"What exactly do you plan to do with him?" One of the senior doctors asked during staff meeting. "He has gone from an atrophied man without any muscle mass to someone who could probably outrun all of us and bench press me."
Rose's eyebrows went up with the mental image that crossed her mind. She smiled to herself before realizing that she was the center of attention for everyone in the room. She was only an intern, yet since she took over all responsibilities for Sam, she was ultimately in charge of his living conditions while in the hospital. "Well," She cleared the throat. "Considering he was still a teenager when he was found, we have to assume he doesn't have a high school or college education." The other doctors nodded at her assessment. "I can talk to him about choices this week and see what we can come up with."
The other doctors nodded their approval and looked to Rose with slight admiration. They believed that the reason Sam had built himself up as much as he did was mostly in part to her. They were impatiently waiting for her to discharge the man so they could put some of their own patients on her.
As the meeting ended, Rose made her way to Sam's room. Before she opened the door, she peered through the window. The man would not stop working out.
Sam was on the floor doing pushups when Rose opened the door. By the time it shut, he was on his feet. A sheen of sweat covered his lean body as he grabbed a towel from his bed. "Rose!" He smiled. "I wasn't expecting you until later." He dried himself and ran the towel through his hair. "What can I do for you?"
"I was wondering if we could take a walk." Rose looked off to the side as he walked closer to her.
"Could I wash up first?" An attractive smile lit his face as he snuck past her.
"Sure, meet me in the cafeteria?"
"See you there." He held the door open for her before heading back into the room to use the shower.
A few minutes later, Sam met Rose at their usual table, a plate of spaghetti put in front of him as he sat down. "Hey."
"Hi." Rose was feeling off of her game. She hadn't felt so short of words near Sam since he woke up.
Sam could see that Rose was tense, as if she had something important to ask him. "Is there something you needed?"
"Well," She played with the salad that was in front of her. "We had a staff meeting today and you came up in discussion." She watched his reaction, yet he seemed to be completely composed. "And they were thinking of discharging you."
"Oh." Sam's eyes widend a little. "That's great!"
"So what are your plans for when you are released?"
Sam's smile faltered a little as he began to understand. "I'm not entirely sure." he thought about what he had to deal with in his previous life. "I might join the Army." His eyebrows raised at the thought.
"That's great, Sam!" She grabbed his hand from the other side of the table. "You wouldn't happen to remember your last name so we can look up your high school transcripts, would you?"
Sam took his hand back. "I'm sure I'll figure something out." Though he said it, he didn't quite believe it. He didn't believe their was a program for those who died and came back to life as someone else who had no real life before. What was he supposed to do, go to the high school he graduated and say that he wasn't truly dead and needed a copy of his diploma?
Rose read Sam's expression like a book. She rose from her chair and put a hand on his shoulder. "I have a guest room in my apartment. You are more than welcome to it until you figure something out." She smiled before taking her untouched salad to a counter to turn in.
"It wouldn't be for free." Rose said as she walked the garden with Sam. "At first, we can work on getting you a diploma. After, you can get a job to help with the rent."
Sam was overtaken by her generosity. He smiled one of his infectious smiles. "I will find a way to make it up to you." Somehow his future prospects seemed more manageable. He would have to take night classes in order to get his diploma, and he would need to get a drivers license again, but he would find a way to pull his own weight. He had been through hell in other countries. He had slept in a sleeping bag under the stars on the rocky terrains of the mountains in Afghanistan.
"If that's your answer, you will be moving out at the end of the week. We will see about getting you a haircut and a few outfits." She smiled as she walked back to the hospital door. "Get your things ready." She left him in the garden to think about the future that seemed not to be as bad as he thought.