Guardian Angel

It must have been after midnight when he
Stumbled into the hospital.
He was a ragged scarecrow with grey skin
Like stone. He never said a word but I
Could see that his eyes were screaming.
Of course we took him in, gave him a bed.
He refused the striped bed clothes.
From then he slept for days.
And I watched over him, captivated.
When the sun hit his face I could tell that
He had once had a radiance about him.
Finally he began to speak.
The words came short and sharp
Like gun fire.
Any sudden movement made him
Twitch like a stray cat stalking crows.
He said his head was crowded with a thousand
Voices shrieking at once. He longed to hear his
Own voice echo in the halls of his mind.
At night I could hear him screeching
And rushed to his side.
He clung to me like a child.
Terrified that if he let go he would sink back
Into the nightmare.
He begged me to protect him if they ever came back.
He said he feared those who had hunted him
Were moving in the dark corners of the room.

The days fell like dominos into one another.
And his strength returned. It was his time to leave
And search for his old life.
He thanked me for everything
I had given him. I asked what it was
That I had given.

Silence he replied.