Chapter 10
A few months had passed and James started to grow accustomed to the home. It wasn't as bad as he believed it would be. It wasn't as strict as he thought it would be, instead it was basically just an apartment complex with a medical center and assistants when needed.
He hadn't made many friends yet but he was starting to feel closer to Cassie. She was kind and tried her best to help him with his progress in recovering his memory. He was still embarrassed to ask for help even with the smallest things like pulling a t-shirt on, but Cassie was always there to help.
Leaving his room, James stepped out into corridor and made his way to the rec center. In a lounge chair near the entrance was Marc reading a book.
"Hey Marc," James greeted the man with a small smile.
The man reading the book glanced up his brow furrowed, "Who are you?" He asked in a British accent.
"It's me... James. Why do you have a British accent all of a sudden?"
"What do you mean? I've always had one,"
"Mmm I'm pretty sure you didn't have one an hour ago at dinner," James raised his eyebrow.
A hand touched James shoulder, "James! There you are!" It was Cassie, "why don't you come with me?"
They walked away from Marc and to the couches. Sitting down with a sigh James motioned to where he was standing previously near Marc, "Why'd he turn British?"
"James, if you remember from when you first met Marc he had DID. Which means he has alternate personalities. That was Steven, he's one of Marc's alters that's less aware of his condition." Cassie explained.
"Oh," now James felt a little bad that he didn't notice.
Cassie started going over some memory exercises and trying methods like using scent, noises, words, to see if anything could spark a memory to form for James.
As they got to their last few minutes of exercise James had pulled out his compass and started to rub his thumb over the engraved name.
"What's that? I've seen you carrying it around since you got here," Cassie asked peeking over at James hand.
"Oh, it's a compass. The doctors found in my clothes when I got the hospital. That's how I kind of remembered my name," He showed her the compass in his hand. He clicked it open.
"It has this message in it, 'So I'm always with you,' and it's signed 'S'. But then after that it has the initials J+S. I just wish I knew who this person was," James handed the compass to Cassie.
She turned it over in her hand and re read the message, "Hmm, maybe a family member? But then that wouldn't explain the initials which would normally indicate that you guys were a couple,"
James felt his cheeks go red. He never thought of it that way. He could have had a lover.
"Now that puts the question of who's 'S'? Sarah? Shelley? Sharon? Or could it be a guy? Stan? Sawyer? Simon? So many names!" Cassie smiled and handed back the compass.
James pocketed it then pushed his long hair behind his ear, "I'm going up to my room to rest,"
As he headed back to his room the home was starting to slow down as the darkness of night settled. Once he reached his room he kicked off his shoes, pulled his shirt off, and his pants leaving him in his boxers.
As he crawled into bed and under the sheets his eyes felt heavy with exhaustion. Working his mind with Cassie was tiring mentally and even physically sometimes. As soon as his head hit the pillow he fell into heavy slumber.
(TW: flashback/dream with violence ahead)
/
James heart races as he lay in dirt. The smell of metal and dust filled his lungs making his eyes water.
All over his body was heavy gear and a gun in his hand. It was hot and dry, the atmosphere was thick with apprehension.
Someone fell to the floor next to him and slid across the dirt, "Hey, let's get a move on,"
They both got up running to a building that was a abandoned and starting to fall apart. Explosives went off a few feet ahead of them causing them to stop and dart into a different building.
James pulled the trigger shooting a man dead inside the building. James friend shot twice killing two more.
Explosives went off outside making his ears ring. Another went off closer dust flew into the building temporarily blinding the two men. James coughed and the hair on his neck stood up.
When the dust cleared at least five people stood with guns pointed at James and his friend. They had a small civilian girl with them a knife to her throat.
"Put down your weapons or we'll kill her," a man sneered.
James heart stopped and involuntarily took one small step forward. The man holding the girl moved in a quick motion. The girl fell to the floor blood spurting from her jugular and staining the dirt a dark red.
James aimed his gun at the men his finger centimeters from the trigger.
A gun went off and a hot searing pain shot through James side. Throwing a hand to his side as hot blood gushed from a bullet wound. It was just a graze but I hurt like hell.
James companion shouted and shot off a few rounds of bullets killing only a few people before the rest ran out to take cover.
"Come on let's get outta this Hell hole!" The soldier shouted to James and they ran out of the building.
A large black helicopter started to descend sending dust, dirt, and debris through the air. James side ached in pain as his clothes were starting to drench with blood.
A ladder was dropped down from the flying machine and James grabbed ahold pulling himself up.
More shots went off behind him as he climbed up to the helicopters interior. He could feel everything from the sweat dripping down his spine, the blood dripping from his wound, to the dirt under his nail. The loud sounds from the helicopter flooded his eardrums and sounded like the world was ending.
/
James eyes flew open and he fell hard off his bed with a thud. His heart was racing and he could almost smell the metallic and dirt smell from his nightmare.
A feeling settled in his chest and it kept growing. It was like he was drowning in water and the water kept rising as he struggled to stay afloat.
Hot tears started to fall down his cheeks as he grasped his chest as he breathed fast and shallow. His eyes flashed over to the wall where the red call button was.
James started to crawl over to the wall, as his tears grew into large sobs. His breathing worsened and his heart felt like it was ready to jump straight from his ribcage.
Reaching up with his one hand he slapped the red button and sunk back down to the floor clutching his face and pulled his knees to his chest.
A few seconds later the door clicked open and light from the corridor flooded in.
"James? You called? Is everything alright?" Cassie stepped in peering around the room for James before spotting him curled up against the wall sobbing.
She quickly got down onto the floor next to him, "James? Hey, it's okay, I'm here now. Everything will be alright,"
James rasped for air as tears dripped down his face. His eyes were distant still stuck in the place of his dream.
"Hey, stay with me bud. Feel the carpet, it's soft. Do you hear the cars outside? Do you hear all the sounds of New York? Feel the warmth of your own skin," she says softly.
James put his arm down to the ground and ran it over the carpet. Then brought it up to his chest.
"Feel your heart beating. Breathe in... and out. In... out..."
James finally was able to calm himself down, and his breathing returned to normal.
"Are you okay?" Cassie asked quietly.
James nodded as he started to wipe his face dry.
"Bad dream? Don't worry it wasn't real" She questioned and James looked up with his eyes still full of fear.
"I- I think it was real. A memory..." James murmured, "I was shot in the dream. Right here..." James lifted his arm to reveal his ribs where his skin was indented with a scar.
"Do you wanna talk more about the dream?" Cassie questioned looking at James empathetically.
He shook his head, 'no'. And Cassie stood, "I'm down the hall if you need me, call me for anything okay?"
He nodded and she left closing the door to envelop James in darkness.