Isolation

Explain yourself

"Look, Mike," River started softly. "I can explain-"

"Explain what?!" Mike was practically fuming as he waved the paper around. The paper that he had just noticed had his picture in it. The truth had come out. River had done his best to hide it all from Mike, but it was inevitable that he'd eventually find out. "That I'm a missing person and no one told me? That this whole time I've been here with you?!"

"Well, yes, but it isn't what you think. If you just let me-"

"How long?"

"Huh?"

"How long have I been here?"

"About a week or so?"

Mike sunk into his seat and covered his eyes. River considered approaching him but chose to stay in his place in the kitchen.

"I didn't kidnap you-"

"You held me here against my will. That's called kidnapping."

That hurt River, maybe a little more than it should've. He sighed deeply, unsure of what to do next.

"You really know nothing, do you?"

Mike looked up and stared at him with an unreadable expression.

"You have no idea what even happened. So what gives you the right to attack me and accuse me of doing something you don't know if I ever did."

"You held me here against my will-"

"I did not! You could've left at any time, Mike!" He snapped, slamming his hands on the table. "I did not keep you here against your will."

"Oh, yeah?" Mike challenged. "Then why am I still here?"

"I don't know. Maybe some part of you wanted to stay. But whatever reason it was, in the end, it was your choice, not mine! "

"You kept me here," he stood his ground. "You kept me here for whatever reason you had. You didn't tell me I had the option to leave-"

"I did! That's the thing!" River was close to tears at this point. "You can't keep twisting it to make yourself the victim. I told you again and again that you were welcome to stay here but that I'd gladly take you home if you wanted. Just because you can't remember it doesn't mean that it didn't happen."

Mike said nothing but sat on the couch with a huff.

"And fine, let's say I did choose to keep you around. I was only doing it to try and protect you. Is that really so bad?"

"Protect? Protect me from what?" He glared at River. "I don't know you, and I don't need you or your 'protection'. I've been just fine on my own this whole time."

"Clearly you haven't been! We wouldn't have even met if you were 'well-adjusted' and 'fine'. People who are 'well-adjusted' and 'fine' don't have panic attacks so bad that they black out on the side of the road. Like you did."

River took a breath before he continued.

"The only reason I chose to keep you here was that I thought it would be safer. Obviously safer than on the side of the road, but also safer from your own home."

Mike looked up at that, now with more confusion than anger.

"Mike, you talk in your sleep. You know that? Well, you don't just talk. You scream, you cry, you run around in circles. All because of them. Because of what the people who were supposed to care for you had done. And so forgive me for giving a damn about you. Forgive me for being a little hesitant to call the cops and say I know where you are. Because if I do that, I'll be sending you back there. A place I know will do you more harm than good. And if I did that, that would be something I could never forgive myself for."

Mike didn't know what to say to that. He stood and was about to walk down the hall but froze. A wave of pain and terror washed over him as his vision became blurry. He tried to continue walking away but couldn't, and he collapsed there at the entrance. River poked his head in after hearing a crash. He sighed when he saw Mike's limp body on the ground. He bent down and carefully lifted Mike into his arms bridal style and carried him back over to the couch. The whole time, he was mentally pondering what the right thing to do was. He sighed deeply.

"Goodbye, Mike. Please be careful. And if something happens or you need anything at all, I'll be here." River whispered softly as he laid the man down. Tears were filling in his eyes but he tried to ignore them. After debating it one last time in his mind, he quickly ran upstairs to the phone.