The man climbed the stairs slowly with John right behind for assistance. John came in front once they reached the landing of his flat and opened the door for the man.
The man entered and took a look around. The flat was befitting to the doctor's nature. Carefully but plainly decorated, everything in place, cosy and warm.
"There's a room upstairs…" John began but the stranger abruptly cut him short.
"I'll be fine here."
He said looking around and eventually sat on the sofa without even asking. He was instantly at ease, sitting there rubbing his neck and breathing comfortably he didn't look like a stranger at all. Instead to John's utter amazement the man looked as if he owned the place and would order John to fetch tea.
"That would be lovely." He suddenly said looking at John startling him.
Jesus Christ! Did just read my mind?
"Pardon me?" John asked incredulously.
The man's expression changed. He looked as if he realized a mistake and said correcting
"Oh! I am sorry doctor, I thought you said you're going to have tea. I think I'm still dizzy, I am imagining things." He gave John a very apologetic and worn out look.
John eyed the man suspiciously. He was sure he didn't think out loud. Nonetheless he went to the kitchen saying
"I think you should have some."
The man on the sofa smiled knowingly, unnoticed by John.
As John put the kettle on and tried to put his disarrayed thoughts together. What is it about this man? He's just another man on the streets, one that maybe I pass every day and never take notice of, then why am I so intrigued by him now? Now that he's sitting on my sofa in my living room why is it so distracting now? Am I conscious? Worried? Afraid?
He huffed in exasperation. For some reason he packed some food in a brown bag and left it on the kitchen table. He took the tea to the man in the next room who was now standing and inspecting intently the book racks around. he turned around as soon as he felt John's presence. He took the cup being offered looking intensely in to John's eyes, probing.
John involuntarily shivered and swallowed. He felt exposed, vulnerable under that gaze. Why does he keep doing that? He looked away clearing his throat.
"You are a bit adventurous by nature I see."
Wait a minute! What?
"What tells you that?" John asked, his voice serious.
The man gave him a knowing smile.
"Many books on the two world wars, much less number of medicine or anatomy books, travelogues on the most adventurous places on earth, many old travelogues written when the earth was not fully explored."
"I like exploring…that means." John said frowning, half to himself and half to the man in front.
"And the fact that you are letting a completely unknown man with doubtful identity stay at your home for the night only after a few minutes of acquaintance." He said sipping his tea. "I could be dangerous." He looked at John over the rim of the cup. He seemed amused.
John felt as if he was a vial full of sensitive liquid and this man was the scientist who was holding the vial, mixing, stirring, boiling, cooling, measuring the changes carefully.
John tried to steady himself again. This was not supposed to be happening to him.
"I am a doctor above all." He said looking directly at the man.
He still looked amused. How very interesting. "And a very kind one." he said smiling.
John gave a curt nod and went into the kitchen again. He took some bread and applied some jam, this was all the dinner he could think of making in the current state of his mind. He just wanted to be out of the sight of those piercing grey blue eyes and the man who was reading the depths of his mind as if he were an open book.
He got out with the plate in his hand to find the man sitting on the sofa again watching him intently. John unconsciously licked his lips.
"There's some food on the kitchen table. I'll be in the next room. Good night." Without waiting for an answer he almost flew to his bedroom and closed the door behind, which he never did on normal occasions. But this was not one of those.
The man on the sofa put his palms together, finger tips touching, as if praying under his chin and gave another knowing smile in the direction which John vanished.
Back in the room John tried very hard not to think of the man sitting on the sofa in the next room, he tried to ignore that he was feeling a bit disturbed by his declaration that he could be dangerous. He tried to suppress the feeling of being extremely aware of the man's presence in the flat, it was almost tangible, like he was not in the next room but sitting right behind John. He felt tingly on the back of his neck and felt an overpowering need to look back.
Finally after much effort and promising not to be led into another situation like this he fell back on the pillows and into a very disturbing sleep. He dreamt of cold, piercing, grey-blue eyes, billowing long coat and a tall dark figure.
"I could be dangerous."
John sat up on the bed with a muffled cry, sweating and throwing his covers away. Sunlight flooded the room, he became conscious that his mobile was ringing. The alarm. He switched it off and took some deep steadying breath to clear his disoriented mind.
The man!
Realization struck and made him bolt out of the bed. He ran into the next room opening the door.
The man was gone and so was the brown bag on the kitchen table.
