"You're alive." Reese breathed, as if saying it out loud made it more real. Kent didn't respond. He was still watching the floating screen that no one else could see.
"Can you see this?" Kent asked as he pointed at the screen that no one had acknowledged yet.
"See what?" Kent studied the professor's face before saying, "nothing."
"Then I have a question for you." Kent got up, "am I getting sent back to the lab? If not, I would like to leave this place."
"And go back where? The prison?"
"How the hell did you even end up there?" Reese couldn't make sense of the person in front of him.
He knew for a fact that Kent wouldn't die. He consoled the irrational president and his cabinet who were wll inconsolable at Kent's apparent death.
Some people believed he was in cohorts with him. Afterall, it was unnatural for a scientist and their test subject to become friends. Despite the ashes and burial, a search was launched and it lasted a year.
Kent was silent. Between the screen in front of him and Reese next to him, saying he was in a difficult position was putting it lightly.
"You never cared for details, why do you suddenly care now?" Kent asked.
"Will you send me back?" He asked again.
Kent intentionally didn't name where exactly he meant. Be it the prison or the lab. Or worse, the presidential villa.
"Kent." Reese spared him a look before walking towards the window, opening them.
"You never quite cared for sunlight." He secured the curtains, Reese walked back towards Kent and took a seat next to him.
"You're alive." His voice broke.
"Ha…" he sighed, "I'm glad." He placed a palm on Kent's right shoulder.
"I couldn't let you die." Kent shrugged his hand off and Reese smiled. He was always awkward when it came to physical touch.
Kent's mind quickly darted to that day eleven years ago and shook his head.
No use deliberating on it now.
"My life is nothing compared to yours." Reese said, getting up.
"Then you can have ir" Kent spat, "it's a curse, not a gift."
"I'd gladly give away this glorious blessing that has brought me nothing but good tides!" He yelled sarcastically.
"It is a blessing." Reese repeated under his breath.
"You don't have to-" the professor started.
"Oh, spare me the sentiments and bullshit, professor Reese. I've heard it a million times before, at least a thousand times from you."
Reese watched Kent with sorry eyes. He didn't look like himself. His otherwise light brown eyes look dull, with deep, dark circles shadowing them.
His long tresses looked to have some matting in them as well.
"You have no idea what you have." He mocked, "I'll give my life to be free from this!"
Reese watched him intently, his expression remaining unchanged. He had care in his eyes and Kent likened it to pity.
He cleared his throat, "I'm sick of this constant back and forth with you. I'm losing my shit, I'm in chronic pain." He drew a breath.
"Are you still in pain? How did you survive without your medication?" Reese reached out a hand.
"I was fine until you all poked me with countless needles!"
"I was fine." He repeated. He was having a clear breakdown which wasn't good. Kent was already difficult to control when he was predictable. No one could handle him upset.
He would have to be restrained if it came to that which would inevitably alert the higher ups and put Kent's life at risk.
"Calm down, Kent!" Reese rushed to his side again, hand back on his shoulder. Kent drew a breath. The question Reese asked brought an image of Lily to his mind.
Reese took notice of this,
"I made a friend in prison. She's a healer." He said calmly.
"That must be Rogers' daughter." Reese thought to himself.
"I'm losing my mind." He palmed his face and cried.
Seeing Reese brought up emotions that he had suppressed since he was 15. It overwhelmed him and made his head throb. Images were flooding into his mind of events he couldn't remember.
Beep. The screen in front of him got another message. Still in a foreign language.
"What the fuck is this?!" He finally asked out loud, pointing to the air in front of him. Reese couldn't see it.
"Is there something I'm supposed to be looking at?"
Kent's eyes darted between Reese and the screen. He couldn't see it.
He sighed, "Is this mandarin?" He squinted and Reese looked at him with great concern.
"Go home." Reese said before he had a counter thought. He watched Kent's expression shift into unbelief.
"What?"
"Go home." He couldn't be serious. Kent felt his throat tighten. He had imagined this moment a thousand times— walking through the door, hearing their voices. However, whenever he tried to make it a reality, it always ended in death or disappointment.
"They're alive?" His voice broke.
Reese sighed, "the president holds your ashes in his Oval Office."
"You're dead. No need to revisit the past." Reese said flatly. He believed differently.
The old man flashed a smile, "your mother and sister are well. Keep a low profile, will you?"
"Why?" Kent finally managed to let out, "why?" He asked again and Reese chuckled.
"Your mother visited nearly everyday. No matter how many times she was thrown out, she always said just one thing." He paused, "He's alive. Kent wouldn't die. Kent wouldn't die." He laughed.
"She said you promised." He said, "we thought she was crazy. So much so that I gave my word ten months ago."
"I told her that I believed her and would send you home." Reese started.
"For the first time in nearly ten years, she smiled and thanked me dearly."
"She thinks I'm a good person." Reese looked at Kent, eyes glossy.
"Let me do something good for once, Kent. Let me ride off your glory."
The tears were free flowing down Kent's face. 13 years. It had been 13 years since he left home for school the day she got in an accident.
13 years since he lived a normal life.
"I said that to make her go away but now I'm bound by the very words I said." He chuckled lightly.
"You could die." Kent finally said.
"I lost my life years ago." Reese replied briefly.
"Here." He threw a bag on Kent. "I had my driver pick you up something decent to wear."
"When?" Kent thought but decided not to ask. He was going home. Thoughts and actions of before this moment mattered little to him.
He watched Kent as he pulled his worn down shirt over his head. The prison uniform looked like rags against his olive skin.
Kent moved to unbuckle his pants when Reese said quickly, "use the bathroom. Make yourself look presentable."
Kent raised a brow as though asking, what?
"You're an inmate. Registered or not, you were admitted as an inmate."
"You need to walk out of here looking different than what was brought in." He explained further.
Kent flashed a nervous smile, "why, now I feel some pressure. I haven't worn proper clothing since I was a teenager."
"I'm almost 30." Kent flushed, Reese always doted on him in a fatherly way. It was a strange feeling but felt nice.
"16, rudolf street." He said, "your mother and sister are renting a small home at the end of the street."
Reese walked towards the door, "the janitor will be here in ten minutes to prep this room for the next patient." And he was out of the room.
"Wait." Kent called out, "you're not helping me because a woman you don't know asked you to."
"Your reason is impressive, prof, but I am no fool. You don't need my glory."
"You're many things, Reese. But you're not a good man." He paused, "what's in it for you?"
Reese turned to face him and smiled, "the world may not deserve you, Kent. But it needs you free."
Ah. That was one of the first things Reese ever said to him, "you hold the power to change the world. You should aim to be free."