Citizen Z

Chapter 21

500 days since the virus spread

A day passes

We've been sitting with this man all night to try to get him to talk. Ray and Mikey have been trying to get information out of him, since it's obvious someone sent him.

I've been trying to calm Frank down, but being held at gun point spooked him really bad. He hasn't set a foot near the direction of this man, not even looking this way.

I don't understand it. I just don't know why he's acting like this , we've been in worse situations, not that being held at gun point wasn't traumatizing, but normally he handles things better than this.

Something is bothering him. I just want to know what, I don't like it when he is scared or uncomfortable.

I've been sitting in the car's trunk with Frank since we found the man. I've been trying for hours to get him to talk, but he won't tell me what's wrong. He's been completely silent since we caught him. It's unlike him.

There has to be something that is wrong. Maybe they know each other? They have to have some history of something. I don't know what it might be but it might explain why he's reacting so bad.

I put my arm around Frank and pull him closer to me, but he resists me, just like all the other times o tried to comfort him today. I rest my arm down and cross my arms, looking at him.

Maybe he doesn't want me to confront him about it? But I'm going to figure it out one way or another, I'm not giving him the choice.

He continues liking down at his dusty sneakers, while fiddling with his fingers to keep him distracted. I sigh and worriedly look at him.

"Frankie, look at me," I whisper and take his hand, but he seems out of space, "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

He remains silent. He continues to fidget with his hands, looking extremely tense. He ignores me completely, just like every other time.

I sigh and get off of the back of the car.

I look back at Frank one more time, but he didn't even move a muscle. He remains silent.

I'm worried about him.

I walk away from him to the front of the car, where Mikey is grabbing some water out of his bag. He continues digging through the bag, laying out a packet of chips for everyone.

I mean lean against the car while not being able to look up. I rest my head against the window as I look at Mikey.

"Any luck with Frank?" Mikey mumbles as he continues searching through the bag.

I sigh and cross my arms, "No, he hasn't spoken a word."

"Poor kid," he whispers and looks over at Ray, who is talking to the man he tied to a tree, "Ray isn't making any progress either, that guy hasn't spoken at all."

"I don't know what to do, I'm worried about him. What if he-

"Gerard, relax. He's going to be fine, he's just in shock, he will get over it. Just give him sometime to come to you. He will, you know that." Mikey says and zips the bag closed, them looks at me with his dark eyes.

I look worriedly back at Frank, who is still sitting there. I cross my arms again and close my eyes.

I don't know why but I feel like all of my emotions are coming to me at once. This is stressing me out, I hate this. I just wish I could help him.

I jump as Mikey reassuringly puts his hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, you must relax. If you're tense, you're going to stress him out even more. The best you can do for him, is to be supportive. Allow him to take time to process this, you know him. You know you're the only person in the world that he trusts, if he wants to talk, he will talk."