AUTHOR
"What are you doing," ELISH grabbed Mr Joe's hand. He was trying to pull on her jacket.
"I cannot treat her unless I see the wounds and I cannot see those wounds with all the blood on her."
ELISH looked at the girl. She was indeed covered in dry blood and sand. Some little leaves too. But still, it wouldn't be nice to go naked In front of a man you don't know.
"Is there no other way," Elish asked.
"Well, I will have to cut open the back of the hoody but that fabric she is wearing is so strong and we really don't have time."
Elish eyes went back to the girl. They had connected a blood drip to her. The doc was now trying to disinfect the wounds to avoid an infection.
"I will help you get it open," Elish replied the doctor.
"But how can you…"
Elish grabbed the sweater and tore it apart.
Mr Joe was about to ask how In hell he intended to open up a sweater made of polyester but after seeing that, he just shut up.
"Is it enough?" Mr Joe nodded in affirmation.
He went over to the antiseptic water and rinsed out a towel. He was cleaning her wounds the next moment. ELISH sat on the bed next to her watching him work, it wasn't the treatment he was looking at. It was her wounds.
… ONE HOUR LATER…
Mr Joe packed together his tools. There was blood on all of them. Including his gloved hands. Thankfully, Leo had come in. He helped him but only to get out of the door. He had been sent to keep an eye on Elish. As you would have suspected, he did not even show a little reluctance. He wanted to be with Anamay. He wasn't comfortable with her being near that stranger.
As he sat on a long stool next to the reading table in that room, he tried to suppress the slight fright that the appearance of the stranger gave him. Apart from his body build up, there was the dirty black and grey hair on his head and his eyes… misty blue. His legs were like they scraped hair clean just like…
... Wait a second…
He spotted the blue trunks.
'Jesus Christ'
They were so engulfed by everything that's happening that no one noticed that he was wearing Anamay's shorts. And…
He gave the shorts along stare.
They were tight on him like he was a swim suit model waiting to shoot his next advert. Honestly, he didn't think they would allow this level of explicit imagery on television.
Apparently, Leo was too amazed by the attire that he stared too long and Elish noticed.
"Is it yours?" He asked.
Leo looked at him sharply. The tone was the same but that finesse was gone.
"No, not really," Leo spoke a gentle reply.
"Then what are you looking at. It's disconcerting," Elish let him know.
"Am sorry.'
.
Silence returned but not too long before Leo mustered the courage to speak again.
"Whats…" the room's door opened.
Mr. Parker and Commander walked in. Leo's attention reverted to them.
*Dad," he said.
His father flashed him a silent eye signal. He knew what it meant. Leo stood up from the chair and left the room, closing the door behind him.
ELISH
I looked at the two men left in the room. They were taking comfortable positions. I didn't need a prophecy to tell me I was the one they were here for.
I mean a mystery man shows up piggybacking a battered girl which you are looking for and wearing her Shorts, it's too normal to ask questions. I wonder who would go first.
My eyes pretentiously rolled around the room. From the mirror standing on a desk to the suitcase lain on the wall and then to the Little shoes by the door. The room was painted moody brown; It was definitely not a boy's room.
Someone let out a dry cough.
Unconsciously, I smiled… they are ready for me now. Somehow the thought of a question answer section amused me. I looked their way. My gaze met the grey hair's.
"I know we should have immediately we saw you, so I hope it's not too late to say 'thank you' for bring back Anamay. We really appreciate it."
… Anamay, so that's her name…
My eyes was on her. I looked away.
"Can we know your name," the man that came along with the grey hair asked me.
"Elish" I replied.
"Elish, what?"
"Huh," I gave him a confused reply.
"What is your family's name".
I paused for a moment, thought about it but nothing came to mind.
"I don't know. Honestly, I don't know If I have a family,"
"Were you in an accident?" Grey hair asked.
"I don't know either". The men gave each other stares then returned it to me.
"Then what do you remember."
'Yeah, what exactly do I remember'
I couldn't think of anything beyond what happened after I woke up lying on the ground. I guess it's what I will tell them.
"I remember waking up naked in the Forest. Not knowing where I am or anything else."
"The girl, where did you find her?" the other mister asked me.
"I saw her a few feet away when I decided to go looking for something to wear."
Unconsciously, their eyes went to the trunks I was wearing. I didn't want to hear what they wanted to ask so I gave them a reply.
"I thought she was dead. So I borrowed her clothes. Didn't know she was a 'SHE' then though."
"Ohhhhh."
They made gestures of understanding. My guess is they already thought of many things which could be the reason and we're not expecting my reply.
Honestly, I didn't want to know what they thought.
The moment of doused tension cleared almost Immediately and seriousness returned.
"So you mean to say…" and he brought to my attention something I unintentionally avoided realizing.
"You don't know who you are".
I heaved.
… ELISH, WHO ARE YOU?...