The Lost Ones

6 - Adrian

I wake up, dazed and confused. I try to sit up, but someone pushes me back on to the bed.

"No, Adrian. You need sleep. After all, you have more tests tomorrow. You need to be awake and prepared." Marie. Again. 

I was slowly returning to full consciousness. Faces appeared in my mind, like a terrifying slideshow. Lela, gunmen.... I felt myself slowly losing faith in any plans I might have thought up in my anger. 

"Bloody hell, Marie, is it really necessary to drug me to the point of oblivion? If you wanted to get me high could you at least make it a sugar high? I could use some chocolate right about now." I groaned, trying to focus on Marie's face. Her short blonde curls were a faded blur of yellow.

 "I apologise. But all this is necessary, for the greater good of mankind." Marie said, sounding not apologetic at all.

"Jeez, where have I heard that before?" I said, trying to sound nonchalant. Marie sighed and stood up.

"Adrian, I am not going to waste my time with you, arguing. It is too late. You are here now. It is done." She made her way to the door. I got up and watched her.

"Is that what you say to the patients? Is that what you say to Susie?" Marie's head flipped round to face me. Her eyes were narrowed and her whole face was, for once, contorted into a look of rage.

"How dare you! I... tried my best.... Rhiannon..," She composed herself; any traces of the rage before had melted away. "That is no concern of yours. Goodnight." She slammed the door, making various shelved items shake.

I had struck a nerve with her. Making my way up to the large window on the wall, I looked at the sky. It was almost pitch-black, with stars hung across it like fairy lights. I wondered where Lela was. At this point, I almost wished she was dead. I wished it so that she could finally have peace, and that she wouldn't have to suffer like I would be by the morning. 

What would they do to me? I can't keep up this act of total indifference forever. The only way for me to be completely free was to escape from here and find Lela. There was a laptop on a desk in the far corner of the room. I opened it and pressed the power button.

Username:___________

Password:____________

Dammit. I needed a staff login to access it.... but surely I could get that on one of the badges that they wear? Did Marie have one? My mind raced to try and make a plan. If I got one of the administrator badges, I could maybe shut down the security systems and escape....

I lay awake in my bed, regardless of the tests tomorrow. I needed to get Marie's login details from her staff badge, but it would be difficult. They didn't just leave them in random places: sure, Lela and I had managed to read some emails once, but that was just sheer luck that we didn't get caught. Eventually, my eyelids began to droop and I'd find myself drifting into sleep over and over again. I'd need more time when I was awake and ready to think of a plan, so I relaxed as much as I could on the uncomfortable hospital-like bed and dreamt.

"Now, children, we're going to give you a quick psychological test to make sure you're emotionally stable to carry on with the hospital tests." The doctor turned to Marie. "I'll test the boy first."

I was guided into a dark room that was dimly lit by a single lamp. The chair the doctor sat me down in was stiff and constricted my movement, making the feeling of nervousness in my chest rise. 

"Now... your name is Adrian, is that correct?" I nodded, my mouth too dry with fear to speak. 

"Adrian, what do you see here?" He showed me a page with some dark ink splattered on it. I couldn't see anything that was of importance, to be honest, so I just made up things that I hoped he would want to hear. Eventually, the doctor leaned in.

"Do you know what, boy?" I shook my head, paralysed with terror. "I think that you're lying to me. And I really, really detest liars."

The slap stung worse than the tears pricking my eyes.

"Ahem. Adrian. Wake up, it is time for your tests." Marie pulled me up. The nightmare wasn't real... or at least, it wasn't real any more. I felt a sudden surge of relief, followed by a worry about what they might do to me.

But I couldn't be scared. I needed to be fearless, for Lela. I needed a plan to save my friend, before it was too late.

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Hey everypony! I'm not going to be on for a couple of days so make this chapter last! See you guys soon,

FC

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