John had been experimenting with his food for the last few days. He couldn't remember what foods he liked or didn't like, making everything he tasted a first time. It was something he would have to discover all over again, and one food at a time. There was also an issue with allergies so when it came time to try something like peanut butter or shell fish for the first time, John had to have a nurse present to make sure he didn't go into anaphylactic shock. John had no reactions to any of those foods yet, so he considered himself quite lucky so far. After a few days since he woke up his mind was still as blank as the day he opened his eyes. It was like someone had reformatted his brain, leaving it in the same state it was in when it first came out of the womb. It was quite frustrating but John had to remember what the doctor told him: he was alive. When he got better, he would be able to leave the hospital and make a life for himself. That couldn't be said for the other driver from what he overheard according to the officers stationed at his door.

John was eating a cup of jello when there was a knock on his door. He paused for a moment, and then there was another knock.

"The door's open." he called out.

The door slowly creaked open and a moment later a man close to his own age strolled into the room. His shirt was a little flashy but he couldn't remember if he liked that or not so John couldn't comment on it just yet.

"Can I help you?" John asked.

"Hi, there John." The young man said as he extended his hand to him. "My name is Max Sheppard."

"Hey Max," John said as he shook his hand.

"Before we start." Max said as he pulled up a chair and sat down beside the patient's bed. "Were you informed of why I'm here?"

"I'm afraid not." John answered.

"Alright, then let's start with that." Max said, as he took a deep breath. "I'm your court appointed attorney."

"You are?" John asked.

"For the time being, at least." Max honestly answered.

"Do you know who I am?" John then asked, hoping this was someone from his past.

"I'm afraid not, sorry." Max said, taking out a pad and a pen from his briefcase. "I'm a public defender. I've been assigned your case to represent your best interests. Everyone is guaranteed a lawyer; that's your right as an American."

"Do I need a lawyer?" John inquired. "I mean the accident wasn't my fault. Why would I need a lawyer?"

Max paused for a moment. "After the accident, the police found something in your car."

"What kind of something?" John asked.

"Something I'm fairly confident isn't legal." Max answered.

"What am I going to be charged with?" John asked.

"Nothing at the moment," Max answered, "Because of our inability to identify you, and the fact that there's no one home in there..." Max took a moment to pretend to knock on his own skull. "It means you don't meet the state's requirement to stand trail, at least that's what I think. The fact that the state hasn't charged you with anything seems to confirm that they agree with me on that one."

"This is confusing." John said as he tried to process it.

"I've been practicing law for close to ten years and I've never seen a situation like this before." Max said with a smile. "Trust me John; this situation is confusing even the more experienced law minds."

"I can only imagine." John said as he shuffled position in his bed. "I don't remember doing anything. Everything is gone."

"That's I've been told," Max confirmed as he kept scribbling something on his notepad. "So you still remember nothing?"

"That's an affirmative, counselor." John answered.

"Okay," Max said as he stopped writing for a moment. "I want to let you know right now if anything does come back to you, I only want you to speak to me about it. Everything you say to me is protected by attorney client privilege. As long as you do not pose an immediate threat to others, I cannot tell anyone anything you say, even if your memory completely comes back to you."

"Why are you telling me this?" John asked.

"I want you to limit how much you tell anyone." Max replied. "The last think I want you to do is unknowingly incriminate yourself."

"Do you think I'm guilty of what they think I did?" John asked.

Max paused for a moment. "I'm going to be honest with you John; I don't know. I'll also tell you this much; I've won against cases stronger than this in court. What they have is very weak. I have doubts and it wouldn't require much effort to convince a jury of your peers feel the same way."

John took a deep breath. "Okay, thanks."

Max did his best to seem friendly despite what he knew. "I need to ask you for a favor, John."

"Sure." John replied. "What do you need?"

"This is a very confusing case," Max said as he preferred to be as honest with John about what they could talk about. "I would like permission to seek advice from someone I deeply respect. He's retired but talks to me about things whenever I'm in a pickle. If you sign this waiver he'll become a member of our legal team, which means I'll be able to talk to him about the case without breaking privilege."

"Is he a lawyer too?" John asked.

"No, his was disbarred a few years ago." Max answered. "He was a mentor of mine but he doesn't practice law anymore. I still go to him for advice when I'm facing difficult situations like this one. I also like the old bastard and his help on occasion has helped me win many cases. Take my word for this, John, this is a weird one. So not only do I need help, I need it from someone who we can both trust to keep everything confidential."

"Alright," John said, picking up the piece of paper. He looked back at his lawyer. "I'm not sure what to write down."

"Just put an X for now." Max replied. "I can witness it and that should be enough."

John did as he was told and drew two lines against one another. He handed the form back to his lawyer. "What happens now?"

"Right now there's an offer on the table." Max said with a deep sigh. "They want you to voluntarily check into a mental institution for long term therapy."

"What happens if I do that?" John asked.

"You'll stay there until the doctors deem you fit to re-enter society." Max answered, looking at John to see how he would respond.

"How long would that take?" John asked.

"It really depends on the doctors." Max answered.

"Meaning?" John asked.

"Meaning it could be two months or two years." Max explained.

"What do I get out of this?" John said, feeling down.

"No charges." Max answered, "This case simply vanishes like your memory and is never seen or heard of ever again."

"Is that good?" John asked.

"In this state, and with this judge?" Max said, thinking about it. "I happen to think it's amazing. Deal of the damn century."

John seemed to shuffle in his spot again. "Can I have some time to think about it?"

Max jumped up from his seat. "Of course you can. I wouldn't mind a little time to speak with my new associate about the case before we go back to the Judge and the DA."

"Thanks for coming by," John said, appreciating a new friend.

"Not a problem," Max said as he took a look around the room to see how empty it was. "You want me to bring anything back with me the next time I come over?"

"Like what?" John asked.

"I don't know." Max said as he scoured around again. "Maybe a magazine, a book, a newspaper or maybe a burger?"

"I'm not sure if I like any of those things." John honestly replied. "But thanks for the offer."

"I'm going to be back first thing tomorrow morning," Max said as he grabbed his stuff and shook John's hand again. "If anything comes back to you, wait until tomorrow morning to bring it up. We'll talk more about your case when I get back."

"Thanks Max." John said as he shook his lawyer's hand.

After shaking the client's hand, Max left the room. John couldn't see Max anymore but he could hear his lawyer talking to someone outside the room. Based on how close he was and that he could still hear him, John assumed he was speaking to the guard outside the door.

"This man is my client." Max could be heard saying, "No one is allowed to speak with him, not even law enforcement unless it's approved by me first. We clear on that, chief?"

"Yes, Sir." a guard replied.

"Good man," Max said, "Here's my card. If anything happens, call me and I'll get down here as quickly as I can."

"Yes, Mr. Sheppard." The guard said.

John couldn't help but smile and deeply sigh as he sat back into his bed. Whatever they think he did, John was sure it had to be serious if there was a man sitting outside his door to make sure he never made a run for it. Regardless of what was going on, John suddenly felt a little better knowing that someone was there for him. This Max fellow was not only going to defend him to the bitter end, but based on the way he conducted himself, he seemed like a pretty stand up guy. Max was going to visit tomorrow to check up on him. John liked the idea of having a visitor the next day, even if that person was appointed by the court. It was nice to have an advocate, and a friend.