Free Me...

Disinfected

The tension in the car could be cut with a knife. Soph was riding shotgun, Em was in the back. Jase was at the wheel, and Soph couldn't help wondering why on earth he looked so angry. She was confused. It felt great the way he grabbed her hand on the beach, walking with her to the car. He didn't let go until he opened the front door for her! She couldn't lie, she enjoyed it. But it worried her how abrupt and almost aggressive he'd seemed. And still seemed as they followed the ambulance to the hospital. 

Em was doing what she could to ease things and get some conversation going. "I give up!" Em yelled after a minute. "Am I just hot air? Earth to the two freaks in the front! I just asked you a question, twice!"

"Huh? Sorry Em. What did you ask?" Soph turned her attention to her friend. 

"I said, what do you think happened to the guy?"

"Who knows? His clothes didn't look cheap. Not like he has been out on the streets or anything. His shoes looked very expensive actually. And yet it didn't seem like he'd been mugged or anything."

"Who cares about his shoes?" Jase muttered under his breath. Em and Soph both glanced at him with a frown. 

"My guess is that something happened to make him drink like that. I saw beer bottle next to him when I rode passed him earlier. He doesn't seem the type who would do that all the time." Soph said thoughtfully. 

"Oooo, mystery man!" Em clapped her hands gleefully. Only Em could be humorous in what was a serious situation. Soph couldn't help rolling her eyes at her friend. The guy barely had a pulse for heaven's sake!

The flashing lights ahead pulled into the emergency driveway of the hospital. Jase pulled into one of the nearby parkings locking the car behind them as they all walked into emergency. Soph walked up to the nurses station/reception area of the ER. It smelled disinfected, that typical hospital smell that Soph knew so well, which didn't bring good memories for her. "Uh, excuse me. Hi," she smiled at the nurse. The nurse looked up. 

"How can I help you?" Severe, Soph thought, but I suppose it's to be expected when the ER staff deal with so many people in a day. 

"The patient just being wheeled in," Soph pointed in the direction of the Ambulance. "Is he going to be ok?"

"Are you family?" the nurse asked with a piqued eyebrow. 

"Uh, no, no I'm not. I...we...that is my friend and I found him on the beach. We don't know who he is and we thought it would be important for someone to check up on him. I mean we don't even know if he has family or anything."

"I see. Well, why don't you take a seat and I'll check with the doctor. I'm not making any promises though. Patient confidentiality and all that."

"Yeah, thanks. I understand. We'll just be over there," Soph said, turning away to her friends. She glanced at Jase quickly. He still looked grim. She could feel the tension rolling off him. They took a seat in the waiting area as Soph frowned.

The seats weren't comfy and Soph was feeling nervous already because Jase was in such a foul mood. If they had to sit here for who knows how long, uncomfortably at that, she was worried he'd get even more upset. She still couldn't figure out what on earth was eating him. 

"Hey, do you guys want something from the vending machine?" Em asked. 

They looked over to the vending machine. It was the unhealthy kind. But Em hadn't eaten supper in her rush to get ready for the bonfire. Her stomach was in knots already sensing Jase's - well whatever it was that Jase was feeling right now. "Sure, thanks Em. Just a packet of crisps or whatever will be good."

"Jase?" Em asked. 

Scratching the back of his neck, "Uh, yeah thanks. Crisps sounds good."

Em turned and headed to the vending machine on the other side of the waiting area. 

"I'm sorry about all this!" Soph blurted out suddenly, fiddling with her hands. Jase looked at her questioningly. She looked to the floor. "I mean, you didn't have to come with us to the hospital and all. I'm sure you would rather be back at the bonfire everyone."

A look of confusion seemed to pass over his eyes, which turned into an intense stare at the nonexistent neighbour in the next seat for a moment. He seemed to be struggling with himself before he had a deep intake of air. He turned his eyes to Soph, looking at her intently for another moment, before he said softly, "I don't mind being here Soph."

"Oh. Ok," was all she could say. "Well, then, why do you look so upset?"

Jase's eyes widened. How on earth could he tell her? Wasn't this what he wanted earlier this evening. He didn't think he'd be having this conversation in a hospital ER of all places! He searched for the right words. "I'm not upset," he lied.

Sophia frowned as if to say, "You could have fooled me!"

Jase rubbed the back of his neck again. This was getting difficult. Cowboy up man! he said to himself.

Sighing loudly, he started, "Okay, okay! Yes I'm a bit frustrated. I'll admit it. But it's not that I want to be with my friends so much. Rather-"

"Hi. I'm sorry to interrupt." 

Jase frowned, his head whipping to the unwelcome intruder. It was the nurse. 

"I didn't get your name miss?"

"Oh yes, of course. I'm Sophia Hunt and this is Jason Worthington."

"Ok thanks. The patient is still being seen to. But we do need some information which might be helpful once he wakes up. Can you tell me what happened?"

"Um, of course. We found the patient on the Gonubie beach passed out. Kyle is a lifeguard there, so he dealt with the first aid until the ambulance arrived."

"Ah-huh. Ok. And you have no idea what might have caused him to pass out?"

"Well, there was nothing when we found him that would indicate the cause of his condition," Kyle piped up. "But Soph," he nodded in her direction, "said she saw him a few hours earlier when she was out cycling, drinking a beer further up the beach front area." 

"And you didn't find any kind of identification on him did you? A driver's license or anything? We can't find a wallet or anything." 

"No. We didn't," Kyle stated firmly. He groaned inwardly. He couldn't believe anyone who was helping would have taken the guy's wallet. Maybe it had fallen or something at the beach and in the rush nobody noticed. "But I'll check the beach in the morning again. Maybe we just didn't notice it next to him or whatever in the rush to get him to the ambulance."

"Ok thanks for that. We figured as much from the ... um...smell," the nurse shrugged apologetically. There was no way to be euphemistic about that. "But we just needed to be sure, as far as we can, that there were no other substances involved." The nurse turned on her seat to get up, pulled her lips in thought, stopped and turned back to them. "Look, it's good of you to be concerned for him, especially since nobody seems to know who he is and - well I shouldn't really say this - but he's not awake yet obviously. You guys should go home and get some rest. if I'm still on shift when he wakes up, I'll call you to let you know he's awake. Will that be helpful to you?"

Who knew it. There was a heart in there afterall, Soph thought to herself. Don't be so judgemental Soph! she scolded herself mentally. "Thanks. That'd be great," she said brightly. Kyle bit his lip.

Soph gave the nurse her contact details and by this time Em had arrived back with the crisps. No more opportunity would present itself tonight, Kyle thought darkly. It was already late and the girls just wanted to go home. They drove back to the beach to fetch Soph's car, the girls said cheers to everyone at the bonfire, before heading home.

Soph didn't say it, but she couldn't stop thinking about the man from the beach. She kept thinking about the moment she saw him sitting on the bench with his head in his hands. "I hope he wakes up soon," she mumbled to herself after she had dropped Em off.