Chapter 5. John Kramer

Zep led Adam to another hospital room eagerly. "Prepare to meet the probably most interesting of all patients," he said and opened the door. Adam peeked inside, and he couldn't deny that he was a little frightened. There was an old man lying in a sickbed in front of him. But just what kind of an old man!

Never had Adam seen so many wrinkles in a face before. He was bald and quite pale in addition. He was sleeping.

Adam shrugged. "At least he has style," he murmured. Zep looked at him in confusion. "What did you say?" he asked. Adam nodded over at the man. "Well, look at him! His goatie! Not many men his age have a goatie! Suits him well," he commented.

Zep chuckled. "I told you he's not like the others. You'll be surprised at how many things you're still to see from him," he said walking over at the cart. "Morning, John!" he yelled.

And the patient woke up at once. "W-what?" he murmured sleepily. "Is it lunch time already?"

"Holy shit, man," Adam murmured. "On what kind of medication is he?"

"Lots of," Zep answered. "He's suffering from bowel cancer. If he wouldn't be taking that medication, the agony would be unbearable for him." Adam looked at the old man. He blinked, looked around, as if he didn't know where he was. Zep smiled at him amicably. "John, this is Adam, he's new here. Adam, John Kramer!" he introduced.

John turned his head over to Adam weakly. Both shy and a little nervous, Adam raised a hand in order to greet him. "Hi!" he said shortly. Suddenly, an indefinable grin appeared on John's lips. "How is it going, pretty woman?"

Adam opened his eyes wide, thinking he was dreaming. He indeed felt a little insulted. "Well, I personally think your medication is overkill, Zep!" he said angrily. Zep chuckled quietly. "Don't mind that. It's happening to that guy all the time. He once thought I was a huge, breaded turkey and went after me like a hungry wolf."

Adam raised a brow. He indeed felt a little uneasy about it. "Well, there's always something new to learn," he only said, grabbed a chair and sat down in front of John's bed. John wasn't making a sound except for quiet whimpering. He didn't look at anyone, he looked up at the ceiling. Adam looked over at the other side of the bed where Zep was sitting, out of worry. "What's wrong with him?"

Zep shrugged insignificantly. "Don't mind that either. Also happening all the time. I actually stay for a while to cheer him up. You see, sometimes, the patients feel lonely or bored."

Adam sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "And you're doing this all day? How in the world are you able not to lose your mind!" he asked in disbelief. Zep smiled, no, he rather grinned shyly. "Well… I can't deny that it is indeed quite stressful. But since you are here now… you're a pretty pleasant sight…"

But Adam hadn't heard the last part of what Zep had said. John had given a loud, painful groan. And ruined Zep's opportunity with it. So the philandering had been settled. Now Adam was even more worried. "You sure everything's OK?" he asked. Zep swallowed. He looks even cuter when he's worried, he thought, sweating.

Another, pained groan was heard from John. With a flounce, he had grabbed Adam's hand, squeezed it. "Please! Hold my hand, pretty child! Hold it!" he whimpered. Both confused and panic-stricken, Adam looked at Zep. "Is this normal, too?"

Zep raised his hands. "Calm down. He needs to have the feeling we're here for him. Just play along for a few minutes!" he said. Adam nodded nervously, accepted to endure it.

But John squeezed tighter than he thought. Too tight. Adam already felt pain in his hand. "Jesus, that's a strong one!" he groaned, trying to yank his hand out of John's grip. He shook it wildly, but the old man just wouldn't let go. Any time, after a while, he had managed to get his hand free from his grip.

He rubbed his aching hand, all red from pain. "Christ, that guy must have been a pro at arm wrestling before he got here!" Adam complained, pouted. Zep leaned in to him and took his hands carefully. "Let me see…"

Adam nodded and waited. Zep blushed while he was feeling Adam's hand up. He just wanted to kiss it to make the pain pass. He looked Adam in the eyes. And he was quite sure they had just shared the most intimate few seconds either of them would ever experience in their whole lives.

None of the three men could look that fast as the door had opened. It was Percy.

He had actually planned to say something, but that sudden view had let him forget everything he was thinking of. He snorted.

"Shit, this is just too precious! You only leave those two alone for a second and they start flirting like crazy! Woofer! Come here, you gotta see that!" he yelled laughing. And just as quickly, Woofer appeared behind him, looked at the scenario in front of him grinning. "Holy crap, Perce! Aren't they cute!" he chuckled and grinned at Zep. "Hey, Romeo! Don't ya pitch your hopes too high! Unlike you, the kid has a life!"

Zep let go of Adam's hand out of embarrassment. The younger one rolled his eyes. "Man, get lost! I told you you're too ugly for this world!" he yelled at him. But he wasn't able to wash away their smirks. "And what do you plan to do against it, little one?" Percy asked with a sarcastic grin on his lips.

"Get out!" John suddenly said quietly. He got up. Woofer raised a brow in surprise. "Oh, now good old John butts in as well! They got an old man on their side, very impressive!" he said just as sarcastically. John approached Woofer. It was when Adam realized how tall he was in fact. He was head and shoulders above Adam, but at eye level with Woofer. "I said get out, you jerk!" John murmured sleepily, but he was in fact awake. Woofer wasn't grinning anymore, he looked at the older one with a serious look on his face. "Go back to bed, oldtimer! Don't risk your smock getting dirty!" he said tonelessly.

John sighed and looked up at the ceiling again. "Why is it men like you are never able to solve things peacefully?" he said quietly, went back to the dresser, took the plate with the mashed potatoes in his hands.

Woofer rolled his eyes. "It's because senile guys like you shouldn't interfere into such affairs by all means, old Johnny! You'd do better…!"

He wasn't able to finish his sentence. John had pushed the plate with the mashed potatoes and the peas right into his face. Percy's face turned pale at once, he couldn't look more shocked than now. However, Zep and Adam started to laugh hysterically. John wiggled back to his bed, laid down in it. "Good! But now I expect the two of you to leave, I don't appreciate you in my room!" he said.

Woofer was foaming with anger. He wiped a handful of mashed potatoes out of his face, growled at the three men. "It doesn't end here! We'll make your lives hell for that!" he hissed at them and stormed outside. Percy followed closely, but he looked back at them dangerously. "No wonder Dr. Gordon doesn't like the new guy at all! He has it in for you, little one!" He left.

After that, Adam didn't even have the chance to cheer about John's potatoe attack. His eyes narrowed, he rose from the chair with his fists clenched. "What the heck is that stupid doctor's problem…!"

Zep was trying to pull him back. "Adam, don't you do anything stupid now! That man can get you fired…!" he warned. Adam growled. "I don't care! I'll tell him what I think, and I wanna see his dumb face!" he yelled and stormed outside along the hallway right to Dr. Gordon's office. Zep rushed after him. "Adam! Don't!"

Adam approached the door angrily. "Who does this painted moron think he is, he's history… oh, just wait, you idiot, I'll let you have it!" he murmured with rage. He paused before the door leading to his office, knocked – no, he pounded his fist on the door three times.

And it opened at once, Lawrence peeked outside. At first he looked all surprised at him, then his lips curled back into his usual smile. "Oh, the new guy!"

"The angry new guy, yes!" Adam added with just the same sweet smile which was only hiding the inner rage and ridicule.

"How can I help you?" Lawrence asked still smiling, but Adam didn't let him finish what he wanted to say. "You can't help me in the least! Wanna know why? Because I'm already out of favor with you, you don't like me, I'm not good enough for you!" he hissed at him. "You can stuff your false kindness and your fake smile up your arse!"

Never had Lawrence been insulted that way before. There he was, this unexperienced, insolent new guy in his middle twenties, getting him, a 42 year old doctor, down!

Lawrence just wanted to say something in order to get himself out of it, but Adam had turned around already. "Cheerio!" was the only thing he said, then he went back to John's room.

Zep was waiting for him already, and sighed with relief when he saw him. "What has gotten into you? This man can get you fired if he wants to!" he said. Adam sat down on a chair, sighed. "I haven't done anything bad, which means he has no reason to fire me," he said. John looked over at Zep weakly. "The young woman is right, boy! You worry too much!" he said. Adam rolled his eyes. "And this is only the first day…" he murmured, feeling agony inside of his head.

OooO

When Adam returned home in the evening, he was a nervous wreck. He didn't want to see any patients, he didn't want to hear Percy's and Woofer's laughter. All he wanted was to sleep. Good thing old Hobbs wasn't around. He just whipped the key to his apartment out of his pocket when somebody surprised him.

"So you're done with your first day of work?"

Adam turned around. There was Detective Tapp standing in front of him. He sighed, grinned weakly. "Yes. T'was hell on Earth. Come on in so you can pay me at once!" he said and opened his door. Tapp went inside, aiming at the couch directly.

Adam took off his jacket, threw it into a corner carelessly and took his cigarettes out of his trouser pocket with glee. At last he was allowed to smoke. Instantly, his lungs got filled with the sweet smoke he just couldn't get rid of.

Tapp didn't look away from him. "Hell on Earth, yes? Tell me about it… before we talk about Dr. Gordon, I'd love to hear a few things about it."

"Well," Adam began, "Let me get it to you this way. Your stupid doctor doesn't like me and screws one of the employees as a sideline. I've been mistaken for a woman by one of the patients. Oh, and before I forget the gist… there's a janitor and another orderly who love to bully others. A nuthouse like no other!"

Tapp raised an eyebrow. "You don't say. That bad?"

Adam looked at him as if he didn't know what the solution of 1 and 1 was. "Yes, damn bad. The janitor calls himself 'Woofer', by the way! They're both nuts and dedicate their lives to bullying others to death!" he said, sat down with an annoyed groan. "If it wasn't for Zep, I'd probably kill myself!"

Tapp looked at him with interest. "Zep? Who is Zep?"

"One of the orderlies. Call him the only person in that hospital who actually has a brain."

"Really! So this means you've found a friend already!" Tapp said laughing. "Well, how is that guy?"

Adam sighed, leant back and took a puff from his cigarette. "Well… he's really nice, but… he's kinda weird as well. I mean, he's being bullied by a guy named Percy! I used to steal sandwiches from people with that name in elementary school!"

The Detective still looked at him curiously. "That's all?"

Adam shook his head. "No. Well… picture Zep like this: a man in his early forties, maybe two inches taller than me. Plain hairstyle and small, curious blue eyes. Probably still lives with his mother, wears checkered shirts, plays chess in his free time and loves to listen to the 'Backstreet Boys'!"

Tapp snorted. "Really? A male wallflower or something?" he chuckled.

Adam grinned. "Yes, exactly. Honestly. But he's really nice. I like him," he said and took another puff.

"Now to Dr. Gordon…" Tapp started, making Adam groan at once. "He's terrible! I really hope he is this killer, because people like him deserve to go to jail!"

Tapp looked at the younger man thoroughly. "Something uncommen you've witnessed?" he asked. Adam shrugged. "Apart from his dang grin… no."

Tapp laughed. "Well… we have time. Here you go, boy. Tomorrow, you have to go through the same again. And I really hope you'll have more information for me by then." He got up and put four 100 Dollar bills onto his table. He winked at him. "You can do it. I'm sure your new buddy Zep will help you."

After that, he left Adam's apartment, until the young man heard his car drive away. He sighed and let himself sink into the scratched leather of the couch. "Well, if that doesn't sound like fun!"

TBC…