*******TISSUE WARNING THIS IS A REALLY SAD CHAPTER*********

When he opened his eyes again. He felt funny. All fuzzy and warm. He opened his eyes and the fluorescent light above him was mesmerizing. There were colors in it he had never seen before.

His mom was holding his hand. He could tell she had been crying. He looked at her and said with his voice. "Wow. Mom, you should see the colors in the light. There are so many colors."

His mother looked at him in shock. "Oh my gosh. Did you just speak?"

Matty looked at her. "Yes. Oh wow. I can speak. Do I have a British accent? Phillip thought I might."

His mother was tearing up but smiling at him, "No sweet boy, you sound American. Oh, it is so nice to hear your voice again."

Matty looked at her, "I think I am really high. I feel really floaty and weird. Where's dad?"

"He will be right back. He was driving the hospital staff crazy. I sent him home to pack a bag for you before they threw him out. He kept yelling at them. I was hoping you would wake up before he came back. Hopefully now that you are awake and speaking. It will calm your daddy down a little."

Matty looked at her. "What happened?"

His mom looked at him, "You had an allergic reaction to the original pain medication they put you on. So, when the local anesthetics wore off you felt everything."

Matty looked at her. "Well whatever drug they just gave me. I feel like I am really stoned. Do you think I will still be able to talk when the drugs wear off?"

His mother smiled, "I don't know, sweet boy. But I think knowing you can talk is going to help."

Matty smiled, "These drugs they are making me remember everything. I remember being Alex. I remember everything that happened at the warehouse now. I can't believe I did not recognize you and dad when you rescued me."

His mother moved some hair off his forehead. "Why don't you tell me what you remember about the warehouse? Maybe it will help you keep your voice."

Matty nodded, "I was playing basketball with Phillip in the driveway. Everything happened so fast. The white van pulled up and they grabbed me.

Phillip really fought hard to get me away from the Karbala men. He tackled the first guy that grabbed me. That was actually Lazlo. But then Gregor came up behind Phillip and stabbed him a couple of times. I remember being so scared, Mom. I thought they killed Phillip. He was lying there in the driveway not moving.

But then Gregor injected me with something in the van. I woke up in a hospital bed, but it was in a damp dark cellar somewhere. It smelled like mildew. I did not know where I was and then I realized that I did not even know who I was. I looked around and saw other beds with other kids. I could hear soft crying.

I remember wanting to cry as well. But I couldn't. I wanted to get out of there. I knew I belonged somewhere else. That I was not supposed to be there. I thought if I could just get out of there. I pulled the IV out. I got out of the bed.

I went to the door. It was locked. Then Emir who was the medical guy. I don't know if he was a real doctor or not. He backhanded me and put me back in the bed. They restrained me and he put the IV back in my arm.

When they put the restraints on me. I realized my wrist hurt. I saw that they had branded me on my wrist with XIII. And that is what they called me. My name was thirteen in the warehouse. I knew it was not my real name though.

I don't want to really talk about some of the stuff that happened next, Mom. I know you know what they do to the Karbala kids when they train us in the beginning. You have helped so many Karbala kids. They did all that to me too. Except I think they did more stuff to me because I kept trying to escape, I am just going to skip ahead to the week that you rescued me. I don't think I am ready to talk about everything yet."

His mom touched his face, "Oh sweet boy, that's ok. You were so brave. You just tell me what you can."

Matty continued his story, "After my second escape attempt when Gregor put the cigarette out in my ear. They put me in a dark room for I don't know how long. I would say maybe three days because they fed me three times. But I am not sure they fed me every single day. It might have been longer. I just remember everything hurt and it was cold. There was no bed or blanket or anything. There was a bucket if I needed the bathroom.

I couldn't remember who I really was. But I remembered books. I could remember books. Whatever they did to me. They did not take that away from me. I just sat in the corner and re-read the books in my head. It is funny because I could hear a voice in my head reading the books to me. It was not my voice. I did not know it then, but it was Jamie's voice. My favorite to re-read in my head was a book called My Side of the Mountain. It is about a boy that runs away and lives in a tree. I thought maybe I could live in a tree if I could find some woods. That anywhere was better than being with the Karbala men.

Sorry I think it's the drugs. I am losing track of the story. Anyway, they finally let me out of the room. I remember deciding to just comply. To just give in at that point. Just so they thought what they had done to me had worked. I thought if I pretended for a while that maybe I would get another chance. I would just have to be smarter about it this time.

Gregor told me that they would have kept me in the room longer, but we were moving to a new location. They were taking us to a new warehouse in DC. They moved us all in white vans. There were about 30 kids at our location.

We moved to our new location. They had us kids set up our dorm rooms. I just followed orders for the next few days. It was pretty routine. They fed us gruel for breakfast and dinner. They never gave us lunch.

Each day was the same. We would march in the morning. Then they would train us on firearms and hand to hand combat. They would have us fight each other. I was the smallest of the boys, but I actually usually did alright in hand to hand combat. Then we would march again. Then they usually sent us to the dorm for a while before dinner.

After dinner they would have us either do tasks or march again. Then it was lights out. I was so unhappy, Mom. I remember thinking that maybe since the warehouse was right on the Potomac. I could just run and jump in. I did not know if I could swim or not. But I was getting to the point where I did not care. I was really considering risking drowning. I did not want to live anymore."

His mom started crying, "I am so thankful that you didn't. I know you can swim now. But we never gave you swimming lessons or anything back then. You might have drowned if you had done that. Oh, my sweet boy. I love you so much. "

His mother just put her arms around him and held him for a minute.

Notes:

Poor Matty.:(:(:( He will accept virtual hugs because I think he needs some.

The family fluff is going to return. I promise.

Also My Side of the Mountain is a real book by Jean George. It's a very good story. I liked it when I was a kid. It makes you want to live in a tree. LOL

Next chapter: Matty gets rescued by Lee and Amanda.