“Forced something into your mouth. Maybe to stop you calling out. Perhaps a piece of cloth or a handful of paper. He pushed it too far, then came to his senses, pulled it out and ran. He didn’t think to stop and rob you. You were so traumatised by his actions that your brain cut off all memories of the last few weeks.”
“But what were we doing in the hospital?”
“Maybe he needed help and you took him there. Or pretended he needed help. Or maybe he regretted hurting you and he took you to the hospital, left you in the toilet and pulled the emergency cord.”
Kaden’s head ached. It hurt to think.
“I still don’t understand how or why I learned Pashto. Or how I did it so quickly.”
“I think Alistair is right. Just be patient about remembering. Give yourself time. The more anxious you are, the harder it will be.”
He ate some of the risotto his dad put in front of him, but not a lot.
“No lying down. If you feel you’re going to go to sleep, you have to stay sitting up.”
His dad put a nature programme on the TV but Kaden couldn’t concentrate.
When, eventually, he went to bed, he dreamed of a strange creature with claws and wings. Yet he wasn’t frightened. The monster was his friend.
~~~
Joe crept out of the hospital in the early hours of the morning. He still couldn’t tie his laces. Cameras would have seen him leave, seen him go into that bathroom on the third floor. He accepted that. Some things couldn’t be helped. Though no one would have seen him get the documents from behind the sink.He had his hood up and his face down, just as Kaden had done when they’d come here. Joe couldn’t move quickly, but the more he walked, the more comfortable he felt about keeping his balance.
What he wasn’t comfortable about was what to do now. The plan had been simple: ask for asylum, attend an interview, offer Kaden’s proof of address, which would give Joe safety and a future. One he hoped would be with Kaden.
But plans depended on memory. If Kaden didn’t remember him, one phone call could undo everything.
On the other hand, Joe could follow a different path and tell the authorities he knew no one. That would lead to an interview, detention, a future he’d have a longer wait for, but a future none the less. Except one without Kaden. Probably.
Joe shuddered. This felt like the hardest decision he’d ever made. He didn’t want to walk away from Kaden. He’d promised not to.
He thought it more than likely Kaden’s dad had taken him to his house. He loved Kaden and would want to look after him. If Joe could just see Kaden, talk to him, then maybe he’d remember. His decision was made. That’s where he’d go.
The journey took hours. Wrong buses. Missed stops. Lots of resting. Too much walking using uncooperative muscles. He used the money Kaden had given him to buy food and drink, but his energy levels were low. Rain had soaked his clothes and his trainers. He was exhausted, wet and miserable. At one point, he found himself missing the transport systems on his own planet, then immediately hated himself for the thought. He had to concentrate on seeing Kaden soon. Every step he walked, took him closer.
As he finally neared the house, his heart began to pound. Kaden was there. Joe felt an echo, a pull from the fragment he’d left inside him. It was acting as… Well, not a beacon. Not exactly.Just apresence. Which made him wonder if his presence could be detected too. He believed no rescue ship would be sent, but it was possible others of his species would come eventually. A worry he’d keep to himself. It wasn’t fair to burden Kaden with it.
He knocked on the door.
Kaden opened it and looked shocked and confused, then worried and alarmed. None of which was reassuring. No smile appeared on his face.
“You were in the hospital,” Kaden said.
Joe was pleased Kaden could speak. “Yes.”
“What are you doing here?”
“My name is…Jalis.” He wanted Kaden to remember he was Joe.
Something flickered across Kaden’s face. Surprise? Fear? But recognition refused to bloom and Joe swallowed hard.
“You’re from Afghanistan.”
Was that a memory? “Well… Yes and no.”
“You better come in.”
Inside, the warmth hit Joe like a wave, but soaked to the bone, he immediately felt colder. He followed Kaden through to the large main room.
