Mates of a Human

Part One. Chapter Six. Alex.

She was not the only patient to 'adopt' me. I was mostly assigned to clean the state of the art geriatric wing, which was fine by me. The elderly women there were all happy to talk to this grandmama's boy. And there was Clover. She was 64, a ward nurse with a life time of experience working throughout the hospital and looking forward to her retirement. She looked out for me and tried to share her cookies with me during breaks.

All in all, even if I could not say I was happy and loving life, I also could not say I was sad or longing for something more. I just was.

After another fairly long shift, where I had just finished making the urinals actually not smell of bad aim and had disinfected the bathroom top to bottom, I looked at my watch and saw that I had just five minutes left. I stretched my spine until it practically popped and rolled my shoulders before collecting the equipment to return to the janitors room. That was a good few minutes walk away in this section of the hospital so I gathered it all up, hoping to make it in one bout, my cleaning trolley had lost its wheel and I was waiting for maintenance to fix it. I was successful and cleaned myself up in the janitors wide sink, removing my rubber gloves and washing my hands and arms in anti-bacterial soap.

I wiped the sweat from my brow, before adjusting my cap. I should probably get my hair cut again, it was falling into my eyes at every opportunity. The hairdresser I last used had asked me if I wanted to dye it and I had given her an odd look. Why would I do that when I couldn't even see my natural colour anymore? I won't be using that hairdresser anymore. It's not totally her fault, I am not a talkative person anymore and hairdressers are often expected to engage clients in conversation. I just want to get my hair cut.

I was still thinking about this when Clover caught my eye and waved me over. "Hi, Clover," I greeted her and she smiled excitedly as she hooped her arm through mine.

"I haven't heard any updates about your lovelife," she said to me as she guided me down the corridor to the nurses station. That was where she kept her stash of biscuits.

"What love life?" I asked, as if she did not already know the answer. "Have you decided to go on a date with me?"

She slapped my arm as I offered her a small smile. I felt a little more myself when I was in the company of her or our elderly patients. I could joke again, even if I could not laugh. "I should really introduce you to my nephew's son," Clover said. "Except his preference is for a small, petite male. So fussy, refusing to look below the surface. It's unsurprising that he is still single!" Clover knew that I was not gender specific, but that I had once loved a man. She would often point out new nurses and doctors, male and female and ask me how I felt. As usual, there was nothing, but it did not stop her from trying.

"I am not sure I want another muscle man anyway." The way Clover has described the man was basically as a meathead, just like Marcus and his friends. That ship had sailed in more ways than one.

"Anyway, I have a new crop for you to inspect," Clover told me causing me to groan. She just wished to torment me, I swear. There was always a teeny, tiny part of me deep down inside that wanted to feel again, that wanted to know emotion again, but it had not happened so far, so I was already beginning to doubt that it ever would. "Now, now. This might be it! The new doctor, you haven't met him yet, it will be his first night shift on geriatrics and there are two nurses, one young man and a woman."

"Okay, I will look over them," I said, reluctantly. "And then I am calling it a night, agreed?"

"Of course!" Clover replied, too quickly.

"You owe me for this," I warned.

"Chocolate or lemon drizzle?" Clover asked.

"I don't eat cake," I reminded her. Just like my sense of sight, my taste buds were also muted. I ate lightly, because I had to eat though most things were tasteless to me. I never touched steak.

"You need to eat more," she told me, poking at my ribs. I just nodded, half-heartedly agreeing with her, without making any plains to change my diet.

She sat me down beside her and soon pointed to a petite, male nurse. He was kind of cute, but there was no attraction. "Your grand nephew would love him," I said dryly. She rolled her eyes and indicated the tall, lithe nurse. She looked haughty and full of herself. She was beautiful and she knew it and I really was not interested. I told Clover this, but the woman was still holding out for number three.

After ten minutes, when the good doctor did not show, I told Clover that I really needed to leave and said I would meet him another day. She was disappointed to the point I felt a little bad, but I didn't want to stick around any longer. I headed for the elevator and waited for it to arrive on my floor. It opened revealing a broad shouldered man, not much taller than me, in a white, doctor's coat. He seemed to sniff the air and his eyes widened brightly, I quickly nodded my head and brushed past him as he left the elevator and I entered. As the doors closed between us, I really tried not to stare at him, he who was openly staring back. His eyes were really blue.