A young medic sat by the bed of a patient, the curtains drawn around them. In his hands he held a heavy book that he was reading out loud for the patient. He didn't speak very loudly, and he fumbled around the larger words with his cheeks bright red. Not that the patient could actually hear him of course, because he was comatose. And nobody knew why, he had no family members to contact and they had no details or records. The other medics guessed he was around nineteen, which would make him the same age as the young man in the chair.
A blond headed girl stuck her head through the curtain, making enough noise to allow time for him to snap the book shut. "John, your shifts over now, you can go home. I'll take over this ward."
"Thanks Rose, but I think I'll just sit here for a while" He grinned.
"Ok, but I highly doubt your reading of those books will wake the patient." Rose sauntered off to check the next patient in line, an elderly woman who'd been induced. Rose and John had been put in charge of a ward of comatose people along with Jade Harley. Because of their age they were still only classed as trainees and the senior medics figured they would do the least amount of damage in a ward full of damaged souls.
John looked at the man in the bed and sighed, Rose was right he wasn't going to wake up just listening to stories. John didn't even know if he liked the book john was reading to him. Not being much of a reader himself he'd just picked a random book off the shelf, it turned out to be about some great adventure with little people and a tardy wizard. They were only a few chapters in at this point so he couldn't be sure if it was good yet.
Wait what was that?! John had been staring at the patient and could've sworn his hand moved.
"That's not possible" stepping forward, he checked the patients vitals. No change, still comatose and nothing is different. Passing his hand in front of his eyes, john deemed they were playing tricks on him because of the late hour and turned to leave. He had stayed too long mulling over his own thoughts, the prospect of only a few hours' sleep before coming back for the early morning shift didn't thrill him too much.
Leaving the book on the chair, he clicked the light off and said goodnight to Rose, trying not to be too cheerful over her having night shift. Jade would normally have the morning shift but she was off sick herself, so the two of them were spread rather thin for the next few days.