The routine had become my only companion. Work, home, work again. Without pauses, without breaths. But I loved it. Nursing was my vocation, although many times it left me without energy for anything else. My name is Melisa Thompson, I am 25 years old and five years ago I exchanged the tranquility of my parents' farm in California for the chaos of New York. Here, among the incandescent lights and the incessant bustle, I found my purpose.

That night, the exhaustion in my body could not take it anymore. It begged me to rest, and when I finished my shift at the hospital, it was a relief. But, to my bad luck, the rain was falling very hard, hitting the windshield of my old car. Although old, it was my loyal friend and companion on my journey from work to home. But just today, the sky seemed to be venting its own storm. I drove carefully, dodging puddles and just wishing to get home, wrap myself in a blanket and sleep. But fate had other plans for me.

Then I saw him.

An inert silhouette on the edge of the road, barely visible under the dim light of a street lamp. My heart stopped with fright for a moment. Was he drunk? A crash victim? Or something worse?

My survival instinct screamed at me to keep going, not to get into trouble. I attract problems like a magnet. But what if he was dead? What if they blamed me? However, that good side of my chicken heart and my beautiful conscience made me stop. Helping a living being, whatever it is, is a person. Besides, my profession had led me to swear to save lives, and that didn't let me move forward.

I squeezed the steering wheel, my breath catching with adrenaline. I cursed under my breath before braking hard.

I got out of the car, the cold rain made me tremble. It was very cold, it felt like ice water. I approached with quick but cautious steps, my flashlight trembling a little in my hand. When the light illuminated his face, I got a big surprise.

He was a young man, with a strong jaw and marked features, his skin pale under the rain. He seemed… unreal. As if he had come out of a movie or one of those hot strippers. "Oh, God, what a sinful mind," I said to myself. But, coming out of my fantasies, I saw something alarming: the wound on his forehead, from where the blood mixed with the water that ran down his skin.

"My God..." I murmured, quickly bending down beside him.

I placed two fingers on his neck, holding my breath until I felt it. His pulse was weak, but it was there. He was alive.

There was no time. I had to help him and be a good person. My first good deed of the day, although I help others every day...

With effort, I held him under the arms and dragged him to my car. "He weighed like a stone, what does this man eat?" I thought. It wasn't easy; his body was strong and heavy, and I barely had any strength after my shift. The rain continued to fall mercilessly, sticking my hair to my face and soaking my clothes to the bone.

When I finally managed to settle him in the passenger seat, my hands were trembling with cold. I had no idea who he was or what had happened to him, but I was clear that I had to help him.

I started the car and accelerated. Today, it seems it would not be my day off...

The sound of the rain thundered in my ears as I made my way through the storm, my hands trembling on the steering wheel. I glanced sideways at the unconscious man in the passenger seat, feeling strange and very worried. His breathing was slow, but he was there, present, clinging to life.

"Hold on, please don't go with Saint Peter..." I whispered, as if he could hear me.

As soon as I crossed the hospital doors, everything happened in an instant. I jumped out and ran to the reception, very agitated.

"I need help!" I shouted. "There's an injured man in my car."

The orderlies wasted no time. With quick and precise movements, they pulled his almost lifeless body from the seat and placed it on the stretcher. From the depths of my heart, I prayed that the man would be okay as they rushed him to the emergency room.

"What happened?" asked Dr. Alicia Cervantes, walking beside me as she observed the patient.

"I found him on the road. He was unconscious and had a head wound," I explained, wiping my face with the sleeve of my soaked uniform.

Alicia nodded with a frown and proceeded to examine him. I stood aside while she and her team worked. They cleaned him, checked his vital signs, and stitched the wound on his forehead. Then they did imaging tests to rule out fractures or internal injuries.

I waited in the hallway, hugging myself, trying to warm up. Water was still dripping from my hair, sticking to my skin, but I didn't even notice. My mind was fixed on the man I had just helped.

Soon after, the doctor came out of the room with her professional expression intact.

"There doesn't seem to be any brain damage or serious fractures. We just have to wait for him to wake up."

I sighed with relief, but it didn't last long. Alicia's inquisitive look made me straighten up.

"What have you gotten yourself into now, Melisa?" she asked, with her arms crossed. "Who is that man?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "I found him lying on the road when I was coming home. I couldn't leave him there, you know I always help those who need it."

Alicia snorted, shaking her head.

"Yes, of course. You can't help it. But this time you may have gotten into something complicated."

"Maybe... but I couldn't ignore him. Besides... he's very handsome," I blurted out, with a tired smile.

Alicia raised an eyebrow and sighed.

"Oh, Melisa... We'll have to wait for him to wake up to find out who he is and what happened."

"Yes, doctor. Meanwhile, I'll take responsibility for him."

My friend looked at me tenderly. She knew what I was like. Since we met, I had always been impulsive when it came to helping someone. And yes, many times that got me into trouble, but I couldn't help it, that was me.

"Okay," she finally said. "But if there are any updates, you let me know right away."

"I will."

Alicia left, leaving me alone.

I spent the night in the observation room, sitting next to his bed. The sound of the machine monitoring his vital signs was the only thing breaking the silence. I stayed watching him, wondering who he was and what he was doing alone in the middle of the road on a night like that.

The hours passed slowly, and as the first rays of sunlight began to filter through the window, a slight movement caught my attention.

The man frowned, his breathing quickened, and his eyelids trembled before snapping open. His eyes, a deep, intense blue, met mine. The man seemed lost and confused in his gaze, as if he didn't understand where he was.

Then he sat up abruptly, breathing raggedly. His hands went straight to the IV in his arm, pulling at it as if he wanted to tear it off.

"Hey, calm down!" I said, quickly standing up. "Don't move, you're in a hospital."

The door opened immediately and Alicia came in, followed by a nurse.

"How are you feeling?" asked the doctor as she checked his pulse and his gaze. "Do you remember what happened to you?"

The man was silent for a moment. He blinked several times, as if trying to find the answers in his mind. Then, his face contorted in despair.

"I don't know," he murmured in a hoarse voice. "I... I don't remember anything."

Alicia and I exchanged glances.

"What's your name?" she insisted, patiently.

He clenched his jaw and shook his head, growing more restless.

"I don't know."

His breathing became more erratic, and his trembling hand tried again to remove the IV.

"It's normal for you to feel confused," Alicia said. "Your memory may return over time. But for now, you need to rest."

The man closed his eyes and dropped his head against the pillow, as if his confusion was too much to bear.

I hadn't said anything until that moment. Finally, I stepped forward and spoke in a calm voice.

"Hello, my name is Melisa. I was the one who found you on the road and brought you here."

His eyes fixed on me, watching me intently, as if trying to find something familiar in my face.

"While you recover your memory, I'll take care of you," I added with a small smile. "You're not alone, man of God."

He hesitated for a moment, as if he didn't know whether to trust me or not. But in the end, he nodded slowly.

He had no name, no memories, and at that moment, all he had was me.

The day had started as a real chaos. My body was paying the price for having stayed all night at the hospital and, worse, for having gotten soaked in the rain. A cold had hit me, leaving me with a congested nose, a heavy head, and a tiredness that clung to my bones.

As soon as I got home, I changed clothes, but I didn't have time to rest. I took some cold pills, hoping they would take effect before returning to the hospital.

Michiru, my cat, was the only one who welcomed me, rubbing against my legs with his soft purr.

"Hello, little one… did you miss me or just want kibble?" I asked in a hoarse voice as I bent down to pet him.

He meowed in response and ran to his empty bowl, confirming my suspicions. I smiled, despite how bad I felt. I loved that cat with all my heart. I had found him years ago, abandoned in a sack, and since then he had been my faithful companion. Sometimes I thought about how cruel people could be to animals, but I could never hurt even a fly.

I made a quick coffee while my thoughts returned to that man without memory. What would I do with him? I didn't know who he was, or where he came from. What if I posted his photo on social media so his family could find him? Maybe someone was looking for him.

But… what if he was in danger? What if someone was trying to kill him?

I shook my head, feeling silly for thinking of conspiracy theories. Maybe he was just an ordinary man who had had an accident, but until he remembered his identity, the uncertainty gnawed at me.

I sighed, finished my coffee, and left home with the idea that I had to go to the hospital to see him.

When I arrived, I went straight to his room. I pushed the door gently and found him sitting on the bed, observing the floor with a frown.

"Good morning," I said, approaching with a friendly smile. "How are you feeling?"

He looked up and let out a dry laugh.

"Oh, I feel great to be here," he said ironically. "Note the sarcasm. How do you think I feel? I don't know who I am, or what happened to me."

I couldn't help but smile at his attitude.

"Yes, I suppose it's not the best day of your life."

"Definitely not."

I crossed my arms and looked at him thoughtfully.

"While we don't know your real name, you will be called Alexander Thompson," I said. "I'll give you my last name until you remember yours."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Alexander Thompson?"

"Yes, it sounds good. Besides, I think it suits you."

He snorted and shook his head.

"Whatever. I have no way to protest."

I shrugged.

"Well, Alexander… you'll be discharged soon. And since you don't have a place to go, how about you come live with me?"

He looked at me as if I had just said the most absurd thing in the world.

"Are you telling me that a complete stranger can come live with you just because he has no memory?"

"Exactly," I replied without hesitation.

Alexander blinked several times.

"Aren't you afraid that I'm a murderer, a psychopath, or something worse?"

I laughed.

"If you were a murderer, I highly doubt it. A dangerous guy wouldn't end up unconscious in the middle of the road."

Alexander rested his elbows on his knees and sighed.

"I don't know if you're too trusting or just crazy."

"A little of both, I suppose," I said with a smile. "But, seriously, you don't have many options right now."

He looked at me in silence, clearly debating internally. Finally, he let out a long sigh and nodded.

"Okay. I accept your offer… for now."

"Perfect," I said, satisfied. "See you later, I have to go to work."

I said goodbye and left the room, leaving Alexander lost in his thoughts.

He ran his hands through his hair and looked at the ceiling.

"What the hell did I get myself into?"

He tried to remember again, but everything in his mind was a terrifying void. He didn't remember his name, his home, his life… nothing. He only knew that that girl, Melisa, had saved his life and, for some reason, trusted him without hesitation.

She was strange. Who in their right mind took a stranger into their house? What if he really was a criminal? Not even he knew.

But for now, that help suited him more than ever.