You and Me (Shia & Misery)

[Misery]

Name :  Michael Austin   
Role :  Doctor
Age :  42
Height :  6’ 1”
Weight : 178
Body Type : Fit
Hair Color/Style : dirty blonde / short and combed back
Other features :  Green eyes, Glasses

Details

Personality :    Very open and friendly person.  Always puts others needs over his own.  In his professional setting he is outgoing always putting the care of his patients first.  In his personal life he is very quiet, and to some extent his professional career has sucked the life out of any personal life he may have.  He often will work himself until only exhaustion is left.  He is very lonely and has resorted to writing to bring a spark of passion back into his life. 

Character Background:   Being a doctor and helping others is all he ever wanted to do.  Growing up in a small town, he always wanted a practice that put people first not simply to herd them in and get them out.  He sees each of his patients himself and takes the time to talk to them.    His parents were very supportive of his life ambition which is likely a huge contributor to his successful practice at his age.     

[Misery]

Finally arriving home, Michael throws the keys recklessly on the bar before making himself a gin and tonic.  With his first sip his body immediately begins the slow process of relaxing.  Today had been especially hard.  With the flu season in full swing his office was full of people needing his care.  Follow a full day there then to head to the hospital to check on each of his half a dozen patients there.  He cares greatly for each of them and spends a considerable amount of time just talking or holding their hand if needed.

Taking another sip of his drink, he sits down to the computer to begin reviewing charts of his more ill patients.  As he stares at the screen he rubs the haziness from his eyes.  Unable to concentrate any further on others, he decides to surf the Internet.  First things first, checking out his membership at the dating site, he was a let down by the fact there was no messages for him.  Taking a long draw on his gin until the ice are resting lightly against his upper lip.   Michael decides another drink is in order, and quickly makes a second, stronger gin and tonic.  Feeling a little depressed he begins driving aimlessly through the Internet not looking for anything particular but simply creating a distraction from his loneliness. 

Finishing his second drink of the evening, he calls begins to call it an evening.  Catching his eye was a site that catered to writers and storytellers of the adult nature.  He enjoyed writing immensely when he was in college.  Writing at one point could have been a career had his medical career fallen through.  He clicked on the link and read excitedly more about the site.  Deciding to test the waters he posted a small short story about a dancing maiden under the name kNighted.   As he wrote the story his loneliness had been forgotten and his depression gone. 

[Shia]

And for many other people as well this blooming site meant a cheerful-joyful shelter against the attacks of everyday life and soon there was a comment on his story, only an hour later. It must have been somebody in the same time zone... then her profile prooved his suspects.
- 'AlienFriend' even lived in the same town as he did!
No info about her age though, nor an MSN contact or an e-mail.
Just a few kind lines under the last sentence of his story, the number of her posts above two thousand!

'Dear kNighted - began the short but sweet post. 'I really found your story nice and charming. I wish myself to be that dancing maiden :) *winks* I'd be happy to co-write with you if you feel like that. I haven't got a list of plots but I'm rather open to write any great adventure until it stays withing the borders of sanity and good mood. PM me if interested.
And welcome to Luxury of The Heart.
*curtsies and smiles*
Alien'


A cute grass-green UFO-girl smiling at Michael as her avatar, just like she was waiting for his answer...
:)

[Misery]

His day could not end fast enough.  He was more anxious than he expected to see what others thought of his story.  He was hoping for more responses than he has been getting from the dating services.  Arriving home the sun just barely seen over the roof of his condo.  Walking in the door he throws his keys onto the bar and quickly makes himself a gin and tonic.  Sitting down he pulls up the Luxury of the Heart site and immediately his eye are captured by the beautiful green UFO girl avatar .  He quickly reads her comments.  He captures her name, whispering it to himself several times, "Alien".   

He slowly read her comments a second time, letting each word roll of his tongue.  Looking over her writing statistics he can tell she has been writing for some time and obviously enjoys it.  His mind begins to wander thinking of everyone he knows and wondering.  She is so close but so little clues  to who she really is.

Smiling he sits back thinking of an appropriate reply to send to her.  After finishing his gin and tonic he begins to type.  Alien...Thank you for the wonderful comments.  It was my first story and really anxious to see what others thought.  I would love to do a story with you.  I think I can manage some sane story.  Would you care to do a story that follows your namesake?  Something related with aliens by chance?    I hope to hear from you.   kNighted

Pressing send Michael began to think more about who she was and what kind of story would be appropriate for his first partner.  Unable to recall a time when he was this excited he grabbed another drink to calm himself down. 

Finishing for the evening he shuts the computer down and crawls into bed.  His last thought before drifting to sleep was if she would write.

[Shia]

Another PM came. Again almost at the same time as he logged in. The same laconic kindness.

'UFOs! Wow! *smiles and winks playfully* Okay then, let's place our romance up in the skies ;) Or would you like to write a human male/alien female pairing?... I'm open, so...
Wishing you a pleasant time.
*hugs*
Alien'



* * *


The nursing wing of the city's largest hospital was the same quiet and torturingly peaceful, except the raised voice of a nurse filtering out from Patient room 55, one of the closest to the receptionist's desk.
"This is the last time I tell you!... Turn off the computer, please!... I'll call a doctor if you..." etc.
The busy stirring of mornings here only meant more tasks and more tray rolled along the almost empty corridors but that was all. Numb noises, coughs and turned up television sets, mingling with the marring scent of disinfectants... Actually there wasn't much difference between this unit and the one in the basement -the one that had the least of windows and living patients...- except some mushy paintings and sheets with the dates of sermons of all sorts of religions.
Then the room's door closed again with a medium loud 'bang' and a very upset reddish nurse returning behind the counter, rubbing her face like she was the only victim on this beautiful planet...
"I give up..." - she hissed to the piles of papers and grabbing one she tried to make herself useful.
And much more successful than she was a few minutes ago, dealing with a seemingly very tough patient...

[Misery]

Getting an early start, Micheal checks his account and sees that she had replied to his post almost immediately.  Impressed he quickly opens the message and begins reading.  As he reads a smile leaps to his face.  Oh human / alien female how interesting he thinks. 

Alien      human male / female alien would indeed sound very interesting.  I am a virgin to this writing process so please bear with me if I have questions as we go along.     Would the female have kidnapped the male for some purpose?   I look forward to your reply.     kNighted 

Finishing his post he signs off and heads to the hospital to make some early morning rounds.

Standing at the nurses station going through his patients charts he hears the commotion from down the hall.  A perplexed look crosses his face when he sees a very frustrated nurse come storming out of a room and sits down in front of him.  He asks, "Is everything okay?  I could not help but over hear pieces of your conversation from here and is there anything I can do to help?  Would you like me to talk to your patient"    While the patient was not one of his, maybe he could intervene a little to arbitrate for some peace. 

[Shia]

It was hard to decide whether it was her fiery curls or plump cheeks that became more reddish once Michael offered his help and expressed his kind willingness to intervene. Crab-red, actually... Maybe it was more or less an abandoned island within the hospital, yes - but they were proud as well. Proud enough to try to scare fellow doctors away, doctors that didn't belong there, nor their professionalism. It was not a place of dying people but of dying humanity, after all.
"Excuse me, but who are you exactly, doctor...?"
Almost as soon as her lips finished forming this question another sharp noise started to filter out from the same room again. This time the program of a classical music channel - approximately with triple volume.
"I'm sure we can handle our patients.. just like you yours.. hopefully..." - the middle-aged woman striked back through the storm and frustrated she left her post again to check on this dogged habitant of the unit...

...Leaving all the charts on the counter at Michael's mercy. At the top of No.55's there was a name written with a pinkish glittering marker, all the capital letters formed awkwardly but still readable:
ALLIE
The below the official anamnesis.
Name: Alliana Stewart
Age: 23
Diagnose: ...
Well, it was tempting to pull out the chart and get to know more about her, especially that measuring it from her age she could be the youngest citizen of this valley of shadows, somebody who shouldn't be here, really shouldn't.

[Misery]

Michael was a bit taken aback at the response, "I apolgize, was only offering what assistance I could provide."  Turning his attention back to his own patient charts. Flipping through the charts he hears the incredibly loud music and smiles as the nurse jumps to take care of her next incident. 

Noticing that the chart was left sitting there, "Well Allie, lets take a peak at what we have here."   Leafing through the pages of her chart, Alliana was her real name and younger than he would have expected being in this part of the hospital for more difficult or longer term cases.  From her chart he tell from the number and notes that she was bed ridden but to the exact cause was a mystery.   

One to not let a mystery pass him by, he walks down the silent halls his heels echo announcing his coming.  Stopping by door numbered 55 but does not immediately step in but peers around the door to see the nurse flustered trying to get Alliana to quiet down.  His eyes finally settle Alliana his breath leaves his lips in a fast rush, "Oh my."

[Shia]

Though she was thin as an icicle and her whole body was contorted in a more than weird posture -her head and one of her hands supported by pillows- still her warm brown eyes were radiating such strength like she was an empress or perhaps Janne d'Arc herself! Also she was fighting like the latter one against this witch dressed as a nurse, at least as much as he could see it from behind her laptop that was set on a movable stand close to her bed. She was somewhere halfway between sitting and lying but her voice was definitely a raised one - hardly understandable, it rather reminded of random moans and growls which immediately made Michael recognise: whatever her disease was it harmed her neural system more than much.
"L iv mmm yu bi ch!" Allie's lips were struggling with expressing a proper upset curse, her face in a distorted grimace, her nape lifting time to time as she strained to defeat her, now that Verdi was gone.
- They didn't even notice he entered...

[Misery]

After watching for just a few moments Michael slides into her room quietly. Just as he is upon the nurse he quickly says, "I am sorry to intrude but I really think I can help."   Before she had a chance to give him another speech he takes a seat next to Alliana.  "Alliana or do you prefer Allie?  My name is Dr. Austin but you may call me Michael."  As he speaks he watches her eyes, the life that sits behind those eyes he knows is amazing full of thoughts and ideas.  "I would like to help you if I may.   Are you comfortable with me helping you?"   He looks to the nurse with a look of dismissal in his eyes.

"So tell me a little about yourself."  As she gets ready to speak he takes out a small notebook and pen.  Before she speaks he is already writing some ideas on the paper.  He will talk to her Doctor to compare notes and some thoughts.

[Shia]

So the witch was gone - placing the remote control elsewhere, in an incredible distance: at the top of the chest of drawers in front of the wall, behind Michael's back. So no hope. No more Verdi for today...
But good ol' Tube was still there and turning her head towards the visitor, carefully taking the electronic pen in her mouth again -until now it was resting next to her laptop- she quickly navigated herself on the site and chose to listen to the same masterwork that was just quit by the nurse-disguised monster.
Dr. Austin or Michael or whoever he was was completely ignored, she rather faced the window, with closed eyes she was drinking in every little note, every little pause, every change in pace, her features more relaxed now, revealing some of her once existing beauty, her straight dark brown hair framing it nicely, even if it was put together in a halfly destroyed ponytail. 

Was she grateful for his generous help?... Was she disturbed by his presence?... Was she.. happy with him being around?...
It seemed she had the same bitter experience in connection with doctors as she had with caretakers. And it seemed she became a wizard of 'visible disappearance'...

[Misery]

He took in the exchange between the nurse and Alliana with great interest.  He picked up remote control and placed it within her reach.  Unused to being so ignored, he simply took a seat in the corner and watched as she set to playing some wonderful music.  Rather than comment he sat there and simply listened to the music and watched her.  There was such beauty there just needing to be let out.   After sitting there for what seemed to be a very long time, he checked his watch and realized his time here was up and the rest of his day needed to be started.

"Alliana, it was a pleasure to meet you.  Your music is wonderful.  I would very much like to come back tomorrow and listen to some of your other music."   Not sure if he expected an answer or not, but he watched her closely.   He walks to the door and slowly exits, guiding the door to a silent closure.

[Shia]

But before the day ended Doctor Michael Austin got an SMS from an unknown number. No hint, not even a call before from the same person - then how could that somebody know his number and dare to disturb at such a late hour?...
Anyway, those lines were laconic yet so charmingly kind.
SORRY.JUST THOUGHT U ARE A BASTARD TOO LIKE OTHER WHITE CAPED ONES.I WAS WRONG.NICE TO MEET U KNIGHT RIDER.GOOD NIGHT.ALLIE

[Misery]

Entering through his nightly ritual he makes himself a drink and prepares to turn on the computer to check his writing site.  His cell vibrates telling him an incoming message has arrived.  Reading it several times he smiles and laughs lightly remembering Allie from this morning, A bastard huh? I guess in the morning I will have to work harder.   A perplexed look crosses his face and he whispers, "Knight Rider, what is that supposed to mean?"  Sitting there staring at his computer, a flicker of a thought strikes him.  Would she be Alien' he wonders.  He types out a short, professional reply, "Good Night Alliana, it was a pleasure to meet you today."  his mind spinning still unsure what she meant.

As he contemplates her meaning further, he begins to log into the writing site.   He takes a long draw on his drink to help clear the confusion bouncing through his mind.  If it was her, maybe she will give him a clue. 

[Shia]

But this 'Allie' here was the same, usual energetic and joking just like yesterday and the day before yesterday, nothing special that would have referred to the other one he met in the hospital, pale and beautiful.

'Hey there :),

Noooo, I don't think it's a kidnap-story, at least kidnapping is really not my style *winks and pats your shoulder playfully*. I think it's rather... maybe a chance meeting while he's out somewhere as an expert, in a forest or maybe at one of the two poles of Earth... How do you like this?...'



No signature. So this time she planned to stay longer...?

[Misery]

Noticing that a message shows up and the time shows it is current.  There is nothing in the messages indicating anything other than another fan of writing.  oh well, maybe I am pulling to many things together.    Setting the drink down he rubs his soft hands together and prepares to reply. 

Alien'    :-)  I am not sure my character would be very good at being a captive.     I really like your idea of the chance meeting and some place without much in the way of others.    How about the South pole?  Very remote and desolate, it may add a more surreal tone to their meeting.   I am also thinking he has been out there alone maintaining this one lone facility for a long time. 

Your writing partner 
kNighted   

[Shia]

Wow! :) Now I see why you've ended up here *chuckles and applauds* My friend, you have a very vivid fantasy, to say so - I can almost see the whole meeting in front of my eyes! *dances around*
I'm honoured to write with you ;) An abandoned facility is just fine.
Who should start our story then and where? Forum?... PM-s?...
I'm open :)
*nods*

[Misery]

Her reply comes back quickly.  Being new and all a sense of pride wells up for such compliments from some one such as her that has been writing much longer than he is.

*blushes and smiles*  My secret is out.  *feigns mock terror*   My fantasies and imagination were put on hold so long ago, it feels good to let them out of the bottle so to speak and with someone as so eloquent as yourself.    Forum, this way we can share the magic of the story with others if they so desire to read it.   

Your humble writing partner
kNighted   

Michael sits back reading his reply one last time before sending along.  He begins to form the beginning of their story in his mind. The thrill of writing again has his fingers abuzz with new energy. 

[Shia]

So... dear you, master of words, charming women even without meeting them face to face ;)... Would you like to start our topic then? *winks and smiles playfully* I'd be pleased to read you first, as it's such a rare occasion in my forum life :)) *strokes back hair on her very wise white head* :P

[Misery]

He lets out a little laugh, Charming?  he says to the screen. 

I am not sure I am as charming as i would like to be otherwise.....well here is to a great story.  Yes, I would be honored to start this story.  *tentatively reaches but hesitates to touch such lovely white hair*

I have started what I believe will be a fascinating story.

Your humble writing partner
kNighted   


Forum Start: 
Just like any other day the wind seeped into any crack that was made available.  Just once to feel the kiss of warmth.  Even with layers of clothes it was never warm.  The last month he has taken up to mumbling to himself. "That is what I get for signing up for this wretched place."  Having been in his post at the pole, for now 6 months on what was supposed to be a 3 month rotation.  His radio has been down for 2 months and it seems well that everyone has forgotten that he even exists.  Alarms can be faintly heard in the background as generator #2 has just went offline again.  Putting on his extreme weather suit he waddles through the triple exit built to conserve heat but more of a pain than anything.   "I hate this place so much.  Why did I ever volunteer for this crap."  Finally outside he slowly works his way to the generator.  A quick prime of the diesel fuel should be all it needs.

[Shia]

But there were no more replies that day. Whatever happened to his teasing writing mate she stayed silent - though she still appeared logged in for another couple of hours. Then that was gone too, only her smiling avatar facing him restlessly next to the now gray little square. Alien Friend maybe found his intro boring and rather chose to return to her own planet, where lonely physicians composing posts in the middle of the night are much more exciting, worthy for her attention...?

Little he knew about the stuggle of his colleagues in the county hospital to keep Alliana Stewart alive and that how she was connected to the same website as he did. But Life was generous and patient, revealing what had to be revealed - only in the right time...

[Misery]

He wonders what happened.  Maybe his story was not what she was expecting and simply chose to ignore it to move onto something else.  When he saw her log off with not even so much as a 'thank you but not what I was looking for.'   He was a bit concerned as he prepared for bed. 

His night was rocked with vivid dreams of Alien' and envisioning what would have been their story.  He could not explain why she had seemed to attach to his mind as deeply as she had but she had.  Stumbling through his morning activities without much thought he finally arrived at the hospital.  He walked up to the nurse's station's to look over his patient charts.  "How is everything this morning?" he asks the nurse sitting there.

[Shia]

She was another one. Brown and slim and kind - yesterday's monster was gone for now, thanks to Heavens. Even her presence radiated a sort of harmony that can hardly be found in the rush of the world outside. Her modestly cut short hair and the small golden cross on her cardigan signed she was actually a nun, serving in the hospital, working also as a nurse. And she was wearing a colourful hand-made name tag next to the official one, titled 'Francis'.
"Hello. Good morning. Fine, thanks Mr. ... I'm nurse Francis. Or Fran. Both are okay with me." And with a kind smile she was waiting for Michael to introduce himself.
This time the blind on the window of Allie's room was up and she glanced into that direction pretty frequently, a humble wooden rosary wrapped around her left fingers...

[Misery]

He frowns at his own poor manners, "I am terribly sorry, My name is Michael Austin.  Francis it is a pleasure to meet you.  I had a long night."  with that being enough of an explanation.  He really wanted to see Alliana, but sensed something was not quite right.   He pauses from his reviewing of the charts and notices her constant glancing Alliana's direction and her fingers fumbling over her rosary.  He hesitantly asks, "Francis is everything okay?  You seem distracted."  He was hoping beyond hope that it was not Alliana.

He starts to walk away, "If you will excuse me there is a special patient I would like to visit."

[Shia]

"If you go in there..." - Francis raised from her seat, leaning against the counter with a bittersweet smile. "Please don't tire her much. Allie's been.. reanimated last night after a seizure and they also had to make tracheotomy on her, so just..." She was pausing for a while, searching for the best solution. "hold the laptop for her, so she can write with her mouth, I think.. She's not breathing on her own at the moment.. I'm so sorry to give you news like this.. But she's still with us, so.. there's hope."
The nun nodded and gave Michael an encouraging look.
"Just sign me if you need anything." 
The rosary meant this then, trouble and sorrow...