One Tortured Soul

Chapter Seven

I went limp in my bed and closed my eyes as I heard someone approaching. From the looks of everyone else on their beds and still unconscious, I figured that I wasn't meant to be awake. And, if they believed I was still asleep, perhaps I could gain some information on what was going on.

The footsteps came to a stop a ways to my right, and I strained my ears to hear what was going on. But nothing I heard clued me in to what was going on. So instead, I opened my eyes a crack.

The person was a woman dressed similarly to that one doctor with the crazy hair. She had a white lab coat, and grey scrubs on beneath it. But as my eyes scanned over her, they were drawn to her hair. It was the color of pure and untouched night; just like Serena's hair was. Black as could be and oh so beautiful. It made my heart ache.

I closed my eyes once again as I saw her look up. I prayed that she didn't see me. She didn't say anything, and when I looked again, she was back to messing with the wires on a young man perhaps around the age of eighteen.

Once she was done, she moved on to the next bed, seemingly to do the exact same thing. Slowly, she drew closer to my bed as she finished with person after person.

I began to sweat. How would I fool her? If she was a doctor most certainly she would know that I was awake.

But the bigger question was what would she do with that information?

Finally, she had finished with everyone to my right and had reached my bed. I kept my eyes closed, but not tightly so. Just simply relaxed.

Suddenly, I felt her cold hands on my bare stomach, and used all my self control not to move. They felt like ice, even through the rubber gloves she wore. It was extremely hard not to flinch or squirm beneath her touch.

I felt the blanket be pulled back, and shivers raced up my arms and stomach. I felt her hands pressing on my stomach, just above my pants waist band. When she came to one particular spot on my left hip, I accidentally flinched, the spot apparently quite tender.

She jerked her hands away, and I held my breath. Then I let it out slowly as I realized that sleeping people didn't do that. Time seemed frozen, and after a minute I didn't even know if she was still there. I didn't hear anything.

Then, all at once, I heard her breath out and her hands were back, poking and prodding. She messed with that tender spot on my stomach, and I held myself still even though it hurt and it didn't feel right. It felt like there was something there that didn't belong, that wasn't a part of me.

It made me feel nauseous and I realized my breathing was picking up. But I couldn't slow it down no matter how hard I tried. No matter how much I tried to take in a deep breath, it wasn't enough. I felt like I was breathing through a straw.

After another minute or so, the lady pulled the blanket back up to my waist and I heard her messing with the machine to my right. Then, she put a small tube over my nose and around my ears. I felt cool and clean air rush into my nostrils and down to my lungs. Instinctively, I drew in a larger breath, enjoying the feeling of fresh, pure oxygen, and not the stale air that was in the room. Slowly, my breathing began to even out and my nausea disappeared.

"Does that help some?" Her voice startled me, but I kept my cool, and didn't move. I heard her shuffle some. "I know you're awake. You're not a very good actor."

I slowly opened my eyes, figuring the game was up anyway. I didn't say anything at first, just stared at her. She watched me back.

"It must be helping," she mused, more to herself than to me, "At least you're not hyperventilating anymore."

"W-Wh-" I tried to speak, but found my throat to be extremely dry. I licked my lips and swallowed before trying again, "What's going on?"

"Don't worry. We're not here to hurt you," she said with a smile that was supposed to be comforting, but it didn't do squat for me.

"Tell me something. Please," I begged, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice. "Anything. I just want to know what's going on. Why are there tubes all over me? Why are there so many other people here too?" The questions just kept coming, and I couldn't stop them, "Why am here? What's going on? Where's-"

"Woah," she interrupted, raising her hand, "Slow down. Everything will make sense shortly. But I'm not the person to tell you any of those things. Now, relax. I'm going to put you back under." She reached over to mess with the machine slowly humming on my right, probably to knock me out again. But I wouldn't have it.

"No! Please, just answer one of my questions. Please..."

She paused, her hand in the air. Slowly, she retracted it. "I... can't. But like I said, you will understand soon enough."

She seemed hesitate to do anything, so I decided to take full advantage of that. If I could get her to crack, then I could find out everything I needed to know.

"Do you know where my children are? Please, they are only infants."

Her eyes widened. "You... have kids?"

"Twins. A boy and a girl. Please, I have to find them. I have to make sure they are okay," I pressed.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't know where they are. Usually we don't take people who are as old as you."

"What, you mean I'm not the first person to have this... thing?" I asked, the pieces starting to fall together a bit more. I just hoped that the puzzle would be complete before it was too late.

The woman slapped her hand over her mouth, "No. I-I... I shouldn't have told you that." She reached for a button on the machine and pressed it. I watched as the tube connected to the machine started to fill up with a yellowish liquid. It began to slither down the tube to where it connected to my right arm by an I.V. I struggled, trying to get the tube out.

"NO! Please, no. I need to know!" I shouted.

The woman backed away from my bed and started to walk away. Bit by bit she began to fade and grow blurry, along with everything else. My eyes wouldn't focus. My ears were buzzing. I was fading. Fast.

"No..." I whispered, before my tongue wouldn't work. And my eyelids lowered. One last thought entered my mind before all became black.

This wasn't the end, and they would regret ever messing with my family.

OOH boy, slightly tense chapter... This was sort of a filler chapter, but it also had some important information for you all :) More pieces are coming together!

I hope you are enjoying this story so far :) It just hit 150 views and I am so happy! And so grateful for every one of you! Thanks again for reading!

Ithildae