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Freddy woke up each and every morning at this time, despite the fact he no longer heard the voice telling him to do so. He got up and made his bed, carefully folding the sheets back, just like before. He would wait patiently for the nurse to bring him to breakfast in the cafeteria. Freddy ate the same thing every morning, never deviating despite the prompts from the kitchen staff.
Every morning, as he sat eating his breakfast under the strict supervision of the guards and nurses, he looked around for Number Six. Or Sofia as he was suppose to call her now. She had yet to be allowed to eat outside of her room. There had been an incident with one of the guards he had heard. But he still held up hope that today would be the day that she would join him.
Finishing his breakfast, he went followed the guards outside to the courtyard where he went on his morning walk. He walked the perimeter of the courtyard enjoying the fresh air. Freddy waited until the guards gave the signal to walk back inside. It was time for his least favorite time of the day.
Every morning, Lord and Lady Grey would come visit him. They would bring pictures of him from when he was younger, as well as some of his favorite childhood toys. They would share stories about the “adventures” they had gone on together in desperate hopes to bring back his memories. They never did. All they did was stir up complicated emotions. However, Freddy grinned and bared it as usual. While he didn’t feel a connection to them, he still didn’t want to hurt their feelings.
After their visit, Freddy would sit with Dr. Flint. She would question him about his feelings. How he was coping without the voice. He would answer her honestly. It had taken some time, but he eventually started to see her like one of the Teachers. A place of guidance.
After his time with Dr. Flint, he would rest back in his room. His sessions usually left him mentally exhausted and he enjoyed the quiet time afterwards. Again, he would wait for the nurse to come grab him for lunch and repeat the same routine from breakfast. Look for Sofia. Go on a walk. The afternoon, however, was Freddy’s favorite time of day. Afternoons were when he got to see Alex.
Alex came to the New Delhi Station Hospital everyday. He was there waiting by the door everyday when Freddy finished his afternoon walk. He always brought Freddy a new book to read as well. He new that since being at the station, Freddy had become an avid reader, reading anything he could get his hands on. Today’s book was Red, White, and Royal Blue.
They would walk the halls of the station, talking about the books that they had read, their appointments with Dr. Flint (as Alex saw her every every weekend), and Alex’s life.
At first, Freddy could tell that Alex was shy about sharing his life with him. When Freddy had questioned him on it, Alex had admitted that he felt guilty that he was able to leave and explore the world outside the station while Freddy couldn’t. Freddy had been quick to reassure Alex that he enjoyed about hearing about his life and was content at the station. Although Freddy was curious about the rest of the world, he didn’t quite feel ready to explore it.
Freddy also felt sorry for Alex. With the help of Dr. Flint, he had started to realize that what the Teachers had done to him and the other Numbers was wrong and he was glad to be away. Alex didn’t have that luxury. Alex still worked for MI6, and while Alex had explained to him that he wanted to help MI6 bring down Nightshade, Freddy couldn’t help but see the threads of manipulation that had led him to make that decision. He kept that last part to himself though. He knew from his own experience that is was best for Alex to come to that realization on his own.
After their walk, they would go to the lounge where they would play video games. Always adventure games as Freddy wasn’t allowed to play anything with violence, though Freddy didn’t mind. He enjoyed the sense of adventure the games gave him.
Afterwards, Alex would join him in the cafeteria for dinner. Alex always tried something new, and he always offered Freddy a bite of whatever it was that he had ordered. Freddy would deviate from his routine, and take a bite from whatever Alex had offered. Alex would then join Freddy on his evening walk. They would watch the sky darken and the stars appear in the sky before the guard signaled them to head back inside.
Freddy would walk Alex as far as he could before they would hug goodbye with promises to see him again the next day. He always felt a pang of loneliness when Alex left, although he was unsure as to why. He knew he would see him the next day. When he had brought it up to Dr. Flint, she had said it was because he cared Alex. And as Freddy had pondered what she had said, he realized it was deeper than that.
Freddy loved Alex.
Freddy knew about love from the stories he had read. He knew there were many kinds of love and he had worked hard to identify what love he felt towards Alex. He had determined, after many days of reflection, that what he felt towards Alex was a romantic love. Freddy couldn’t picture a life without Alex. He wanted Alex in his life.
And as Freddy fell asleep each night, he wondered when he would draw up the courage to speak this truth to Alex. He hoped he would gain the courage soon. But for now he was content to live in this new normal with Alex.