The Game - 7. Chapter 7

Meeting Daniel for the first time was a real shock. I had just come on shift and Shaun sent me upstairs to get him down for breakfast. The bastard hadn’t given me any warning at all, and I had asked. All I knew was that he was a patient of Professor Bowen. I had read his medical notes of course, I always make sure I do that thoroughly so that I know what to expect... but they never tell you anything about the person themselves.

So, although I knew his blood group, his baseline heart rate, his height, weight and eye colour I had no idea of who, as a person, Daniel was. From the notes, it seems that neither does he.

I was about to knock on the bathroom door when it opened and I found myself looking into the face of an angel. I have never seen anyone so beautiful in all my life. For a moment I was completely taken aback and I had to tear my eyes away or I would have made a complete fool of myself. As it was I had to hang my head, hiding behind my hair until, with something of a struggle I managed to regain my composure.

He was just watching me, the strangest expression on his face, and I was almost swept away by a wave of ... something. He is so childlike, so open... and I knew it was only his condition, the fact that he had no idea who he was making him peculiarly vulnerable but.... it was... he made my heart beat fast. His eyes were the most amazing shade of green, they sparkled and, although I recognised the absence of expression that characterised patients who were on strong meds there was something more, something behind the drugs that made my heart beat even faster.

My first words to Shaun when I got back downstairs were “You bastard.” He grinned. “Why didn’t you warn me?”

“Warn you about what?”

“You know what. Fuck... he’s incredible.”

“Tell me about it. I had something of a shock myself this morning. Damn nearly got into that bed with him and to hell with professionalism.”

“Shaun! Behave yourself.”

“I’m trying, I’m trying but I have to say I can’t guarantee I’m going to be able to keep my hands off him for long. Just as well I’m not doing night shift for a while.” He looked thoughtful. “Although.... I might just see if I can swap....”

“Don’t you dare!” I think he was joking.... with Shaun it was never possible to be entirely sure. He laughed.

“Don’t worry. I won’t rape him. Seduce him maybe.... “ He winked. “Feel free to compete.”

“I am not going to compete with you to seduce a patient, no matter how cute he is.... and for the record that would be ...... fuck off cute. No... actually he isn’t cute.... he is beautiful, not cute. Anyway, I am not going to compete with you to seduce him. Whatever else he might be he’s a patient. He’s ill and vulnerable and if I ever find out....”

“Lily.... I’m teasing you. I would never do anything like that. I hope you know me well enough by now to know I wouldn’t.”

“I think I do but you have the strangest sense of humour sometimes... I am never quite sure.”

He grinned. “Well you can be sure about this, never fear. I would never do anything to hurt a patient.... not unless he really wants me to.”

This time I had to smile, he cracks me up sometimes does Shaun. I could hear Daniel moving about upstairs and I just couldn’t get my heart to stop thumping at the thought that any minute he would be walking down the stairs and I would get another look at those incredible eyes, that crazy hair, that angel face. Stop it Lily, this is getting dangerous. Concentrate on the bacon.

When I heard him walk in I deliberately didn’t look up, struggling with my racing heart. I sensed him hovering in the doorway, almost felt his uncertainty but left it to Shaun to call him in.

“Hey there. Come, sit down. Do you want coffee?”

“Coffee?”

I couldn’t help but to turn around at the hesitant uncertainty in his voice. He was frowning, it made him look even more beautiful, set his full lips into a pout that made me suddenly wonder what they would feel like to kiss. Hastily I brushed crumbs from my skirt using the activity to cover my confusion. I walked to the cupboard and took down a mug.

“Would you prefer tea?”

“Tea? I.... no... no coffee I think.”

“How would you like it?”

“In a mug?”

I almost laughed until I realised he wasn’t joking, and I turned it into a slightly strangled smile. “No, I mean do you want it strong or weak, with milk... sugar?”

He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples with long fingers. “I...um.... I don’t.... know.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make it, you taste it and if I need to I’ll change it.”

He took the mug, smiling uncertainly at me. I know the look, he was struggling to comprehend what was going on around him... they are always like that to begin with... some of them never get past it. Some of the patients that move through our hands just sink deeper and, in the end have to go back to the hospital. We never see them again. I hoped that Daniel wasn’t going to be one of those. Most of them move on though. I have always been proud of that. There are several community care houses like ours in the area and we have by far the best reputation for patients moving on, back to the real world. Not that I have always agreed with Professor Bowen that they were ready to move on... but hey, I am only a lowly care assistant, who am I to say?

After taking a sip Daniel’s face screwed up. “I don’t like it.”

“What don’t you like?” I took the mug from his hand and tipped it into the sink.

“It’s sweet.”

“No sugar then?” He nodded.

“And.... I don’t think I like the milk.”

“Okay, no sugar, no milk. Just plain black coffee. Was it strong enough?” He thought for a moment and then shook his head.

This time when he sipped the coffee, which to me looked like a cup of hot mud, he sighed with pleasure and drank deeply.

“Great, we have the coffee sorted. What about breakfast? Are you hungry?”

After thinking for a moment he shook his head.

“You must be. You haven’t eaten for a while, at least two days.”

He looked confused and his eyes were losing focus. “You’ll feel better if you eat, not so spaced out. Your meds are hitting you hard because they have landed in an empty stomach. How about a bacon sandwich?”

Daniel stared at me as though he had no idea what I was saying; he probably didn’t. For some reason it made me feel strangely disturbed to see him sinking. He had been asleep for so long and of course we had been told not to wake him so his meds had pretty much worn off and now they were gripping him again and knocking him right off is feet.

When I gave him his sandwich he stared at it as if he didn’t know what to do with it. Fortunately we were used to patients and their meds and Shaun showed him how to eat it. He clearly enjoyed it once he got started, and afterwards he did look better, less spaced out, but he still needed Shaun to show him how to walk out to the garden and almost immediately fell asleep on a chair in the sun.

“Are you still thinking about seducing him?”

I looked up from my coffee cup and grinned at him. “I wasn’t actually, but now you come to mention it....”

“I wouldn’t bother. You may as well go get a blow up doll. He’s way out of it.”

“Yeah. That surprises me.”

“Why?”

“If it’s his memory that is the problem then how does drugging him senseless help to bring it back?”

“I don’t know but I’m not a doctor.”

“And of course the doctors always know what they are doing. They always get it right.”

“No they don’t always get it right, but Professor Bowen usually does and in any event it is not for us to question.”

“I know. And I’m not.”

“I know you Lily.”

“Yeah.... you do... too well.”