4

I was laying in bed, trying to sleep, but the kid I picked up earlier keep appearing in my mind. I don't know what lured me to him. I could've left him there, but I felt obligated to bring him home. His features remind me of someone who I can't exactly remember. Giving up on trying to get some rest, I stood up from the bed and walked towards the bathroom when I heard knocking on my door. 

"Come in!" I said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Emilio opens the door and peeks his head in. I motioned for him to get inside. 

"Boss, your new recruit's awake," Emilio says.

I raised one of my eyebrows in return. How come he's awake already? It's only been a few hours since we got here. 

"Yeah, well Doc's surprised as well. I'm guessing he won't be awake for long so it's best to visit him now." Emilio says as he walks out the door.

I heaved a deep sigh and stood up. Making my way to the medical wing, I greeted a few of my men as they pass by the hallway. As I was near his bed, Dr. Silvano was just walking out.

"Hey, Val. He's awake. He can't talk very well so I doubt he can say much, but he is pretty responsive as far as I can tell. He does have several bruises all over his body, some are months old and some are new. Luckily the cut on his thigh wasn't deep so we didn't have to stitch that, but some scars indicated that he may have had surgeries before. I haven't taken an x-ray so I am not sure if there are internal damages. He looks young, maybe late teens or early twenties. He's skin and bones so I can't really tell. He might need to be on IV for a few days and a liquid diet until he can get used to eating normal amounts of regular food." Dr. Silvano updates me and I just nod in response, not listening to everything she just said.

"There is something about him though, I'm not sure if he prefers being called he. I've yet to ask their name, but given their state, I decided to lay off the questions for now." Dr. Silvano added and I raised a brow in response.

"Is there something you wish to tell me?" I ask.

"Well, ah yes. Though I'm not sure they would appreciate it. It can wait until they wake up. You can go in. I'll be at my desk." She added, walking away.

I opened the curtain and stepped towards the bed. I looked the young man in the eye as I entered and I saw their eyes dart toward my neck. Fear started to fill their eyes and it was as if all of their blood drained off of their body, making them look paler than they already are. I moved closer to them and tears started flowing out of their eyes like waterfalls. I moved my hand closer to their face and wiped off their tears as I caress their face. For a moment, they looked confused. I then noticed that they were holding their breath, possibly due to the fear they were experiencing. 

"Breathe, you need to breathe," I tell them, but as soon as I said so, they became more panicked. I pulled away from them and called for Dr. Silvano. It was common for the people I bring in to have panic attacks so it wasn't anything new to me. 

I leaned on the wall as I waited for Dr. Silvano to do her magic and help the kid calm down from their panic attack. Alex came in a while after and wiped the sweat off their body as well as changed his hospital gown, considering that it was drenched in sweat. Once Alex was done, they looked much calmer than when I first came in. I pulled myself off of the wall and faced Alex.

"Alex, please leave us alone for a while. I'll call you if he needs anything." I said and Alex nods, leaving the two of us alone.

"Fuck." I heard them mutter under their breath.

"Open your eyes and look at me," I said as I sat on the edge of the bed, crossing my arms.

I can visibly see them swallow as they slowly opened their eyes to look at me. There was still a hint of fear, but more apprehension as they looked me in the eye.

"You know who I am?" I asked. He shakes his head, making me raise my brow.

"What's with the reaction then?" I ask them.

"Tattoo," was all they said. Hm.

I moved to touch his face once again, he barely flinched this time. I caress their cheek, feeling the smooth skin under my calloused fingers.

"Dr. Silvano told me that there's something about you," I said, looking them in the eyes, moving my hand down their neck, and letting my hand rest there. I saw fear quickly flash in their eyes. I rub my thumb against the base of their neck as I try to gauge any reaction from them. "Mind taking a guess?" I add.

They didn't answer. I added pressure down their neck, but not enough to cut off air circulation. Their eyes completely blanked out. Holding off any emotion from coming onto the surface. They were used to this kind of treatment, maybe even worse with the way, they were able to quickly shield away their emotions. I moved my hand away from their neck and rested my hand against their chest, slowly feeling it rise and fall as they breathe. I took this time to look over their features once again. Their face has regained some color, a slight pink hue grazing their cheeks, although it is still as pale as the white walls behind them. Their eyes were a bright shade of green, but void of any life. I look over at their lips and notice how it looks redder than before. I stare at their lips, unconsciously licking my own. This action have cause their body to stiffen underneath me so I looked back into his eyes.

"Why?" They asked.

Assuming they asked as to why I took them in, I just shrugged. I stood up from the bed and put my hands into my pockets.

"You look like I could get some use out of you," I said and stared blankly at them as I try to see their reaction.

"Use? How?" They ask, barely above a whisper.

"You'll see," I answer. "Get some rest and we'll talk more later on. I don't want a repeat of earlier." I said before finally walking out, leaving them alone with their thoughts.