lot."
She smirked. Underfed with clothes that were clean, but too big for him. His face looked tired, his pulled back ponytail showing signs of matting, but his skin looked as though it had seen a shower. It was three in the morning and he was staring at her old Beetle, as opposed to the Mercedes and Lexus the doctors drove, just yards away. He was a walking contradiction and it was driving her crazy.
"Roll up your sleeves." She stared at his arms, but the light was too dim to get a good look. Curiosity was killing her, she needed to make sure of her suspicions before she did anything even crazier. Stepping forward, she closed the space between them, dropping her satchel to the ground. Remembering her manners, amber eyes jumped back to his as she added a quick, "Please."
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 2:01 pm
A grin curled at the corners of his lips, but there was a touch of something guilty in it. She had him there. No real good way to explain that he was wandering around like an a*****e in hopes of remembering something besides this city's name, though. A flicker of something wary passed through his gaze at her demand, particularly when she approached him with none of the hesitation she'd displayed before. Her belated addition of manners didn't settle him much, but after a moment, he wordlessly rolled up his left sleeve.
The skin was scarred with long-healed wounds, though he couldn't remember how he'd gotten them. He had similar scars all over his body--almost like he'd been a soldier or something like it. You think he'd have had some dog tags or something if that were the case, though.
"Not enough meat on here for you to consider eating me, I'm afraid." He said, studying her expression.
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 2:02 pm
Ignoring his stare, she focused on his arm instead, rubbing her hands together briefly, warming her fingers. "No worries, I got my fill of human flesh earlier this evening."
Her hands took hold of his thin arm, fingertips gently brushing across the surface as she searched for tell-tale signs of needle sticks. From the wrist up to the elbow, he was covered with scars, but not the sort of scars she was looking for. Older, faded slices and nicks - not even veterans bore such wounds and this stranger certainly didn't look as though he was old enough to have seen many battles, if any at all. What wars were there to fight these days, anyhow?
Still holding on to his arm, she looked up, staring into his tired face. The mystery kept getting bigger, teasing her.
"Who in the world are you?"
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 2:02 pm
"If I knew that, Doc, I wouldn't be hanging around outside like a creep." He managed a grin for her, but he could feel her fingertips brushing the thickened, marred skin that littered his arm. He lightly tugged it from her grip, his tone casual. "So, unless you've got a fix for amnesia, I should go."
You know, before the cops came with a report that he was accosting some nurse in the parking lot.
"Don't feel up anymore hobos, go home, eat your vegetables, blah blah blah." Don't mind him sidling elsewhere...
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 2:02 pm
She had the decency to blush at his latter comment, suddenly realizing how horribly creepy she herself was acting. Taking a step backwards, she laughed off her embarrassment, all the while mentally digesting the other comment he had made.
Amnesia?
He didn't know who he was?
It was probably a good thing she hadn't forced him to get checked out, she conceded to herself. The doctors would have had a field day with this one.
"I'm sorry. I don't have a whole lot of interaction outside of the hospital these days, so I get a little...overboard, sometimes."
She stuck her hand out once more, but this time, it was in offering. "I'm Julie."
Her return smile was bright and cheerful, despite having spent twelve hours on her feet caring for the sick and dying. As she introduced herself, an idea struck her, an offer they could both benefit from.
"I just got off work and never got a chance to take a lunch. Want to get started on those love handles and join me? No doctors, no checkups." Three fingers rose up on her free hand, parallel to her head. "Nurse's honor. Food in exchange for a dinner companion. And, y'know, as an apology for feeling you up."
More like food in exchange for details on his curious situation, but he didn't need to know that tiny detail just yet.
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 2:03 pm
He'd apparently surprised her into backing off a little, and he could feel some of the tension drain from his shoulders. "You're fine." The man reassured her halfheartedly, still not exactly sure what her angle was. Woman obviously had an angle.
Still though, it was hard to turn down free food, and he could feel his stomach rumbling with aggravation.
He tilted his head, musing for a long moment before he offered her a shrug. "Can't really say no to that. What you got in mind?" For food, of course. God, anything but salads were fair game for him.
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 2:04 pm
She paused, waiting to see if he'd give his name in return.
Oh. Right.
Satisfied, then, she leaned down to retrieve her bag, pulling her car keys out from the side pocket. "Seeing as it's three in the morning, I'd say you have the options of Big Mac, chicken nuggets and a McFish sandwich."
Clicking a button on the remote, the automatic locks went down, making a small audible sound in the car. "But I wouldn't suggest the fish sandwich, took care of a lady this evening who decided to have one. It's currently on the wall in room forty-eight."
She didn't wait for him to walk to the passenger side before popping open the door and sliding into the driver's seat. Settling her purse between the two front seats (it wasn't like she had anything worth stealing in it, pft), she started the car. Removing her badge, she clipped it on the fake flower sitting in the car vase next to the steering wheel, a picture of her grinning and the name "Julie Payne, R.N" dangling from the soft green plastic, and then buckled herself in.
Glancing over, she held her foot on the brake and shifted into reverse before adding, "Though you could always take a chance, if you're feeling lucky."
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 2:04 pm
There was no hesitation in his reply. "Chicken nuggetssssssss." It was a hiss of victory, though his face did wrinkle with disgust at the thought of slightly digested fish sandwich. "Anyone who eats fish from McDonalds is asking for s**t. Possibly literally."
He slid into the other seat, tugging on his seat belt even as his gaze flickered over the ID card of sorts displaying her full name. "Payne? Ha. I bet that's real reassuring for the patients, right? Doctor Payne..." Better to assume she was a doctor and flatter her than offend her."
The man peered out the window, trying to wonder when the hell the last time he must have been in a car. Maybe if he was an addict, he'd sold his car. And his teeth.
Nah. He still had his teeth.
"You seem pretty chill for a normal working person, or whatever."
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 2:05 pm
Her foot left the brake and with a few turns, they were out of the parking lot and off into the city. She chuckled softly at his comment about her name. It wasn't the first time it'd been pointed out and she was certain it wouldn't be the last. An unfortunate tragedy.
"Nurse." She corrected, shrugging off the mistake. "There weren't many other ways where I could legally get away with stabbing people with needles and slicing them open with knives." Her smile was remained bright, maybe even a bit too cheerful for the words leaving her lips, "Most of society frowns upon that sort of thing, if you don't have a few letters behind your name."
No laugh followed this comment, just a continual, happy smile. For what seemed like would surely be a dull, routine evening after work, it had definitely turned out more interesting than originally planned. They turned a few more corners, drove a few more miles. Their destination, the glowing arches that promised lukewarm fries and fresh-only-because-we-didn't-have-any-sitting-out-already nuggets only a few miles away.
She let the silence settle between them for a minute or two, enough time to change a subject before the silence became too awkward.
"So, Hobo Joe, I imagine any question I ask will be answered with an 'I don't know', so, let me ask this: what do you remember last?"
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