The Illusion of Happiness: A We Happy Few FanFiction

Chapter Six

Bianca began to wake but slowly fell in and out of consciousness as she felt herself being carried. She took a breath through her nose, a familiar cologne filling her lungs. "Duncan?" She managed to whisper.
"Yes, darling." He whispered to her. "I got you."
She opened her eyes enough to get a look at him.
He looked at her, adjusting her in his arms. "Forgive me, darling." He whispered.
She whimpered, her hand weakly gripping his coat at his chest. "Please don't do this to me." She muttered softly.
A sinister chuckle caught her attention. She managed to turn her head enough to see a Doctor walking beside them. He looked at her. "Don't worry, Miss Hastings. I'll have you feeling better in no time."
"No." She whined as she tried to fight against Duncan but was too weak to actually do anything. She got dizzy and a confused whine escaped her before her head slumped back against his chest as her arm fell limp, dangling at her side.
Duncan adjusted her again, looking down at her.
She had passed out.
He took a glance at the Doctor. "I hope I'm doing the right thing." He thought. "Maybe I should have just taken her to my home."
*
She whined as she regained consciousness and slowly opened her eyes. Her vision still slightly blurred, she saw someone in front of her. She squinted, trying to focus as she lifted her head which felt slightly heavy. "Duncan?" Her eyes fully focused just as she looked upon their face.
Standing before her was a Doctor.
She gasped and attempted to jump from the chair. That's when she realized she was strapped down. "N..No!! Duncan?! Where's Duncan?!"
The Doctor only looked at her before he moved away momentarily.
She whined as she tugged at her binds. "Duncan?!" She cried. "Duncan!!"
He was suddenly kneeling before her and holding her cheeks. "I'm here, darling. It's all right!"
"Duncan!"
"Bianca, don't fight it."
Tears were pouring from her eyes. "Please don't do this!" She leaned forward and pushed her face against his chest, crying against his coat. "I will do anything you want! Anything but this!!"
Duncan wrapped his arms around her. "I can't stop him now, darling."
"Please!"
"Constable Banister, I told you to stay by the door!" The Doctor ordered.
Duncan released her and got to his feet.
"Duncan!" She cried.
He had to ignore her as he returned to his post.
"Duncan..." She looked around the room before looking over at him. He was now standing by the door, watching her with his grey-blue eyes. His sneering mask actually sent a chill through her. "Duncan, please!" She nearly cried. "Don't let him do this to me!"
The Doctor stepped before her once again, a helmet of some sort in his hands. "He's not going to help you, Miss Hastings." He said coldly. "Downers don't belong here. It's time to get you fixed up!"
She gasped and fought against the straps. "No, please!" Tears filled her eyes. "Don't do this to me!" She repeated.
Duncan looked away momentarily. The fear in her voice tugged at his chest. He had an overwhelming urge to protect her but he fought hard to keep himself from doing it. Protecting her from a Doctor would be disastrous for them both if news got out. He just had to sit back and watch; to let the Doctor do his work, and hope it would be enough to keep her safe and out of their line of sight in the future.
The Doctor leaned towards her. "Don't worry. We'll get you back on your Joy and you'll never be a Downer again." He lifted the silver helmet.
Bianca squirmed and pressed herself into the chair as hard as she could, a whimper of fear escaping her lips.
He placed it on her head. "This treatment is a bit experimental, so we'll have to establish a baseline." He moved away to lower a small television before her. "I'm going to show you only the good things that come to mind about Wellington Wells." A sinister laugh escaped him and echoed though the room as the television lit up. "There only are good things." The video played as he continued talking to her. "It amazes me that Downers would rather run off and starve to death in the Garden District when they could simply take their Joy like decent citizens, fit in, and be happy. Strange isn't it? What kind of lunatic wants to remember the past? You're in luck, my dear. We're testing a permanent solution. Soon you'll be frolicking in the village again."
Duncan let his curiosity get the better of him and he stepped beside the Doctor, observing the procedure.
The Doctor flipped a switch, pushing a small voltage through the helmet.
Bianca's eyes were practically glued to the screen. She kept trying to mentally fight it but soon her head started to hurt. Tears began to fall from her eyes as her bottom lip quivered slightly.
Duncan regret bringing the Doctor into this but, if she wanted to continue to live peacefully and safely in Wellington Wells, it had to be done. But... did it really have to be done at the cost of causing her greater pain?
"This better work." The Doctor spoke suddenly, interrupting his thoughts as he injected her with Joy. "There are more Downers everyday."
The video soon ended and the Doctor pushed the television back up. He stepped before her. "Now, I want you to close your eyes and think of every awful thing that has happened since you last took your Joy." He put his hand over her eyes, forcing her to close them.
After a while, she began to cry.
"Oh dear. Look at the meters."
"What?" Duncan asked. "Is she okay?"
The Doctor ignored him, pulling his hand from her face. "Quickly, give me a mask."
Duncan lifted one from the nearby table, handing it to him.
"This should help. Now just try to remember all those awful things." He put the mask over her face, calming her.
He took a step back, observing her.
She remained calm and silent.
"Oh, that's quite promising."
She suddenly began to cry and scream.
"Wait! It's not working!"
Duncan grabbed his shoulder. "What is happening to her?!"
The meters went crazy as her heart rate increased dramatically.
"I don't know! It's not working! I'll have to increase the voltage." He tried to move to the voltage machine.
"No! You'll kill her!" Duncan nearly cried, stopping him.
She suddenly fell silent and slumped in the chair. Her head fell to her left, forcing the helmet and mask to fall off.
The meter flatlined.
Duncan gasped and quickly went to her, kneeling before her.
"Oh, damn it!" The Doctor sighed. "Oh well. Who do I have next?" He mumbled to himself, walking away.
"No! Bianca?!" Duncan gently lifted her head. Her cheeks were tear soaked and a little blood dripped from her right ear. His heart sank. "I'm sorry, my darling. I was only trying to protected you."
The meter suddenly began to register a heartbeat.
He looked up at it before looking back at her. She was still out cold.
The Doctor suddenly returned. "Oh, she's still alive?! Perfect, I have more tests to perform."
Duncan rose to his feet. "You are not going to touch her anymore!" He sneered as he pulled his baton from his belt and stepped between Bianca and the Doctor.
The Doctor looked up at him. He could feel the anger radiating off him. "What has gotten into you, Constable?!"
Duncan gripped his baton, his eyes burning as they looked down at him.
The Doctor took a step back. "You are becoming enraged!" He gasped. "You need Joy? I have your Joy! It's in the other room!"
"No, I have a perfectly clear head! You are never going to hurt her again!" He lunged at him.
The Doctor cried out and tripped backwards, knocking over a small mobile table with medical supplies before falling to the floor.
Duncan was on him so fast, he couldn't even blink.
Painful screams escaped the Doctor as he was beaten repeatedly with the baton. Within minutes his cries ceased and his body was left completely covered in blood.
Duncan slowly got to his feet, his breaths nearly labored. "One less Doctor that will be after her." He thought. He looked back over at Bianca as he hung his baton on his belt.
She hadn't moved but her heartbeat was a lot stronger now.
He moved back to her and quickly disconnected her from the machines before lifting her into his arms. Without a word to anyone else, he carried her from the building and into the dark streets. "I have to hide you somewhere." He whispered to her. "I made a mistake, Bianca. I am so sorry, and I won't do that again. I will keep you safe from everything in Wellington Wells until the day I die."