The Chosen.

Selfless

I stroke my fingers across Tom's long dreads as he lays his head in my lap. He hasn't said much since he awoke an hour or so ago but then again none of us really have.

I'm not sure if its the fact that all of us are mentally and physically exhausted or the fact that we are all still trying to make sense of the insane experiences we just went through.

My eyes briefly scan over Bill as he still sits quietly in his room, all by his self. Mia invited him out here a while ago to join the group but he kindly declined and went back to what he intensely focuses on. I've come to realize that he's drawing, i'm not sure what though.

Zeke speaks breaking the long silence "So, none of that was real." I turn to him only to realize he too watches Bill.

I know he's referring to how we all watched Bill die in front of us. When i literally felt his breath cease against my lips. When i felt the life drain from him and his body fall limp in my arms.

"It was some elaborate made up story, i guess." i murmur.

"Why, why would they do that to us?" Mia asks in frustration.

"They said they wanted to study how our brains reacted... well your brains. Not really mine." Tom adds from his place buried into my lap. I glance down at him.

"I want to get you guys out of here... back to your families." Zeke softly whispers in case any one listens on.

"Yeah, and i want to get you to law school." I say remembering how he has no family to return to. I want him to realize, theres something out there waiting for him too.

He shakes his head at me and lets the room fall silent once more. "This whole thing has made me realize... i don't even want to go to law school." his eyes stare into the plain concrete wall.

"What? Zeke that's your dream" Mia asks. By her shock i'm assuming this is the first time she's heard of this. I guess, no matter how close they got, Zeke had kept this completely a secret.

"No. I think i just wanted something to pour myself into to distract myself from how shitty my life really is." He whispers sullenly.

In that moment, I come to realize how selfless he really is. He knows for a fact, theres nothing waiting for him out there in the real world. And here he is, still fighting to get us back to it. This entire time of traveling and fighting to get back to reality, was all for...us.

"But first we need to get him back. He won't leave with us if he has no idea who we are." Tom says as all over our glances mutually fall to Bill. He's right, we can't even think about leaving until Bill remembers us, theres no fucking way any of us would leave him behind.

***

A familiar man in white came in a while ago, leaving a cart containing several food options on it. Hastily, we all scarfed down our meals. So caught up in all the emotions of the day, none of us realized how famished we actually were.

I then realize, it's probably been a while since my actual body had proper nourishment and a real meal. The ache that develops in my stomach when food hits it, tells me i'm right.

Bill quietly tiptoed from his room and grabbed a few items from the cart before promptly returning to the room and shutting the door behind him. I know Bill, I know how friendly and open he is to anyone he meets. He's just like me in the sense that we thrive with companionship. So to see him like this really worries me.

What if he's too far gone to save?

Suddenly, my attention is drawn from Bill as a girl walks through the door way of our pod shutting the heavy door behind her. She carries a metal tray covered with little paper cups.

"Here. Take these." She says as she approaches my place at the table. My eyes meet hers, then wander to the rest of her body as i soak up her appearance. She's tall and curvy and wears a pair of neat blue scrubs.

"Lady, i'm not taking any more drugs from you people." I wave my hands in front of myself, gesturing away with the medicine in the tiny paper cups.

She giggles, making me glare deeper at her. "They're vitamins." She smiles trying to once again hand me the little paper cup.

"Yeah fucking right." I mutter as i throw my head to the side. What? Does she think i'm fucking stupid? Don't answer that.

"You haven't been getting the nutrients your body needs, we need to catch you up now." She adds with another soft smile. My eyes peer around to the others as they look at her as crazily as i do.

I nod my head no at her again.

She bites the side of her cheek as she furrows her brows looking down at me. Suddenly, her eyes open wide and she smiles brightly. "Here, look... see." She picks up the paper cup, dumping the pills in her mouth and swallowing them.

"If i take them will you leave?" I ask bitterly.

Her smile get bigger and she chuckles under her breath. I didn't expect her to find that funny in the slightest, i've got to admit. She nods her head yes, thrusting the paper cup at me one last time.

Taking the cup, i swish the pills around in the bottom. Oh well. I bring the cup to my lips and swallow. All of my friends following me in unison.

"Bill! Vitamins!" She calls out.

I watch as Bill comes prancing happily out of his room. He takes a cup from the tray and smiles big at the girl. "Thanks Valerie." He says softly to her as she leaves the room, shutting the door behind her.

Bill watches her leave, then tosses the cup of of pills into a small trash can next to the door before turning to walk away. Oh shit, were those really not vitamins? What does he know about those pills that we don't?

"Hey wait!" I call out to him. He stops momentarily and i can tell he's contemplating wether he wants to turn around or not. I can sense the moment he decides to give in.

"Yeah?" He says quietly.

"Are those not vitamins? Why did you-" I point to the trash can where he discarded the pills.

"Oh... No. They're vitamins alright. They make my pee smell weird so i don't like to take them." His eyes narrow at the last part. There he is. Theres my Bill. He's still in there.

I giggle at him, making his expression turn soft. His eyes widen as he briefly studies my face. I see his adams apple move as he gulps, still staring at me.

"Well, i gotta get back to my-" He turns from me, walking away quickly. I breathe a sigh as i look down at my hands against the table, i hadn't realized but i had been holding my breath. For a second there i really thought he remembered.