Totally Clueless

Chapter 64

For three days Josh and Reid lay sedated in the secluded cabin Atticus had rented. For three days, like clockwork, the doctor Horace contacted came to check in, to medicate and report, and for three days Horace called to check on their progress.

For those three days Atticus had run different scenarios in his head of what he would say to them when they woke up. It was a simple thing really. Horace had sent him. What more explanation could they possibly want.

Wednesday morning Reid stirred in his bed. He felt oddly stiff. His eyeslids slowly lifted, gradually letting light in. Eyeballs searched the unfamiliar surroundings. His brother was on another bed close to him. There was no one else in the room except them.

An IV was in Josh's arm and he had a bandage over his nose and another on his head. He still slept.

As Reid strength returned he tried sitting up, it was a task that took him at least fifteen minutes or that's how long it felt to him.

Why?

He tried forcing his memory but he could not recall where he was or how he got there. Only then did he notice he too had a bandage on his side and there was an IV in his own arm.

He patiently removed it.

Reid pulled himself out of the bed. His feet felt new to walking. He wobbled over to Josh.

"Josh," he whispered. Waking him.

Josh stirred and eventually opened his eyes. He squinted as the light darted through them.

"Shhh," Reid warned as he removed the IV from his brothers arm too, thankful he had that skillset.

Josh's head was heavy, his eyes roamed the surroundings for lost memories, but it all seemed strange. The plaid throw that covered him on the small bed where he lay, the wooden walls that enclosed them, the smell of pinewood and hospital that stained the air,the fire that did not burn in the nearby hearth and the lamp light that threatened to fade as daybreak forced itself through a small high window.

He groaned then.

"Where are we?" He lazily asked Reid.

"I dont know. He whispered back"... but I dont like it here, we need to go.

Josh sat up and noticed pain with ever breath he took.

Still looking around he saw that a table with doctors tools and equipment, medication, gauze and bandages stood between their beds.

He vaguely remembered the fight and the man in the car.

Then suddenly, they heard a voice outside.

Footsteps.

Both their eyes shifted to the direction the sound came from, the door at the end of the small corridor that they now realized lead outside.

Josh put his index to his lips instructing Reid to be quite. Not that he'd have to tell him.

He took a scalpel from the table.

Reid slipped into the closet space in the corridor and pulled the door up behind him, and Josh stood at the end of the narrow passageway that lead into the open studio space.

Then they waited.

The knob turned with a slow squeak. They were ready to defend.

The instant Atticus stepped into the door and cleared the narrow walkway Josh stepped out in front of him, scalpel in hand. Atticus responded with his hands in the air, when he spotted the razor sharp instrument.