He went to his bed and decided rest was more important than food at the moment. Besides it’s not like he knew where to go in a place like this, he crawled under his bed and got comfortable. Taking his voice recorder out and pressing play to the idle chatter back home and listening to it silently.

He woke up a little confused of where he was, he looked at his surroundings and found it at least safe. He gave the bed a look and saw no sag, he looked for strange shadows and saw none. He poked his head out from under the bed and pulled back, he shifted a bit so he was on his stomach. He grabbed his two pistols in his hand, kept them near his head as he pushed off the wall with his feet and turned to his back to see if anyone stayed on the bed.

No one was there and the room was empty aside from the fallen paper from the camera. Looks like they didn’t like his joke.

Too bad.

But food was on the desk, he holstered his weapons and poked at the food. It was still hot so they were just there no long ago, it didn’t have any weird smells either. Kneeling he stared at the food for a few moments before deeming it safe to eat. He took a moment to savor it as it took him by surprise, it was too his taste and he was reminded of how his brother made his food.

He finished the food in quick hungry bites and set it back on the desk when he was done. He doesn’t feel like there’s a threat here so maybe he doesn’t need his guns? No best to keep them on, this place is unfamiliar territory. Any new place needs to be taken in extra cautious. He gathered some of his stash and put it in his pockets, he checked himself in the bathroom and then left the room with what his brother taught him. He figured that he doesn’t need to check the doors, by opening it but by listening and moving on to the next until all were deemed safe. He counted out his door and counted the doors after to remember where he was.

He remembered that he was told to report to Dr. Needle when he woke up so he went to the lab on his own after checking the stairwell. He opened the door and seen Dr. Needle writing on a clipboard. “Oh, wonderful!”

“• • • •     • •“ Clicks said and kept a weary eye on the man as he glanced around the room.

“Good Morning, lets get you checked out. Weapons will be placed on the tray beside you, and after that change behind the screen.” He unzipped his jacket and placed his two guns there, he pulled up a pant leg and put his knife there he did the same with his other knife. He pulled out two pocket knives he kept in his back pockets and placed them there.

He felt uneasy now that he doesn’t have his weapons to protect him, but he figured that he could trust that they will be there when he gets back. Walking behind the screen he took off his jacket and holsters keeping them together. Then his shoes and pants, he changed into a hospital gown and stepped out.

Dr. Needle was examining his weapons and holsters that he flung over the screen. “Fascinating. You take precaution before leaving the safety of your room, you remind me of Rover when he first go here. He also carried defensive measures, very cautious of what he ate and where he was. But I suppose everyone is skittish when in a new environment.”

Clicks stared at the doctor and wondered if he should have removed his mask then thought that it was too much to bother with. Dr. Needle motioned towards a seat so he sat down. The checkup was simple, an easier process when the man wasn’t threatening him with a needle.

He walked to the next test and it was a treadmill, he was given shoes to go on it, the shoes were heavy and bulky. He got on and started a walk when the machine was turned on. He gradually went into a run and kept pace even with new equipment. It took a bit but he quieted his footsteps once he was familiar with the weight and how it was carried. Soon the only sound in the room was the running treadmill.

“Fascinating!” Dr. Needle turned off the machine and Clicks was checked, “Breathing slightly risen, heart rate elevated, skin slightly damp.”

Clicks took off his boots and was escorted to a weight scale he wasn’t too heavy at least about 190 lbs. Dr. Needle also checked his height, still 5 foot 7 no change there sadly. “Ok, not bad. You kept yourself in shape, kept a healthy weight, lets check one more thing.”

He was lead to a little area that had varity of dumbbells. He was told to pick each up and do 10 reps. He got to about 90 lbs before he started getting tired. “Remarkable, what were you lifting before you got here? Most when they get here can’t get past 40 before they are complaining.”

“— • •     •     • —     — • • / • — —     • —     • — • •     — • —     •     • — •     • • •”

“Hm, I’ll need a dictionary for you. Do you have other ways of communicating other than clicking?” He took the clipboard and wrote on it ‘Bit of ASL’. “Fantastic! Can you write out what you were clicking or with your clicking. I can teach you more words with ASL.

“— • — —     •     • • •” Clicks said and signed, Dr. Needle clapped his hands excitedly. They went about more tests and how much he eats, Rover came in after and held him down as Dr. Needle represented his name. Panicking he tried to get away but he was exhausted from the exercise and full from the food.

Clicks hissed at the doctor as he drew blood, once that was done and over with he was given a shot of some sort. “Alright, flu shot and blood taken, time to catch you up on the rest of your vaccines. Be brave.”

Clicks stopped resisting, accepting defeat. He was going to feel terrible in a few days, once it was all over and done with and got the go ahead he ate some of his candy. Rover and Dr. Needle talked while he sulked he can now feel his arm starting to get sore and stiff. He did some shoulder exercise so it won’t be that bad but he knew it would only help a little. He can still feel the needle piercing his shoulder and shuddered, he hated the feeling afterwards once it was all over. He knew that he would still feel those needles until the day he died. He looked at Dr. Needle and glared at him for the pain he caused. Rover also was no better.

He felt like an asylum patient that was screaming out of control. He remembered that there was weights that could help him. He got off the table and went for them wanting to distance himself from his tormentors. He picked up the 2 lbs and started doing light motions to keep his mind off the remaining pain.

After his right arm felt a bit stretched he switched arms and did the same reps, he altered between the two until the kind Dr. Needle decided to kick him out for dinner.

He sat in his room lightly rubbing his arm below the needle, he’s not sure if he would forgive them for doing this to him.

They all deserve to be shot in the foot.

“Hey, Kid. Dinner,” Rover set two plates down on the table the second was of the most interest. Chocolate Cake. When was the last time he had such a delicacy? “I’m sorry about before but it was needed if you want to stay in this place. Trust me, I hate them too. Will this make up for it?”

“• • — •     • • —     — • — •     — • — / — •     — — —”

“Thought so, what about this?” Rover pulled out a chocolate bar, it looked homemade. He remembered that his brother would often steal a chocolate bar from their Aunt’s candy shop to give to him.

“• • — •     • •     — •     •” Clicks got up and took the chocolate bar and put it next to the cake. He ate his food first and then dove in for the chocolate luxuries he was given. “—     • • • •     • —     — •     — • —     • • •”

“Heh, never change, Kid. Good night,” Rover took the empty plates and left the room. Feeling a little better now, he certainly was in a more happier mood after his chocolate treat. He sat in his bed and relaxed, this wasn’t home but it was starting to feel a little familiar.

He wasn’t sure what tomorrow would bring, but for one night he wished he was back at the warehouse listening to the lively chatter of the day. The voice recorder helped but it wasn’t enough. He switched cards and listened to his 15th volume of Bedtime Stories. It was the old stories edition, Cinderella, Snow White, The Little Mermaid and the such. A few Edgar Allen Poe poems was tossed in as well which was welcomed. She had a photographic memory so her recalling all those stories was amazing.

Breathing a sigh he went to sleep like that, listening to the intensity of her voice the softest of whispers just taking him away to the story just by her voice alone. He was taken to so many places just listening to her, each time different after the retelling. He felt so much better after listening to her, it was what he wanted to hear from his grandparents. If they were still around. Just hearing stories of their lives, eating good food made with their whole heart. He drifted off and relaxed to the soothing voice, gentle hand strokes on his head as he feel deeper into sleep.