6 Months Later

The rain fell from the darkened sky, pinging on the tin roof on the nearly deserted army base. Royce watched as a few drops of water dripped from the barred window and down on the small cot they called a bed. Leaning his head back against the cold wall he waited for some sign of life. Friend or foe, he just wanted to see a face other than the kind old man that brought him dinner every night. It had been nearly a month since they'd throw him down here, the food only supporting his life so he wouldn't die. To die, that seemed like the better option at this point anyway. He could handle death again but not what they were doing to him. Letting his eyes fall shut, he remembered the events that led up to this point.

The hospital room had been cold and foreign, the only warmth he felt was her hand laced with his as they waited for a doctor to come in. He rested his head against the soft pillow and silently traced the lights with his eyes. It had been so long since he'd felt anything but cold, emptiness. Everything happening at once had put him in a state of shock.

"Are you alright?" Her soft voice interrupted his thoughts and he smiled,

"I'm fine, I'm just thinking." He turned his head to look at her beautiful face in the chair next to him. She smiled back, wrapped her fingers tighter around his. It had really been luck that they made it to the road and found a truck that was willing to give them a ride to the next town. Now sitting in a hospital room, Royce wondered where they would go from here. The door creaked as it opened to reveal a man in a white coat looking over some charts as he walked in.

"Hello, I'm doctor Williams… You must be Royce?" He asked, taking a second look at the chart.

"Yes, I am." He said, trying to move to a sitting position.

"Now Royce, it's my understanding you were in a fight?" He asked, finally looking up at the boy sitting in front of him.

"Uh…" Royce looked at Madison for the answer, she quickly chimed in,

"Yes. He doesn't remember much, it all happened so fast." She cooed, trying her best to charm the doctor. He smiled politely,

"Okay, well, we'll get you sewn up and on your way." He said, almost cheerful. The doctor turned away and washed his hands before getting a pair of gloves on to put in some stitches. The procedure was over before it started and Royce moved with ease, getting down off the uncomfortable bed.

"I'll just give your paperwork to the nurse and she'll get you released." He smiled, exiting the room with a click of the door. Royce sighed with a relief that no one had asked about where he had come from. He pulled his shirt back over his head and Madison stood to open the door for him. They walked slowly to the front counter and stood in front of the young women in the bright white.

"Royce?" She asked looking somewhat confused at her computer screen.

"Yes…" He said, gripping Madison's hand in his own, he felt his heart rate begin to quicken with nervousness.

"Oh, well, it's just strange. You're social security number comes up as deceased. Is this the correct number?" The young woman asked, pushing a chart across the counter to him. He looked down at it, revealing his mistake in putting his correct information.

"Um…" His voice sounded of contemplation as e searched for a way out of the situation. Madison's hand tightened on his and she moved to look over the paper work with him.

"I'm sorry. He's got a head injury as well… I don't have any of his information.." She tried to smile again at the nurse but by the looks of it the nurse had pulled up Royce's file in her computer because she was looking it over with a look of confusion before picking up her phone.

"You know, we really need to go. Just send us a bill.." Madison said trying to pull Royce down the hall towards the exit.

"Stop!" She heard from behind them but quickened the pace. The feeling of another set of hands closing over his upper arm and the sound of Madison's yelp of surprise.

That was the last time he had seen the beautiful girl he had came back to life for. Now he was government property for them to experiment on. They'd never seen a dead person come back to life. They wanted to know how it was physically possible. Royce banged his head back against the cold concrete in frustration. He was more angry at himself than even the men that put him here. Letting his eyes close to his solitude he prayed for death to take him over again. No such luck, he finally realized after about 10 minutes of talking to himself. Her face was the only thing that kept him sane anymore, even if he'd never see it again. He should have just gone with the rest of the ghosts when they were freed. It would have been hard on Madison but this was probably killing her. Touching his head with his hand, he waited for anything, for some sound of something up nothing came. Closing his eyes, he felt sleep take him over and he drifted off into dreamland.

Bang!

The noise shocked him awake, he looked around for the source of the noise but nothing was there. In the darkness, his mind played tricks on him and he thought he saw her moving towards him like an angel in the cold solitude. His eyes focused more with each blink he took, the illusion just wouldn't go away until it was standing right in front of him.

"Royce, oh, god, I'm going to get you out of here…" She mumbled, his minding finally wrapping around the idea that she was actually there, she was actually unlocking the gate that kept him here.

"Madison…" He croaked on the last syllable.

"Shh.." She whispered, quickly unlocking the door and tossing the keys aside.

"Royce, I thought I'd never see you again…" She mumbled as he stood to embrace her back.

"What are you doing here? You ahve to get out of here before they find you!" He yelled, holding her at arms length.

"Not without you!" She said bakc, a sterness in her voice.

"Madison, if you're with me, you can never have a life, they'll hunt us for the rest of our lives to try to find me again." Royce assured her. Madison shook her head in acknowledgement.

"I know but I love you!" She whispered, capturing his lips with her own.

"Let's get out of here before anyone comes to find out what that noise was." She mumbled, pulling him from the cell and back up the stairs that she came.