“Relax. I won’t release you until we have a safe place for you to go.”
“No coppers, right? Not sure I like my fate resting in their hands either.”
“Ah, hah! Do police officers trigger a life of crime deep in your subconscious?” Pam could not pass up on that dig.
“No.” He slapped both sides of his face lightly and then pushed in his cheeks to create an oval mouthpiece. “Just look at this pretty face. Do I look like a bad guy to you?”
“You look like a clown – if I may be so blunt.”
Inside, Pam hoped John was not one of society’s bad-guys, but these days evil lurked amongst all types, wearing inconspicuous clothes and working alongside everyday people. Too much craziness and unpredictability warped the world. That’s why she’d moved to the small town, Cedar Springs. People here lived quiet, but happy lives. Pam loved it and had never regretted leaving the chaos of San Diego.
Yet, common sense told her that anyone could drive in off the highway and strike her hometown of three years with evil. It was difficult to understand the workings of another’s mind. Her patient, John Doe, was a prime example. This thought caused her to back off.
“Sleep is nature’s best healer. Catch some zees, and I’ll see you later.”
Pam left the cubicle and closed the curtain. She sank into the swivel chair behind the desk and shuffled papers for a few minutes before she gave into another caffeine fix to get her through the wee hours before daybreak.
“Be back in ten, Janet. Off to the coffee station.”
“Why don’t you lie on the cot for a while instead? The waiting room is clearing out finally, and Dr. Shamus can handle things for a while – at least until the morning rush. He’s still fresh meat – only been here six hours.”
Pam sighed. “Maybe I will. Come get me if anything on the floor changes.”
“Yes, Doctor Legend. We’ll need you awake and alert the next time our John Doe creates another uproar. He’s taken quite a shine to you.”
“Simply a patient-doctor infatuation,” Pam said as she cast her a get-real glare.
Pam peeked behind John Doe’s curtain on the way by, and he appeared to be sleeping calmly. A smile perched on his lips and she hoped he was experiencing a better dream this time – one that would ignite memories of his life before he entered the hospital’s emergency doors. She wondered what Janet meant about him taking a shine to her. Pam supposed Janet, and anyone within hearing distance would get that impression by his bold, teasing remarks. The man was a Casanova disguised as a memory loss patient. She was not the least bit interested in that kind of man.
As the afternoon sun rose high in the sky, Pam returned to visit her accident patient. “You’ve had a busy morning, Mr. Doe. Trouble is, all the results show nothing wrong inside your head. You received only a mild concussion. I’m afraid we are no further ahead with a diagnosis.”
“I feel great and ready to run laps in the hallway if you don’t sign me out of here soon.” He was right. There was no need for him to take up the sought-after bed space in the ER and nothing they could admit him for. Physically he was ready to leave.
“Where will you go?” Pam asked.
“Not your concern, little lady. A clean bill of health is all I need. I’ll find my way out there in the big bad world.”
“You are in Cedar Springs. There’s nothing big or bad here.”
“Good. Then I will get a motel and test my wings before I move on.” John seemed satisfied with that line of attack.
“You had no wallet – no money. How do you plan on paying for it?” Pam asked.
“You got me there. Is there a shelter in your town for the homeless – food kitchen – that sort of thing?”
“There is! And I know the man who heads it up. I’ll call him and tell him you’ll be dropping by.” Pam felt excited to be handing her patient over into Tom’s care. He knew the system and how to help John best.
“Obliged to you.” John swung his legs over the bed. “If you’ll get busy with those release forms, I feel the need to push on. Certain to find triggers out there waiting to jolt me back into my reality.” He laughed. “I’ll probably hate the truth and wish myself back into the land of the not-knowing.”
“I seriously doubt that, Mr. Doe.”
“John’s good enough, although the image of doe gives me warm goosies all over. Maybe I’m a wildlife expert and walk amongst the critters.”
“Maybe. I’ll go make that call to the center for you. There will be paperwork for you to sign on your way out.”
“Hey, Doc. Did I come in here with clothes, or do I have to face my public in this sad excuse for a nightgown?”
Pam pointed toward a small locker off to the side. “In there.” She closed the curtain behind her and moved to the desk. Grabbing the cell phone from the pocket of her overshirt, she scrolled under contacts. Tom Jenkins was her best friend’s husband, and Pam knew that fact alone would allow the manager enough incentive to squeeze John Doe into the system.
“Hope Center, Tom speaking. How can I help you?” came the cheerful voice on the other end of the line.
“Tom, Pam here. Got a problem I was hoping you could help me with.”
“Fire away.”
“I have an accident victim at the hospital. No physical issues, but he is suffering memory loss. For now, his name is John Doe.”
Tom cut
