Marie came into his room and winced at the light coming in from the open curtains. With a slight stumble she pulled the curtains closed and then flopped down next to his bed. The bleary eyes and the slight groans when she moved suggested she didn’t feel well.

Morgan grinned; today she was out of the shell suit or even the lab coat but instead was in some sort of skirt suit made from different shades of grey fabric. It did give a better impression of her shape, previously the shell suits or the lab coat had hidden more than it revealed. Partly due to curiosity and partly due the conversation with Dr Scott two days earlier he found himself appreciating the view. Her brown hair was tied back in what was too short to be a ponytail tight enough to make the skin on her face taut. She was not fat but not a waif either, a thick body which suggested an athlete going soft. Her chest did her no favours either being small or maybe just hidden. Her legs effectively concealed by dark grey woollen tights it was obvious some thought had gone into her appearance.

Despite how much effort it represented and how well she wore it the result of the formal attire was somehow sexless. The net effect, that of a serious and important person was ruined by the bloodshot eyes and the clumsiness. The conclusion was obvious but he decided to play dumb. “oh dear are you ok-got the flu?” a two finger salute was the instant reply.

She blearily looked up “word to the wise, never try to match shots with Wendy”. At his blank expression she continued “Thats Dr Scott to you. We went drinking last night. I tried to match shots. Bad idea”.

Morgan not wanting to laugh instead waved at her vaguely “the suit?”

“Interview – I might be on track for a permanent post here. Presuming I don’t mess the interview, I mean I’ve put the hours in. Just need to put my best foot forward” She pulled herself up in the seat and tried to put forward an image of competent professionalism while squinting in the dark.

Nodding seriously Morgan asked “so you intend to be interviewed in a darkened room and claim that you’ve done so many night shifts that daylight causes you to combust. Hmm do any of the interviewers routinely carry religious symbols?”

Trying but failing to glare she said “for that I might not tell you why I’m here”.

“It’s not to hide and sober up before the interview?” Morgan speculated out loud.

Marie shifted in the hard plastic chair then looking at him said “We talked about your car ride you know. Wendy likes to think she’s all subtle being trained and all but its pathetic. She really thinks nobody notices what she’s trying to say. So on that subject sorry I forgot about your family – just checked this morning while trying to fix some er things I’ll get to next. You are listed as a widower, apparently the road collapse you were injured in killed your wife. I am sorry. No other family is listed. Whatever happened to your daughter the hospital has no idea of”. The silence stretched out.

Marie was clearly an expert in appearing sad but detached as she maintained a slightly sad but distant expression until Morgan laughed “Well that’s clearly wrong – probably some poor sod with a similar name. Morgan, Moran of course. That’s why my name is wrong. I wasn’t in a road collapse. I was attacked. By a thug. Over a fender bender. He rear ended me. See it’s all a mistake. My family is fine. Is that why I had no visitors, they were told I was dead? Yeh that makes sense. Ok back to Paul I suppose and start tracking down the real me”. Marie did a double take at the laughter and then blanched as she listened to his rambling which Morgan ascribed to the hangover.

Getting up and examining his charts she looked away mumbling quietly to herself “Ok Wendy guess this ones your problem” then replacing the charts looked at him and replied “let’s hope you’re right though you should consider the possibility that head injuries distort memories and cause hallucinations. Dr Scott will go through some - probably memory drills as we explore that possibility”.

“Anyyyway that’s not all we talked about, we discussed other aspects of your case as well. Specifically your birthday. Can you confirm your date of birth please? When he did she continued “obviously you don’t present as a 68 year old man. I cant remember all that we said last night and what pathways of care we considered but we had way too many shots”. Looking at him she got suddenly very serious “really its the hospitals fault you know. There is no reason to make samples available at that hour. None. If this place was better run none of this would have happened. I might make a complaint and tell them that. Do you think I should wait to see if anyone notices?”

Morgan thought about asking how the hell would he know but instead just wondered out loud “is this the sort of thing a union rep should be hearing rather than a random patient? I mean I appreciate the trust and all but why are you asking me about this this whatever this is?

Marie looked startled then replied ” Oh because its you of course – you are the problem. Oh shoot I haven’t told you what the problem is have I? Erm well look young. I mean you look young. You test young, you recover young no better than young. You recover like I should burn my textbooks. And I have a lot of textbooks. Just better than PDF’s you know I retain more from paper. Its science”

Morgan was a great believer in the longer the preamble the worse the problem and this rambling was beginning to scare him. “Ok what happened. Tell me how it effects me.”

Marie blinked and then said “Well apparently Wendy might not get hangovers but she is willing to countersign specials tests. Apparently so am I. It seems according to the logs that at 2:45 this morning we both came in to Wendy’s office filled out a specials request form attached a sample and put it in the internal post.” A small uncertain grin crossed her face “really not sure how we got your signature though”. She shifted uncomfortably “I really don’t remember much, did we, I mean did you want, did – look did we get you to sign that form? I would really hate to have to reveal at my employment interview that forging patient signatures is part of my clinical repertoire right. So did I or Wendy get you to sign a form last night?” .

“No” Morgan replied, it would do no good to elaborate the answer was enough. She deflated in front of him. “I was just getting a deposit together. Ok lets go face the music”

She looked so bad and Morgan just didn’t have the heart to not try to help “I mean I would have. If asked. Pretty curious about the process. Do you have to tell people if no complaint is made? Not going to complain I mean like I said its something that would not be objectionable?” She turned to him with a face that seemed like a professional mask. “ not really an option. I might get sacked, I will get censured when I tell them what happened. But I will get a crappy job as a doctor elsewhere. If I try to hide it then I will lose my licence and I will have to worry about jail. It sucks but if I try to hide it well it would be bad. Just bad.”

Morgan jumped out of bed. He had not thought about it and both he and Marie seemed equally startled when he arrived in front of her. After a moment he just ignored it and started talking. “Look not a doctor but with all due respect have you thought this through? I mean have you talked to a rep? Have you talked to Dr Scott? Have you checked if the form was sent yet I mean there’s a hundred and one things that could break in your favour. Don’t throw yourself over the ledge if there’s a path down alright. Alright?”

Marie smiled faintly, “Wendy is the one who told me because her department queried the time the form was filed. She’s outside and I presume trying to listen through the door. The form is logged and filed – already received and if the sample isn’t sent that will be followed up. No the form is part of the record now, I just hoped we had got your signature.”

The door opened and Dr Scott looked at them both. “Ah crap” she said and walked in. Given Marie’s state she looked remarkably healthy and swept in sitting in the hard plastic chair that was just about the only furniture in the room. Looking at Morgan she pulled a face “for gods sake close that gown, had enough of that view in pathology. Decided to join you hiding in here, apparently Wheeler is looking for me”.

Given the circumstances for once he was just not ready to take snark “nobody invited you in or told you to sit down – I think the day you come in and tell me you’ve submitted me to tests without my knowledge or consent and in the process forged my signature apparently is not the day you get to tell me off for what I’m wearing kappish?”

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Dr Scott laughed and got up “oh its good to see you do have some iron in that backside-frankly I was starting to worry. Sorry but if you want to have your ass flapping in the open well you go ahead and make your own bad decisions. You know my opinion about them” smugly she leaned back on the wall with a curious expression.

Ignoring the draft and ignoring that she was obviously right Morgan turned to Marie. “Well at this point I might be willing to perjure myself and claim it was her idea and she faked your ID. Look do what you have to do but talk to a rep first. I am leaving here as soon as I organise some transport to Conwy. Paul probably wont be easy to convince and well if its my family then its down to me to sort it .Conwy’s my home and probably the best place to start looking for my family. I have extensive project management experience as well as an accounting diploma none of which mean anything if I can’t prove it so hopefully will find some of my colleagues there to write some sort of background references for me. All of which means I wish you luck and if I can help you need to get it soon because I am out of here. If nothing else I was told to avoid funding panels and the next one is in eleven days or so..”

Marie snapped a glare at Dr Scott who was starting to open her mouth “Shut up Wendy – I did tell him about his family. He claims its a mistake, classic denial yes but thats your problem Doctor, and as for the consequences of the form well I was getting to that.” Huffing slightly Wendy settled back and made a waving motion for her to carry on with it then. Marie turned and taking a breath said” you’re not going anywhere. The form includes where the subject can be found in case the results indicate a harmful or urgent outcome. The hospital was listed we think. That is why it’s kind of bad that we can’t remember what’s on it. Or doing it. Or much at all really. If its not the hospital well wherever it is you are not leaving until the results come in.”

Morgan stared blankly for a few moments barely registering the occasional draft flapping his gown. Finally he looked down and then looking back up and positioning himself to look at both of them growled “No. Just no. You have been great, I really appreciate the care and attention though you are only a part of the team but I am not going to wait here and ignore my family because you two went on a bender last night. Good luck with your job interview, good luck in your mind games with the next agoraphobic you meet but I am getting dressed and buggering off now. If you are that concerned about my dignity get out while I dress.” They both just stared at him so he turned his back and started pulling clothes out of his rucksack.

Dr Scott harrumphed and then started talking again “is that view for me or Marie? Anyway you haven’t considered”

Morgan spun and then advanced waving a finger in her face “Shut it. Just shut it alright. Do you think nobody notices the shock opener? Get them off balance with an almost insult and then head into your actual point. Is that taught to you in school or are you just a pratt in the wrong job. Whichever it is get a new act, that one has lost its shine” Seeing the look on her face it occurred to him that he might have been unexpectedly physically intimidating. Normally he would have apologised but she really had been annoying and he persisted with the glare. After a few seconds Marie put her hand on his arm and gently pulled him back.

Ignoring Dr Scott she spoke very softly and slowly looking at his face near but not into his eyes “Not wrong – It can get rather annoying over time but lets calm things down a bit ok. I think Wendy was about to explain about ID checkpoints.” Marie had looked calm but she must have been on a razors edge because as soon as Dr Scott Started to move she whipped her head round “leave – I’ll explain. Having you here is not the help it should be” There was an intense almost vicious look on her face as she watched her leave that vanished as soon as she turned back to Morgan. “Your problem is checkpoints mainly but really anywhere you need to produce ID. Anytime someone checks it they will ask why you are not at your designated location. Most places will just warn you and call the cops when you leave. Checkpoints are fortified positions held by active military personnel. There is a , well there’s a bad history about rogue specials and military checkpoints. A definite shoot first then shoot later kind of bad history ok?”. Morgan looked at the hand and then looked at her. She removed her hand and stepped back with a reassuring smile that might have worked if he had not seen her rapid change of expression earlier. “We are just trying to stop you from making a mistake you know. Trust us we have put a lot of effort into your care and seeing it ruined with you getting a post mortem; not what Wendy or I want”

How many of his conversations had been to script he wondered? Managing a patient was probably just part of the bedside manner and he might be over reacting but all of a sudden he just wanted to make a decision that was his and his alone. Everybody here had brummie accents so he was presumably somewhere in Birmingham. Marie was still talking but he would worry about what she had said later and go over it then. RECORDING . What, never mind that meant he would be about what 150 miles from Conwy? Get a train perhaps or maybe hitch hike. Call it a day to get there and then a couple of days to track down friends and family. A week tops.

Ok time to make a statement, still not listening he dropped the robe and started to get dressed. The sound of the door closing came a few moments later and despite his aggressive calm he relaxed as Marie left the room. It took some time to get the clothes comfortable which was caused by them not fitting perfectly and his attention to detail. Though he justified the obsessive detail to himself as needing to be comfortable whilst hitch hiking eventually he felt like he was dawdling. Time to go. Wonder how they’ll react he thought as he checked his rucksack. Finally he remembered to pick up his newly issued ID and put the rucksack on his back.

Looking at his room door he had a moment of uncertainty as he realised that he was not even sure of the route out of this building. He had been going to take another day or two after all, learn more about the changes while he had been down. Suddenly a little worm of doubt reached into his thoughts, after all his only source of information about everything was Dr Scott. A moment of introspection as he realised that even though he knew she was called Wendy he could still only think of her as Dr Scott and then the doubt just permeated all of his thoughts. He was going to think for himself and stop worrying about what they thought END RECORDING . Again? Maybe not mention hearing voices as well or at least wait for a chat with a family GP someone else could vouch for.

With a deep breath he walked through the door and took in the scene in front of him trying hard not to grin. Both Doctors were standing looking sheepish in front of a lab coated old woman Morgan had not seen before. Whatever had been said they both looked pale in a way that did not seem attributable to alcohol. How long had it taken him to change, this lady was either world class at bollockings or she had devoted some time to demoralising the two of them. Looking round he observed all the other staff desperately trying to be elsewhere so she was obviously very senior. While he had been working that out she had approached him and held out her hand to him.

“Mr Moran – I am Doctor Wheeler and I am Senior Clinical Lead for this facility. I understand that you intend to leave my facility. Am I correct?” Impressed that he could hear the capital letters around her title he decided to minimise conversation – he was starting to feel that you could be trapped by being reasonable, by being sensible.

Without a definite reason he just wanted out and did not want to get tied in verbal knots. “Yes”. Doctor Wheeler waited a few seconds and then just for a second started to crack a smile before her severe expression crossed her wrinkled face. When he was younger his mate Geoff had a saying that beauty was skin deep while ugly went to the bone and Morgan concluded that she spent a long time frowning. It settled comfortably onto her face whilst a smile no matter how fleeting did not seem to belong. “Well we are not a prison and anybody that can leave can leave. I will need to get you to sign a DAMA and I would just not feel right if I had not convinced myself you had not got a full understanding of your decision.”

Morgan Was determined not to be diverted but..”DAMA? . She clarified immediately “Discharge against medical advice – insurance. As an underwriter I am sure you understand Mr Moran” .

“Morgan – theres a G in it. Never was an underwriter either”

The old lady just kept talking “Head injuries often cause confusion as does coma recovery. It takes time for your body to readjust and I understand your endocrinology results are haywire? I really do think you should stay in our facility at least until they are stable if not normal for a man of your age. I would also be happier with a baseline cognitive function test but I presume that you are not. Whatever your job was you can tell me while we prepare a discharge pack for you. I hope you will not be offended if I try to persuade you to stay at least until those have been done.” Morgan allowed himself to be led by a finger touch on his elbow to a room with a desk.

Three quite thick forms with DAMA written across the top were placed in front of him whilst Wendy and Marie hovered outside the room until dismissed by the old woman with a curse about not wanting to find out how much damage could you cause in one day if you were a pair of god touched idiots. Wheeler then told him to fill in the forms and she would be back. His uncannily sharp hearing heard her tell someone that she had him wasting time on the forms, in 15 minutes send someone and see if the forms have made him change his mind . Smiling wryly he picked up the pen and basically doodled until nobody was looking at him then picked up his rucksack and following corridor signs walked out of the building.

Maybe he should have spent more time sneaking as a young man but he actually enjoyed that. Standing outside the low grey building he looked round and sucked his first breath of free air in more than a decade.