At the hospital
Pale white light beamed from the overhead lamps of the clinic. The air was still, broken only by the distant beeping of machines and the soft chatter of nurses passing by.
Athena sat on the waiting room bench outside the examination room, arms folded in her lap, one knee bouncing with anxious energy. Beside her, Lucy crossed her legs, her gaze locked on the glass window that offered a view inside the room.
They could clearly see the man sitting on the exam table, still wearing the pink coat and bunny pajama pants, while a doctor and two nurses surrounded him. One nurse tried to strap a blood pressure cuff around his arm. The man looked stiff, his eyes darting around the room like he was trying to figure out how each device worked.
When the doctor moved to place a stethoscope on his chest, the man leaned back slightly, visibly confused. Another nurse had to gently guide his hand so he wouldn't unplug the EKG cables attached to his body.
"Look at him," Athena murmured. "He's like a baby seeing the world for the first time. Like… everything's brand new to him."
Lucy leaned her head back against the wall, sighing. "Well, one thing's for sure… he's not normal."
Athena turned. "What do you mean?"
Lucy gave her a serious look and whispered, "Athena, that man is incarnation of God!"
Athena blinked. "What?"
"I mean, he's too perfect. No guy on this earth looks like that. Not just handsome, but like… not even human."
Athena rolled her eyes. "Oh my God, Lucy, can you be serious for one second?"
"I am serious!" Lucy turned back toward the glass, studying him. "I've watched every K-drama, every Hollywood film, read hundreds of novels. None of their leading men had the kind of face he has. If he turned out to be an alien doing human research, I wouldn't be shocked."
Athena let out a tired laugh, but her eyes quickly returned to the man. "But what if he never remembers who he is? What am I supposed to do? I don't even know who to call. The police? Social services? A freaking TV station?"
Lucy glanced at her, then gave a small smile. "You have to take him in."
Athena turned sharply. "What?!"
Lucy laughed, patting her thigh. "Come on. You don't really have a choice. Look at him, he doesn't even have shoes. He's gonna rely on you until he recovers. Or remembers who he is."
Athena stared at her like she was losing her mind. "Lucy, my place is tiny. One bedroom. It's basically an attic. I don't even have a dining table, let alone a guest room. I barely survive on my paycheck, and now you want me to feed a second person?"
Lucy shrugged. "Then give him an apron and put him to work at bakery. Consider him an unpaid intern. I bet Madam Janet would love it."
Athena rubbed her temples, nearly groaning. "He doesn't even have clothes, Lucy. Literally. All he owns is that ridiculous bunny pajama set."
Lucy grinned. "Well, at least he's not complaining."
Athena shot her a look but couldn't help the tired smile that tugged at her lips. They fell quiet again.
Inside the room, the man was staring at his reflection on the EKG monitor. His brows furrowed, like he was trying to recognize the person in front of him… but nothing clicked.
A few minutes later, the door opened and a middle-aged man in a white coat stepped out, a stethoscope draped around his neck, his face calm but slightly intrigued.
Athena and Lucy stood up immediately.
"Doctor?" Athena asked, hopeful. "How is he?"
The doctor offered a small smile. "Don't worry. Medically speaking, he's in excellent health."
Athena frowned. "Wait… nothing's wrong with him?"
He shook his head slowly. "No serious injuries. No signs of concussion. Heart's good. Blood pressure's normal. Motor skills are all intact. Even the X-rays and neural tests came back… perfect."
Athena looked stunned. "But… he doesn't even know who he is. He doesn't remember anything. How is that possible if his brain is fine?"
The doctor sighed and tucked his clipboard into his coat pocket.
"It could be trauma. A mild head injury, or more likely, psychological trauma. It may have triggered dissociative amnesia, where the brain blocks out memories to protect itself from extreme emotional distress."
Lucy nodded slowly. "Like… the body's way of surviving a horrible event?"
"Exactly," the doctor replied. "I don't see any physical trauma, so it's most likely something deeply emotional."
Athena bit her lip, clearly unsure.
"How long… until he remembers?" she asked softly.
"I'm not sure," the doctor said gently. "Could be days. Weeks. Even years. But typically, if surrounded by a calm environment and people who care, the memories come back little by little."
Athena nodded again, still looking overwhelmed.
The doctor glanced back into the room. "For now, he just needs rest and good food. I can write a referral to a psychiatrist if you'd like to pursue a deeper psychological evaluation."
Athena gave a faint nod. There were too many thoughts swirling in her head. She stepped to the door and looked into the room.
The man sat on the edge of the exam table, posture straight, head tilted slightly as he stared at the heart monitor
Beep... beep... beep
it pulsed softly, as if playing a new melody for him.
He traced the cords with his fingers, gently touching the sensor on his arm, then stared at the numbers on the screen like he was trying to find some hidden meaning.
Athena bit her lower lip. She still didn't know who this man was. But more frightening was the realization that he now depended on her, while she herself was barely surviving.
"Hey…"
Lucy walked up beside her.
Athena glanced at her. "I don't know what to do."
"We'll take him to my house," Lucy said suddenly.
Athena blinked. "What?"
"He can wear my late father's old clothes. I think their builds are kinda similar."
Athena hesitated. "But… are you sure? I mean… those were your late father's clothes. I don't want your mom to be upset I gave them to a stranger."
Lucy leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. "Athena, my mom wouldn't care if a stranger wore my father's clothes. Especially if that stranger looks like him... he's so charming."
Athena furrowed her brow. "Wait, seriously?"
Lucy nodded with a smirk. "She barely talks about him anymore. She's too busy gushing about some guy at work, Mr. Gustavo. Honestly, my father's clothes are just museum pieces gathering dust."
Athena looked unsure.
Lucy leaned closer and whispered, "Plus, I've walked in on her bringing strange men home before… and I don't mean strangers from church. Big bellies, thick mustaches... it's disgusting."
Athena grimaced. "Lucy…"
Lucy snorted, pushed the exam room door open with her elbow, and walked in with a bright smile.
The man turned the moment they entered. His ice-blue eyes flicked to Lucy, then to Athena.
Athena followed, offering a tentative smile. "Hey. You okay?"
He looked at her for a moment.
"I… am hungry," he said softly.
Athena and Lucy exchanged glances.
"Alright, let's get you something to eat. What would you like?" Athena asked gently.
The man seemed to think, his eyes drifting toward the wall as if trying to remember something buried deep.
"I want ambrosia. And… a little nectar."
Athena furrowed her brow. "Ambrosia?"
Lucy choked. "Wait… did you just say ambrosia? Like... food of the gods? From Greek mythology?"
The man nodded slowly, his expression still soft and calm.
Athena stared. "But… that's not even real. That's just a myth."
He looked at her and shook his head.
"It's real. Sweet. Soft. White. There's light inside it. I want that."
Lucy stared at him like she'd just realized something bigger. "Okay. This is getting weird again."
Athena looked down, letting out a long breath. She didn't know if he was hallucinating… or if something inside him truly didn't belong to this world.
She rubbing her face, she muttered, "Okay. Ambrosia, huh? Let's start with something sweet. I can't promise there'll be light inside."
Lucy chuckled.
"Hahaha? Maybe Vanilla cream donuts will help!"
The man didn't laugh, but his eyes lit up ever so slightly like a child getting his favorite treat.