A Vagrant Story by Paul Croasdell Read Free Book Online Page B

him. Despite the other patients he would talk to Henry whenever passing. Each time he brought a new question to ask, varying from a personal level to medical history. It made him feel all the more flustered, as though under interrogation. But the doctor’s reassuring smile hinted of a genuine sincerity. He looked like a kind man.
    After continuous on and off conversations, Henry had to ask, “Do they need me for anything else? Nobody’s said anything.”
    The doctor scanned his clipboard. “I don’t see anything else here. Looks like all you need is a good rest.”
    “So everything checks out?”
    “You suffered some smoke inhalation and passed out. We got it under control so it shouldn’t be too serious.”
    “But … it was a fire.”
    “And you got lucky. Take a look around you, half the people in this room aren’t as lucky as you.”
    “So … I’m going to be okay?”
    “You should be fine. Although there was just … one problem … turns out I had to delay the end of my shift to help you. It’s no big deal really, except that my brother happens to be my replacement today so that means he gets extra time off. He has this annoying habit of rubbing in the slightest of victories. I wouldn’t be surprised to get home and find him laying back with a can of beer, just to get on my nerves. Oh, now I’m just babbling, sorry.”
    Henry smiled. “Yeah, I know the type. My brother used to … do stuff like that.”
    “So … you have a brother. Won’t he be coming to visit you?”
    “No. Leon … Leon isn’t around anymore. He went away for a while.”
    “You don’t see much of him then. Mine’s the same, even though we live together, you know, to cover rent. Since we usually work on different shifts we’re always home at different times - it’s kind of strange really. At least you still have your parents to force the two of you together from time to time.”
    “Not exactly … my parents are dead.
    “I’m sorry. You still have your brothers, right?”
    “Leon took off shortly after that - haven’t seen him since. He was under a lot of pressure back then, I couldn’t really blame him. Back then it seemed like accidents followed him around – bad accidents.”
    Henry watched the trace amounts of pity rising in the doctor’s eyes. It had become like second nature to watch for those signs of pity. They showed up nearly every time he spoke to someone new. Building a wall of pity around himself came to be the only way he could get through to people, the only way he could get anyone to stay with him. Unintentional as it might be he too often failed to discourage it.
    An image of the future flashed into Henry’s mind. He could picture the doctor joking about this to his co-workers. At the back of his mind he heard the doctor repeating their conversation to a crowd of laughing people. This image vanished in wake of the doctor’s tolerant smile. Henry figured it might do some good to lose some extra baggage. Chances were he wouldn’t see this man again anyway.
    “Maybe you should call him sometime,” the doctor said.
    “I’m not even sure where he is,” Henry said. “Even if I did, I doubt it’d do much good. He wouldn’t stay with me back then, why would he want to stay now I’m homeless?”
    “They say absence makes the heart grow stronger.“
    “Not with him. If he cared he wouldn’t have vanished like a total stranger.”
    “You poor fellow. You lost your parents. Your brother left. You don’t have a home to go to … You’re all alone.” The doctor perked with curiosity. “Have you any friends?”
    “Well … there are some people, but … No. Well … sometimes I’m not so sure they really are my friends.”
    “I understand. Fitting into groups can be tough, whatever class they are. So … you are all alone then.” He leaned forward while emphasising the last part.
    Henry couldn’t tell if it was a statement or a question. It caught him off guard though, so much so he