Brave Stranger

Several days later,

 After the uptown cafe tragedy,

 In the ward of a hospital in New York.

 It's been several days since the cafe battle incident, the clutter from the scuffle has long been cleaned up, but the vague chalk-out line of the victims still remains at the crime scene!

 Doctor Otto Octavius is now wanted for additional murder charges to stack on his previous charges of robbery!

 And spiderman is getting condemned by the media, headed by J Jonah Jameson like never before!

"It's just money!

Life and property can't be compared to one another!

Spiderman is a lawless menace, that does more harm than good, blah blah blah, etc...J. Jonah Jameson spewed on the hospital lobbies Tv.

  Mary Jane Watson one of the survivors of this incident is now walking through the hospital corridor holding get-well flowers in her hand, she brought such flowers every time she saw this comatose patient who protected her so selflessly!

 The number of times she has visited is every day since his check-in.

 So 8 unique flowers stand out in the bouquet flower arrangements that decorate this ward, which otherwise would be plain, giving it the lived-in feeling that only comes with the touch of women.

 She once again rolled up her sleeves and gave the immobilized body on the bed a body massage to avoid atrophy of the limbs and muscles.

 This was taught to her by the sleeping man's assigned attending nurses.

 When Mary-Jane saw them perform it, she asked about the benefits of such actions, then learned from the nurse some basics & studied from online videos on ways to do it herself at home.

 This was all she could do, as she wasn't a medical doctor or trained nurse.

 Her visits here also served as a distraction from other thoughts & alleviate the growing survivor's guilt in her heart...

 Taking her mind off the fact that her 'boyfriend' had not reached back to her, or message her about her proposal on taking a break from the relationship?

 However, he didn't call her to clarify, or see what's going on with her at all during these past few days!

 She deeply feels the distinction between the two of them has widened significantly!

Were we all ways this way?

 How could I ever be satisfied or been content with this level of commitment before?!'

Mary Jane Watson is especially sensitive after the near-death experience at the cafe!

 Of course, living in New York she's had close calls before, but none with such a vividly cruel and clear outcome such as this one!

 With this ordeal she has a grave understanding that she would have gone on to the afterlife as well, never to continue her dreams; if not for the intervention of the kindness of a complete stranger!

 It's NOT a super-powered being who could walk off such injuries that saved her!

 But the normal mortal man in front of her, who had nothing to gain, and much to lose by getting entangled with her life and death situation!

 She was still very thankful & emotional!

 She wanted him to wake up quickly for many reasons.

The first is to wake up for his health and wellbeing!

 But second, above most of all of them is to ask him Why?

 Why risk it all to save her?

 What compelled him to do so?

For some unknown reason, she really wanted to know!

 Looking at his growing hair & stubble on his previously clear face with handsome features, she makes a note to help him shave his face again as she continues to massage his muscular tone body to keep the blood circulation good.

 After she's finished, she pulled up the covers & draped him again with a blanket while smiling.

 Sitting down at his bedside, she grabbed her phone to take more days off from the theater schedule.

 Her previous phone was destroyed in the cafe disaster, but her phone number was still the same as before, so anyone looking for her can reach her just the same.

 But soon she notices something on her new phones call log...

 She looks at the empty call history of her phone call log & questions aloud to herself with a cold mood and an uncharacteristically grim tone: 

"Where Are You, now that I need you, Peter?"

 Just then, as if to respond to her query, there was a groan from the comatose young man on the hospital bed!

 She immediately stands up with hands over her mouth in surprise & anticipation!

 Doctors were extremely un-optimistic about his condition & probability to awaken ever again!

 But she knew it!

 She believes such a brave stranger, who could act like that for others, won't leave this world like this!

 That outcome would be too saddening and cruel!

 And he didn't let her down, as he once again opens his eyes gazing around the heavily flower-scented room, but stops the wondering inspection abruptly, gazing at the beauty before him, saying in a gruff voice:

"Where...am I & who are you?"

 Mary can't be happier at this moment, but she quickly adjusts her mood, smiles gently & said:

"We are in a hospital ward in uptown New York."

"My name is Mary, Mary-Jane Watson.

 We met at a cafe, there was an accident, and you saved me from danger, but you were injured in the process."

She paused waiting for the news to sink in & then she continued:

"Because of blood loss & Brain swelling, you were in a medically induced coma by doctors to combat the serious concussion, but you didn't wake up when they tried to awaken you after three days & you had slipped into a genuine comatose state ever since!

 They said you would probably not wake up!

 But you woke up and proved them wrong!"

 Nodding slowly, but not speaking the young man looked dazed in thought.

 Seeing him like this MJ thought he was thinking of something or someone to do with his life, so Mary-Jane then asked carefully:

" Oh, By the way, What's your name?

 "Do you have any family you wish for me to call for you?" Asked Mary-Jane very patiently.

He answered in a dry voice again:

"My name, 

"My name is...huh?

"that's...weird?" He sat up slowly from his laying down position & said:

" I-I can't seem to recall, huh!?

"Why can't I?

"I can't remember my own name!!"

 The man says talking to himself, getting visibly more distraught, holding his head in his hands breathing increasingly more heavily, as he lists off things that he should know but doesn't remember in frustration!

"Shh!! It's okay, it's okay, we will take our time & figure it out." Mary said in a comforting voice while patting his hand with her hands.

 MJ was feeling increasingly more guilty that she's the cause for this!

 If only she wasn't distracted by her relationship problems with Peter, she might have reacted sooner when he called out for her to look out,

 Instead of being in a daze forcing him to act to save me from injury!

'Oh God, what if he never recovers his memory?-!

His family, friends, loved ones, his life may have been ruined by me!'

 Holding back the tears from falling, she signals for the doctor who just arrived to come in, all the while still assuring the man:

 "Everything will be alright, we will figure it out!" Her voice cracked as she talked; it's doubtful if she even believes in her own words right now!

 While grasping his hand, she repeated these words like a mantra, not knowing if it was for him, or for herself!

 As time had went on this week until now, an increasingly heavy pressurized feeling of guilt seemed to have begun draping & encompassing herself with each new day!

 A case of post-traumatic stress, and survivor's guilt, that's maybe why she's been so restless and earnest to help.

 But as an actress, she hides her jumbled mental state symptoms from the doctors and nurses of the hospital, if she is diagnosed by doctors, she can't be there to help her nameless Savior.

 She had finally dozed off as she waited for their return, casting off some accumulated mental fatigue in the process.

The doctors tested, questioned & tested again...

Sometime later...after various medical testing...

The diagnosis was not promising!

His life was out of immediate danger, but part of the brain that was impaired was a very delicate part.

Going by similar case studies, the recovery rate is rather low!

"He must prepare himself, as he may never recover his previous memories again!" Said the Doctor.

!

The nameless young man just sat there motionless, at the medical experts' words.

After the Doctors left the ward, the young man remained in a lost daze with an absent look in his eyes! 

 Maryjane was gazing at his now glazed-over eyes, with tears streaming down her face that she could no longer hold back!

 She cried softly, as she now embraced the distraught-faced young man in an effort to comfort & reassure him!

 The man's eyes, which was previously moist, as if they were threatening to leak tears at any time from his watery ocean blue colored Iris;

!

-Suddenly his eyes narrowed, becoming sharp, & an imperceptible smirking grin flashed briefly as he shifted himself further into this young busty redheaded woman's hug!