Extracted

Mitchell

I wake up back in the infirmary, disoriented and afraid. More afraid than the first time I awakened here. Now I know this is a terrible, dangerous place.

My body aches with that knowledge. Every joint, muscle and nerve ending. Curling my fingers hurts.

I lay on my side, knees curled up. My face and pillow are moist with tears. Most of the other beds are empty tonight, except for two other figures occupying beds on the other side of the long room. They have to be David and Winifred, which makes me cry harder. They're just scared kids who were also put through these tests. Worse maybe, because they have no memories that there has ever been another life besides this. That there are people out there who don't torture children.

I almost wish Jeremy was still in the infirmary, although as Gideon I couldn't crawl into his bed beside him, pretending I'm giving him comfort when I really need it.

More tears spill over the bridge of my nose and down my cheek.

"Katherine," Mitchell whispers. I feel the mattress sink as he sits on the edge. The movement almost makes my teeth pierce my bottom lip.

"What—what are you doing here?" I wipe my face with the back of my hand.

Mitchell takes my hand from my face and wipes my tears away with his thumb. "I wanted to make sure you're okay."

"I'm okay." I try to shift up and wince.

"Yeah. I can see that." He keeps my hand. "Just lie still." His fingers brush the torn skin on my wrist and his lips tighten. "I've never seen this so bad. Your skin is torn."

"Lucky me. Guess it was difficult to figure what I excel in."

Mitchell remains silent.

"Why are they doing this? What do they want?"

He shakes his head and his blond bangs fall over his eyes. "I don't know what the end game is. Maybe nothing. Maybe we're just a big petrie dish, stuff souls into engineered bodies and see what happens."

What? "About that..."

"You should go to sleep. After the day you've had..."

"No, I want to know. Tell me. What do you mean stuff souls into bodies?"