Winner The Crystal Awards 2016, Best Multimedia Story (3d Place).
A spinster doctor rents her spare room to a brain-damaged patient who doesn't know he is a former undercover agent targeted for execution by a powerful criminal.
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Mitchell and Hector have discovered that, while Jean cannot talk to them very well, he can draw anything. Agent Stone hopes one of Jean's drawings will lead him to the man who tried to take Jean's life.
Enjoy Chapter 4 of DUBY'S DOCTOR.
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After that, Hector made certain to keep Jean supplied with drawing paper and markers. Nurses quickly learned that Jean could make his thoughts known through his art, and with easier communication came less frustration for both caregivers and patient. Jean even began to smile occasionally and to display signs of a friendly nature beneath his scarred and muscular exterior.
Many days later, Dr. Mitchell Oberon entered Jean's room on her daily rounds, well accustomed by now to the drawings of fruits, vegetables, desserts, and beverages taped to the walls and window shades. Her step faltered, however, at the sight of Jean. He was sitting on his bed, drawing as usual, but she had never seen him this way.
He had tossed his hospital gown over the nearest chair and wore only his boxer shorts. Mitchell's lungs emptied, forcing her to gasp audibly, and she nearly got tangled in her own feet before she disciplined herself to keep calm and walk normally.
Her consternation was forgivable, understandable, and probably inevitable. The spinsterish surgeon had never actually been in a room alone with an undraped naked man – at least, not one who was fully conscious. And even though Jean was not totally naked, Mitchell had never seen him with so little covering. Even in the operating room, she had seen the leg she was repairing and little else.
Ups! Ten obraz nie jest zgodny z naszymi wytycznymi. Aby kontynuować, spróbuj go usunąć lub użyć innego.
She had not been prepared for the broad, sculpted chest and ridged abdomen combined with the thickly muscled biceps and thighs. In surgery, his body had been draped. When she examined his leg and knee, she really saw only that. Until the moment she looked up from his chart and saw the whole man spectacularly displayed, he had simply been the biological thing that was attached to the reconstructive surgery she had performed.
In that moment, Mitchell Oberon had an epiphany. It embarrassed her so much that she squelched her thoughts, marshaled her composure, and pretended nothing whatsoever had occurred.
Something else happened in the next minute that was out of the ordinary. When Mitchell approached the hospital bed, Jean quickly hid his unfinished sketch under the covers.
Mitchell gestured, wanting to see it.
Jean gestured, No.
Mitchell simply placed her hand on his bandaged knee and applied pressure in exactly the right place.
Jean sucked air at the sudden jolt of pain. He gave Mitchell the drawing.
It was the first time he had tried to hide anything, as far as Mitchell knew, and she was surprised. What could he be so reticent about? She was even more surprised when she realized the sketch was a portrait of her. She was touched, and more than a little flattered, by his drawing, which she thought made her look prettier than she was. She tried to hide her pleasure and preserve an appropriate doctor-patient relationship.
