An Unexpected Guest
543 Words
Tom paced around the hospital room, the sterile environment a long way from feeling like home. He glanced at the patient who lay nearby, still cocooned in the remnants of their shared hospital stay. While Tom hadn't truly spent much time with the patient yet, the notion of them under one roof was a new reality.
This fleeting thought crossed his mind as he reached out to touch the fabric of the couch back home, its texture rubbing against his fingertips with an unexpected warmth—a sensation unmistakably alive, reminiscent of a sentient being.
Tom halted suddenly, the feeling starkly unfamiliar even over the span of two lives lived. He hesitated, fingers brushing over the bundle beneath the blanket. "Hey… you…" he started softly.
The blanket, tightly wound, tentatively parted, responding to his voice. He seized the moment, peeling the cover back.
Nestled within, the patient lay, brown hair tousled, face half-buried in the fabric. Lips pressed tautly together with a slight quiver of the eyelashes, every breath labored—not yet surrendering to pain, yet unmistakably alive, like a wounded wolf momentarily seeking refuge.
The presence was unmistakable.
Tom tightened his grip on the blanket, awaiting the tingling across his back to disperse. The urgency of a hospital had not felt overbearing, but here, the patient positioned on his couch was another matter entirely. It felt intrusive, like a cat's territory breached by a prowling beast, raising hairs along his spine.
In his moment of standing motionless, the patient subtly shifted, likely due to the wound's discomfort, rolling to a more relaxed position.
Yet the couch was a confined space; turning over pressed the patient's form close against him, the heat and rustle seeping through the fabric, evoking a fleeting image of a wolf brushing past him, sending a peculiar shiver from his waist upward.
Tom swallowed, the blanket slipping from his hand to cover the patient completely.
"…"
Settling on the edge of the couch, Tom exchanged glances with BB-8 beside him, the droid outwardly bewildered by the unexpected new family member. "So… what do we do now?" the little droid inquired, eyes wide with uncertainty.
"I have no idea," Tom mused, before inadvertently posing, "How do you think we should handle him?"
For BB-8, a simple-minded machine, such a question was perplexing. It seamlessly connected to the internet, seeking counsel from the vast expanse of digital wisdom.
"Conducting a search… How to manage an unexpected patient at home, how to care for an adopted stray patient, what specific actions to take when you unexpectedly host a patient..."
Answers streamed across the small display, converging into a shared consensus—
"Check his health, provide food and warmth, facilitate his recovery, and ensure proper care!" BB-8 declared, voice brimming with enthusiasm and certainty.
Silence settled in the room.
"…"
Tom covered his face partially, and after a long pause, he chided softly, "…Perhaps you should limit your internet access, especially avoiding dubious websites corrupting your system."
"Understood," BB-8 complied, disconnecting from the network without understanding the reasoning.
Tom exhaled deeply, deciding the best course was to carry on with routine tasks, letting things unfold naturally as they came. He directed BB-8 to recharge, then activated the smart assistant on his wrist.
- Writer
