Story-Portal

Joshua - or ZYX as he is dubbed by those who are suspicious of him and his intent - is an alien who finds himself stranded on Earth. To complicate matters, he has amnesia. Joshua, with some difficulty, befriends an Australian Aboriginal boy and is eventually accepted into the boy's family. This story is an opportunity to study human nature and its many contradictions from the perspective of a non human who comes from "way out there". 

Quote:3

A young man approached the reception desk at
Taree Base Hospital. “Good morning,” the attendant
said with a practiced smile, then asked what she could
do for him. But the young man remained silent. “I’m
sorry. Is there a problem? Are you able to speak?” she
continued.
To the woman’s surprise, the young man then
mimicked her words. “What can I do for you? I’m
sorry. Is there a problem? Can you speak?”
“Oh, God, we’ve got a bit of a lulu here,” she
mumbled under her breath, then picked up a phone.
“Can you ask the head nurse to come to reception,
please. Yes, it’s urgent.” The receptionist replaced the
phone in its cradle. “Take a seat, please,” she said to
the young man. “You’ll be attended to shortly.”
“Take a seat please. You’ll be attended to
shortly,” he repeated.
“Over there.” She pointed to a row of chairs in
the corner of the room. “Take a seat over there.”
The young man’s eyes followed the direction of
the attendant’s finger. He thought for a moment, then
seemed to comprehend her request. “Take a seat over
there?” he asked as he mimicked a squatting motion
and pointed to the chairs.
“Yes, sit down over there.”