Planted

Chapter 4 Cocooning

Riding in the ambulance would have been a lot more fun if I wasn't so worried about the stranger whom I nearly killed. Thankfully, he stopped bleeding, was still breathing and alive. He had broad shoulders, rock hard abs, and thick limbs. With neatly trimmed hair, he looked like a very big cuddly bear snoring in hibernation. When we reached the Singapore General Hospital, the nurses just assumed that we were related—in the blur of X-rays, medical reports and detailed accounts of his inner workings-- I watched them examine him physically. All that information and I still didn't know his name or who he was—the police was trying to work that out. While I was waiting outside the X-ray room, a nurse gave me a box of his stuff. Carefully, I examined every object trying to discover who the heck I had concussed. In the box was a helmet with the initials TM inked on it, a set of keys and a strange looking Samsung phone with the word "kinetic" in snazzy font written on the phone cover. Seriously, I really did not have much to go on. So, I searched his phone which was surprisingly easy to unlock.

"Hmm, great minds think alike," I said to myself, quietly pleased I figured out his password so quickly. The password was kinetic spelt out in numerical form. Brilliant. A nurse came by to say that it would be a long night and I should head off for dinner.

Sitting alone in the hospital canteen, I started scrolling down his contract list until I found text message from his mum that read, "Tom sweetie, call mum. Girls missing you."

"Now we are getting somewhere," I muttered. I called the number and a sweet, maternal voice answered with glee, expecting her son on the line. I took a breath and calmed my nerves.

"Hi, hello auntie. My name is Sandy."

"Oh hellooo Sandy. You're using Tommy's phone. Please say the two of you are engaged."

"No, no, no I'm sorry we're not. I'm a stranger."

"Oh don't worry about that. We are all a little strange. You'll fit right into our little family. I like that you're taking matters into your own hands, instead of waiting for my boy to act. He doesn't do things the proper way you know. He hasn't brought anyone home to meet his family. Oh Sandy, I know I'll like you. Let's meet soon."

"No, no, no you are getting the wrong idea. Stranger not strange. I don't know him at all."

"Exactly, I feel that way myself and I'm his mum. A girl doesn't really know you until they meet your family. I say that to him all the time. Please call me, Jan. Auntie makes me feel old."

I could not get a word in edgewise. "No, no aunt...em...Jan. You have to listen to me..."

"I've told him time and again, he works too hard. Does he listen? How is a woman going to fit into his schedule? What with him flying off every few weeks even I have trouble figuring out where he is most of the time. I'm so glad he's found you," she paused heaving a deep sigh of satisfaction.

"Nooo, he hasn't found me. I found him, well knocked him over..now his head. I'm so sorry, Jan. Tom is in hospital, in the emergency ward. I'm so sorry, he's unconscious. There was this fly you see, and rattling, then bang smack into his bike. I am sorry auntie, em Jan," I started to sob. I definitely had too much excitement for one day.

"Oh you poor sweetie. You sound like you're in shock. Have you eaten? Had a hot drink? Don't talk, dear. I'll hear the details when I get there in three days. Go and find yourself a nice nurse and who will debrief you over a nice cup of dandelion root. Promise me that you look after yourself first."

"Three days? But, but he is unconscious. Don't you want to rush down? Gather the family?"

"Na, don't you worry, sweetie. Tommy will pull through; he always does."