"Come on man, breathe!" Bending down she forced two big breaths into the stranger’s lungs before starting compressions on his chest.

"One and two and three and…Breathe!" The second set of breaths was met with resistance and the man coughed.

"Holy shit this is a first. He took a breath! Where’s the damn bus already." Getting one who was gorped back from the grasp of the grim reaper was rare indeed.

"Move out of the way Mac, we’ll take over. Jesus Christ woman you get more of these off duty then you do on. This man’s breathing what did you do to him?

"Standard run of the mill CPR Joe..." Mara Mackenzie pushed back on her knees as the two on duty paramedics dropped their equipment down beside the man, who now lie prone and confused on the front lawn of the Philadelphia art museum. "You’re gonna be alright, mate. No worries."

His eyes were open and he was obviously trying to focus on her. Each second that passed brought more life into his expression and she could see fear.

"Did you get his name, Mac?" Joe’s voice broke the lock she had on the stranger’s eyes and she shook her head. "He was dead, mate. I heard some Sheila scream and the next thing I know this guy’s lying here in a full arrest. "

"I think I’m gonna take one of them there Sydney life saving classes. Nice work Mac." Joe managed a pat on the back as his partner set up an IV.

‘Where you gonna take him?"

"Temple Med, Where else? Most of the ER’s are on diversion and have us circling."

"Let me know how he makes out okay? You’ve got my cell number, Joe."

"Right."

She stood by as they packaged the man and prepared to transport him. Joe had asked him his name several times but he didn’t answer. Poor bastard had to be in shock after all he was knock, knock, knockin’ on Heavens door. Mara moved up alongside of him just as they raised the Stryker stretcher up to load it onto the rig.

"Hey, what’s your name, mate? Can you talk?" One more try couldn’t hurt.

His eyes shot to hers and his mouth moved as he tried to speak. She lowered her head to hear the rasp of a sound that came out. "Tea…"

"Tea? Your name is Tea?"

"I’d like a proper cup of tea."

"Bloody hell he’s a pom." Not that it made any difference; it just caught her off guard. Being a foreign transplant herself she reckoned he had to have some family around. Mara stood there as Joe and his partner drove the stranger off and it was then she realized she had his glasses in her shirt pocket.

"Shit." It was her only day off this week and she was going to end up spending the rest of it hunting for a place to park at Temple medical center to return the specs to the bloke. Mara shook her head and smiled to herself. Maybe she’d bring him a proper cup of tea anyway. At least her Karma got some polish today.

An hour or so later she slipped through the automatic doors of the Temple medical center emergency room carrying a thermos of near boiling water and two mugs in her back pack. Down beside both was a box of Twinings English breakfast tea. That’s about as proper as she could get under the circumstances. With the pack slung on her shoulder she walked up to the ER desk and tapped her knuckles lightly on the Formica top.

"Mac. What the hell are you doing here today?" Nurse Angie Ganz raised her eyes to the off duty medic.

"Came to see how the patient that unit 94 brought in is doing."

"Oh yeah I hear you had a hand in that one. You know that guy is doing great. He doesn’t even have any signs of a heart attack. The doc’s thinking he had some kind of seizure or something but there’s no sign of it on the CAT scan or EEG.

"You got all that done in an hour?"

"Yepper. It’s a slow day in the ER." Angie grinned.

"I reckon you just jinxed yourself love. Buckle up. Where’s the bloke at?"

"Room six. Did you happen to get any ID on him? He seems to not know who he is or where he came from. "

"Naw, mate. The only thing he said to me was tea. Okay if I go see him?"

"Go right ahead. Maybe he’ll remember something if he sees you."

"Thanks." Mara winked and snapped her fingers before she moved down the hall to ER6. The door was ajar and she tapped the frame lightly. "Ello. Did someone in this room order a cup of tea?" Stepping inside without invitation she was taken aback by the way the man looked. His color was perfect, his eyes were clear and he sure as shit looked out of place in the hospital gown they’d shoved him into.

"You’re doing much better then the last time I say you. My name’s Mara Mackenzie but my mates call me Mac. I stumbled on you after your little accident or whatever you had. I have your glasses here" Setting the pack down she slid the glasses out of her shirt pocket and handed them to him.

"Thank you." He took them from her hands and wiped them off on the front of the gown before placing them on his face. "You’re the one who allegedly saved my life then?" Sizing her up, he extended his hand. "I guess I should say thank you again.

"No worries mate. I figured I’d bring you a cuppa and your specs. What’s your name?"

"You’re the umpteenth person who’s asked me and if I knew I’d be more than happy to tell you. "

Mara shrugged. "I reckon you’ll remember it. You don’t look at all like a homeless person so there has to be someone around here who knows you. How bout that cuppa? Maybe a little brew will light something up in your brain."

"That’d be acceptable." He replied. "You’re Australian?"

"Yep."

"What are you doing in France?"

"Ah France you say? Has the staff here been speaking French to you? The crazy bastards are probably just busing your arse mate. I think Doctor Madsen is from Quebec and he may speak some French but this is Philadelphia, mate. You’re in the States."

The look on his face actually gave her a chest pain. Those eyes of his, hot damn they were so expressive and he looked like a lost little boy and the tone of his voice when he said "I beg your pardon…" went through her like a branding iron through a pint of Ben and Jerry’s pistachio ice cream.

"Mister, I’m really sorry. Maybe a cup of tea…." What the hell else could she say? Sure it sounded kind of stupid but what the hell else could she say. Gathering the mugs and the thermos from her back pack she went about making them each a cup as properly as she could, pouring the steaming water over top of the tea bags and letting them set. "Do you remember how you take it at least?"

"Something tells me I prefer it black." His voice was low and full of confusion. He didn’t take his eyes off of her as she fixed the brew. He reckoned with her manner and the way she carried herself that she’d wreck havoc in the business world. He just couldn’t figure out why he thought that way.

"You haven’t told me your name."

"Yes I did, when I came in. Mara but you can call me Mac."

"That’s right, I’m sorry. I can’t seem to grasp onto anything right now." He sighed.

"Grasp onto this mug. Maybe it will help jar some of that fog loose."

"Fog, yes that’s it fog. I’m from London I think but I wasn’t living there." He took the mug and the hint of a smile twitched at the corner of his mouth.

"I’d venture a guess that you were living in France, Paris maybe?"

"I don’t think so Mac." He stopped mid way as he was lifting the cup and gazed at her. Mac, a funny name for a woman, in fact I think it’s my name too. Mac. Mac no Max. I’m Max, Maximilian. That’s it. "

"Result! We’re making some headway. I don’t suppose you’d remember your last name now would you?" Extending her hand to him again, she said "Nice to meet you Maximilian. " Grinning triumphantly when he took her hand her smile faded when he didn’t let go of it any too soon. He drew it up to his mouth and placed a soft kiss on the back of her knuckle. For some reason it made her gasp.

"I’m sorry." He released her. "At the moment I feel as if you’re the only friend I have in the world."

"There’s a heavy burden, but I’m up to the task. I guess we do know each other a little more intimately then the average person with the CPR and all." Say she wasn’t blushing and it would be a lie.

"Maybe some day I’ll find out how good a kisser you are Mac Mackenzie. For now I’ll just say you make a good cuppa tea, love."

There was some mutual laughter which was interrupted by the appearance of Doctor Madsen.

"I’m not interrupting anything am I?" He said as he lifted the chart from the foot of the bed. Miss Mackenzie it’s nice to see you follow up on your patients."

"G’day doc. I was just…I mean. Well I brought Max his specs and a cuppa tea."

"Max is it? How do you do, Max, I’m Doctor Madsen and you are one lucky fellow I’ll tell you but you’re an enigma. I have no idea what happened to you. You don’t have any residual acidosis in your bloodstream to indicate a heart attack, your CAT scan is clean and you look to me like you could run a marathon. With the exception of the fact that you seem to have some kind of localized amnesia I’d say you’re as fit as a fiddle."

"Does that mean he can go home doc?" Mac asked with a cock of her head.

"I could draw up the release papers right now. Of course, Max, I’d like you to follow up with a general practice physician. Since you don’t seem to have been carrying a wallet and you don’t remember exactly who you are, what pray tell are we to do with you? I could contact social services. We could get you set up in a men’s shelter, how would you feel about it?"

"I believe it’s my only recourse at the moment." He responded in a sullen tone of voice.

Mac cleared her throat. Whatever possessed her to say what she was about to might be pummeled with regret later but she couldn’t let this happen. After all she was his one and only friend right now. He said it himself.

"I have a spare room." She announced then turning to Max she raised a shoulder. "It’s yours if you want it. At least until you remember who you are. "

"I couldn’t…"

"Shut up while you’re ahead, Max." The doctor interjected. "You’d be in good hands and I’d feel a lot better. Besides you don’t look like an ax murderer. The sweater you were wearing when you came in is top of the line. I’d say when you find out who you are you’re going to be surprised. Someone will file a missing person’s report. You’ll be home soon. "

"We’re sorted then. My place isn’t much, Max, but it’s yours for as long as you need it."

"Thank you Mac. I’m sure when the truth comes out you’ll be duly rewarded if what the doctor says is true. "

"No worries, mate. Just don’t kill me in my sleep. And none of those Psycho shower scenes either, deal?"

"Deal." He was going to have to call her something other then Mac though. The masculine moniker just didn’t suit her. Not anymore.

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