"For crying out loud Alex! Go home!"
"I just want to finish these charts, Dr. Kendall."
"You've been working since six o'clock this morning. Go home and get some rest. I've never known a nurse as hardworking as you are."
She nodded her head, not really listening as she pulled out another chart. "What's the news on this new guy?"
"Who?" Dr. Kendall asked as he leaned down next to her to look at the chart.
"Clark."
"Oh. As far as we can tell, he's suffering from a rather severe case of amnesia. We know nothing about him except for his name, age, and vitals," Kendall sighed.
"The police don't know anything yet?"
"No. They said it was going to be hard to find anything with all the rain we've been having recently."
"Oh..."
"Alex..."
"Hmm?"
"Go home before I fire you," he said, pulling the chart out of her hands.
"Fine, fine. I'll go home!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in defeat.
"And I don't want to see you working before eight o'clock tomorrow either!"
"Alright!" Alex grabbed her coat from her locker in the staff lounge and clocked out before heading home.
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Clark's eyes flew open. Someone else was in the room. He sat up quickly, wincing in pain
"Good morning Clark. How are you feeling?" There was a young woman setting a vase of flowers on the bedside table. Did he know her? "I'm Alex, a nurse here at Metropolis General. I figured you could use something to brighten up your room."
"Alex! What are you doing here?!"
"I'm not on the clock Doctor Kendall."
"I'm sorry about this, Clark. She'll be out of here in just a moment."
"N-no... it's alright. I don't mind..."
"Fine. But if I find out that you've prevented this young man from getting the rest he needs..."
"You have nothing to worry about, sir," Alex grinned widely.
"Sure Alex." The doctor rolled his eyes before leaving the room.
"Why are you doing this?" Clark whispered, his eyes focused on his hands.
"Why not?" she replied, turning to look at him.
He glanced up, his bluish-gray eyes locking with her bright green ones. He smiled half-heartedly. "Alright, if you insist on bringing me—"
"Are you okay, Clark?" Alex asked, cutting him off.
"Yep. That's why I'm in a hospital."
"No, I meant... You're bleeding!"
Clark looked down at his side, where a deep crimson stain was spreading across his hospital gown. "Well, that can't be good..."
Alex ran out into the hall. "Doctor Kendall!!"
"I'm right here Alex! Stop yelling!"
"He pulled a stitch!"
"Who?"
"Clark!"
"Shit! Go get me a suture kit, now!"
"Yes sir!" Alex said, quickly hurrying down the hall as Doctor Kendall stepped into Clark's room.
"Let's see those stitches, son." Clark laid down and turned onto his uninjured side. The doctor pulled a penknife out of his pocket and used it to cut a hole in the side of Clark's hospital gown and looked closely at the sutures. Alex returned at that point, suture kit in hand.
"Here you go Doctor Kendall."
"Hand me the tweezers. We need to get these torn sutures out."
Alex did as she was told throughout the procedure. The whole thing went very smoothly and Doctor Kendall sighed when he set the last of the tools back on the tray.
"Clean all of this up and get him a new gown."
"Yes sir."
"And if I catch you bothering the patients anymore, I'm really not going to be happy with you. Do you understand me Alex?"
"Yes Doctor Kendall..."
"Good."
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Clark pulled the clean shift over his head before climbing back into bed, careful of the stitches in his side.
"I still don't get how you managed to get yourself injured in the first place, Clark."
Clark sighed, wishing he could be rid of the mysterious voice. 'What do you care?'
"I'm just a bit intrigued. I mean—"
'Shut up. I don't want to hear it.'
"Fine."
"Clark?"
He looked up to see Alex standing in the doorway. "Yeah?"
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine. Thanks for saving my life," he smiled.
"I highly doubt you would have died from a torn suture," she chuckled.
"You never know."
Alex grinned. "Well then, you're welcome."
Clark's smile widened into a grin before disappearing into a wide yawn.
"Get some rest Clark."
He watched as she turned to go. "Hey Lex?" She stopped, flinching slightly. "What?"
"Lex isn't exactly one of my favorite nicknames... I don't know about you, but I'm not exactly a big fan of the Luthors."
"Who?"
Alex smiled sympathetically. "No one. Don't worry about it... What were you going to ask me?"
"Have they found anything out about me?"
"Not yet. But you can be sure that if anything turns up, you'll be the first to know."
"Thanks again Alex."
"Of course. If there's anything else you need, just let me know."
"I will."
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"Doctor Kendall!"
The doctor turned to find a lab technician hurrying towards him. "Yes, what is it?"
"I'm so glad I found you. I really thing you need to see this..."
"Make it quick. I have patients to attend to."
"Right this way doctor." Kendall followed the technician to the main blood work lab, where he was directed to one of many microscopes.
"Mr. Roberts, I told you before that I am very busy. I don't have time to—"
"Doctor Kendall, trust me. You want to see this."
"Alright..." he mumbled, peering through the eyepiece. "There, I looked. Are you satis... What exactly is this Roberts?!"
"This is the close-up of one of the blood samples from your 'John Doe'."
"You can't be serious."
"And get this. According to the tests and scans we've done, there is absolutely nothing wrong with his mind that would prevent him from remembering anything about his past."
"Then why would he..."
"In my opinion, something happened to him that he doesn't want to remember."
"That sounds to me like post-traumatic stress syndrome."
"Exactly."
"Thank you Mr. Roberts."
"Yes sir."
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