This is a fictional story involving sexual acts between two or more men. If this offends you, why are you here? If you are under the legal age to read sexually explicit material then do not read any further. This story in no way represents any person living or dead. Any resemblance to any real person is purely coincidental. This story is the property of the author and no copying or posting to any other website is permitted without the author's written consent.

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Brent's Struggle Chapter 23

Brent was afraid to open his eyes. He was afraid if he did, he would see the white walls of the treatment room. He was afraid the memory of Matt and Bryan rescuing him was just a dream. He did not want to wake-up if escaping from the clinic was just a dream. "If it was then I don't want to wake up," he said silently.

Brent slowly realized he was not alone. He could hear someone softly snoring next to him. He could feel the body only inches away from him. "What if it is her?" His mind flashed with the nightmare images of Dr. Wilson and the acts she had forced him to perform.

Brent was trying to control his panic. He was listening intently to the sounds of the room. He did not hear the familiar hum of the hallway lights. He did not here the mechanical sounds of the clinic. He rubbed his hand across the sheets and they did not feel like the rough fabric of the clinic bedding. Slowly Brent opened his eyes. The room was dim but he could see enough to know he was not in the clinic. His heart gave a little jump of relief. He had dreamed some many times of being rescued over the last few days. Sometimes it was his parents that came and got him from the place. Those dreams always ended with them telling him how sorry they were. The other dreams were of Devyn rescuing him. Those dreams would end with him and Devyn holding each other and making love.

Brent turned his head and saw Steven's red hair on the pillow next to him. He was slowly beginning to believe that they had both been rescued. He was slowly accepting the fact that he was out of that hell. "Thank God," he said silently.

Brent watched as the light around the thick drapes grew brighter and brighter. He wondered if he should go looking for Matt. He wondered if he moved if the dream would be shattered. "I am losing my mind," he thought.

Brent heard voices from the adjoining room. He knew that had to be Matt and the other men. He would have gotten up and went into the other room but he was naked under the covers. He and Steven had both disposed of their hospital gowns. Brent wondered if he could find a hotel bathrobe to wear. He gingerly slid from the bed. He did not want to wake Steven. He was sure that Steven was needing rest just as much as Brent himself did. He padded silently to the bathroom and took care of his morning piss. He then began looking for a robe. He did not see one but he did see a shower and suddenly that seemed more important to him than the robe. He climbed in and turned the water to as hot as he could stand it. He tried to wash away the memories of the hands on his body. He tried to wash away the feeling of them touching him and using him. He could feel the soap sting as he washed the scratches that were on his back, sides, and chest.

Brent washed repeatedly but he thought he could still feel the woman's hands sliding all over him. He could still feel her manipulating him and forcing him inside. He let the tears slide down his face and be washed away but he could not wash away the dreaded memories.

After stepping from the shower Brent looked at his reflection in the mirror. His blue eyes were red and puffy from crying. The dark circles looked like he had not slept for a while. His skin was pink but that was from the scrubbing and the intense hot water. He might have stood there longer looking at the person in the mirror. Brent was not sure who that blonde boy was looking back at him.

He was pulled from his wondering by a soft tapping on the door between the rooms. He pulled a towel around his waist and padded to the door. He grasped the handle and hesitated. He felt a stab of fear go through him. "What if it is a trick?" he wondered. "What if she is on the other side of the door?"

"Brent, Steven are you boys awake?" Matt's voice was soft and muffled by the door.

Brent pulled the door open. He saw the handsome man looking concerned. Brent saw more concern in the few seconds he looked into Matt's eyes than he had from any of the staff over the past several months.

"Morning," Matt said. "You doing alright?"

"Yes," Brent said his voice barely audible. Brent looked over Matt's shoulder. He could see other men in that room. He recognized Bryan but he did not know the other men. Although for some reason he thought maybe one of them was familiar.

"Can I come in?" Matt asked. "I have some food and clothes for both of you."

Brent stepped back from the doorway allowing Matt into the room. Brent closed the door behind Matt while the man moved to the desk to sit down the food and clothes.

"The food is still hot if you are hungry." Matt turned looking at Brent who was keeping more than just an arm length distance. "I also have some clothes here. I got you some underwear, socks, t-shirts, and sweatpants. I figured those are safe and we can go pick up more clothes once you and Steven are rested." Matt saw the bruises on Brent's fair skin. He could also see what looked like some painful scratches on the boy's chest.

Brent moved to the bed and softly touched Steven. The boy jumped and scrambled away. He almost fell off the bed. "Steven it's just me." Brent's voice was soft. He was so used to whispering to Steven. They had whispered in the late-night talks in Brent's room and then trying to comfort each other in their torture chambers.

"Oh, it wasn't a dream," Steven said. "I was so afraid it was all just a dream."

"it's not a dream." Matt said and stepped towards the two boys. He saw both tense up and he stopped. "We picked up some food for you and some clothes. You can eat and get dressed and then we can talk more."

Matt headed back to the door to his and Bryan's room. He could feel both boys watching him. He could see they were still uneasy. He paused at the door grasping the handle. He looked from Brent to Steven. He could see that Steven had similar bruises to Brent's on his arms. Matt could not see more as the boy was keeping the covers over his naked body. "just let me know if you need anything."

Matt stepped back into his room and closed the door to give the two teenagers some privacy. He looked at Bryan and then the other men. "They are still scared."

"it is going to take time," Bryan said.

"Why don't we go back to our room," Red said to Miguel. "We don't need to overwhelm the boys. See if you two can find out what they want to do. We can take them home if that is what they want."

"Thanks guys," Bryan said as Red and Miguel left the room.

"This is crazy," Matt said when he and Bryan were alone. "They are so jumpy. It is like a beaten down dog."

Bryan was attempting to relax his husband by rubbing his strong hands up and down Matt's arms and broad shoulders. "They are going to need a lot of time to come to terms with what was done to them."

"I'm afraid to ask him what they did to him." Matt's voice was filled with his concern for Brent but also his trepidation at knowing the torture the boy had suffered.

"We will need to let him share it with us at his own pace," Bryan said.

The men moved to the sofa. They had the local news on the television. There was a brief story about a small fire at the clinic. According to the reporter there were no injuries. They were also not reporting that any boys were missing. "I guess they are going to keep it quiet about Brent and Steven." Matt was hoping that the authorities would soon have the clinic shut down.

Matt muted the TV when they heard the soft knocking on the door. Bryan moved to open the door to Brent and Steven. "Come on in guys."

"Did you get enough to eat?" Matt looked from Brent to the other boy. Steven's hair was a deeper red. It looked like the boy had taken a shower and his hair was still damp. The deeper color and the fair skin made Steven look younger than he was. Both boys were wearing the clothes that Miguel had gone out and bought.

"yes," Steven said softly.

"We were wondering," Brent's voice was nervous as he spoke, "what, um, happens to us now?"

"We need to talk about that," Matt said. "Go ahead and have a seat."

Brent and Steven looked at each other and then sat in the chairs across from the sofa with the coffee table between the chairs and the sofa.

"I think we should talk about all of your options." Matt looked from one boy to the other. They both looked like scared animals. "First of course we can take you guys back to your parents."

"NO!" Brent almost shouted. "No," he repeated a little more subdued. "I'm not going back to them. They put me in there and I can't live with them."

Matt looked at Bryan. They had both expected that but they had to give Brent the option. "How about you Steven?" Matt asked.

"I'm not even sure where my parents are," Steven said. "I mean my Mom and Step-dad travel and probably aren't home."

"Do you have other family you guys might want to live with?" Bryan asked. He knew Matt was ready to take both boys home but the boys needed to make the decisions about their own lives.

"I have an uncle who owns a ranch in Montana," Steven said. "I spent a summer there a couple years ago. I don't know if he would take me in."

"We can look into that," Matt said.

"I have no one," Brent said his voice filled with sorrow.

Reaching over Matt touched Brent's arm and felt the boy flinch away. "You have us now Brent. You are not alone."

Bryan had seen the way Brent had jumped at Matt's casual touch. He looked more closely at the boy's arms. He moved and knelt next to Brent's chair. "You have some serious bruises there. Do you mind if I take a look?"

"Bryan was a medic in the Marines." Matt's voice was touched with the pride he felt at his husband's service.

Hesitantly brent held out his arm for Bryan to inspect. He tried not to flinch as Bryan's fingers lightly touched the purple marks on Brent's arms. "Brent are those needle marks?"

"She," Brent tried to say but his voice caught. He took a breath and tried again. "They injected us with drugs."

"She called it our treatment," Steven explained.

Bryan moved to Steven and saw similar needle marks on his arm. "some sort of medication."

"I noticed you had quite a bit of bruising on your stomach and chest," Matt said looking at Brent.

"Some of the staff were not gentle," Brent said looking down at the floor.

Bryan wanted to reach out and comfort the boy but he had seen how physical contact made him uncomfortable. It seemed that the hell the boy had been through was going to take a lot of time to overcome.

"What about the scratches I saw," Matt asked softly.

"She got kind of rough sometimes," Brent said looking down at the floor. "They don't hurt much."

"Would you mind if I looked at them?" Bryan's voice was gentle as he looked at the blonde boy. "I just want to make sure there is no sign of infection."

Shrugging his shoulders before he lifted his shirt up revealing his deep scratches. He let Bryan look at them before lowering his shirt back into place.

"They look like they hurt quite a bit." Bryan squeezed Brent's shoulder wanting to reassure the boy. "Do you have marks like that?" Bryan was looking into Steven's clear green eyes.

"No," Steven said. "I was lucky. She did not like me as much as she did Brent."

Brent shot Steven a look but did not say anything. He looked back down at the floor. He just wanted to forget about what had happened in the clinic.

"There is no sign of infection so I think they will heal in time." Bryan moved back to the sofa to sit by Matt.

"if it is alright," Brent began and his voice was shaking as he tried not to let the hope inside..." I mean would it be alright...could I live with you?"

"That is definitely one of your options," Matt said looking at Brent. Matt then turned to Steven. "You also have that choice, Steven."

"What?" Steven's voice registered his shock.

"If you want to, you can live with us," Bryan said. "Both of you."

"You don't even know me," Steven said still not sure he could believe the men's words.

"We know enough," Matt said.

They talked a while longer with the boys not volunteering any more information about their captivity and Matt and Bryan not wanting to push them too soon. # # #

"They will need to talk about it sometime," Bryan said after the boys had gone back to the other room to rest.

Miguel and Red brought in dinner for everyone and the four men discussed what Bryan and Matt had learned from the boys.

"I hacked into the medical records," Miguel said after Bryan mentioned the boys had been injected with something. "It looks like they were given drugs to make them perform sexually. It seems to be the bitches own date rape drug."

"Fucking bitch," Matt snarled.

"I called in a favor," Red said. "The FBI is already working on the warrants. They should be in there in a day or two. I'm sure she will be going away for an exceptionally long time."

"What if they destroy the records?" Matt asked. He was worried that the doctor might get away with torturing the boys.

"Someone from inside the clinic sent the files to the FBI," Miguel said his dimples popping out in his mischievous smile. "I guess someone saw the light."

"You don't think they will track it back to you?" Bryan asked but already knew the answer.

"Never," Miguel said. "The FBI is not going to dig that deep. It looks like the files came from a staff e-mail account and from the clinic server. It is all good."

"Once she is arrested, she won't be seeing the light of day for some time," Red said. "I have it on good authority she will be held without bond. Brent and Steven might need to testify against her but I don't see her ever getting out."

"Not to mention if she does there is a group of PFLAG moms that are ready to rip every one of those blonde locks from her head."

"PFLAG already knows about this?" Bryan asked.

"I kind of let it slip to a chapter president," Miguel admitted.

"In other words," Red said his sexy lips curved up into a grin, "He told his Mommy."

"Shut up!" Miguel said punching the man's arm. Red only smiled.

"They will be outside the courthouse in mass every day of the woman's trial," Miguel said. "They are not going to stop protesting and lobbying until she is locked up for a long time. Never piss off a group of PFLAG moms."

"Especially when Miguel's Mommy is the chapter president," Red said teasing. "She has made grown men cry before."

"She can be scary," Miguel said.

"That sounds like Matt's Mom," Bryan said. "Never piss her off or there will be hell to pay."

"hey, you like my Mom," Matt said looking at Bryan.

"I love your Mom and that is why," Bryan said squeezing Matt's knee. "She is fierce and take's no prisoners."

"We can drive Steven up to this ranch in Montana," Red said after Matt had told them about Steven's uncle possibly taking him in. "I also have an attorney that can help you with solving Brent's custody issue. Right now, you have kidnapped the boy but I think we can get you approved as emergency foster dads for him.

"Sure, just overlook the fact that we kidnapped him," Matt said.

"I think it would be better to state you picked him up as a run-a-way." Red was looking from Matt to Bryan. "There will be less questions that way. I can pull a few strings to keep your asses from getting into hot water."

"Just what agency do you work for?" Matt said. He saw a look pass between Red, Bryan and Miguel. "Never mind. I don't need to know."

"You are right," Red said. "You don't."

#

"Are you sure you want to go to this place in Montana?" Brent was packing up his few belongings into the backpack that Matt had given him. They had gone shopping and picked up a few clothes for both him and Steven. The sweatpants had been fine but Brent felt less exposed in the jeans and long sleeve shirt. At least with the long sleeves no one would see the marks on his arms.

"I think so," Steven said also packing up his stuff in a similar backpack. "If it doesn't work out, Matt said that he and Bryan would always have a room for me."

Brent put the last of his few clothes into the pack and zipped it up. "Is there a reason you don't want to live with us?" Brent's blue eyes did not meet Steven's. He kept his gaze focused on the logo on the backpack. Brent knew he was going to miss Steven. The two of them might not have survived the clinic without the other one.

"I think that we would remind each other of all the crap we went through over the past few months." Steven studied Brent. He had no doubt that he would miss the attractive blonde. There was a point during their stay in the clinic that Steven had wanted Brent as a boyfriend but now he was not sure of that any longer. They might have been through too much for them to be more than good friends. "I will miss you though."

Brent looked up and met Steven's eyes. "I'll miss you to." Brent forced a grin. "We went through hell together."

"We did," Steven agreed. "I, um, couldn't have done it without you."

"Me either," Brent said. "I mean without you there."

"Yu are the best friend I've ever had." Steven's eyes were glistening with the tears he was holding back.

"You are my best friend now too." Brent swallowed down a lump that was forming in his throat. "You never let me give up in there. You kept me from going totally crazy."

"Do you think you will try and see Devyn?" Steven knew how important Devyn was to Brent. He could remember the emotions that played across Brent's face when Steven had found the picture of the attractive boy. Steven had felt a little jealous then and even more so now.

"I do want to find him and tell him that I'm sorry." Brent was looking at Steven as he was speaking. "I do not know if he will forgive me. I was a dick but I need to try. I love him but I don't know how he feels about me. I just need to try."

"I hope he understands," Steven said. "Will you tell him about the clinic?"

"No," Brent said sharply. "I mean I don't want to talk about it. If, if he forgives me and we get together I might tell him a little. I won't tell him everything." Smiling a little ironic smile, he added, "You are the only one that knows all my darkest secrets. That's why you really are my best friend."

"You know mine to," Steven said.

The two knew that the men were waiting on them. Steven was going with Miguel and Red to Montana and Brent was going to live with Bryan and Matt. Matt was already talking to attorneys about how to keep custody of Brent. So far, the news and the authorities were still considering Brent and Steven missing runaways.

The boys shouldered their backpacks and heading to the adjoining door. "Thanks Brent."

"For what?" Brent asked turning to Steven.

"For, um, being a friend." Steven's green eyes met Brent's blue ones for a moment.

"thanks Steven, I owe you so much," Brent said and his blue eyes shimmered with his emotions. He stepped closer and pulled Steven into an awkward hug.

Steven returned the hug just as awkwardly. Part of him wanted to go live with Brent but part of him knew that the memories were too fresh for that. He needed time to heal and so did Brent. He knew that Brent's experience had been rougher. Dr. Wilson had seemed to take a particular interest in Brent.

The two released each other and then went into the room with the men. "Sorry we kept you waiting," Steven said.

"We are in no hurry," Red said.

"But if you guys are ready for a knew start, we should get going." Matt looked from Brent to Steven.

"Thanks for everything," Steven said. "I won't be able to ever thank you enough."

"I'm glad we could help you." Bryan slid his arm around Steven's shoulders and felt the boy tense up. It looked like both boys were going to need time to get use to physical contact.

"You have my card," Matt said. "Call us anytime."

"I will," Steven said.

"If things don't work out," Bryan began.

"I have a home with you," Steven said his voice thick with emotion.

"You do," Matt said. "The door is always there."

Brent and Steven hugged one last time before going their separate ways. Both boys knew it was going to be rough adjusting but they also knew they needed space from the memories that the other would trigger.

Copyright 2021 by Keith yates (keith.96@att.net) all rights reserved.

No copying, reposting, or distributing is permitted without the author's written consent.

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