The Osiris Complex

Chapter 3

The Lost is Found?

One week later, somewhere in rural Southern Pennsylvania.

"Son can you hear me?" The elderly gentleman asked as he lightly nudged the young stranger's shoulder.

"Stay away!" The young man tried to make out the face of the man looming above him. He began inching away unsure if the man was a threat.

"Stay put son you'll injure yourself further. My wife's gone to phone to call for help." The man made his voice as soothing as possible while pulling the blanket higher around the injured man whom he'd found naked, bloody and unconscious in his field.

"Where am I?"

"Near Chambersburg, you from around here son?"

"No…I don't think so. Maybe…I'm not sure."

"You got any kin folk you want me to contact?"

"There's nobody. I don't have a family."

"Everyone has family son."

"Not me, never have."

"Do you know who did this to you?"

"I'm so cold." The young man began to shiver violently, bringing his knees to his chest he curled into a fetal position.

The farmer took off his jacket and placed it on top of the quivering blanket.

The young man heard the sound of the sirens approach as he drifted back into the darkness.


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The loft.

His cell phone began ringing as Justin exited the shower he ran to pick it up his still wet feet slid on the wood floor.

"Hello." Justin could feel his heart slamming against his chest.

"It's Carl. Justin I think we found something…someone I mean. I just got a call from a police station in Chambersburg they picked up a man matching Brian's description. I'm headed there now." Carl explained.

"I'm on my way."

"No son, wait there until I find out if it is Brian. No need for you to be running all over the state. Brian's description could match a lot of people."

"Is he…is the guy okay?"

"Justin…he's…"

"Oh…god no…no please say he's not…." Justin cut in his voice rising in panic. His heart skip a beat then almost stop as held his breath.

"Justin listen to me, the man is in the hospital. All I got from the police was that he was badly beaten. Stay put and I'll call you as soon as I find out if it's Brian."

"How long?"

"I'm about thirty minutes away. Sit tight I know this is hard, but it's for the best."

"Carl…hurry, okay?"

"I am son. And Justin, don't tell anyone else yet."

"I understand." Justin disconnected and dropped to his knees next to the bed, clasping his hands together he prayed. "Please God let it be Brian and let him be okay."

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Chambersburg Hospital

Justin and Michael rushed into the hospital. Carl is waiting in the reception area for them.

"Have you talked to him?" Both spoke in unison, out of breath from running in from the parking lot.

"Just briefly. He's pretty banged up, but they ruled out any internal damage." Carl seemed strangely uncomfortable.

"Carl what is it? What are you 'not' telling us?" Justin prodded.

"The doctors aren't sure since they can't get any information from…the patient. He was sodimized and it looks as if it was forced." Carl shuffled his feet nervously not able to look at either of the men in the face.

"Brian was raped?!!!" Michael shook his head in disbelief. "Brian wouldn't let that happen to him. Did they catch the guy?"

"He says he doesn't remember."

"The patient?" Justin quizzed picking up quickly on the fact that Carl had yet to use Brian's name. "It's Brian right?"

"Yes, it's Brian only he doesn't think he's Brian."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Michael yelled.

"Keep your voice down Michael." Carl warned. "He thinks his name is Paul Smith. The doctor says it may be some form of amnesia."

"Can we see him?" Justin asked.

"First you both need to meet with his doctor."

The boys followed Carl out of the lobby.

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Dr. Jacob Landry is a young psychiatric resident with the small rural hospital. Justin and Michael sit in his office.

"So if the amnesia wasn't caused by a head injury what did cause it?"

"That's hard to say Mr. Taylor. One thing I need to make clear is that what has happened to Mr. Kinney isn't the type of amnesia most of us have read about. Yes, he doesn't remember who he really is, but he has assumed another personality."

"That doesn't explain 'how' this happened!" Justin barked at the young doctor. Justin stood up and began pacing around the small office. He just wanted to see Brian.

"I've only read a brief synopsis about this it's a type of dissociative personality disorder. The patient leaves home and ends up somewhere they don't recognize, become confused eventuall loose the ability to recall their past. The patient will then assume an identity and begin living as that person. This disorder is more common in woman who have been abused sexually during childhood it's pretty rare for men."

Justin scrubbed his hands through his hair trying to focus on what the doctor is telling them.

"I've gathered from things Brian's has told me that his father was abusive, his mother was cold and distant, but he never alluded to any sexual abuse. Michael you've known him longer...."

"No, Brian's always been a very sexual person I never got that vibe either. But I don't understand if he doesn't know who he is how can he just 'assume' another identity, it doesn't make sense to me?" Michael asked feeling utterly confused.

"I don't know Mr. Novotney. What I can tell you is that your friend believes that he is 19 years old, an orphan or, as he puts it, abandoned and I'm not positive, but the few statements I've gotten out of him leads me to think he may be a male prostitute."

"This just keeps getting better!" Michael huffed stood up and began pacing the small office as Justin sat down.

"Detective Horvath told us that Brian was raped." Justin swallowed the lump forming in his throat in order to continue his question. "Was Brian exposed?"

"Exposed?" The doctor looked confused.

Straight guys could be so stupid Justin thought. Justin swallowed his anger before explaining further. "Was there semen? Did you do use a rape kit?"

"Oh…let see." That line of questioning flustered the young doctor. Michael and Justin watched as the he scanned Brian's medical file for the answer. "No."

"No? A patient comes in whose been raped and you don't do a rape kit work up on them?" Justin could feel the rush of anger through his entire body.

"It's not common….we don't see men." The doctor flipped to the last page of the record his faced a bit relieved by what he found. "I'm sorry, it does say in the file upon examination of the rectal area that no semen was found. Mr. Taylor, Paul has been very withdrawn and what I've told you is all I've gotten out of him. Maybe you can find out more, but I suggest you speak with him one at a time, he's easily agitated."

"What should we say?" Justin asked.

"Let him know that you're both friends from Pittsburgh. He may recognize you if he doesn't only tell him that you both know him as Brian Kinney. I'll speak with him first to see if he wants to see you."

"And if he doesn't?" Justin asked.

"Do you have any pictures of Brian with either of you...it may help."

Justin pulled out his wallet and handed the doctor a picture of the two of them taken with Gus at his fourth birthday party.

"The boy?"

"His son, his name is Gus."

The doctor tucked the picture in his lab coat pocket as they all exited the office.

Chapter 4

I am he or am I not me?

At Brian's hospital room door.

"Stay out here. I'll come and get you if he wants to see you."

The two friends nodded in agreement as they watched the doctor enter the room.

"I'll bet he remembers as soon as he sees us." Michael spoke with true confidence.

"I'd like to believe that Michael, but I don't think its going to be that easy. Something awful must have happened to him for his brain to go so haywire." Justin bit his bottom lip and began pacing back and forth.

"Will you stop! You're making me a nervous wreak."

Justin looked at Michael as if he'd lost his mind.

"Right...is it helping?" Michael asked sheepishly.

"It's the only way I can keep from rushing into that room and shaking or kissing my partner until he remembers who the fuck he is!!!"

"Shhh he'll hear you. If he thinks we're a couple of raving lunatics he's not going to want to see us."

"This is all so...so crazy Michael. How did this happen? Brian's always been so...."

"So Brian? Maybe it all got to be too much, ya know. He never talked about his childhood with me. It was almost like he didn't have a life before I met him. Maybe all the stuff that's happened to him in the last four years and the cancer...maybe it sent him over the edge."

"We've got to get him back Michael."

The patient was laying on his side knees drawn to his chest hands partially covering his face. Dr. Landry had spent many hours at a local group home counseling abused teens. He noticed that this patient had several mannerisms common to those teens including the way in which he slept. It was a position that gave them the most protection if they were attacked in their sleep.

"Paul….Paul I need you to wake up for me." The doctor nudged the man's shoulder gently speaking softly as not to startle him.

The patient drew back from the light touch and opened his eyes still groggy from the pain medication.

"Can you sit up for me Mr. Smith I need to speak with you." Dr. Landry took a step back from the patient knowing the space would make him feel more comfortable.

The patient slowly pulled himself into a sitting position yawning. The doctor gave him a few moments to wake up and become aware of where he was and could focus on what was being said to him.

"How are you feeling Paul?"

"A little sore that's all. I've been beat up worse before."

"Who beat you?"

"I toll ya I don't remember. It was dark the guy pulled me into his truck then I woke up in that field." The patient sighed and leaned back into his pillow.

"I mean before. You said you've been beaten up before did your parents..."

"I already said I don't remember my parents. I was a foster kid and I didn't get along with most of my foster dads. I suppose I had it comin most of the time. I was a mouthy kid."

"Paul no one deserves to be beaten." The statement only got a shrug from the patient. "Paul I'm here because...."

"You want to know how I'm gonna pay…right? I told the guys in the ambulance I didn't have any money and just to let me out, but they said the law said they had ta bring me in." Paul began to get agitated and started to climb out of bed. "Just let me know what I owe ya and I'll try to get it to ya when I can. I know it don't look like I'm good for it." The patient slid past the doctor without getting to close and started to look around the room for his belongings.

"Please Paul get back into bed. I'm not here to talk about your bill and please don't worry about that. You need to rest you've been badly beaten."

"Where's my stuff? I had a bag." Paul asked then stumbled a bit. The doctor reached for his elbow. "Don't touch me!" Paul snatched his arm away from the offending touch.

"Please just get back into bed before you fall and hurt yourself even more."

"Fine, but I want my stuff."

"It's in the closet I'll get it in a moment." The doctor waited for Paul to settle back into bed.

"You have a couple visitors." The doctor folded his arms and observed the reaction to his statement.

"Social workers? I'm 19 I can prove it they don't have no claims on me now I'm an adult." Paul started to get out of bed again.

"Paul please just listen. They know you, they're friends not social workers."

"I don't have any friends. Is this a trick you're tryin ta mess with me?!"

"Calm down." The doctor spoke in a soothing tone. "They are here just outside the door and want to talk to you. I have a picture I want you to look at first." The doctor removed the picture from his pocket and handed it to Paul.

Paul took the picture in his left hand and stared intently at it then shook his head from side to side.

"I don't recognize either of these guys."

"Look at it again the man on the right, you don't recognize him?" The doctor pointed to Brian in the picture. "The detective you spoke to earlier identified you as that man, Brian Kinney, the blond man on the left is Justin Taylor."

Paul looked at the doctor incredulously then back to the picture.

"That's not me. I don't look anything like that besides he's older and much better looking. The only thing I can see is that we have the same hair an eye color. Sorry doc but the detective made a mistake."

"What about the boy? Does he look familiar?"

"Cute kid. He looks like Mr. Kinney. Is it their kid?"

"Mr. Taylor said his names Gus. Mr. Kinney's his father."

"Poor kid. I hope they find his old man soon." Paul handed the picture back and reached for the water pitcher and glass on his bedside table.

"Would you mind meeting with them anyway?" The doctor really wasn't sure where to go from here. He thought it would be easy once the man saw his own face in a picture. It was strange that he didn't recognize himself. Then a thought occurred to him.

"I guess. Will you stay?" Paul's voice suddenly raised an octave as if he were a child afraid to be alone with strangers.

"Yes. I'll go get them."

"Does he remember us?" Michael leapt at the doctor upon his exit from Brian's room.

"I'm sorry, no he doesn't."

"He didn't react to the picture of us?" Justin was stunned.

"This is all very strange. Not only did he not recognize you or his son he didn't recognize himself."

"That makes absolutely no sense. How can he not recognize himself?" Michael spouted he was getting antsy. He was sure if he could just see Brian, if Brian could see him it would all come flooding back.

"Have you ever heard of that before?" Justin asked.

"I'll have to do some digging."

"I'm going in. Watch the minute he sees me he'll remember." Michael said boldly sure that his friend of so many years could never forget him or all the years they spent growing up together.

"Wait Mr. Novotney I want to try something. Stay here I'll be right back in a few moments. Please I think I know a way to help his memory."

"Hurry the waiting is driving me nuts."

"Michael calm down and stop being such a little prick."

"Why because I'm concerned about my best friend?"

"Just stop. This isn't a contest anymore. Brian is in real trouble and we can't fix it by just standing in front of him. If we push we could make things worse." Justin was trying to be the voice of reason his brain telling him one thing, his heart something totally different, but this was Brian Kinney they were dealing with no matter who he thinks he is at the moment pushing Brian was never a good idea.

The doctor returned with a small hand mirror.

"A mirror, that's your idea to help his memory?" Michael scoffed.

"He can't deny what he sees in a mirror." The doctor retorted. "You both ready?"

The two men nodded.

"Okay no pushing just talk to him calmly he's kind of rattled right now and nervous about meeting you."

The all entered the hospital room.

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Meeting Paul (Coming soon. I promise)