My eyes slowly opened. I looked around the hospital room.
Six kids and one man stood before me, watching me.
The Asian girl came toward me, then put her hand in my hand. She had been crying. "I'm so happy you're okay."
"Ma'am? What happened?" My voice cracked.
"Someone had heard your screams from outside the building and called the police. They'd quickly set up a net when Frankie dropped you out the window. So you landed safely. But you were already knocked out."
"I fell out of the window?"
"No. Frankie dropped you."
"Who's Frankie?"
She looked at me strangely. "The man that kidnapped you."
"His name is Master."
"No. He just told you to call him that when he kidnapped us."
"Us? Ma'am, I don't even know who you are."
She was shocked.
I continued. "I want Master. Where is he, ma'am?" When she didn't answer, I spoke. "Please, tell me, ma'am. Please."
The tall, brown-haired man walked over and put his hands on the girl's shoulders. "Melissa, will you let me speak to Cody alone?"
She nodded, wiping her tears, then followed the other kids out the door.
The man looked at me. "Cody-"
"Who's Cody, sir?"
"You are."
"No, sir. I'm B****."
"No, you're not. You're Cody."
"No, sir."
"Yes, you are." Frustrated, he went to the foot of the bed and grabbed a clipboard, then brought it to me. He pointed to the paper. "See?"
I looked at the name: 'Cody Jackson.' "But…but, sir, it's not…that's not me, sir."
"Yes, it is."
I was silent, staring at the words. After a while, I spoke. "But…but that can't be, sir."
"It is."
"No!" I forced the tears not to fall. "No, sir. I'm B****. Master said so. He's my owner. He named me."
"He lied."
"He wouldn't do that, sir."
"Yes, he would. And he did."
"You're lying."
"He wasn't a good man."
"Don't talk about Master like that!"
"It's true. He hurt you."
"No! He wouldn't do that! He'd never hurt me!"
"He wouldn't?"
I shook my head.
"Well, then how did you end up in the hospital?"
I thought for a moment. I hung my head, looking at the clipboard that lay in my lap. My voice was barely audible. "Why are you doing this, sir?"
"I'm not doing anything."
"Please, sir. Just let me see him. Please."
"I can't do that."
I looked at him. "Please! Please, sir! Please!"
He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Cody."
"My name is not 'Cody!'"
"Yeah, it is."
Everyone stood around me silently, watching me.
"I'm not Cody," I mumbled to myself, staring at the ceiling. "I'm not Cody. I'm not Cody. I'm not Cody. I'm not Cody."
This went on for hours.