Grounded

Chapter 28

 Chapter 28 

"I'm fine," I tell David when he comes to my door the next morning. It's a lie. I can hardly hold my head up. Every part of me aches.

"This will make it easier," he says through thin lips. He moves the syringe toward my shoulder.

I grab his wrist before he can inject me and without thinking, draw his energy in. It's not purposeful, more like my body is thirsty and he's a bottle of water. The blue juice flows up my arm, and I watch my bruised skin heal as it goes. I take more and more until David crumples into the doorframe with a groan.

I release his wrist. I feel renewed. He's covered in sores.

"Come on," I say. I return the syringe to his bag and grab him under the elbow, forcing him into the hall. He goes, hugging the wall just as he always does. Silent. This time, he doesn't hesitate before popping the Biolock. He stops just inside the door.

"Are you crazy?" He props himself against the wall and digs through his bag for another syringe and a vial of blue liquid.

"What have you been giving me every morning?"

He injects himself with the solution. "Painkillers."

I hold out my hand, threatening to touch him again. To drain him. He pulls away. "Also, a supplement to help you retain what you learn."

"Why do I feel like I've lost track of time?"

"That's how it works. You experience things using the part of your brain associated with long-term memory. What I've taught you this week will be second nature to you. You will never forget it."

"Is this some kind of Green Republic torture? Did Konrad put you up to drugging me?"

"Konrad doesn't know. As far as he's concerned, there was nothing but painkiller in that vial."

"Then why?" I step closer to him. He's still recovering, the sore on his arm slowly crusting over. He leans his head against the wall.

"We're running out of time." He meets my eyes. "The things we love most will be used against us."

Korwin. "What do I need to do?" I ask.

"We've got to go. This stairwell is the only place in the complex not monitored, but they'll know something's wrong if we are not in the training center in five minutes." He gathers his things and starts jogging down the steps.

"David, what can I do to help Korwin?" I ask, falling into step beside him.

"First, if you believe in God, start praying that Konrad misses the part where you drew energy from me through touch."

"Why?"

"They don't know you can do that. The participants in Operation Source Code couldn't juice each other. We could draw from things, but not from people and certainly not into people."

Oh, so that was why he'd changed the subject in the training room when I asked if I could juice him.

"Second, I have no idea how you can help Korwin. I don't even know how you can help yourself. But you're strong and you're smart." He pauses on the second floor and points toward the outer wall of the stairwell. "Beyond that wall is freedom."

What?

He opens the door and leads the way into the training center, where he promptly stashes his bag against the wall. I can tell he's still dragging from being drained and the sprint down the stairs has left him breathless.

"Tell me about the last part of the Green Republic's emblem," I say. "I won't practice if you don't."

Relief washes across his features before being hidden away. "Okay. I guess I owe you that much. You've worked hard these last weeks." He sits next to the symbol and motions for me to sit across from him.