Chapter 22

Ben Pov

Soft. I'm laying on something soft. And something warm is on top of me. I don't want to open my eyes, it's so soft and warm. Everything that reality isn't. I havent this comfortable for a long time.

"How is he doing?"

"He's doing fine, his injuries are healing, he's about 50 pounds underweight but food can fix that but I have to ask, what happened to them?"

I heard a sigh and the rustling of clothes.

"I don't know, the one with green eyes, Igris, he won't tell me anything, saying that he won't tell us anything until the other two gives their consent."

'Igris? Is that Danny? Why is he using a fake name?"

" Oh look, his brain waves are starting to get closer together, he should be waking up soon. Maybe we'll finally get some answers."

Coming to the conclusion that I couldn't feign sleep anymore. I opened my eyes and the bright light made my eyes water.

"Noah, dim down the lights."

Shortly after, the lights were dimmed enough where I could open my eyes. I was in a bedroom with some hospital equipment next to it. A heart monitor, the brain wave thing and an iv drip. I looked towards where the voices were coming from. There was a tall dark man, with black hair and dark brown eyes standing at the bottom of my bed with a clipboard in hand. Near the doorway, there was another man with blue eyes and blond hair.

"Its good to see that you're conscious, you've been asleep for about 3 days already. Well" he flipped through the paper to find something," Ah here it is, your name is Cassius correct?"

'I guess that's my fake name.'

I opened my mouth to answer and a dry croaky rasp came out instead. The black haired man offered me a water bottle. I opened it and took notice that the seal wasn't broken so it's safe to drink. I downed the water bottle in one go and when I tried talking again, it actually sounded like a human voice.

"Yeah, Cassius Smith, where are the other two? There should have been 2 other guys with me. One has green eyes and the other had dark brown eyes."

" Ah yes, let me start off by saying that my name is Caesar and that over there is Noah, as for Igris and Neo, Igris is already healed has been helping us care for Neo. would you like me to call Igris over?"

"No that's fine, he's busy, is there any way I could have a hair cut and a shower?"

Caesar looked at Noah and looked back at me.

" We could make your hair shorter but we don't know how to style it."

" That's fine, I just need a mirror and a pair of scissors. Can you just take me to the bathroom?"

"Sure, Noah, can you come and help him out?"

"Sure Caesar"

Noah walked over to me and helped me get out of the wires and blankets that held me down in the bed. Soon, we were on our way to the bathroom that was in the corner of the room. Noah set me down on the toilet and walked out to get the scissors, a comb, and a stool. He set them down and helped me sit onto the stool.

"Are you going to need anything else?"

"No, I'm fine, thanks for doing this"

"Its no problem."

He walked out of the bathroom and closed the door behind. I looked around the bathroom, it was a small and basic bathroom that the common house would have. I turned towards the mirror and examined myself in the mirror. My hair was long and overgrown. My eyes and cheeks were sunk into my face and there was a scar on my left cheek. I gingerly touched the scar I got when Brown was teasing me with the scalpel and accidentally cut me. I didn't know it left a scar.

I picked up the scissors and started to cut away at my hair. Once it was short enough, I combed out the remaining tangles. Once I was done, I looked in the mirror and realized that I look like the white, thin version of Dora the Explorer.

'I better keep on cutting'

After a couple of minutes, my hair was much shorter and had the same style I did 4 years ago. I looked in the mirror and I gotta say, I did a pretty job by myself. A knock on the door brought me out of my thinking.

"Yeah?"

"Hey Cassius, its Noah, can I come in?"

" Sure, I just finished cutting my hair anyways and I need some help cleaning it up."

Noah walked in and stopped when he saw me in the reflection in the mirror.

"Wow."

"Is something wrong?"

" No, no, I just haven't realized how green your eyes are since your hair was in the way."

I looked at myself in the reflection at my eyes, they look normal to me. then again, I've had them for a long time.

"Uh, thanks, anyways, can you help me clean up the hair?"

"Yeah sure, why don't you slip into the shower while I grab the broom and dustpan?"

"Ok."

Noah closed the door and I stood up and started to take off my clothes. I quickly slipped into the shower and turned on the hot water. I stood under the hot water for a little bit until I heard the knock on the door.

" Hey Cassius, can I come in?"

"Yeah sure."

"Whoa, sure is steamy in here."

"What can I say, I like hot showers."

"Anyways, Cassius, I left you a change of clothes right here on the counter. Call me if you need some help."

"Ok will do"

I heard Noah leave the bathroom and I stood under the warm water a little bit longer. I grabbed the shampoo and started to wash my hair. When I was rinsing it off, I could see the blood and hair going down into the drain. I rubbed my hair and realized that I have to wash it again to get out all of the oil that it has built up over three years. This time instead of using the shampoo, I lathered up the body soap and put that into my hair. Once I rinsed it out, more blood and hair went down the drain. I felt my hair again and it wasn't oily anymore. I got the rag and body soap and lathered it up. I had to be careful with the tender skin on my legs but I otherwise roughly scrubbed to get off the years of gunk. Once I was done, I opened the toothbrush package and the toothpaste and I started to brush my teeth with a generous amount of toothpaste. When I finally walked out of the shower, I felt like a new man. I dried myself off and put on the gray sweat pants and shirt that Noah left for me. I walked out of the shower and saw Noah and Caesar near the doorway. When they saw me, they smiled and looked quite happy.

"Wow Noah, you were right, his eyes are pretty green, not as green as Igris's but still pretty green."

I started to blush

"Uh, thanks for everything."

"Its no problem, although I will want some explanation, later on, is there anything you need?"

" Uh, yeah, can I see Igris and Neo?