It had been a few hours since bringing the young man to a safer and warmer location. We had started a fire in the fireplace and put him in bed, laid some blankets over him (except for his face of course) to keep him warm and were waiting for some sort of movement. He was breathing normally but I getting more concerned.
I was worried that perhaps I was doing something wrong or that something was very wrong with this man. What was he doing out in the forest? Alone? What if it was a trap? But why?
My thoughts were disrupted by the sudden movement of the young man, both me and the friends suddenly became very alert.
The young man winced a little and blinked around. Then his eyes widened, looking alarmed and confused.
I wasn’t sure what to say but I stood up from the chair I was sitting on and walked closer. “Hello. I am Zane,” I said. “Don’t worry. We will not harm you.”
The young man looked at me with the same worried and quizzical expression, but now he seemed to have a bit of recognition in his eyes, like he remembered me. Somehow....
My friends had better luck at trying to make conversation.
Jay waved a little and came over. “Hey. I’m Jay. What’s your name?” He gave a friendly hand for him to shake.
The young man now looked puzzled, as if looking for what invisible thing Jay was offering in his flat hand.
With a awkward cough, Jay reluctantly retracted his hand, as the man apparently had no idea of what shaking hands was, he repeated his question. “So. Uh. Do you have a name?”
The young man looked down.
I was troubled by this. “Do you remember your name?”
He nodded.
“Then what is it?” Lloyd asked.
The young man continued to blink, he opened his mouth to speak but shut it and shook his head.
“You don’t remember it?” Jay asked, confused.
The man looked upset and unsure, he nodded.
Trying to be patient but sort of failing, Kai asked. “So you do remember what it is? Why don’t you just tell us?”
The young man looked a bit frustrated but I could sense it wasn’t at us.
“...Can you speak?” I asked sensitively.
Finally he was able to give a firm answer on something, he shook his head at my question.
Cole took a notepad and a pen from a desk. “Then maybe you can write your answers down?” He offered the two objects to the man, which the man promptly stared at in confusion.
“You can write though, right?” Cole asked, looking a bit dismayed.
The man shook his head.
Cole sighed and took them. “Well now what?”
Thinking about it, I came to the most logical solution could think of. “It’s simple. We just ask yes or no questions.”
“Good idea, Zane.” Jay said and turned back to the man. “Did someone hurt you in Birchwood forest?”
The man nodded.
“Who-” Jay stopped himself with a small groan of annoyance but tried to think of another question. “Was this someone evil?”
The man nodded more.
“Would we able to catch up with them?” Kai asked.
The man didn’t answer for a moment, I believe he was trying to figure out how to say “maybe” or that he wasn’t sure without actually saying it. He kind of just shook his head and nodded it at the same time which honestly just made him look like he was having a small fit rather than answering but we thankfully understood what he meant.
“Were you unconscious by the time you would have seen where they went?” Cole inquired.
Another nod to that.
“Were you out just walking around in Birchwood Forest?” Kai asked.
A shake of the head, it looked like he perhaps wanted to gesture with his arms but was confused by how to remove his arms from the blanket prison.
“Then what were you doing?” Kai continued.
I turned to him. “Kai, that’s not a yes or no question.”
Kai shrugged. “I’m just asking.”
As expected, the man had no answer to that.
“Did you know the person that hurt you?” Jay asked.
The man shook his head.
“And it just happened out of nowhere then?” Jay continued.
“Would you be able to recognize them if you saw them again?” Kai asked.
“Were you able to speak and write before all this?” Cole asked.
The man was starting to look a bit overwhelmed by the questions. I noticed this and held up a hand, motioning for them to stop. “That’s enough, guys. He just woke up after all.” I looked back to the young man. “All I want to to know is, are you hurt?”
The young man looked unsure but shook his head a little.
“Are you in any pain?” I asked.
He shook his head a little, kind of to say ‘Not really’.
“Well, alright. But do let me know if you are hurt, we can try to help.” I said.
He nodded his head a little.
I smiled. “Perhaps you want to rest. We’ll be in the next room. Knock on the wall if you need us. Alright?”
The man blinked for a moment but nodded hesitantly.
“Good. Feel better.” I said then left the room, gesturing for the others to follow, which they did.
“Yeah, feel better, man.” Jay said.

Once me and my brothers had gone to the next room where we wouldn’t be heard, more questions were suddenly brought up.
“What’s wrong with him?” Cole asked. “Why can’t he talk?”
“He could have lost his voice during whatever happened or he may be mute, Cole.” I said reasonably. “It happens after all.”
“I know but if he’s mute why can’t he write?” Cole asked. “That should be his main form of communication shouldn’t it?”
“Maybe he knows sign language.” Jay speculated. “I could communicate with him if that’s the case.”
I tilted my head. “I didn’t know you knew sign language, Jay.”
“Oh yeah, back when I was a kid I had a friend who was deaf. It really encouraged me to learn myself so I could talk to him without writing or texting.” Jay said.
“It’s worth a shot.” Kai said.
“I nodded my head. “I agree. Let’s give him some time and then we shall try it.”