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7. Drifting

A voice, garbled and distorted, “Unstable...In and out...can’t...hold him...only...more minutes...abandon...”

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There’s a hissing sound, then warm hands reaching in to disconnect me from the vest constricting my movement. As the final strap is undone, I slump forward into a pair of awaiting arms, my limbs feeling too heavy to hold myself up. I try to get my eyes open, but a wave of exhaustion quickly overcomes me, and the task becomes impossible as I slip into yet another dreamless sleep.

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“He’s my son for crying out loud!”

“I know, Nick, but was what I supposed to do? You know I can’t go against Cayo, and the man was dead set on thinking Collin knew something he shouldn’t.”

“But- the risks-”

“I know, but do you really think he cares about that?” Whoever’s talking sighs, then says, “There’s nothing we can do now anyway.”

Silence follows and I take the break in conversation to “wake up”, taking a deep breath and letting it out as I bring my hand up to rub at my eyes sleepily. There’s a sharp intake of breath as I slowly open my eyes to see a man that looks exactly like the one from my dream and another that slightly resembles an older-looking Riley.

As I sit up, I glance between the two confusedly, but they both seem to be waiting on me. Staring at the Riley-looking one, something seems to click in my brain as I remember the last thing I did before waking up: nothing at all. I tripped, then wound up here with no explanation. I don’t even know where “here” is.

I swallow thickly, glancing to the other man, then back to the Riley look-alike. “Where am I?” I ask, and those three simple words seem to trigger an immediate despair in the other man.

“Cameron...” the Riley one says slowly, and it takes a moment to realize he’s talking to me. “Do you know who we are? Who you are?”

A sense of deja vu overcomes me as I start to consider my situation more carefully. Of course I know who I am. But- but...wait...Riley? I’ve- I know a Riley don’t I? He’s similar to them but...I can’t remember who they are. Panic starts to rise within me as I remember more names whose faces I can’t place, or voices I know but can’t remember whose they are. Seith and-and Jax. And there’s an Asher who’s not my brother Asher but a different one that I killed but I- I don’t have any siblings, so how can I have a brother?

“Cameron…” the other man, the not-Riley one says. His eyes are wide as he looks at me, tears in both our eyes, panic in both our hearts. 

I open my mouth to say something, but words evade me as the man steps closer. I don’t stop him when he falls onto the bed next to me and wraps me in a hug, but I ask him, “Who are you? Why-?” My breath catches as the man holds me tighter and I feel tears dripping onto the back of my shirt.

“I’m your dad,” he says, sounding absolutely heartbroken. “I’m your dad, Cameron.”

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“Alright then, Collin,” someone says, undoing the straps that keep me in place as the cold air that once surrounded me rushes into the warmer room. “Time's up.”

They step away, leaving me to stand on my own two legs which immediately grow weak and useless. “Whoa,” they say, as I fall into their arms, my eyes still closed. “Hey, Collin?” I don't respond. “Collin?”

I know I should respond, I just don't know how. Am I Collin? Are they talking to me? I try to get my mouth working and say at least something, but a sudden headache rids my mind of any thoughts as I lean even more heavily on the person. “Collin? Hey! I need some help over here!”

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There’s a hissing sound, then hands undoing the straps that keep me standing.

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A hiss, then straps being undone.

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A hiss and straps.

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Then again.

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And again.

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“You don’t know who I am?”

“...who we are?”

“...where you are?”

“Cameron…”

“Cassidy…”

“Christian…”

“Caleb…”

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“Collin...?”