CHAPTER I: The Hospital

Doctor Fields tapped his finger on the wall and waited for a response from the woman standing beside him.

She cautiously leaned a little closer to the window.  As she did so, she cinched her scarf a little tighter.  Her ball cap was pulled down low on her forehead and he was surprised she didn’t remove her sunglasses while inside.  Something about the woman didn’t sit right but he couldn’t tell the story’s details. 

“Can he see us?” she asked nervously. 

“If he were to look over at us but he is busy eating and complaining to the nurse at the moment.  We really should go into his room for a better look.”

“No,” she said a little too loudly and ducked behind a corner in case the patient in the other room had heard her.  “No,” she said quieter to the doctor and stayed behind the wall.  “I can see well enough from here.”

Doctor Fields nodded even though he didn’t agree with her.  She couldn’t possibly see much in the the other room from where she currently stood.

She had been found a mile away from the wreck on the highway.  A local townsperson had picked her up as she walked slowly along the road and brought her to the hospital.  Aside from a few bruises she seemed fine and refused further treatment.  She had remained quiet and refused to give any answers as to where she came from or her name.  From the little the doctor could gather about the mystery woman he knew she didn’t belong in the small town.  Her apparel of jeans and a jacket didn’t seem to fit the vibe she gave.  Without her telling him or sharing any personal information, he could tell she was well educated and out of her element.  Based on her familiarity with the hospital surroundings, he suspected she worked in the medical field.

When the ambulance brought in a male patient pulled from the wreck, the doctor thought for sure this would prompt her to share some details.  The two had to be connected.  Unfortunately, the patient found at the wreck was even less helpful than she was.  He couldn’t remember anything about himself.  Name, address, contact information, all was gone.  As the patient described it, “a brain blur.” 

Dr. Fields thought the woman would be able to at least unlock the mystery of the man’s name.  But she didn’t even want to see him at first.  Finally, the doctor convinced her to at least look from another room without the patient’s knowledge. 

She looked quickly but ducked back behind a corner when the man looked up.

“Are you sure?” Dr. Fields asked his patience waning.

She shook her head slowly.  “Never saw him before.  Don’t know him.”

            The doctor dropped his head.  “It’s just odd that he was found in a wreck not far from where you were picked up.”

            She shrugged her shoulders.

            “This is a small town and we don’t get a lot of people that no one around here knows.  Who did you say you were visiting again?”

            She had never told him a name.  Before she could answer the door to the small room where they were in opened. 

            “Doc, can I talk to you?” a man in a sheriff’s uniform asked.

            She stiffened and looked down.  Her eyes lifted as she eyed another door in the opposite wall.

            “Sure,” Doctor Fields said, “excuse me for a moment.”

            The two men left the room.  The police officer was the first to speak.  “The car we pulled the patient from was a rental.  We have a call to the rental car place to track down who rented it.  Here are some photos we took of the vehicle.”

The doctor looked at the photos. He noticed a unique air freshener hanging from the rear-view mirror.

The sheriff spoke, “I don’t suppose you have had much luck on your end finding a name for us?”

            “No,” the doctor replied.  “I’m sure that woman knows the details but so far, I can’t get her to talk. Surely though, the two are connected. Our town just doesn’t see that much excitement all at once to have a wreck and a drifter and not have them connected in some way.”

“We couldn’t find a wallet or any identifying information at the wreck. But the luggage contains clothes for a man and woman. Someone was with him. By the size of the clothes, I would say the woman is tall maybe between 5’8” and 5’11”, slender built. Expensive taste.”

The doctor looked at him with raised eyebrows.

“I asked my wife,” the sheriff explained.

            “That matches the description of our friend inside this room,” the doctor said.  He looked at the closed door of the room the woman was in.  “Why won’t she talk?  Is she afraid of something or someone?”  She didn’t seem afraid more cautious.  Or rather, sneaky.

            “Do you want me to talk to her?” the sheriff asked.

            “If she isn’t talking to a doctor, you think she’d open up to law enforcement?”

            He shrugged.  “Maybe.  If the uniform intimidates her.  It has that effect on some people.”

            The doctor shook his head slowly.  “I don’t think that’s going to work.  But you can give it a try.”

            The sheriff opened the door and paused.  “Uh, doc.  She’s gone.”

            The doctor squeezed by the sheriff and entered the room.  Sure enough, no one was in it. He looked at the other door.   The two men looked at each other and then the sheriff walked quickly to the other door and walked out trying to retrace her steps. 

            The doctor turned and looked at the male patient in the other room.  Something inside told him that woman was gone and she was not going to be found.  They were on their own to discover the identity of the mystery man from the wreck.

            He watched as the man knocked his food plate off the tray and yelled at the nurse for being incompetent.  “Oh, we need to find your home, mister,” the doctor said coolly to the otherwise empty room.    

Next: Chapter 2