My Friend the Stranger

My Friend the Stranger (part 4)

The nurse helped me onto my wheel chair and began wheeling me towards the recovery part of the hospital. Here everything was put more lavishly. The more expensive patient rooms were located here. They had glass walls and built in curtains for privacy. Even the air smelled nicer here, as if it had a touch of jasmine. The patients in the glass boxes seemed happier here, some were laughing with their visiting families, or others engrossed in their televisions and books. I was vaguely paying attention, when the nurse rolled me past a glass room that was secluded from the rest, as if it were VIP. What caught my interest, was the almost completely closed curtains drawn around the room. The door to the room was slightly ajar and two body guards in tuxes stood protectively around it. The wind fluttered the curtains as we passed and I caught a glimpse of the patient inside. I thought I was hallucinating. I couldn't be sure because I only saw him for a second. I was so stunned. It was the guy from last night sleeping comfortably with a blanket drawn up to his neck.

We passed him and the nurse took me straight to the shrink. I played along anxiously; hoping to get it over with quickly so we could pass the room again and make sure I wasn't hallucinating. The shrink was just as impatient as me, thankfully and let me go quickly. We passed the room like before and I got a better look at him. I wasn't crazy, it really was him. I don't understand how anyone could have lived after that kind of blood loss; I guess it was a miracle. I couldn't help but ask the nurse if she knew what was wrong with him.

"I am not allowed to know." She said with a pout. "It's a top secret thing, but anyway, even if I did know, I couldn't tell you. Nurse patient confidentiality." She was definitely sour about not being considered important enough to know the inner goings of the hospital. I seized my chance. I started talking to her animatedly and somehow I got her to steal a peek at his file that was hanging temptingly over his door. The guards didn't look at her twice, seeing her uniform. Actually they looked rather bored, as if they had better things to do than be there protecting an adolescent. When she came back she seemed disappointed. "There was nothing interesting there." She said glumly. "I should have known better, they wouldn't keep interesting gossip like that just sitting out for grabs."

"You didn't find anything?" My tone was just as disappointed as hers.

"Well, I know his name, if that counts."

"And?"

"It's Alexander Ian Stone." I pondered that for a moment. And then I stopped myself realizing my curious nature was pulling me towards trouble again. The nurse left me to my thoughts, but was back the next day to take me down to the shrink again. We passed his room and he was still sleeping, but his body guards had left. I tried sneaking a look at him on my way back, but I was surprised to find him awake, propped up by pillows and a nurse taking a blood sample from him. He was sitting bare chested with a white gauze bandage wrapped securely around his torso. He was muscular and blond and probably the most handsome guy I had ever seen. He looked up from his arm while we rolled past him and he smiled at me. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. He had the most expressive brown eyes I have ever noticed in anyone. Even his nurse looked flustered. He was so gorgeous, how could I have not seen it before? I guess I was a bit preoccupied about whether he was going to live or die to be concerned with how unbelievably hot he was.After we passed his room I gaped with a wide open mouth uncaring of who, other than him, saw. The nurse chuckled above me, understanding my dilemma. "That's what I thought too honey." She smiled. I nodded in agreement.