Numbers

He once said even though it was amidst a blood-loss induced hallucination that relationships and pairings follow a pattern of numbers.

4's marry 4's.

7's to 7's.

And so on.

But unfortunately for him this left his own number entirely obscure and hence doomed him to a life of loneliness.

There were just too many conflicting factors; his intelligence, his disturbing personality, his rugged good looks and his damaged leg.

He didn't dwell on his own number too much, it was pointless. It he had based his number theory on a pack of cards then he would be a black joker. The loner that remained enclosed in the box not playing the game.

It suited who he was.

Cameron, however, having lost her king of hearts wanted to play him. Wanted to replace one charity case with another.

Now she was a pure 9.

She was stunning, intelligent, caring and on her way to a rich a prosperous career.

And the only reason she wasn't rated a 10 was because she was a little too caring.

Plus the fact that he was unwilling to admit she was more desirable than Carmen Electra, rated a 9.5.

Cameron wanted to play him.

A 9 and a joker.

It was laughable.

It was impossible.

It was shocking.

It was unthinkable.

So why did he scowl and sulk every time Wilson teased him?

So why had they already been on 2 dates?

So why were almost half of the betting pools in the hospital about them?

So why was it all that he could think about?

He was no 9.

Perhaps he was once; when he could run, when he could smile, when he wasn't quite as closed off and when he wasn't high on drugs 98 of the time.

So it was alright that he should want her, that he should need her.

It was normal.

But that was no reason to explain why she wanted him, why she needed him.

Maybe she saw the 9 in him. Or maybe she was just as broken too.

Maybe be she was sitting in that box of cards right next to him, not playing the game just pressed so hard against him that they could play their own game separate from the world.

And they did.

He forgot about his numbers, his rules and concentrated only on the deliciously soft warm body moving on top of him.

He didn't need numbers, he didn't need rules all he needed was her.

The other half of him.