Marcid

Forty-Six - Kory

How long had Zeke been inside of that room? Minutes, hours, perhaps even days? How long had he been kept in here? Kory felt selfish for not searching around the lab for Zeke sooner. He should have done something, anything about this. He wished that Aaliyah was alive at the moment. She could heal her wounds. Everyone's wounds. He sometimes wondered if Zeke would love her more if she was still alive. He wondered every day if Zeke loved her more than he loved him. Maybe. She was better. She was useful. She could heal people. Her powers helped others. While his didn't do anything. They benefited himself, and that was it. He would watch everyone around him die. And he couldn't do anything about it. Kory held Zeke close, feeling his heart pound desperately. He didn't want him to die. He wasn't ready to lose him. Not again.

Zeke had been rushed to the infirmary long before. It had taken the nurse seconds to heal his wounds, yet it had been hours that Kory had been glued to his side. Zeke was lying on a bed in a hospital gown, an IV connected to a vein in his inner elbow. Kory wasn't sure what Zeke was being drugged with; or if he was even being given drugs in general. A pulse oximeter was clipped onto his index finger to keep check of his pulse. His injured wrists were wrapped up with gauze and bandages and then stapled to keep secure. Atticus entered the room not too long before Zeke had awoken minutes ago. It was just now that he was talking. Kory had been counting the minutes and the seconds on the clock to soothe his nervousness—though it did little to loosen the tension in his muscles.  "Kory," Zeke whispered. Kory felt his stomach flutter. Not in a good way. A bad feeling pooled in his stomach, the paranoia crawling up to his brain like a parasite. "Kory?" Zeke mumbled in a raspy voice. Atticus stiffened for some reason. Kory's head hoisted up almost immediately when Zeke finally spoke. Zeke looked out of it. He could barely keep his head up. Atticus peered over from corner he was standing in.

"Yes? Zeke? Are you okay? You were bleeding really bad, and—and then you passed out." Kory stammered over his words. His nervousness could not be any more evident. He looked down at the bandages wrapped around Zeke's wrists, wincing at the sight. Kory never felt uneasy at the sight of blood. He didn't understand what was so different now. Zeke's head hung low, his eyes wandering the room, to Atticus, Kory, and then to his wrists. His brows furrowed at the sight, mumbling softly. Zeke did not answer Kory's question. It only confused Kory even more. What was wrong with him? How big of a dose was Zeke given? "Zeke?" Kory repeated. Zeke did not utter a word, other than incoherent mumbles. He laid his head back, shaking his head.
"Mm-mm." Zeke looked up at the ceiling, huffing. "I feel numb. Really numb." He made a futile attempt in lifting his wrists up. "Where am I? Hospital? Lab?" Zeke slurred, an upset expression clouding over his face. Kory felt guilt start to form in his stomach by seeing Zeke's expression. Kory simply nodded, his fingers nervously tapping at the edge of the bed. "Get me out of these clothes—" Zeke tugged on the fabric of the hospital gown he wore, his grip weak from how intoxicated he was. Atticus stepped forward, his fingertips brushing against his gun, which was resting in its holster. "Calm down, kid. You're safe now." Atticus reassured, though his gruff voice and his current pose made it hard for Zeke to calm down.

"No, get me out of these clothes—I need to go back." Zeke piped, shaking his head as he sat up. Atticus held Zeke down, muttering something into his walkie shortly after. Zeke squirmed underneath Atticus' grip, his nails slightly digging into his sleeves. He could barely move. Kory could only watch. He couldn't choose whether to help Zeke get away, or to let Atticus hold him down for whatever reason. "Sir—"

"He could hurt someone, Z-718."

"Hurt who? He can barely lift his head up!"

"You don't know that—"

"I do! Look at him." Kory attempted to push Atticus away from Zeke, who resisted and shoved him back. Kory stumbled back into the counter, his back painfully hitting the edge.  Atticus jerked his head to Kory, a wave of guilt showing in his eyes. Kory groaned softly as he held the sore part of his side. "Leave him alone, sir. He can barely keep his eyes open." Kory paused. "Please." He wasn't sure if Atticus would even comply with his 'request,' though he could only hope that he would. He wanted Zeke to be safe, not to be pinned down to the bed whenever he decided to be stubborn. It probably wasn't even him talking, it was the drugs. He still didn't know what they had given him. Atticus huffed, loosening his grip on Zeke before completely letting go. He took a few careful steps back. Zeke murmured, succumbing to the feeling of the hospital gown. He seemed to relax after a few short minutes. Kory felt that he could only stare in guilt. He knew that Zeke never wanted to go back to the lab. That it was his greatest fear. He stepped closer to Zeke. The ache where he had bumped himself against the edge of the counter continued to pulse. He watched him relax against the bed as he observed Atticus through his dilated pupils. Kory could see them from afar. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that Zeke was thinking. He always stared at something for too long whenever he was deep in thought. Atticus stared back, his stare focused and nearly cold towards the medicated boy. Kory fidgeted nervously, his fingernails digging into his smooth skin. He could feel the lotion that Aurelia put on him hours ago start to dry out more from how much he had been picking at his skin.