It was safe to say that Booker liked to help. It was just part of his nature. Even when he was one of the most popular kids in high school, star football player, everyone expected him to be this jock jerk that shoved over nerds and hit on every girl that moved with no intention of building anything lasting with them. But that really wasn’t Booker B. Bookman. He was oddly one of the nicest guys despite his high school standing. He encouraged his less-than-graceful friends, he had one, maybe two long-lasting relationships, and he gave everyone the time of day to chat and be seen with him, and it totally wasn’t done out of pity either. Booker was just nice.

It was this attitude that would follow Booker into his adult years and guide his actions. Of course everyone said that they contributed to charities, handing off pocket change to people collecting, or donating that extra dollar to your grocery bill to go to food banks. However, not everyone actually took the time out of their schedule to go out and be charitable. That wasn’t to say that those people were wrong, it was just that some people did take it upon themselves to go that tiny extra smile just for the sheer good will of it.

Booker was one of those people. When he had begun work at the New York Public Library, he had noticed that the older books were weeded out and set to other libraries or book depositories across the city. However he did notice that, many times, the library seemed to order one too many children’s and young adult books in order to meet with crazy demands as they increased in popularity. When the crazes died down, they were set off to similar depositories but Booker felt that they could be put to much, much better use. An idea formed, an idea that would become a regular thing that Booker was proud to be a part of.

A deal had already been struck. Booker went through the appropriate channels with both the library and some of the local hospitals. He would take it upon himself to deliver books to the children’s wards so that kids who couldn’t leave or who were suffering from a tough time would be able to gain free access to some of their favorite and most popular books. It was a task that Booker absolutely enjoyed because to see the smile on some of these kid’s faces was an absolute joy to behold.

Marching through the shiny, slick halls of the hospital, the librarian carried two massive boxes in his overly thick arms. He was asked multiple times from passing nurses, janitorial staff, and security, if the man needed help but his strong, well-worked out arms and frame could easily handle the load that these boxes were adding onto him.

He moved with precision through the halls, smiling at people. He must have cut quite the side. He was dressed in his usual work attire: navy blue slacks, a matching colored vest, and a button-up shirt that was so light that it mixed somewhere between blue and white. Affixed around the collar of his neck was a comic-book themed bowtiethat featured a favorite hero, The Blue Bat. Booker, in some ways, seemed like a walking paradox, but his smile and his good mood were hard to make others question it too long.

It didn’t take long for Booker to find the children’s wing. In all honesty there was a large, saddened piece of his heart to see what these kids suffered through but the man never let that show whenever he greeted those he passed in the halls or conversed with. He was a great friend to them, or tried to be, always smiling, always offering high fives; but this particular day had seeming called for something else.

There was a kid you see, a young girl by the name of Samantha (she demanded he call her Sammy) who had dreams of being a dancer. However due to cruelty of diseases that should not be named, it seemed that those dreams would be harder to achieve; not impossible, but quite harder. She turned out to be one of Booker’s favorite kids to meet because she always demanded to see him dance. And today was an important day because today was the big dance off.

Arching his brow as he set his boxes of books down at the nursing station, he tilted his head and narrowed his eyes as the young, sickly girl. She was standing upright (a good day for her) and she had her war face on. Booker gave her a scrutinizing gaze, turning his head to look at her with each eye.

”Dance off…huh?” he looked suspicious. ”I dunno. You look like an experienced dancer to me. You trying to hustle me?”

“No.” Sammy said and nodded her head firmly. “And you promised.”

Booker opened his mouth wide. ”I diiid?” he puffed out his chest. ”Well, promises are important to keep. Alright. But go easy on me, okay?” he nodded. ”You seem like you know what you’re doing.” He smiled sweetly to a nearby nurse and gestured to the radio. "DJ Nurse Dizzle? Drop ups a phat beat, yo!" A song came on the radio and Booker gave the nurse a thumbs up.

Sammy was all smiles as she nodded and started to do her little dance for him. It seemed to take some effort but, as this was a good day, her passion shined above her talents. Booker knelt there, impressed with her skills. When she pointed at him to go, he moved onto his knees and with the Dougie dance, moving his arms from side to side, before switching into a Mashed Potato and doing a little turn. It was simplistic stuff but his enthusiastic face (and the fact that he was doing this entire routine on his knees) shown that the man was having a good time – no matter who was watching.

Being shuffled around the hospital was occasionally a bit disorienting. Walking into a new ward once a week with a different team of staff and all new rules. Most of the time, she kept her head down and worked with the patients, trying to remember the different rules of the different departments while on her feet.

Occasionally, though, she would be put in a great ward on a great day. It was one of those days.

She was in the children’s ward, standing with the other nurses and a few kids as they watched a visitor interact with a long-term patient. There was nothing critical going on, the patients were having fun, and it was a nice day. There was a steady stream of sunshine that fell through the large windows in the ward. Juliette had to keep herself in careful check so she didn’t absorb too much of it.

The scene almost looked like it was from a movie. According to some of the other nurses, the guy with Samantha, or Sammy, was a frequent visitor and a nurse favourite. He was pleasant, generous, and, well, easy on the eyes. It was apparently a regular occurrence for work to all but stop while he was in there.

Booker and Sammy were standing in the middle of a circle that had started to form in the play area discussing her dancing status. It seemed like there was going to be a dance-off. He pointed to Juliette after agreeing.

>> "DJ Nurse Dizzle? Drop ups a phat beat, yo!"

Juliette grinned and hit the button on the top of the radio on the counter. A song came on that was far too perfect to not be fate. “I like to move it, move it,” the song professed. Juliette mirrored the thumbs up that the man gave her and stayed still to watch.

Indeed, Booker was dancing with a paragon of absolutely excellence. Young Sammy did her best but what she lacked in the skill of a veteran dancer, she more than made up for with her tenacity and her passion. She was truly a beacon for hope in a place that could so easily succumb to sadness and despair. However, in his opinion, one of the things that mattered most in a hospital was ensuring that hope wasn’t lost. People needed to have hope because sometimes that was all they had and this was especially true for children. He didn’t like to think of any of the bad scenarios and instead just focus on the here, the now, and on the very, very good days.

The way that Sammy danced? That made this a very good day.

He smiled and clapped his hands, bobbing his head as he waited his turn. Sammy completed her little twirl and her flailed arms, nodding her head in an absolute adorable manner before she pointed a finger towards him, smiling the biggest and brightest smile that he had ever gotten from one of these kids. It made the heart swell to know that he was the cause of such an infectious smile. A glance to the nurse’s station showed that they too were getting into the groove and watching the interaction with awe smiles.

On top of that, DJ Nurse Dizzle had been on point with the song choice. That, mixed with Sammy’s dance moves, just lightened the man’s mood. So with a grin, he took the turn that Sammy so graciously offered him.

Still on his knees so that both man and child were on the same level, Booker danced to the best of his ability. His mismatching of dance moves (both new and old) was made only more comical by his self-imposed shorten stature. But, despite that, he danced his heart out. Moving into a DAP dance, he made good use of his space and made sure to not actually hit any of the other kids who were surrounding them, giggling and clapping their hands. However, the man grew just a little too enthusiastic as the music played on.

Attempting a rather daring move, Booker attempted to spin on his knee. He took it slow first, competing one three-hundred and sixty degree turn. It was much to the delight of the children but it also spurred him on to attempt another one. This one he took a little faster – a little too fast. As he spun on his knee, his weight shifted and Booker flailed, squeaked, and stumbled off to the side where he banged his head on a nearby desk with an audible THUD!

”Ow!” he yelped and then proceeded to hit his head again, this time, on the smooth, tied floor. ”…ow…”

It was clear that the winner of this dance-off would be Sammy.

Watching the dance off would be the highlight of her day, Juliette was sure. The grin on Sammy’s face was the widest one that she had seen all day, and that was including the time that Aaron found out that he could have double dessert. It really was something special. She had to remember to tell the man about what an awesome job he was doing.

The young girl danced with complete passion, showing off some of her best moves. The crowd cheered and clapped for her, which only made her look even happier. It was clear that she had wanted something like that for a while.

After she had shown off some superb dance moves, she pointed to Booker, who proceeded to dance on his knees. It was an excellent touch, and the kids loved it.

“He looks so funny!” A little boy giggled.

”He does, doesn’t he?” Juliette agreed.

It seemed like it would be a tough call between the two contestants (though she would have just told Sammy that she’d won no matter what) until a spin seemed to take a turn for the worst. There was a loud THUD as the man fell to the side and hit his head on the desk next to them. In hindsight, they probably should have moved to an area without so much furniture.

A second thud followed as he then hit his head on the tile floor. Yeah, there would be no more dancing for that day.

Thankfully, they were already in a hospital.

”Okay! Looks like Sammy’s the winner!” Juliette called out quickly, trying to distract the kids. It didn’t seem to do a whole lot, though, since many of them were very used to seeing people in pain or going through medical treatments. The interested ones crowded around him, while many of the others simply backed off.

“Is he okay?” Sammy asked, a worried look on her face. “I’m sorry that I asked him to dance.”

”You didn’t do anything wrong, sweetheart,” Juliette told her, motioning with her head for the other nurses to get the kids to go somewhere else.

She crouched down beside the man and tried to inspect the injury. ”Mr. Booker? Can you hear me?”

From what she could see, there was a cut on his scalp, but it didn’t look too, too deep. Unfortunately, scalp cuts would bleed excessively, no matter how deep they were. With any luck, it wouldn’t need stitches, though. Just a bandage. There was also still the possibility of a concussion.

So in hindsight, maybe this wasn’t the best idea. First of all, never engage in a dance off with a kid because you will most certainly lose (and if you win, you’re pretty much a d***; second, he really needed to mind his surroundings. While the man was pretty well practiced and had good form, he didn’t accommodate for some things when he started this dance, namely the fact that he was kneeling on the ground and trying to perform some of these complicated moves. Really, it was his fault for being silly and not watching what he was doing.

Booker felt bad. Not just because of the two headwounds he now suffered, but because from the sounds that were managing to slip through the ringing in his head, it sounded like Sammy was just a little worried. He heard another voice, that of a woman, who had quickly intervened, announced Sammy as the winner and assured the young girl that he was okay. Not really looking where anyone was, Booker simply lifted his thumb to the girl to mime that he was okay. There was no need to cause her any unnecessary worry.

His head was slowly starting to stop spinning but the pain wasn’t going to subside quickly. His head was throbbing, feeling expert hands take him, turn, and the sounds of inspection. Wincing at the sensation, Booker blinked a few times to get the blurriness out from over his eyes and caught sight of a tanned skin tone belonging to the person who was checking him out.

>> ”Mr. Booker? Can you hear me?”

He nodded his head. Gingerly he began to sit up, grinding his teeth in momentary discomfort. His head still swam a little bit but he couldn’t keep lying there on the ground lest he make the kids whom he visited panic about his health. Clearly that was the last thing that he wanted, was for them to have to suffer through watching him be sprawled out on the ground like some uncoordinated cartoon character. He could practically see the animated stars swirling above his head.

Turning to the woman, the nurse who was checking him out, he winced at her touch but just smirked a little, going along with the embarrassment he felt coloring his cheeks. ”Something tells me I won’t be bringing home the Dance King title?” He smirked. As his eyes began to focused, he soon realized whom he was looking at. ”Ah, DJ Nurse Dizzle…”

She was the one he had pointed to and asked to turn up the music before. She wasn’t a face that he recalled (even with a now injured brain his eidetic memory couldn’t place her). However it wasn’t uncommon for hospitals to shift nurses around to fit whatever scheduling needs that they had. Her look of concern on her tanned cheeks was adorable and he could see the compassion that she held. The man suddenly felt a little stupid for hurting himself in such a way in front of her and he turned his eyes away.

Moron.

After that important note was taken, Booker smirked as he looked at her without trying to look at her. ”So…am I ever going to dance again?” He gave her a cheeky grin.

Booker was still conscious. That was a good sign, at least. He was awake, responding to her voice, and he didn't seem to be too delirious. Best case scenario (of which there was official a high chance) saw him walking away with just a cut and a bruise.

He sat up without her help, which was also a good sign. She had anticipated having to help him do that with some awkward manoeuvring. Luckily for both of them, that wasn't the case. It was still clear that he wasn't in the best shape, though. He was slightly splayed out on the floor, and he looked quite dazed. Juliette was glad that the other nurses had worked quickly, so they were mostly alone in the hallway. He didn't have to worry about too many kids watching them while he was down for the count.

"No, sorry. The title has been awarded to someone else," Juliette told him with the hint of a smile as she inspected his head. "Fortunately, the winner was very deserving."

She smirked at her new nickname. She'd never been a DJ before, but apparently, she didn't totally suck at it. Even if it was just pressing a button on the radio next to her. Definitely something to add to her resumé.

>> ”So…am I ever going to dance again?”

"Probably not. We'll have to have both of your feet amputated," Juliette replied, keeping her face impassive for a few minutes in order to let the joke land. Typically, she wouldn't be that sarcastic with a patient (especially while treating them for an actual injury), but his grin told her that he would be able to take a joke, and the opportunity was too great to pass up.

She moved her finger in front of his eyes, trying to see if he would be able to track the movement of her finger. If he couldn't, then that was a good indication that something was wrong. The next step would be to shine a light in his eyes and see how his pupils handled the change in brightness.

"Alright, do you feel dizzy at all? Disoriented?" she asked him, still probing for concussion symptoms. "I'd like to move you to an examination room, if possible. If you think you can walk, then that's great. If not, I can bring a wheelchair or a stretcher around."

She paused, remembering that she'd forgotten to introduce herself. If he was a regular, then he would probably be a little disconcerted to see a random nurse in the place of someone that had worked in that department for a long time. "I'm Juliette, by the way," she explained, "the wandering nurse."

Why was it always the cute people that Booker made a fool of himself in front of? He remembered once in college, when he was lusting after a rather beautiful young woman named Zoe that the young man had attempted to walk her back to her dorm, the interest flashing in her eyes, when he suddenly tripped and fell into a puddle that absolutely soaked him to the bone. Of course Zoe found the whole incident a little endearing but it definitely marred his chances with her. Next had been when he first started working for the New York Public Library and there was this extreme hot part-time library named Jean whom Booker tried to impress by carrying one-too-many books in his strong arms. The broken toe that followed him dropping said books didn’t help paint himself in the best light.

Needless to say, the man just had a knack for making himself look foolish whenever he was in front of a pretty face. It was just his lot in life but he had hoped that it was something he would eventually grow out of. But, in the meantime, for as embarrassing as such things could be, Booker wasn’t going to allow it to bring down his state of mind. Instead it was almost as if Booker had an unconscious shield against such things because he was quick to make fun of himself or turn it into a joke.

He guessed correctly that he wouldn’t be bringing home the coveted Dance King title and nurse DJ Dizzle confirmed by stating his opponent had deserved the win. Booker snorted and nodded his head, lightly, because too much movement tended to hurt. With a sigh he sat up (with her assistance) and gave her a shy but thankful smile as she tended to his wounds.

He couldn’t help but continue with his good-natured dialogue as he inquired if he would ever be able to dance again. It was just a joke, of course, but it almost felt like a sin if he didn’t ask it. How can one not ask something like this when they are injured in a hospital? It was like sacrilege to the gods of comedy and Booker must appease them.

>> "Probably not. We'll have to have both of your feet amputated,"

It was only for half a second that Booker thought she was serious but when he caught that tiny little smile on her lips, he had to grin. Okay…he could play along. Lord knows he put enough people through his sass. ”Wow…well…don’t you think that’s taking the whole motto of ‘costing an arm and a leg’ a bit too far?” He sighed. ”I guess that’s the American healthcare system for you.”

He beamed a smile to her. Afterwards she lifted her finger up in front of his eyes and started to move it back and forth. Booker blinked but started to track the finger with his eyes, knowing that she was still doing her job and ensuring that he was okay. All-in-all, except for a slight headache, the man felt absolutely fine. But he knew she needed to do her job because, if not, people less scrupulous than Booker would take advantage and sue (not that he had any intention of going so).

>> "Alright, do you feel dizzy at all? Disoriented?...I'd like to move you to an examination room, if possible. If you think you can walk, then that's great. If not, I can bring a wheelchair or a stretcher around."

He shook his head that he didn’t feel dizzy or disorientated. But when she stated that she wanted to move him to an exam room and inquired on if he could walk. ”Walk? And here I was hoping be carried away in your strong arms like a damsel being rescued from distress.” He teased her with that impish smile of his and a glint in his jade eyes. But after a moment, the man conceded and nodded. ”I’m pretty sure I can walk.”

>> "I'm Juliette, by the way…the wandering nurse."

Before Booker would attempt to stand, Nurse DJ Dizzle introduced herself. He took a second to sit there, watching her, smiling a little smile and nodding his head in greeting. He certainly wouldn’t be forgetting the name of his rescuer.

"Juliette..." he echoed with a kind grin. "...like Romeo and Juliette. On of my favorite of Shakespeare's." He took a second to watch her before he gestured to himself. ”Booker,” he said. She had already called him by that name when she was checking on him so most of the nurses here already knew his name. Still, it would have been rude to not introduce himself. ”Booker B. Bookman.”

A kind smile and he held his hand out for her to shake. Whether or not she did, Booker retracted his hand afterward, took a breath, and sighed. Okay, it was time to make sure he still had enough brain power to stand. Slowly, and carefully with the nurse’s persistent assistance, Booker stood up to his full, 6’2 height. He took it slow since moving too fast led to some light dizziness but nothing that seemed overtly bad. Standing tall, the man placed his hand on a nearby desk and remained there for a second, blinking, looking around, and just testing his range of vision. After a few seconds, he took a deep breath and turned to his new nurse friend.

”I…feel okay,” he explained. ”Just a light headache. But…” he eyed her for a second. ”I have a feeling you’re one of those nurses that won’t let me escape until your satisfied that I am actually okay so…” he charmingly held out his arm for her to slip hers into his. ”If you could kindly lead the way?”

If there was one thing that working in the E.R. helped you get acquainted with, it was strange injury stories. While Booker’s was definitely entertaining, it was nowhere near the weirdest that she had ever heard. Plus, it was nowhere near as gross. He had a long way to go before he even approached that record.

It seemed that Juliette had judged correctly - Mister Booker was the kind of person that could take her sarcasm and roll with it. For a minute, it almost seemed as if she had him believing that she was serious, but then she heard his response. Levels of sass to rival her own.

”It’s a special deal just for you. We wouldn’t want you to get care below the level that you deserve. This is America, after all,” she winked. There was no use in feigning seriousness at that point. Besides, she didn’t want him thinking that he really would have to have both feet amputated. He could sue for that. She did not have the money to be sued.

Her next questions went mostly unanswered, and were instead met with extreme sass. He didn’t seem to be disoriented, though, and his eyes had tracked her finger well enough. He was about to get up and (begrudgingly) willing to walk, so things appeared to be looking better for him. ”That’s a good sign. I probably won’t have to convince you to spend hundreds of dollars on a test that will probably tell me what I can already guess, then. Or even get a doctor’s opinion, for that matter.”

And there it was. The Shakespeare reference. Seven times out of ten, that was the response when she told anyone her name. She’d heard it all before; every reference, every pun, every question of “but where’s your Romeo”?

Thankfully, she was more than able to smile through the reference. Years of practice had seared that ability into her subconscious. ”Different spelling, but yes. Like the play. I can’t say I really care for the play that much, though. It’s a bit too… disheartening for my taste.” Young (young) love met with a bitter, untimely end. It wasn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows.

”No way,” Juliette covered her mouth and caught herself in the middle of her disbelief. ”Sorry, but that’s a bit of a crazy name.” If she had received that name on a class list or in the E.R., she would have angrily begun to look for whoever was playing a joke on her. She sincerely doubted that he was giving her a fake name then, though. Not after falling on the floor like that.

He stood back up to his full height - almost a full foot taller than she was - and seemed to be a little dizzy. Juliette was helping him the whole way along, but he still needed the support of the nearby desk. She couldn’t really blame him, though. It wasn’t as if she was going to be much help to him if her head reached just above his shoulder.

”You would be correct. I want to take a better look at that head of yours before letting you loose into the world,” Juliette explained. She took a step forward down the hall, having slipped her arm into his, and began to lead him to an examination room.

Thankfully, they were in the pediatric ward, where examination rooms weren’t always in high demand. In the middle of the day on a Tuesday, it was typically safe to assume that most of them would be empty. She lead him to one of the middle rooms and opened the door, revealing a colourful room, complete with animal stencils and lollipops.

At the back, there was a lower-than-usual examination bed for kids with a little step ladder on the side. It was bright orange and definitely not long enough for someone of Booker’s length. ”You can go ahead and sit down there. You may not want to stretch out, though,” she instructed.

Of course Booker had to snerk at her reply to his shock at the price of healthcare. He knew the woman was just messing with him but there was no way he was going to let that comment go with just a chuckle and a laugh. Whenever Booker came across someone who had enough sass to match his own, the man had to engage; it was just his way. Years of having to do so with Nessa meant that the man had to naturally seek out likeminded individuals to engage in some verbal wordplay. The added bonus was that his comments made her smile and it was a pretty smile indeed.

She started to give him a test on the spot, making him follow movements with his eyes and answer a few questions. He knew it was all a part of the tests to make sure that he was really okay. Except for some slight discomfort, the man knew that he was fine, but he also knew that medical types had to be sure so he answered as best he could.

>> ”That’s a good sign. I probably won’t have to convince you to spend hundreds of dollars on a test that will probably tell me what I can already guess, then. Or even get a doctor’s opinion, for that matter.”

It seemed that he had passed the test, huzzah, and thankfully there wouldn’t be a need for a second opinion. The man had to give her his brilliant smile as he replied. ”You’re all heart Nurse Dizzle.”

He was about to stand when the young woman introduced himself and, of course, the man had to comment on it. Her name was Juliette! He was a librarian and he loved Shakespeare! How could he not point that out? However, for as brilliant as he felt his comment was, it earned a smile that was more practiced than anything. He could only surmise that this was something that woman had heard time and again; strike two.

>> “Different spelling, but yes. Like the play. I can’t say I really care for the play that much, though. It’s a bit too… disheartening for my taste.”

He couldn’t help but snort. ”Thank god. You’d be surprised how many people come to me, wanting to emulate that. Sorry, but murder-suicide pacts after one date are really not to be admired.” He grinned wide. These were books they were talking about now and it was clear that it was his favorite subject. ”I love the play, but more for its tragedy than anything else. Shakespeare isn’t someone you turn to for love,” he said as he started to stand. Once he straightened up, he gave her a broad grin. ”For that, I turn to my girl, Ms. Jane Austen.”

Standing up, Booker sighed and rolled his shoulders. Introducing himself, the man just had to grin, lowering his head a bit at the Jules not entirely believing that it was his name. it was something that he too had dealt with over the years. Doctors, government officials, most believed that he was putting down some pseudonym until he showed them his driver’s license. It was then that it was asked if he had purposefully changed his name to that. It took effort but he managed it all with a smile and an assurance that it was his given name.

He just shrugged his shoulders. ”My parents are morons,” he said with a chuckle. ”They had a theme and they went with it.”

Making their way down the hall, Booker knew that he wasn’t going to be getting out of here easily. The nurse was going to be thorough but at least there wasn’t going to be a bill for expensive equipment or overpaid doctors. He bumped his head – that didn’t require a CAT scan.

>> ”You would be correct. I want to take a better look at that head of yours before letting you loose into the world,”

”Let loose on the world?” He had to chuckle. ”Make me sound like I’m a plague or something.”

He still felt a little dizzy but it was getting better with every step. Passing down the hall, the man smiled as he watched children peeking out of their rooms at him or who stood in the hallway He gave them all winning smiles and waved cheerily at them. Kids were a weak spot for the man as he loved to devote his time and energy to them. He was sorry that they had to see him injured but he would make sure to make it up to them the next time he came. Hopefully he would be able to convince himself to keep the dance challenges to a minimum.

Stepping into the examination room that Juliette offered, Booker stopped and blinked as he eyed the walls. The walls were so colorful that had he not walked off most of his bad feeling, his headache probably would have intensified. However, it was perfect décor for children on some of the worst days of their lives. Still, there was humor in the fact that the occupant of this room was an over six-foot-tall man who appeared as some fairytale giant amidst all the lowered equipment.

>> ”You can go ahead and sit down there. You may not want to stretch out, though,”

He smirked. ”Um, agreed. I think I stretched out enough,” he laughed. Stepping to the smaller bed, Booker went for the step ladder but stopped himself. It would have been funny but probably none too safe for someone who already had a slight head injury. So, turning around, he said himself on the edge of the bed and awaited the nurse continue her examination. ”Thank you, by the way,” he said with a earnest smile. ”For helping me and for keeping cool with the kids. For what it’s worth, I appreciate it. Last thing I want to is add to their traumas, you know?”

Juliette grinned, glad they were on the same page about the Shakespearean tale. There were so many people that were still somehow under the impression that it was a romance tale rather than a tragedy. The way he worded it, however, suggested that people actually expected to act it out with him. ”Wait, have people really asked you to do that? You must be a popular guy,” she grinned. She could see why, too. He was attractive, well-read, and he volunteered with kids. For someone who didn’t know what the play was really about, it probably seemed like a great way to pick up a librarian.

”Jane Austen. One of my favourites,” Juliette agreed dreamily. If anyone knew how to write romance, it was her. There were few people that had managed to capture it the same way since.

While Juliette had problems with people quoting Shakespeare around her, it seemed like Booker was often questioned whether his name really was his name. For a minute, she almost felt bad about asking him about it, but then she realised that they were on the same playing field; they had both pointed out something that the other one heard a lot.

”Sounds like it. Do you have any siblings that follow the same theme?” she inquired. Siblings were always intrigued her. She had none of her own, so all the information she had about them was based on what other people said and television. For the most part, she preferred the former.

>>”Let loose on the world? Make me sound like I’m a plague or something.”

Juliette chuckled. ”Well, in surgery, everyone is a walking disease factory. It’s all a matter of perspective.”

Watching Booker in the little examination room was like watching a giant in munchkin land. It was almost comical how strange everything looked compared to him. Juliette covered her mouth with her hand, hiding the grin that had covered her face.

”Of course,” Juliette nodded. She knew exactly how he felt. It was hard enough to watch the kids going through what they were without worrying about adding to their troubles. No one that young deserved to experience that. ”I think we’re both just trying to help them. Anything you can, you know?”

She walked over to the examination table where he was stretched out as much as he could be and took out her little portable flashlight. ”I’m going to check your pupils, okay? Open your eyes wide for me.”

When people were asking and talking or even just mentioning his favorite subject (books) the man couldn’t help himself. He had tons of opinions of books, good, bad, and the dusty. The man had a vast amount of knowledge concerning and though he wasn’t going out with the intention of trying to sound like a know-it-all, it was difficult when you knew the subject so absolutely well and it was something that interested you, to keep yourself under check. Thankfully having a minor head injury managed to quell his enthusiasm a tiny bit.

The woman was familiar with the class Shakespearean play, and clearly not with the fondest of memories. Booker could relate because he knew what it was like to bear the moniker of something that could be easily exploited for fun. For Juliette, her trauma was dealing with every Tom, Dick, and Harry who felt that it was necessary to point out the comparison to the tragic character of the Elizabethan play. But she dealt with his unassuming slip-up with a poise that could only come with time and practice.

He clarified, then, that his interest in Shakespeare was only for the tragic notes, not for the romance that everyone managed to find in it. however, his comment drew a grin from the woman as she pointed out a rather embarrassing admission.

>> ”Wait, have people really asked you to do that? You must be a popular guy,”

He snorted. ”Well, between you and me, it probably doesn’t help that I normally dressed in fluffy sleeved shirts and pantaloons.” For a second it probably seemed like the man was telling her the truth but his impish grin and the look in his eyes proved that he was, of course, just joking.

Because, seriously, it’s not like he wears that outfit EVERY day.

As a more appropriate example of romance, Booker brought up one of his favorites – Jane Austen. Oh how he loved Jane Austen. She had a flair for romance that his scarcely beat. Those brave enough to engage in her prose were prone to fine a difficult time but it was so very much worth it if you survived to the end of that literary journey.

>> ”Jane Austen. One of my favourites,”

His smile only widened when the woman spoke. Oh how his heart soared when he came across someone who respected the art and words of someone like Jane Austen.

”Oohh hehe…don’t get me started,” Booker bounced a bit excitedly. ”I’ll talk your ear off about Austen and her works.”

Moving on down the hall, Booker could feel himself already feeling better. He was certain he could probably go home, hell, maybe even back to work, without any further problems. But it was better to be safe than sorry; and, again, Nurse DJ Dizzle seemed like the feisty type and would probably find a way to keep him from fleeing until he got checked out. So, instead, the man continued to converse as the topic eventually returned to his name.

>> ”Sounds like it. Do you have any siblings that follow the same theme?”

”I have a sister,” he said with a smile. ”She broke the mold, though. Has a ‘normal’ name and all…”

Booker shook his head a bit, chuckling a little at the thought as he pushed on, heading for the room that he was being led to. From the nurse’s plan, it all seemed fairly simply, she was going to just check him out to make sure that he was okay before he was set loose on the world. Of course Booker couldn’t stop himself from poking a little jab at her for her choice of words. But he was quickly proving that the lovely young nurse came to verbal sparring match to win…

>> ”Well, in surgery, everyone is a walking disease factory. It’s all a matter of perspective.”

>> ”…Oh you’re just a bundle of happy thoughts, aren’t ya?” He teased.

Once in the room, Booker had to marvel and just how colorful and bright everything was for the kids – and how small. The much taller, much bulkier man had a difficult time maneuvering around the room, trying to not clear table tops and counters with his giant-like arms. However, with practice (and after bumping his shoulder on more than a few pieces of equipment), the man finally managed to find a seat at the edge of the examination table. There, once he felt secure, he took a calming breath and shared a grin with the nurse who was trying to hide her mirthful smile.

It was only when Booker settled that he finally put a voice to his real thoughts; he wanted to thank her for keeping the kids calm back there. Of course it was her job and, seriously, who was he to thank her? But he wanted her to know that he did appreciate it. It was his mistake, he shouldn’t have gotten into it without watching what he was doing, but she still managed to jump in and keep all the kids from freaking out. For that he was very thankful.

>> ”Of course…I think we’re both just trying to help them. Anything you can, you know?”

He nodded. ”Certainly.”

Booker couldn’t do this job. He enjoyed coming here, he enjoyed entertaining the kids, but at the end of the day, he got to go home. He got to live his life. He got to be happy and healthy. For these kids, they had a lot that they were going through, that they were suffering, and to have to bear witness to that every single day, it was heart-wrenching. Booker honestly didn’t know how she did it but he respected her all the more for it.

>> ”I’m going to check your pupils, okay? Open your eyes wide for me.”

She turned and started to gather equipment. She needed to check his eyes and, as she pulled a small penlight up, she asked him to open his eyes wide for her. As she leaned in closer, the man couldn’t help himself as he decided to give her exactly what she asked for. His eyes opened very wide, the his mouth turned into a terrified grimace, perfect teeth bare and mouth gapped in silent horror. It must have made quite the comical look but Booker held it as long as he could before he finally broke down, chuckling to himself, his eyes squinting in humor as he turned away for a moment to finish laughing.

When he done, he finally turned back around, his face a bit more calm as he grinned. ”Sorry. I know. I’m a child. But considering that you work here, clearly you should be used to it.” He grinned matter-of-factly. Still, Booker knew (sometimes) when to stop a joke and he opened his eyes wide for her. ”So, while you are so uncomfortably close to me,” he said, staring into the penlight. ”Tell me a little about yourself, Lady Juliette. And, you know, maybe not dwell on how embarrassing my epic dance fail was back there.”

If there was one thing that could be said about Booker Bookman, it was that he was a good person to have a conversation with. Constantly smiling, complementary, and eager to participate in sarcastic back-and-forth. She grinned back at him as he cheekily answered her questions. His smile was infectious.

In almost every sense, the conversation was an ideal one, according to Juliette. Sarcasm, books, and not a single sign of a concussion. It left nothing to be desired. Other than some talk of running, maybe, but she wasn’t about to push her luck.

>>”I’ll talk your ear off about Austen and her works.”

”I’ll have to take you up on that some time,” Juliette winked. That sounded like a good conversation to her.

However, that did mean that she’d technically asked to see him again. Should she have asked a very attractive man if he wanted to talk about romance novels with her sometime while she was seeing someone else? Probably not. However, life was not always riddled with sound decisions.

Booker seemed to be back in full spirits, she realised. He was talking, smiling, and laughing with her, and there were absolutely no signs of a concussion. There really was no point in her doing an examination on him, since he was clearly fine, but it didn’t hurt to check. She would have kicked herself if she sent him home with an undiagnosed concussion when she’d been able to check it so easily right there. Better safe than sorry, after all.

>>”She broke the mold, though. Has a ‘normal’ name and all…”

She smirked, ”too bad. You have no one to commiserate with, then.” Juliette had always figured that siblings would be the best people to complain about situations with, since they would experience them exactly as you did. That could very well be the case if they weren’t experiencing the same thing, though.

At his mention of her happy thoughts, she grinned again. Her cheeks were starting to feel strained from all the exercise. ”Oh, you know, anything to offset the cheeriness of this room.” Or distract a patient. She was rather good at that, as it were.

The terrified face things was, surprisingly, not something that she had seen before. Then again, she had never seen anything like Booker, either. He was in his own, whole new category. With a special label and everything.

For a minute, she wasn’t quite sure just how to react to the comical expression. He held it for a while longer than she had been expecting, and for a brief second, she wondered if it was for real. Of course, she knew that it wasn’t, but from some of the things she’d seen, she knew one could never make a judgement too quickly, and it was always better to expect the less-common result.

Finally, his face returned to normal. She rolled her eyes ever so slightly and clicked her flashlight, shining it in his eye so she could test how his pupils would react to the light. She could have just used her powers, but it was generally frowned upon to use mutant powers in the workplace. Especially in a medical profession.

From what she could tell, everything looked normal. Just as she had anticipated.

>>”Sorry. I know. I’m a child. But considering that you work here, clearly you should be used to it.”

Juliette shrugged in response. ”Actually, this is only my second shift in the pediatric ward. Ever.” It was still strange telling people that she was new to all the different procedures that each department had. She almost left it at then, but it would have left him thinking that she was some under qualified person that really wasn’t supposed to be looking at his injury. Instead, she continued on with a bit more information. ”I used to be in the E.D., but I’m splitting time between this and another job right now, so I’m just working odd shifts.”

>>”So, while you are so uncomfortably close to me, tell me a little about yourself, Lady Juliette. And, you know, maybe not dwell on how embarrassing my epic dance fail was back there.”

”Uncomfortably close, huh?” Juliette snorted, ”Is that your way of telling me that I smell, or something?”

She clicked the pen off and then held her index finger in front of him once again, deciding just to do a few more simple tests. ”I know we’ve already done this one, but follow my finger as it moves around. After that, we’ll do some question and answers.”

Thinking back to the question at hand, Juliette remembered that she hadn’t yet told him about herself. She opened her mouth briefly to respond, but then closed it. What was she supposed to say? “Hi, I’m a mutant that lives and teaches at a mutant school full of mutants?” No, that wouldn’t fly when she was treating someone. It was best to keep it general.

”Well… I was born in the Caribbean, grew up with a single mom all around the US, I like to run, and… oh! I just got a new cat!” She finished. That was a good conversation. Bijou was a great conversation topic, and there was nothing about it that would lead into the X-Men or her DNA coding.

>> ”I’ll have to take you up on that some time,”

Even sitting here on the medical table, Booker couldn’t help but think back to what the woman said earlier. It was just a comment, a simple sentence, but it was enough to carry some connotation with it. Booker wasn’t kidding when he said that he loved to talk about Austen. She was one of his favorite writers and if the woman really wanted to talk about it, of course he was going to make the time to do it. However he didn’t immediately think that her comment could have been taken almost as an invitation to being asked out. She didn’t want to know more now and, if he was all good to go, what were the chances that the two of them would cross paths again?

Still, she was beautiful. That much was obvious right off the bat. But add to that the fact that she was interested in some of his favorite reading material and she had a snark factor that could rival, well, his own, and a second meeting was certainly in the cards. Despite his relative uncertainty if he should ask her out of not, Booker tried to keep focused on the now. He was having a medical examination after all from a professional.

At the face he made for her, the man couldn’t help doing so. It was his way of breaking the ice and of bringing humor to the pretty nurse. She had such a brilliant, almost luminescent smile that the librarian couldn’t help but want to see over and over again. He only hoped that he wouldn’t come off as too childish or obnoxious for acting the way that he did. In the end he actually apologized for his behavior, but light-heartedly, in an almost self-deprecating manner.

Juliette seemed to take it in stride. After all, if she was a nurse here, she was probably used to this kind of thing, right?

>> ”Actually, this is only my second shift in the pediatric ward. Ever…I used to be in the E.D., but I’m splitting time between this and another job right now, so I’m just working odd shifts.”

Oh. Well that was new information. He eyed her for a second, almost wanting to jokingly ask if she were a real nurse and not someone escaped from the mental ward, but thankfully she clarified. She was a nurse but she seemed to be more of a floating nurse, going from station to station, spreading her workload around. He nodded his head in an understanding manner, having done the same when he was still in the beginning stages of his librarian career.

”Sounds tiring,” he said sympathetically. ”And yet still you can show off that great smile of yours.” He grinned a little. ”Impressive.”

As she pressed in close, the flashlight shining in his eyes. Booker blinked a couple times as she peered in close. Of course he had to comment, playfully trying to get her to talk a bit more about herself while she got so very, very close to him.

>> ”Uncomfortably close, huh? Is that your way of telling me that I smell, or something?”

”If that were the case, why would I let you stay this close,” he chuckled. ”But no….you don’t smell.” He said sweetly. ”At least not bad.” A sheepish grin.

When the light had died away, Booker tried to blink the spots out of his eyes, squeezing his eyes tight for a second before he rubbed them. When he was done, he had to let his eyes readjust for a second before he turned and craned his head to the side, waiting for her to come back. She resumed being very close to him, this time lifting her finger up in front of his eyes. He had noted that she had yet to fulfill his request for some more regular conversation, and instead just remained patient as she had a job to do.

>> ”I know we’ve already done this one, but follow my finger as it moves around. After that, we’ll do some question and answers.”

”Yes ma’am,” he said with a nod of his head. As she moved her fingers, Booker followed it with his eyes, feeling no discomfort. Even the throbbing on the back of his head was beginning to die down (thankfully) so he would probably be able to make it through the day with just an Asprin or two.

Silence descended. Booker stayed quiet, silently drumming his finger tips on his knees as he waited for the woman to either ask her questions or talk a little more about herself. He would have tried to go for some more humorous antics but the last thing he wanted was to come off as overly obnoxious. Instead he let to ball in her court to see where she would take it; it would seem his patience would be rewarded.

>> ”Well… I was born in the Caribbean, grew up with a single mom all around the US, I like to run, and… oh! I just got a new cat!”

Booker nodded, listening attentively as the young woman began unwrap a bit of the mystery that surrounded her. Booker smiled, genuinely, taking in every bit of information that she gave him as an attentive listener should. After her excited announcement about getting a new cat, Booker grinned.

”Hey and running is great! I myself jog almost every morning. Helps me to run throughout the library, checking all the book shelves for misplaced books,” he beamed innocently. ”A new cat sounds fun. Experienced cat owner or first time?” he said with chuckle.

She rolled her eyes a little at his comment about her not smelling bad. It was a good thing that her perfume was still doing its job after a six hour shift. He was clearly cheeky, though. Very cheeky. She liked that; it made for good back and forth. Unfortunately, she had a job to do, and as much as she wanted to, she couldn’t spend the entire time talking sarcastically.

He did a good job of tracking her finger as she moved it through the air. That was a very good sign. Due to his high spirits, his pupils’ ability to process light correctly, and the fact that he wasn’t complaining about any pain, Juliette could basically diagnose him as “fine” right then and there. Still, she kept going. There was no harm in completing the tests just to be sure. Besides, then they wouldn’t have to cut their conversation short.

She took a clipboard from the countertop next to them and placed a fresh sheet of notes on top of the pile. Quickly, she sat down and wrote what she’d already done before readying a new spot for her next findings.

>>”Hey and running is great! I myself jog almost every morning. Helps me to run throughout the library, checking all the book shelves for misplaced books.”

That comment made her look up from the clipboard. Running through a library. That was not something that she tried to picture everyday. ”That must be a big library,” she mused. ”I thought librarians were the ones trying to stop people from running around, though?”

The picture that she had in her head of a librarian was a grumpy woman in a cardigan. Clearly, Booker did not fit that bill, but she was still surprised by how lively his job sounded. Much better than whatever she could have dreamt up.

>>”A new cat sounds fun. Experienced cat owner or first time?”

”First time,” she beamed. She held down her wrist as it instinctively tried to go to her phone to pull out pictures. One might say that she’d grown very attached to her cat in the few weeks that she’d had him. ”We always moved around too much to justify taking an animal with us as a kid, so I never really thought of getting one. A few weeks ago, though, my friend was going through a bit of a rough time, so we went to a cat shelter, and, well… I think it was fate, honestly.”

She silently reminisced about how it had seemed cruel to leave the adorable creature at the shelter when she was perfectly capable of taking him home with her. ”He’s still getting used to things, of course. My boyfriend’s dog is a little crazy, so I’ve been trying to keep them apart for the first little while, at least.” There, subtle hint dropped without making too big a deal of it.

Standing up, she grabbed another clipboard from the counter and put a sheet for him to put his medical history on in the holder. She then handed it to him, saying, ”you can fill this out while you answer the questions.”

She sat back down and rested her feet on the bar halfway up the base of the stool as she glanced back at her own clipboard. ”Alright, whenever you’re ready.”

“What’s your full name?”

“What’s your birthday?”

“Two times five?”

“What did you have for breakfast this morning?”

She stopped after that, satisfied with the questions that she’d asked. If he was able to answer them, then they would give a good indication of how his memory, and by default, his brain, was doing.

>> ”That must be a big library…I thought librarians were the ones trying to stop people from running around, though?”

Booker just grinned at her. It was clear that she didn’t realize which library he worked for. It was well known that the New York Public Library was actually pretty massive. In both width and height, it was an impressive building dedicated to knowledge and information; and that was only the public face of it. Like most libraries there were hidden halls and sections where storage, archiving, and record keeping were kept. It could be a veritable maze if wandered in without an experienced guide. Booker, as it was, was quite experienced.

He gave Juliette and winning smile as he shrugged his shoulders. ”Big would probably be an accurate descriptor for the New York Public Library,” he agreed. ”And we do try to stop people from running – unless there is a very serious book emergency that needs to be handled.”

Another wide grin and a smile.

Their conversation switched over to concerning her recent acquisition of a new pet. Booker loved pets when he was growing up but once he got to college, the luxury of being able to responsibly care for one was no longer there. Besides, Booker loved animals so much that if he had been granted the opportunity to care for pets, well, his house with never be empty. Thankfully he did have one pet, currently, one that was illegal, but luckily their landlord was really, really bad at his job.

Still he wouldn’t bring up the subject of Dog just yet. The last thing he needed was to freak Juliette out. Instead he merely listened as the young woman began to describe her experience as a new pet owner.

>> ”First time…We always moved around too much to justify taking an animal with us as a kid, so I never really thought of getting one. A few weeks ago, though, my friend was going through a bit of a rough time, so we went to a cat shelter, and, well… I think it was fate, honestly.”

He beamed the entire time she expressed her enthusiasm over her new pet. It was good to know that through tragedy from a friend that the nurse was able to find something of her own to bring home. Cats were notorious for being aloof to caring for humans (according to the internet) but it was clear that the feline had brought some light into Juliette’s life. That was an infectious feeling, one that filled the librarian up with a bit of his own warmth.

>> ”He’s still getting used to things, of course. My boyfriend’s dog is a little crazy, so I’ve been trying to keep them apart for the first little while, at least.”

…damn. It’s always the pretty, witty, DJ nurses with amazing smiles that are taken. Booker could feel the tiny part of him inside cringe and curl up a little. Thankfully none of that really shown on his features, but that took a lot of control. To be honest he should have expected it. There was no way a woman like this would go along unattached. Still, it was a fun while it lasted, wasn’t it?

He was sympathetic as spoke. ”Ah, well, that does sound tough. But give it time,” he said warmly. ”Animals can more easily adjust to change than us humans.”

That was really unfortunate to hear, that DJ Nurse Dizzle was off the market. Still, it wasn’t like he was going to pout and be sad about it the rest of their time together. He would still smile, he would still laugh, but he would probably try to tone down the flirting a little; the operative word being try.

>> ”you can fill this out while you answer the questions.”

He blinked back into thought as he suddenly was presented with a clipboard and some forms to fill out. He gave her an appreciative smile as he began to fill out the document, pulling out his wallet to get his medical card, and jotting down the information that was required of him. Once everything had been filled out, his attention turned back to Juliette as she prepared to continue her examination with more questions.

>> ”Alright, whenever you’re ready.”

He nodded, filled in the last of the forms he needed to fill in, and gave her his undivided attention. ”Carry on, mon capitaine,” he teased.

The questions were all fairly standard fair, nothing that a person with all his mental capacities couldn’t answer. Though with a case of possible head trauma, the simplistic questions made sense in order to verify whether or not the individual was, in fact, all there. So, taking a second, he answered each question in turn.

”Booker B. Bookman…March 20th, 1989…Who did Two two-time Five with?” A pause and a grin before he answered for real. “Ten. And for breakfast I had a homemade Belgian waffle, scrambled eggs, sausage, and half an apple. Oh, and coffee I got from a vendor on my way to work.“ He waited as she finished checking his answers, before he continued. ”Do I sound right in the head to you?”