Hey, I'm back. Another chapter for you all. And how am I doing with Gilbert? He's kind of a new one for me. Let me know what you think.

"How do I not even know his fucking name!?"

Gilbert paced frustratedly down the hall. He thought it might be the right one. But he really wasn't certain. And the small rectangular name plaques weren't helping any, especially when Gilbert finally accepted the fact that he never actually learned his comatose lunch buddy's name.

"I just wanted to pop in and say hi. Why does it have to be so damn hard to find you!"

Gilbert stopped in front of a random door, the name plaque appearing to be empty. But at this hospital, that didn't really mean much. Only longer term patients got permanent rooms, and Gilbert didn't even know if the coma-guy qualified yet. Grimacing, he grasped the door's handle and opened it.

An empty room met his displeased gaze.

"Damn. Wrong again."

It was the third empty room he had looked at. He had also stumbled upon two private recovery rooms and one occupied double. Gilbert sighed and closed the door.

"Lonely coma dude, where are you?" he breathed under his voice in a slight sing-song. "I only have five minutes left of breeeaaak-"

"Bruder, what are you doing?"

Gilbert whipped around in surprise, words dying on his tongue. A tall, stern looking man faced him, one eyebrow marginally raised.

It was Ludwig, Gilbert's younger and considerably more accomplished brother. Gilbert rolled his eyes at the other man's unimpressed expression and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Ludwig was a doctor at the hospital and likely the only reason why Gilbert was even offered his admittedly half-assed internship. Raising an eyebrow of his own, Gilbert set his face into a grin.

"I'm singing, duh. What does it sound like I'm doing?"

Ludwig didn't even blink. "No, I mean what are you doing here?" He gestured to the door Gilbert had just previously closed in disappointment. "I don't know what you're playing at, but I've been getting complaints."

"Complaints?"

"Yes Gilbert, complaints." Ludwig sighed, running a hand through his short blond hair. "Wandering around opening random doors? You might find it hard to believe, but people – especially people in hospitals – don't appreciate being barged in on without an explanation."

Gilbert rolled his eyes. "I'm doing nurse things." He waved his hand in a vague demonstration of said nurse things. "They should appreciate my work."

"Bruder..."

"Yes..." Gilbert drew out the word just as Ludwig had done.

Ludwig stared at him apathetically for a few moments before turning around. "Just try to act like an adult every once and a while, okay?" His steps were clipped and measured as they walked away. "Your break is nearly over. You should get back to your station."

Gilbert watched his brother's retreating back with a frown. "Well aren't you just full of lollipops and rainbows," he muttered, loud enough for Ludwig to hear him. When he garnered no reply, Gilbert stuck out his tongue like the mature adult he most certainly was and then turned away.

He had walked only a few steps in the direction opposite of his work station when he was struck by an idea.

"Whoa, Luddy, wait!" he called over his shoulder as he turned back around, hoping his brother hadn't left the immediate area. "I've got a question for ya'!"

He was rewarded by Ludwig's form stopping at the end of the hall. Gilbert could easily see the displeased look despite the distance, and as he jogged closer the glare just increased in intensity.

"Hey, whoa, no need to look like something crawled up your ass and died. I just wanna ask you somethin'."

"Gilbert, please don't yell in the hospital." Ludwig kept the stern look a moment longer before relenting. "What do you want?"

Gilbert grinned, pleased with himself for thinking of this. "Do you have any comatose patients in this section of the hospital?"

"Comatose patients...?" Ludwig blinked, his rough demeanour slipping, the question not likely what he was expecting from Gilbert. "Yes. We have quite a few actually."

"Do you have any that are blond dudes?"

"Gilbert, why are you asking this?"

Gilbert raised his hands as of to ward off Ludwig's question. "Just- do you? Are there any guys about your age that are in a coma around here? Skinny. Blond. A little girly looking? Um, probably not a lot visitors most of the time."

Ludwig's features seemed to clear up with the last couple of indicators, but then immediately closed off at Gilbert's expectant look. It was instead replaced by an expression of suspicion.

Gilbert huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "What? Why are you looking at me like that? I've done nothing wrong."

Ludwig didn't look convinced. "Knowing you... Gilbert, you know you can't just-"

"Oh come on, I already told you I'm not doing anything." Gilbert rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "And you know who I'm talking about, don't ya'?. That little blondie who was in the car accident or something. He's around here, isn't he?"

Ludwig held Gilbert's gaze a moment longer before finally looking away. "Yes. He is."

"Finally! So where is he? What's his name?"

Ludwig frowned briefly. "I think... I think his name was- is Matthew." He then focused his eyes in Gilbert. "He slipped into a GCS 3 after his surgery a couple months back, if I remember correctly. Next to no chance of recovery." There was a small pause of regret, but then Ludwig's gaze sharpened. "I don't know what you want with him, but Gilbert, just leave the boy alone."

"Hey, lay off man." Gilbert's hands came up in a semi-defensive posture. "I don't actually want anything, really. Just wanna know where the dude is."

Ludwig opened his mouth, looking as if he was going to question Gilbert once again, but then stopped short. He took in Gilbert's perfectly earnest expression, a touch of exasperation hinting around the eyes at his constant reprimands, and came to the conclusion that for once, Gilbert was just genuinely curious. Ludwig sighed loudly.

"I'll check my reports for his room and then get back to you on that, okay?" Ludwig pursued his lips to hide his smile at Gilbert's honest surprise.

"Huh. You're really gonna tell me, just like that?" The surprise morphed into a weird kind of smile. "Thanks Luddy, that's awesome of you."

Ludwig let out a brief snort at being called awesome and went to turn away. "Good. Now really, you need to get back to work. I don't even want to know how late you are now."

Gilbert laughed. "Pshh, it's only like 10 minutes, I think. There's been worse." He watched his brother continue to walk away, shaking his head slightly.

"I don't want to hear about it," Ludwig said without turning around. "I'll send you an email when I get your information."

"Texting's better!" Gilbert called to the retreating form.

"No cell-phones at work, Gilbert."

Gilbert pouted as Ludwig turned the corner, but allowed the grin to return as he started to head back to his work station. Mission successful. Or at least partially successful. Hopefully by the end of his shift, he would have the room number and the guy's full name and would be able to finally visit him again. Gilbert blinked, realizing he actually had a name he could use now. If Ludwig was right, that is.

"Matthew huh? A bit plain, but I bet it fits ya'."

Gilbert turned at the main lobby, heading off towards prescription meds. Probably one of the most boring jobs he could be saddled with, except for maybe clean up duty. He sighed as he slipped through the employee only door.

"Late again, Gilbert."

Gilbert let out a perfectly audible groan as he sat down. "Oh shut, Leonard."

"There's no reason to be late." The short, ratty looking man raised his chin defiantly. "I'm here on time every day. You really need to start picking up slack."

"I said shut it. You're just pissed I took your lunch the other day."

"No I'm not." A pause, and then, "And I had wanted to eat that."

"It was a soggy sandwich. I did ya' good taking it away from you. Looks like you need to miss a few lunches."

Leonard's face puffed up red and blotchy, but Gilbert found that he wasn't taking as much amusement from pissing off his co-worker as he usually would. Ignoring the rounder man's stuttering insults, he turned his back on him, moving to the side-by-side seats with matching computers. In front of him was the prescription medicine help desk, waiting for the poor suckers who needed to sign off for their medication. Gilbert sat down with a huff.

Eventually Leonard dropped down beside him, pointedly not looking at him. Not that Gilbert cared. Instead he busied himself with checking his staff email.

There was a stack of unread messages, but not the note Gilbert wanted.

"Too early, anyways," he muttered to himself, knowing Ludwig wouldn't bother with Gilbert's request until at least mid-afternoon.

With that in mind, Gilbert slouched down in his seat, wondering if he could perhaps steal a nap or two to make the day go by faster.

"Gilbert- Gilbert you asshole, don't you dare go to sleep on me! There are patients coming."

Gilbert hid his grin and kept his eyes closed.

-x-x-x-

The day was almost over. At least, for Gilbert it was. Ludwig likely had another three or so hours in his shift.

"But at least the bastard got me that coma-guy's info."

Leonard looked over from where he was zipping up his sewer-green backpack. "What?"

Gilbert waved a dismissing hand in his co-worker's direction, not even bothering to turn around. "Nothing. Talkin' to myself."

"Hmph, okay." The man left without so much as a 'see you tomorrow'. Gilbert didn't notice, too busy absorbing the meagre information Ludwig had managed to find on this Matthew guy. A photocopied image of Ludwig's neat writing from his own personal notes was open on his computer.

Name: Matthew Williams
Date of Birth: 01/07/1989
Chief Complaint: Severe Car Accident
Condition: Comatose
Room: 2053

The word Comatose had been recently scratched out and replaced with Persistent Vegetative State. Gilbert gave the correction a brief frown, but saved the image to his files.

"There we go, buddy. Found ya'." Gilbert took one last look at the room number before closing the browser. "Guess this means I'll be able to come say hi tomorrow now, doesn't it."

And with that he turned off the computer and left the room, silently congratulating himself on actually remembering to lock the door this time.