Waking Nightmares(Lined Bullets)- A GMD Fiction

Chapter 10: Not Easily Broken

(Able's POV)
       I woke up on the dirty, nasty floor of what looked like an old factory. I sat up slowly and put a hand on my head. I can't believe that Basil dropped me on my head... hold on a second...
       "Basil," I shouted. My voice bounced off the walls, echoing until it was inaudible.
       The last I remembered was the gunshot. Basil was shot! My breathing quickened and my brain turned to panic. Without thought, I ran. I ran until I found that all exits were sealed off. I didn't know where I was and as far as I knew, Basil could be very hurt. It would be all my fault... all over again.
       My small body shook violently as tears fell down my cheeks. I sat on the ground and hugged my knees to find some type of comfort. It was my fault my parents were dead... my fault Basil got injured...
       Suddenly, a single door opened slowly, revealing a severely crippled bat with a pegged leg. I was taller than him, but that did not take away from how spooky he looked. He came to a stop a few feet in front of me and spoke.
       "You... uh... uh kid... come... now, he said in a gruff voice.
       "No," I yelled back. I was tired of being bullied into things and he was one of that rat's henchmen.
       "W... what do you mean, half-pint?"
       I stood to my full height which was two inches above his pointed ears and closed the distance between us.
       "What do I mean? I will not go with you to wherever you want to take me! Your boss killed my parents and injured Basil! You are disgusting to be working for such an evil... egotistical... sadistic... sewer --"
       I had gotten so close to the bat that he cowered from my height, but before I could finish my rant another door slammed open to reveal the evil rat. He walked leisurely into what I assumed was going to be my prison. I looked towards him with a hate that I had never felt before.
       "Fidget," Rattigan said disappointedly. "That's not how we treat our guests."
       He got closer to me and tried to place a hand on my shoulder, but I shoved it away and took a few steps away from both of them.
       "Don't you dare touch me! I hate you! You killed my parents and hurt Basil! Stay away from me!"
       Rattigan had a mock look of hurt on his face. He bent down to my height and tried to talk to me, but I ignored him, trying to find a way out of here. Suddenly, I realized that Rattigan had left the door open just a crack... just enough for me to slip through. As Rattigan continued to talk, I backed up until I was right behind Fidget. I slowly took hold of the collar of his shirt and held tight. It was then that my ears decided to listen back to Rattigan.
       "... you will join the other children... working, of course..."
       My grip loosened and I backed up a good five centimeters away from them. I got scared. There were other children? What work? I shook my head and walked back into a wall.
       "No," I said in a tiny voice. "I won't work for you. Just leave me alone."
       They were getting closer... cornering me...
       "I said stay away, you giant SEWER RAT!"
       Rattigan stopped what he was doing and stared at me. Then, anger grew swiftly across his features. He grabbed me painfully by the wrist, squeezing tightly.
       "What did you call me," he yelled. "I am not a rat!"
       My mind went into shock at the pain that was now emitting from my wrist. There was a sudden pop and crack in my wrist and the pain became ten times worst. My eyes were wide with surprise. He dropped me, after he gathered his composure as I let out a short scream of pain as I fell on my broken wrist. I clutched it tightly to my chest and held back my tears. His shadow loomed over me and I looked up into his "charming" eyes.
       "Tsk, tsk, tsk...I'm dreadfully sorry about that... now, you will never call me that again, are we clear, Able?"
       I glared at the floor, not wanting to see if I could anger him further and nodded ever so slightly.
       "That's a good lad," he said as he patted my head. "Fidget!"
       "Yes, your Highness?"
       I almost scoffed at the title, but held my tongue.
       "Take Able to Miss Kitty. See if we can fix that wrist. Then, get him to work."
       "Yes sir, boss, sir," Fidget called as he limped over to me. He reached to pull me up, but I slapped away his wings and stood on my own. I glanced down at my wrist. It was swelling a lot. I took a deep breath and followed Fidget to Miss Kitty's room.
*****
       It took about an hour for Fidget to actually find Miss Kitty's room, which was long enough for me to figure that Rattigan's new lair was an abandoned factory. When we finally reached her room, my wrist was the size of my fist and was throbbing uncontrollably.
       Fidget gave three knocks and the door opened up just a bit.
       "Who is it," a melodic femine voice whispered.
       "You have a patient, pretty lady," Fidget said. At this, the door opened wider, enough to see a white face with blue eyes.
       "Send him in, but you stay out. And I mean it this time!"
       Fidget's face fell, and he pushed me hard enough that I fell onto the floor of Miss Kitty's room. The door slammed shut behind me as Fidget mumbled outside the door. I scrambled up from the floor and looked around. It looked a lot like a dressing room. A light hand was placed on my shoulder and I whipped around to see its owner. An average sized mouse (Miss Kitty, I assumed) with white fur,  and dressed in a simple blue dress and a pink shawl with a blue bow in her hair.
       "Hey, sweetie," she said soothingly. "Don't be scared. I'm not like all those drunken idiots out there."
       Despite not knowing her, I felt at ease being near her.
       "You got a name with those blue eyes and black fur?"
       "I- I'm Able."
       "Able to get into trouble apparently."
       I chuckled lightly, but it was fake. Suddenly, her hand touched my broken wrist and I pulled back. She smiled apologetically and went away to fetch some supplies. As she turned away, a feather fell from beneath her dress.
       "Are you a show lady," I asked quietly.
       "Uh, yeah. How'd you guess?"
       "A feather fell from under your dress and your room looks like a dressing room."
       "You're a regular Basil of Baker Street."
       I looked up at her comment. I guess I was, but I wished I could have been with the real Basil. I was brought out of my thoughts when Kitty spoke up again.
       "So, what did you do to get Mighty Rat to break your wrist?"
       "Called him a rat," I said quietly.
       "Ah, okay... it looks like he broke the proximal row of the carpal bones in your wrist... I will have to cut it open... is that okay?"
       I gulped and looked at her with fright. I had never had surgery done and having it done by someone that I was pretty sure didn't have a medical degree wasn't exactly assuring.
       "Do you know what you're doing?"
       "Believe it or not, I was actually a nurse at a high functioning clinic, until Rattigan tore it down because the detective was there for treatment once. I was left in the rubble to ensure all the patients had gotten out. The detective wouldn't leave until everyone was out as well, but I knocked him out. The next thing he probably remembers is being at a new clinic, or laying in bed at Baker Street. Anyways, Rattigan came after me. He needed someone to be used as a distraction, and with a singing voice and body like mine, he could use me. He twisted my arm, saying that if I didn't help him, then a lot of good mice would be injured, so... I went. But, yes, I know what I'm doing. Trust me."
       I nodded slowly. Rattigan was even meaner than I first thought.
       "Would you like me to put you into a sleep? I'm sure it would be better than you watching."
       I nodded faster at this question. I can do many things, but watching someone else cut me open was an adventure I was not going to have. She laid me down softly told me to close my eyes. I felt a quick pinch and instantly felt sleepy.
       "You'll wake up in a few hours, sweetie," I heard Kitty say. I heard footsteps go towards the door and she spoke again.
       "Hey, Bat Boy, go tell the 'king' that this child will not be working for the next few hours. Go get drunk like the rest of those losers downstairs."
       The last thought that crossed my mind was of how brave Miss Kitty was and how glad I was to have her taking care of me.
*****
       When I next woke up, I was lying in the prison again, but this time with a cast around my wrist up to my elbow. Fidget was waiting for me in a corner and he reeked of beer. He led me down numerous hallways until we reached what looked like an assembly line of sorts. There had to be about seventy children there along with me and they looked up when I entered.
       "Stop gawlking, and get back to work," Fidget yelled. Soon all the kids went back to work and I was sent down to start.
       As I passed by, many of the kids started to mumble behind my back.
       When I reached my station, I realized that we were making weapons! Rattigan was going to obliterate the kingdom! I reluctantly began to work, but moved a bit slower than the rest of the children.
       We all finished that night with aching fingers. While I began to head towards my prison, a few kids stopped me in the hallway.
       "I heard you were living with Basil of Baker Street before you got here," a red head mouse about twelve years old said. I nodded slowly.
       "So I've been wondering... did Rattigan break your wrist?"
       I nodded again.
       "Why?"
       "I... I got angry at him and I called him a rat."
       This time, the boy and his friends nodded their approval.
       "I gotta say, that takes guts."
       "Well," I said looking down at my wrist. "Some of us just are not easily broken."
       That was from now on going to be my phrase whenever I felt weak,  and now I had friends that would keep up my spirits until Basil came. I knew he would. It would only be a matter of time...