Mr Sunshine and Jay were at the shopping center when a very elderly human was looking lost and confused. But when touched gently and asked if they were okay, they lashed out violently with terror in their eyes. Dementia is a terrible thing. -- Anon Guest
[AN: I would like to think that my future has eliminated most of the causes of Dementia, and identified patients prone to suffering so that the Mediks can be prepared. Therefore, this kind of thing would have to happen in the Edge Territories]
There was nothing like a post-assignment tea. A chance to relax, people-watch, and wait for their handlers to co-ordinate their return to sanctuary. This allowed them to spot the wandering, lost soul.
They were trying to read the shop signage, trying to read the directory, wandering away, then wandering back again within the same hour. They looked... scared. Worried.
Jay, knowing their own limits, attempted to find the local help organisations. Mr Sunshine, knowing a bit more about this particular zone, knew his apprentice would find none. People here had to ask for help before they had a chance to get some.
This was clearly a person who needed help, but could no longer ask. A properly-trained security team would find them, help them, and get them to helpers in minutes. Mr Sunshine would have to do his best to start that process as best he could.
The problem was - he was a predator. So he had predator habits.
He approached his target so that he would not be spotted. Not until it was too late. His tread was quiet enough to merge with the background noise. So his target didn't know he was there until he tapped the poor soul on the shoulder.
Wrong thing to do to someone who was already lost, terrified, and confused.
"Gitcher hands offa me!"
This was not a tyrant, they were a patient. Mr Sunshine backed away, hands raised, and went into chameleon mode. Sweet smile, hands raised to show no harmful intend. Tilt the head just so to appear embarassed. Meek voice. Soothe, soothe, soothe.
"My pardons, please. I only wish to help."
"I don't need your help! Go away!"
"As you say," Mr Sunshine made the effort to step fully and easily into this person's line of sight. Let them see the bowtie and the sweater vest. Let them see how meek and harmless he appeared. "My student and I noticed you going through this area quite often. Are you looking for somewhere?"
"I can't find Harry's," they snarled.
"Harry's," repeated Mr Sunshine. "I'm new here, so I don't know about Harry's. Is it a restaurant?"
"It's a greengrocer's. They're the only ones who have the... the things."
Jay, who'd uncovered Mr Sunshine's extant knowledge, wandered over with their comms unit. They'd opened a map to discreetly show Mr Sunshine a map. It showed the quickest route to a care centre for the mentally disordered.
"Which things would those be? I may have seen somewhere else that has them."
"You know. The things. Make soup. Yellow. Long. Look like a franger." The gesture that came with the last word was bordering on an obscene display.
"Courgettes?" offered Mr Sunshine.
"Long neck pumpkins?" guessed Jay. This earned them a quizzical look from Mr Sunshine. "Gramma down the way grew them. She said they were funny. And then someone ratted her out for farming without a license and they took her away."
"Sorry for your Gramma," said the lost soul. "It's nice to see a young man with respect for his elders, these days. Can you help me find Harry's?"
"Well, we're new here, but I have found a place that will help you," said Jay. "We can take you there. If you like?" They offered their elbow.
Calm, now. Confusion forgotten, the lost soul took Jay's arm. "Such a nice young man."
Jay did not correct them.
[Photo by Mike Houser on Unsplash]
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