Memory of Her

THREE

         

I hated having to answer a million questions that I had no idea what the answer was, just as much as I hated repeating the same answers. Even though Aaron had been nice to look at, the questions got old quickly, and my attention quickly slipped away with each passing answer.

"I was born in 1988," I answered with a sigh and watched Aaron take down notes.

"And our current president?" He asked not looking away from his clipboard.

"John F. Kennedy," I blurt out hoping for a reaction from Aaron, "and his VP is The Hamburglar."

Aaron looks up from his papers with a raised eyebrow, "Hamburglar you say?" He questions then pretends as if he writes it down on the chart, "I guess we're going to have to start over with a different set of questions."

I let out a small sigh and stare into his eyes, "Obviously, I'm joking," I say annoyed then look out the window, "We've been at this for almost an hour. We know that I'm not crazy and that I can't remember past October 7th, 2011. This is starting to get redundant."

He puts down the chart and nods, "I would hate to miss anything, Zoë."

"You've been working with me all day; don't you have other patients?" I ask as the sky slowly turns black through the windows behind him, "Is it true that you're only a resident?"

Aaron nods, "I am, and you're making this tough for me," he turns his back to me to look out the same set of windows.

"How about I make a deal with you," I smirk then look back at him, "I'll answer all your questions, no complaints."

"If?" he questions looking away from the window then locks eyes with me.

"If we get out of this stuffy room," I suggest mischievously, "I'd like to enjoy what may be left of the sunset. Apparently, it's been a while since I've been outside of this building."

Aaron frowns at my proposition, "You know I can't do that Zoë," he sighs.

"And why not?" I sit up straight on my bed and smile devilishly, "Dr. Goldberg is done for the night. You're pretty much unsupervised until the end of your shift, which will be when you finish these questions, right?"

"And I have a feeling, if you have it your way, I'll be here the rest of my life if I keep pushing these questions on you." He raises an eyebrow. "It's not like I can just walk you out the front door, even if you had the ability to walk right now."

"Oh, I'm sure you will think of something," I smirk looking back out the window.

After wheeling me pass overnight nurses and doctors, without being noticed, Aaron and I make our way onto the roof, and we stare out into the skyline. I take in a breathe slowly as Aaron takes a seat on an air duck next to me and a smile crosses both of our faces simultaneously. It had been a chilly spring night, and the sky is filled with the noise of honking cars from the people who never slept; it felt more peaceful than sitting in a hospital room.

"This is so much better," I smile happily, "I hate hospitals. No offense."

Aaron laughs a little, "None taken," he happily says. "I'm not a fan of them either, believe it or not."

I turn my wheelchair to face him, "Wait, what?" I question in disbelief. "What doctor would honestly admit to that?"

"Well, hospitals aren't exactly the happiest place to be unless you're bringing life into the world," Aaron explains then looks away from me to the brightly lit night sky, "and even then, it can turn out pretty bleak. There are only two ways you leave the hospital after being admitted, healthy and in debt or dead."