It's Only Skin Deep (PruCan)

Chapter Two: Hope

The doctor was seated at his desk, watching the security feed for two of the cells. He'd removed his black radiation gloves, his long, thin fingers laced underneath his chin. He hadn't removed his gas mask, the dark lenses of the eye pieces reflecting the television screen he was watching so intently.

His nurse, Carol, stood off to the side nervously. She'd left the day before to go home for the night, and came back to find the doctor sitting in the same position in which she'd left him.

"Ah.. Sir..?"

The doctor gave a small grunt to signify that he'd heard her. She bit her bottom lip apprehensively, looking from the tv screen to his back, which was facing her.

"Is.. Is everything alright?"

He laughed humorlessly, a loud barking laugh which quickly morphed into a wheezing cough.

"No, Carol. Nothing is 'alright'."

He got to his feet, pulling the thick gloves back onto his hands with a snap. The immense frame of the man towered over Carol, the smaller woman, clasping her hands behind her back to hide how much they shook. He faced her, the dark eyes of the gas mask focused on her small frame.

"The entire project has to be scrapped. 657 has remained alive through the night, and in a more unfortunate chain of events, seemingly healed himself."

The doctor took Carol's shoulder and pushed her roughly in front of himself, towards the tv screen. The video feed showed two rooms, seemingly side by side. The room on the left was all dark, a small number in the upper left hand corner reading off the serial number for the northern naga, that had been brought in a few days prior. His name was Gilbert, or something similar. She'd seen it in the doctor's notes.

The other side of the screen showed the room number for 657. It showed the boy pacing shakily around the perimeter of the room, occasionally tripping and falling down.

"He doesn't appear to be faring too well, sir.."

"Of course not! His body is reacting to the after effects of the naga venom.. That bastard Gilbert promised me that his venom was the most potent in the entire world. You heard the way he was monologuing!"

"W-Well yes-"

"-And of course when the president finds out about our findings- the man wants a demonstration. So what does he do? He tells me to bag him and bring him back here.."

He snarled, banging his fist on the table.

"And now I have to scrap this entire project and start all over again! If I can't find a way to turn the venom into a weapon, our entire division is history!! There's got to be some way to use it as a weapon.. There's got to be.."

Carol stayed silent, watching as the doctor began to pace back and forth.

"So.. What do you plan on doing, sir..?"

The doctor scoffed, the sound causing the filter inside the gas mask to rattle.

"Well, we haven't fed the naga yet, have we? Let's kill two birds with one stone."

He turned back to face the tv, the cold eyepieces of the mask reflecting the silent live feed of the two cells.

"Feed 657 to the naga. He is of no use to me now."

Mattie held onto the bars on the left side wall of the cell shakily, his legs wobbling underneath himself.

"Still having trouble walking?"

Gilbert's voice echoed out of the vent overhead. Matt sighed, grimacing as he grabbed another bar and forced his legs to carry him forwards.

"How'd you guess?"