Good Night Sweetheart

Fresh Start

I nodded off during the five-hour flight. I guess I was more tired than I thought I was. The bump of the wheels hitting the runway to land wakes me with a bit of a jerk, and I looked out the window. The bright noonday sun burned my eyes. I wasn’t prepared for it, shutting them tight for a moment and turning away and rubbing them to relieve the sting.

“Pretty bright when you aren’t expecting it,” the passenger next to me chuckles a little.

“Yeah, you could say that,” I reply, blinking a few times.

“Where are you headed to?” He asks. The man looks harmless, but I don’t want to tell anyone where I’m headed.

“Oh, I’m here to visit family. I’ll be in town for a few days. I haven’t seen Mom and Dad in a few years. I’m sure sis will be happy to see me for about a minute before she takes off with her friends.” I laugh, and he laughs too.

“Well, maybe I’ll see you around.” He replies. I nod, trying to be friendly, but I won’t be staying here. I still have a few hours to drive to get where I’m going. I collect my bag from the overhead compartment and head off to rent a car.

It only took an hour, but I’m finally driving to my new temporary home. I wish I could have a life that didn’t mean running every few years. I miss the days when I had family and friends, people to care for, and people to care about me.

The drive is full of memories of things I thought I had buried, but they have a way of all coming back to me with every move and fresh start. I think about the people I knew once and the ones I’ll never see again. I haven’t aged, but they have all turned to dust by now; nothing should live forever, but I will live, like some law against nature and time. I will remain unchanged and forever moving on and starting over.

***

When I finally pull into the little town of Wood River, population three thousand and one, I mentally add. The sun is killing me, even with sunglasses and tinted windows. I’m starting to get a headache from it, and my skin itches. It’s more irritating than painful. I roll up to the apartment building, eager to get inside my new apartment. I plan to sleep the rest of the day because tomorrow I start my new job, this time as Keith Morgan. I kept my last name. Thinking about it now, that might have been a mistake. But it is a reasonably common name now, so I’m hoping for the best; Morgan was the name my mother had given me, and I like to use it when I can; call me sentimental.

Unlocking the door to the apartment and finding it stacked with boxes and all of my furniture just set in the middle of the room makes me groan and rub my forehead. Well, they got it here, and so far, nothing looks damaged, so I’m calling it a win.

I drop my bag and head for the bedroom, falling onto the bed. My room is in the same state as the rest of the apartment, but I don’t care. I will fix it later. Right now, sleep is the only thing I need. I didn’t even care to close the curtain; I’m too tired. I know I slept on the plane, but that was hardly sleeping if you ask me. Every noise woke me just enough to keep me from sleeping well.

The alarm on my phone buzzes and I roll over, grabbing it off the nightstand. The battery is low, and I kick myself for forgetting to charge the stupid thing. Oh well, I will be getting a new one later today anyway, so it won’t matter much. Not like anyone calls me. I only get calls from whatever hospital I work at, and the small clinic will be no different, except I will get even fewer calls now.

After showering, I stare at myself in the foggy bathroom Mirror; I wipe my hand across it.

“Well, Keith Morgan, nice to meet you.” I finish getting ready and grab my glasses, slipping my bag over my shoulder and heading out the door. The clinic is only a short walk from my apartment, another bad habit I seem to have. If she is looking for me, I should probably see if I can move to somewhere further out of town, but I do like the walk.

The town is neat and clean, a little old, and the buildings all have an old-fashioned feel. I think I’m going to like it here. I was too busy taking in the sights of the town. I didn’t see her and walked straight into the poor woman. Her red hair obscures her face as the stack of college books fall to the ground, and her coffee douses my white shirt. She smells like heaven, and my eyes go wide.

“I’m sorry.” she gasps, still not looking at me as she crouches down to retrieve her books. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“That makes two of us. It’s my fault,” I say, trying to control my breathing, something in me stirring and threatening to take over. I have been able to suppress it for so long, but this is different. I pick up a book at the exact moment she does, brushing her hand. She is so warm, and I feel infatuated. She looks up at me, her hazel eyes shifting color in the sun. I pull my hand back from hers quickly and push my glasses up.

“Oh no, your shirt. I’m really sorry, mister…” she trails off, unsure what to call me.

“Morgan, Doctor Morgan,” I reply a bit too quietly, and she tilts her head, making her waterfall of red curls fall to the side. I clear my throat. “It was all my fault I was taking in the sights and not looking where I was going,” I reassure her that I am to blame.

She glances at her wristwatch and gives a small gasp hurrying to collect the last of her books.

“Well, it was nice to meet you, but I have to run. Sorry again about your shirt.” She stands and hurries off.

“Wait, I didn’t get your name,” I call. I can’t just let her leave before I know it, but she doesn’t hear me over the passing cars, and when one stops, a girl leans out the window.

“Come on, we will be late, and Professor Barns hates that.” The driver says, rather frantic.

I watch as she hops in the passenger seat, and the silver Honda pulls away. I can’t get her out of my mind, and I swear I felt it, but that couldn’t be right, she’s human, and I’m sure I’m just being stupid. I can still smell her in the air all around me, and it makes my blood race.

“Pull it together, Morgan,” I mutter to myself. I look down at my coffee-soaked shirt and pick up the cup she forgot, throwing it in the bin as I continue to the clinic.

The short walk and the sun have my shirt mostly dry by the time I get to the clinic. I would have gone back to change, but that would have made me late, so the coffee-stained shirt it is.

“Aww, Doctor Morgan, I presume.” As I look around the quaint country office, the man in his sixties comes strolling out of an exam room. “What on earth happened to you?” he asks, taking in the large stain on my shirt.

“Oh, just a bit of a run-in this morning. I didn’t have time to go and change.” I confess, a bit embarrassed.

“Oh, never mind, it will be fine. I’ll get you a coat. It’s nice to meet you in person, son.” He smiles, motioning for me to follow him. I cringe a little why do they all call me son?

I had a couple of phone interviews with Doctor Thomas, but this is my first time meeting him in person. I wish my mind would stop drifting back to the beautiful red curls and hazel eyes I met this morning. I can’t tell what I want to do with her, but none of them are pure thoughts, and my darker side threatens the worst.

We walk to his office, and he hands me a coat. I put my bag down and slipped the coat on. “Well, let me show you around, and then we will get to seeing patients. The first appointment is at nine.

“That sounds good, sir,” I say, but he scowls at me.

“I told you over the phone none of that sir nonsense. Doctor Thomas or Jim will do just fine.” He looks at me sternly. “Sir makes me feel so old.” He jokes.

“Okay, Doctor Thomas, then.” I relent, smiling and making him smile as well.

“Good, now let’s get you settled and start the day.” He claps me on the shoulder and heads out of his office, making me follow behind him. This should be an interesting place. I think to myself, red hair still invading my thoughts.