LITTLE DEMON

ALINE'S POV

I came back with the doctor few minutes later and my breath almost knocked out of my lungs by the sight before me.

He laid on the floor still and he looked like he wasn't breathing.

'is he dead?.'

"Is he dead?." I asked the physician who was now examining him, the question on my mind.

"I hope not." John replied. John has been a great help to me ever since my parents death nine years ago. I became an orphan at the age of ten due to an accident on our way to my parents vacation house where I live now.

John was the one that treated me after the hospital discharged me three days after I was admitted because I was resisting treatment. He has been our family doctor and he never questions my actions of bringing injured people to him neither does he ask for payment.

"Help me get him on the bed." He gestured toward the stranger's legs. I moved to do as I was told but I couldn't carry him. He was as heavy as my fridge even when it was only his legs I was asked to carry.

"John I.... he's too heavy." John groaned before dropping the man's head back to the floor without paying attention, my heart almost jumped out of my mouth as I heard the loud bang of his head on the wooden floor.

John grabbed the mattress on the bed and spread it out on the little space beside the man, he rolled him unto the mattress before continuing his work.

He sat beside him and placed his head on his lap before opening the man's eyes using his thumb and shining one little light in his eyes. He placed his head on the man's chest before releasing a long sigh.

"He's alive."

I let out a relieved sigh at the news.

"Why isn't he moving then?"

John sighed again, "I have no idea kiddo, I gotta tell you this guy is perfectly fine and is in a deep slumber," he paused and gestured to the man's injured torso "apart from that, he probably haven't slept for days."

"But......but he looks still." Even after John's reassurance, I feel slightly disturbed.

"You worry a lot Lina." He gave me a reassuring smile. "I haven't seen Eric today."

"He threw a tantrum when I told him I might take the man in." I sighed. I found Eric three weeks ago with a sprained ankle in front of an abandoned shopping mall. He is very young and looks tattered. John treated is ankle and I took him in when he said he has nowhere to go.

I was looking for Eric the same night I came across the stranger and when I found him, he helped to call passersby to help me with the stranger.

"You what!?" John fired at me in disbelief.

"I was only saying, he could stay with us for few days until he gets better he....."

"Lina!, are you insane," he was looking at me like I grew two heads. "You want to take a stranger in, don't you think that is too dangerous?. You don't even know who he is."

"Eric was also a stranger." I defend myself

He sighed and placed his two hands on both sides of my shoulder squeezing lightly.

"Kiddo, you can't tell me you don't see the difference between Eric's situation and this guy's."

"I don't." I answer truthfully

He removed his hands from my shoulders before rubbing his temple.

"Lina I know you feel obligated to help people, but not everyone can be trusted. Eric is a child, but this.." he moved toward the man, " This here is a grown man, could be a married man, could be a con artist, could be in a cult, could be anything therefore taking him in is dangerous to you, you are still very young and might not understand the awkwardness there is in your decision."

"Well I......" I was saying when the man suddenly sat up. His eyes bore into mine with confusion evident in them.

"You're awake," John glared at him but he didn't flinch and his eyes were still glued to mine. Did he think I abandoned him earlier?.

"I went to get the doctor." I explained to him not sure if that's why he's being so calm now. His brow creased in confusion as he looked from me to John and back to me.

"Does it hurt?." John asked referring to his injury. "Man it's gonna leave a scar but it should heal within two weeks."

He didn't say a word and I find it strange, he was talking to me few moments ago.

"Are you hurt anywhere?." I was beginning to feel panicked that John might have hurt his brain earlier when he threw his head on the floor.

"What's your name, we'll have to contact your family to come get you ." Still nothing.

I moved closer to him and he moved back immediately bringing his legs to his chest and wrapping his arms around them.

"Don't move damnit you'll expand the injury." John yelled at him and he coiled himself again like he could get any smaller with that large body.

"Is he mute?"

"No of course not, he talked to me before I came to get you, I'm as confused as you are." I stretched my hand toward him to reassure him that I was not a threat.

"Hey, it's me. You said something gunshot earlier, can you tell us your address or anybody we can contact to come get you?." He kept staring at me like my face was some kind of amusement.

"John I think you hurt his brain." I was beginning to feel panicked.

"what! I didn't, I treated his waist not his head." John replied with annoyance. I felt guilty for accusing him too but I just can't ignore the fact that this man is entirely different from earlier.

"I think he hurt his head when you dropped it earlier." i calmly explained for him to see reasons with me. I crouched down beside me and stretched out my and once again with caution and this time he doesn't move away. I placed my hand on his forehead and his temperature was fine.

"What's your name?." He looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language.

"your.....N..a...m...eee." I gestured between us not sure what I was doing as long as the information was conveyed successfully.

"I guess his head is really hurt." John sighed behind me. "I'm calling the cops, maybe they might make some background research on him on keep him in a shed for the homeless before his family come for him."

"Or....or maybe I could just take him in before they come." my voice came out as small as I had intended.

"That's it Lina, I'm calling your Aunt Laura maybe she could speak some senses into your head." No,no,no not Aunt Laura!.

"John please, the shed's for kids. They won't be able to feed a grown up man like him to satisfaction." that was partly true.

"And you will?, You're in college for christ sake." he rolled his eyes sarcastically. He got me there.

"why do you insist on taking him in?." he searched my face for answers.

"Because I...I....I.... because he..I." I couldn't find the right words because I don't know why myself. right from the moment I saw him on the floor laying in a pool of his own blood, he looked small to me despite looking twenty_sevenish. I felt like he needed my protection and it sounds ridiculous even to me. And right now with his Black puppy eyes locked on me as if he was waiting for me to give him instructions. I giggled and decided to give my silly thought a try. John watched in conclusion as I stood straight with a serious face.

"Stand up." My voice was very commanding surprising me myself, But it worked. He got up immediately still giving me that puppy eyes. I want to do it again.

"Sit." and with a quiet thud, his butt fell to the floor. He definitely lost his senses.

"His brain is definitely affected." John sighed and I agreed with him while giggling.