Three Wishes: This didn't go as planned!

Water and Air

Drowning.  It'd be closest to that, I suspect.  Unable to breathe.  Unable to speak.  The sound of water gushing.  My lungs, stagnant and filling.  Panic filled me.  I thought I'd be able to be detached, disconnect myself from the moment.  Instead, a howling inside my mind echoed primitively.  I pressed against the restraints.  Later I would find bruises where they had been, but then I only felt the lack of air...

I coughed, sputtering, the cloth removed, the table tilted upwards, oxygen returning.  My head pounded.   

I could only imagine how deadly this would have been with my old, weaker lungs.  A pang of gratitude went out to Jeanie.  

"Are you ready to answer our questions?"  K asked sedately. 

I panted.  Jeanie, I had to remember Jeanie.  If I answered their questions, she would be in danger.  I kept breathing.  Maybe if I didn't shake my head-- didn't answer at all--

"Come on, you can talk now.  Speak up."

No, I wouldn't go back to that.  I couldn't snitch on Jeanie, either.  I focused on breathing.

"Alright then, it's your choice."  He tilted the table again, ready to begin. 

"No-- It was, it was technology!   From the Russians."  I said.

He studied me for a moment.  Took a clipboard and wrote something down. 

I breathed a sigh of relief. 

"You know,"  K said, "You're a terrible liar."

"No--no, I'm telling the truth!" 

"Okay, then what kind of technology was it?"

"It was-- I don't know.  They just asked me to implement it."

"Mmmhmmm."  He replied skeptically.  "And where is this device?"

"They-- they took it back.  It's not there, anymore."

"And what about the door?"  

"Uh, the door--"  I paused.  "It's a gift!  In return for implementing their energy wave!"  I would say anything but the truth in order to stay away from the water.  In order to keep my air. 

"Then, what did you tell the door?"

"To go back to the Russians!"

"And how many of these 'doors' do they have?"

"A lot!  I think.  I don't know!" 

"You do realize this means you committed treason, right?"

"Tre--treason?"

"You clearly haven't thought through the implications of your words.  Now, would you like to tell the truth?"  

"The truth..."  No, anything but that.  I had to stick to my story. "This is the truth!"

K sighed, pen scratching on the clipboard.   "Who are you protecting?"

"N-nobody!" 

"Right."  K said dryly.  "You know, I have been doing this for a very long time.  I like to think I have a pretty good intuition.  And this process has been left almost entirely up to me.  That means I have the right to waterboard you until what I deem to be correct comes out.  Capisce?"

Like he would believe even the truth. 

"No, I'm telling the truth--"

"Like a broken record."  K muttered.