she was human, and that he was in jail, and that he had no fucking idea who he was.
He sat. Then lowered his chin and waited.
“What’s the first thing you remember?”
“I woke up this morning. I was naked. I was in here.” He looked around to indicate the cell. “And there was a female asleep over there.” He nodded to where Dandy’s pallet had been on the floor.
“What did you think when you saw her?”
He held Dr. Reising’s gaze. “That she was cute sleeping like that. And that I didn’t want her to see me without my clothes.”
“What else?”
“I wondered what I’d done to end up in here. We don’t have places like this in Newland.”
“So you knew you were in Newland?”
He hesitated. “Isn’t that where I am?” She nodded. “When I stood up and looked out the window, I knew for sure. I recognize the view.”
“Has anyone told you why you’re separated from others?”
“The female said I was rescued and I’m… ah, not myself. Those were her words. Not myself.”
“Do you remember what happened before you were rescued?” His face grew hard. She saw his jaw clench and unclench a couple of times before he jerked a single nod. “Before that?”
He shook his head no.
“So you remember being held captive by the Rautt, but you don’t remember details of your life before that.” It wasn’t a question so much as a summation of what had been established.
He nodded.
“Did you know your name?”
He debated about whether or not to tell the truth, but decided to keep it simple. “No. I asked the female. She told me I’m Crave.”
“Did any of the people who were here earlier seem familiar?” He shook his head no. She pointed to the things Dandy had collected. “How about these things? Does anything here mean something special to you?”
“No. Nothing and no one is familiar. Nothing and no one is recognizable.”
“But you recognize Newland by the view out the window.”
“Yes.”
Dr. Reising could see that Crave was beginning to get a little agitated.
“Let’s talk about something else. Do you remember what you did before you were captured?”
Crave’s eyes darted around like he was searching for a memory. “Sort of. I think I was a fighter.”
“Why do you think that?”
“I think I have memories of training exercises. Drills. And scrimmages.” In his mind he saw flashes of mock battles with his peers, but their faces weren’t clear.
She nodded. “Did any of the people who were here talk about your relationship to them?”
“The female told me the scarred woman is my mother and the tall man is my father. I learned I have a brother when this chair was brought in.”
“How did that make you feel?”
“Like they expect something from me that I can’t give.”
“That’s understandable. Do you think you want to remember?”
He cocked his head to the side. “I don’t know about that. I know I want to get out of here.”
“Let’s talk about that then. If you walked out of here today, what do you imagine you’d do with your freedom?”
“What are my options?”
Dr. Reising laughed and Crave liked the sound of it. He hadn’t seen a person smile since he woke up.
“That’s a good question,” she said. “Since I don’t live here, I don’t know the answer.”
“I had bacon and cinnamon rolls. The woman with the scars made them and brought them earlier.”
“Did you ask for that?”
“Yeah.”
“Why do you think you asked for that?”
“I guess I liked it. Before.”
Dr. Reising nodded. “I suspect you did.” She looked at Crave for a few beats and seemed to make up her mind about something. “Your people went to war to get you back, Crave. Your mind and body had experienced too much stress while you were captive and you snapped. They built this facility to keep you safe and keep others safe from you.”
“You’re saying I was crazy.”
“I wouldn’t put it like that, but yes.”
“How long?”
“It’s been almost
He sat. Then lowered his chin and waited.
“What’s the first thing you remember?”
“I woke up this morning. I was naked. I was in here.” He looked around to indicate the cell. “And there was a female asleep over there.” He nodded to where Dandy’s pallet had been on the floor.
“What did you think when you saw her?”
He held Dr. Reising’s gaze. “That she was cute sleeping like that. And that I didn’t want her to see me without my clothes.”
“What else?”
“I wondered what I’d done to end up in here. We don’t have places like this in Newland.”
“So you knew you were in Newland?”
He hesitated. “Isn’t that where I am?” She nodded. “When I stood up and looked out the window, I knew for sure. I recognize the view.”
“Has anyone told you why you’re separated from others?”
“The female said I was rescued and I’m… ah, not myself. Those were her words. Not myself.”
“Do you remember what happened before you were rescued?” His face grew hard. She saw his jaw clench and unclench a couple of times before he jerked a single nod. “Before that?”
He shook his head no.
“So you remember being held captive by the Rautt, but you don’t remember details of your life before that.” It wasn’t a question so much as a summation of what had been established.
He nodded.
“Did you know your name?”
He debated about whether or not to tell the truth, but decided to keep it simple. “No. I asked the female. She told me I’m Crave.”
“Did any of the people who were here earlier seem familiar?” He shook his head no. She pointed to the things Dandy had collected. “How about these things? Does anything here mean something special to you?”
“No. Nothing and no one is familiar. Nothing and no one is recognizable.”
“But you recognize Newland by the view out the window.”
“Yes.”
Dr. Reising could see that Crave was beginning to get a little agitated.
“Let’s talk about something else. Do you remember what you did before you were captured?”
Crave’s eyes darted around like he was searching for a memory. “Sort of. I think I was a fighter.”
“Why do you think that?”
“I think I have memories of training exercises. Drills. And scrimmages.” In his mind he saw flashes of mock battles with his peers, but their faces weren’t clear.
She nodded. “Did any of the people who were here talk about your relationship to them?”
“The female told me the scarred woman is my mother and the tall man is my father. I learned I have a brother when this chair was brought in.”
“How did that make you feel?”
“Like they expect something from me that I can’t give.”
“That’s understandable. Do you think you want to remember?”
He cocked his head to the side. “I don’t know about that. I know I want to get out of here.”
“Let’s talk about that then. If you walked out of here today, what do you imagine you’d do with your freedom?”
“What are my options?”
Dr. Reising laughed and Crave liked the sound of it. He hadn’t seen a person smile since he woke up.
“That’s a good question,” she said. “Since I don’t live here, I don’t know the answer.”
“I had bacon and cinnamon rolls. The woman with the scars made them and brought them earlier.”
“Did you ask for that?”
“Yeah.”
“Why do you think you asked for that?”
“I guess I liked it. Before.”
Dr. Reising nodded. “I suspect you did.” She looked at Crave for a few beats and seemed to make up her mind about something. “Your people went to war to get you back, Crave. Your mind and body had experienced too much stress while you were captive and you snapped. They built this facility to keep you safe and keep others safe from you.”
“You’re saying I was crazy.”
“I wouldn’t put it like that, but yes.”
“How long?”
“It’s been almost
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