Chapter One

Chapter One - Mind in Mind

 

            He had forgotten what he was running from. His legs had been screaming for him to stop for hours but he couldn’t. He knew something was pushing him to go on. The sounds of the people after him were loud. It sounded like they were right behind him. He pushed himself to keep running, even as his body yelled at him. He had to stop soon, but then they would get him. Then he’d be caught, and they would take him back. He didn’t want to go back.

 

            “Anna did you get that patient in curtain two?” Dr. Justin Lightman walked into the exam room and smiled at Anna, “He keeps saying some doctor saw him and then told him to get hit by a bus before coming back.”

            Anna-Bell Weak looked up from the seven year old girl’s arm she was casting. “He isn’t sick and he was trying to cop a feel.”

            “You can’t tell the patients to get hit by a bus.” Dr. Lightman had worked with Anna for as long as he could remember. She was a wonderful doctor and had great bedside manner, usually… if someone over stepped their boundary there was a good chance she would tell them, no matter who they were and how sick they were. Man she had a temper. He pitied anyone who happen to go out with her. He pitied himself sometimes, not only did he have to deal with her and her patients when they wanted to sue, he really liked Anna, and he wanted to date her. All of his hints didn’t seem to sit in with her though. She seemed to just like him as a friend. For now, since she wasn’t seeing anyone else, that was ok with him. “Next time, why don’t you just come get me?”

            Anna grinned and looked back at the little girl, “Ok, but if he got hit by a bus, he would have to come back and we’d have more work to do.”

            “Try to keep your words of advice to yourself next time. I don’t want another lawsuit.” Justin walked out of the room and headed toward curtain two. He’d have to find a way to deal with this patient.

            “What’s cop a feel?” The little girl looked up at Anna and smiled.

            Anna smiled back at her, “It’s something a man does on a girl and the girl then kicks him in that part between the legs.” She was happy that the girl’s mother had gone to get a cup of coffee. She didn’t think the mother would appreciate her telling her daughter about the facts of life.

 

            Jason leaned into the fence and cradled his arm to his chest. He couldn’t remember how he had gotten there or why he was there. His mom was yelling at him and now… He looked around at his surroundings. Now he was in the park. How the hell did he get here? Blood dripped from the many wounds on his body, forming a puddle at his feet. He was feeling sick and the world around him was starting to spin. He knew there was a hospital near the park and figured since he was already in trouble that he should go and get checked out before he got hurt even more. Jason started toward the hospital. He kept his head down and moved as fast as his body would allow him. It took him over an hour to walk the three blocks, he had to stop and rest to keep himself from passing out. He just hoped they wouldn’t call his mom.

 

            “I’m out, Justin.” Anna hung up her lab coat and pulled on her jacket. “I’ll be in on Thursday.” Anna picked up her purse and walked into the waiting room. She pushed opened the door leading outside and was almost knocked over by a young teenager. He was cradling his left arm to his chest and his clothes, which were covered in blood, were sticking to his skin. He stumbled again, probably trying to steady himself from Anna opening the door that he was leaning on. Anna reached out and took his good arm. “Easy.” She helped steady him before shouting behind her, “Can I get a stretcher over here?!” She looked back at the teen. “How old are you?” The boy looked up at her, his brown eyes filled with panic. Justin ran over with a stretcher and two nurses. Anna carefully helped him over. “Just take it easy, you’re in good hands.” The boy’s eyes started to dim as the loss of blood finally seemed to catch up to him. Anna helped Justin put him on the stretcher and wheel him into an exam room.

            “You can leave, Anna. We got this.” Justin said as he started putting the IV in. Anna eyed the teen. He seemed to have passed out. He would never even know she had anything to do with him, but…

            “No, I want to stay.” Anna pulled off her coat and reached for scrubs.

 

            Jason opened his eyes and looked around the room. He paused, his eyes landing on the woman asleep next to the bed. She looked familiar, like he had seen her before. After a few minutes of watching her he remembered. It was the woman that had helped him when he first came in. Pieces of the time in the exam room came back to him. This woman, with red hair, was a doctor. She was the one that had stopped him from bleeding and put his arm back into place. Her soft caring voice had kept him fighting to live. Jason slowly sat up and looked at the clock. It was close to one and from looking out the window that was one in the morning. It seemed odd to him that a doctor would be still here, and sleeping in his room. He had to get going. He knew his mom would already be angry about him being late. The alarms started to go off as he pulled the needles and wires off of his body. The doctor quickly sat up and looked toward the machine before looking at him. Jason stopped mid-way from pulling an IV from his arm.

            “What do you think you’re doing?” Anna stood up and turned off the machines. “You need to be monitored. You can’t be taking this stuff out.” She turned and looked at him. “How are you feeling?”

            “Tired,” Jason let go of the IV and lied back onto the pillow. “When can I go?”

            “Are you in a hurry to be someplace?” Anna walked over and got to work putting the needles and cords back on him. The boy looked like he was ready to bolt for the door. With him taking out the IV’s that was a good indication that he was planning on it. She didn’t like restraining people, but she would if he was plotting to run. “You should stay at least two nights. If I had my way, you would be here at least four.” She sat down in the chair once he was hooked back up. “What’s your name? We didn’t find any identification on you.”

            “My name is Jason.” He said quietly. She had kind hearted looking eyes. He wanted to tell her everything… if he remembered everything.

            “Nice to meet you, Jason, I’m Dr. Anna-Bell Weak.” She smiled at him, “You can call me Anna.” He nodded. “Where do you live, Jason? You family must be worried about you. I’d like to call them and have them come to see you.”

            “I doubt my mother has noticed that I’m missing.” Jason lied. His mother was probably flipping out that he wasn’t there, and it was very likely she wasn’t flipping out about him missing, but flipping out because he wasn’t there to do the house work or watch his sister.

            “And what about your father, I bet he’s worried about you?” Anna asked. She was already very mad that his mother was so neglectful.

            “My father left us when I was younger. It’s very likely, that he doesn’t even remember who I am.”

            “That’s a shame. A boy needs his father,” Ann said feeling upset. Anna loved both of her parents. She was very close with her father. She called and checked in on him often and they saw each other at least once a week. She didn’t know what she would do without him.

            Jason laid back and closed his eyes, “Are you going to leave?” he asked quietly. To Anna, he sounded like he was sad.

            “Do you want me to?” Anna asked him.

            “You’re a doctor. That means you have a job to do and it isn’t sitting around here with me.” Jason replied.

            “I took a few days off from work.” Anna leaned back in her chair, “to sit here with you, but if you want me to go, I will.”

            Jason opened his eyes and looked at Anna, “Why?”

            “Because I don’t want to be here if you don’t want me here,” She said with a smile.

            “No, why did you take off work to sit here with me?”

            “To keep you company of course,” She gently patted his hand, “No one should be alone in a hospital, especially a young boy like yourself.”

            “How did you know I was going to be alone?”

            “I didn’t,” Anna laughed, “But I have a lot of vacation time I need to use.”

            Jason smiled at her. He couldn’t help but like her. She seemed sweet and he wasn’t use to people being kind to him. “Well… if you have nothing else better to do.” He looked down a bit, “I would like very much for you to stay.”

            “Good,” She nodded, “Get some sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

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[Reanna Weekley]

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