The nausea crept up from the pit of her stomach; the realization that yesterday was real... The soft sheets of the hospital bed were no comfort to her as she opened her eyes. The harsh light of sunset, shining through the window, and fluorescent bulbs sent knives into her head. Whatever medication they were feeding her, from the IV, did nothing to stop it and she couldn’t help the soft groan as she blinked several times. When her vision cleared, she looked around the room, unsurprised at the nurses and white coats walking past her door. Her mother sat in a chair at the edge of the bed, wearing her mint green scrubs.

The voice she heard speaking... it was the man she saw before she blacked out. He was tanned from the sun, with squint lines from looking at the horizon.

Her own squint lines came from reading in dim light.

Her mother’s squint lines came from worrying but seeing her daughter open her eyes cleared them from her face, if only for a moment.

“I’m so sorry! I–“

Her throat felt thick and dry but she felt like breaking into tears! The man interrupted her, his voice low and calm, making her think of water running over stones.

“Was very brave...”

What was this guy talking about? She looked at him, studying him as he continued talking.

“I was just telling your mother, about you intervening. You saved the elderly couple and two of the three muggers were immediately apprehended by the authorities. They saw sense and told them where to find the third. A woman, the same one that shot you.”

He never moved as he spoke and he spoke so matter-of-factly too. Her tears were held at bay by sheer curiosity and the next words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them.

“Are you a cop?”

He laughed and it was so cool and easy, most would trust him right away. For some reason this made her even more wary of the stranger.

“No, I’m not an officer. I’m a lawyer. I used to be in the army, years ago.”

He noticed her staring and seemed willing to humor her unasked question.

“I was nearby when I heard the shouting. I saw the tourists being mugged and suddenly you were there. I wasn’t fast enough to help you though. When you were shot I did my best to stop the bleeding and I brought you here, after calling the police of course. I didn’t expect it to be so easy to find your mother.”

I winced internally, looking at my mother’s dark circles under her eyes. She had been working a late shift... the sun was setting now but it was already night when she was with her... ‘friends’. They were her friends and then... they lied to her and shot her? Her shoulder throbbed as a reminder that they were not ‘friends’.

“Thank you...”

She croaked, the words seeming to small for the reality. Her friends tried to kill her but a stranger saved her.

“I don’t know what would have happened to Keres if you hadn’t been there. Really... Thank you so much, Mr. Gervasio.”

Her mom told the man. His black hair gleamed in the orange sun as he smiled.

“Please, Ms.Alana, call me Beda.”

“And call me, Akela.”

She told him.

“I’ll be covering the bill,”

He said as he stepped towards the door.

“It’s the least I can do for a Good Samaritan.”

Akela argued but he waved away her protests and instead turned to Keres as she spoke. She bristled at the thought of him paying HER medical bills.

“I don’t take charity!”

She told him, softly, still minding her aching head, but her words were none the less firm. His response was just as firm.

“It won’t be charity. I want you to heal and rest. And then you can come to work for me. My job requires me to travel quite a lot. I could use someone to help with more the mundane tasks of my work.”

He glanced at her mother.

“That is if you would like too? You can work off the debt later. But for now... rest.”

There was a soft rustle of fabric and another kind smile. He placed a black business card on the bedside table

“Call me when your released and we can talk more about it.”