Broken

Chapter 4: An Urgent Risk

I slowly open my aching, fucking eyes. The first thing I seen when I woke were eyes. The same glowing amber eyes I saw last night. A blurry form was towering above me. I shifted a little and realized I was laying in a bed, covered in soft, warm blankets, inside an old room that resembled something like a hunter's lodge. My memory was fuzzy, I could barely remember what happened. I squinted at the light that shined on my face through the window shades.
"Good morning big guy. How do you feel?"
I recognized that soft voice. I knew it was Raquel.
That's when things slowly started coming back to me. We both escaped from Carlos Quinn and the Foot and hijacked a car, saying something about Raystown. The last thing I remember was falling asleep in the car.
"I'm fi-" I spoke too soon when a huge wave of pain shot through my head. It felt like shockwaves were coursing through my brain. It hurt like hell. I groaned and fell back on the pillow, clutching my head.
"Woah, woah, woah. Take it easy. I'll go get you some aspirin. Be right back."
Her footsteps echoed away before coming back a few minutes later. Gentle hands grabbed my arms and helped me up into an upright position. For a girl she had surprising strength. My eyes were squeezed shut and my hands were pressed tightly against my head. The headache was almost unbearable.
"Here." I felt Raquel nudge me then open my hand drop two aspirin in my palm. I've already popped the pills in my mouth and swallowed by the time Raquel handed me a glass of water, which I gulped down in a matter of seconds.
"You should feel better in a few minutes."
After drinking the water, I let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank you."
I looked up at Raquel and as soon as I did, my heart was beating almost a million miles a minute. It was Raquel, but this was the first time I ever seen all of her. She was a mutant, a mutant with the same turtle-like features as me! Her skin was pale green but with a mix of her human tan color on her chin and under her neck. And it was scaly like a reptile. She had dark brown, layered hair that barely made it passed her shoulders. Her face resembled mine, scaly with reptilian like nostrils. I could see she also had all of her five fingers like an ordinary human. The only thing she lacked was a turtle shell. I guess that's what Quinn meant by 'deformed.' On the upside of having no shell, she wore normal clothes. A white tank top, a purple/white/black flannel shirt and knee high skinny grand and sneakers. She must have changed her outfit a while ago.
She quickly raised her hands up defensively.
"It's okay, don't freak out! It's me, Raquel! I'm just like you, remember?..."
"That's the problem. You're like me..." My voice was shaky. I lowered my head evading her eyes. I couldn't look at her, not because of how she looked, but out of guilt.
So, this is what my DNA has done to her...
I slightly shake my head, staring at the covers of the bed.
This never should have happened. None of this ever, ever should've happened!
My emotions started overwhelming me. My hands began shacking and my eyes welled up with tears.
Those mother fuckers will pay for this. They'll pay for all of it!
Suddenly all my memories started compiling in my mind. Being taken from my family, being in the hospital bed, meeting Raquel, the surgery, the escape -
WAIT!
Under the covers, I gently ran my fingers over my stitched side. Realization knocked me in the head like a brick.
Quinn's tracker is still inside me!
Fear shot up in me so abruptly that a grabbed Raquel by the shoulders and pulled her down to my level, I didn't give her enough time to react.
"Raquel! The tracker is still inside me!"
"W-what?"
"The tracker! The tracking device Quinn put in me, it's still there! You have to get it out!"
"B-b-but I'd have to cut the stitches."
"I don't care! Just get it out of me! Quinn and the Foot could be tracking us right now. We're not safe until you take it out!"
I let go of Raquel's shoulders. She turned like she was gonna leave, but hesitated and turned back to me.
"But, I-I don't wanna hurt-"
"JUST GO!"
She flinched and bolted bolted up from the edge of the bed and ran out of the room. I didn't mean to yell at her, but if this tracking device isn't destroyed, we're both as good as dead. She rushed back in the room with a first aid kit, medical scissors and a whole hell of a lot of gauze and bandages.
"I'd like to make a note that I am NOT a surgeon."
"You can remove stitches can't you?"
"Well, yeah. It can't be that much different from sewing."
"Then I suggest you hurry."
With that, she nodded and kneeled by the bed and removed the blankets. I didn't notice I was still in my hospital gown, so I felt a little uncomfortable when she lifted up the blue fabric covering my left side. Raquel quickly but carefully cut and removed the stitches. The opening was still fresh, and wasn't even healed all the way. She pulled her gloves on and went to gently touch the outer edge of the wound.
"Does that hurt Leo?"
I'm not gonna lie, I tried so hard not to shout when she was just pulling out the stitches. I clenched my jaw and my fingers dug into the bedsheets.
"Ah-a little."
"You sure you want me to do this?"
"We don't have a choice Raquel! If you don't, they will find us and take us back to that prison, do you want that to happen again?"
"Okay, okay! I'll try to be careful."
She gave me a doubtful glance before she reached her fingers inside my flesh as gently as she could.
It hurt so bad, I grinded my teeth together to prevent myself from crying out. My eyes were shut tightly. After a while of her 'searching,' she looked up at me triumphantly.
"I think I got it, but it's attached to your muscle."
"Can you get it out?"
"Mmmayyybee... brace yourself."
Just as soon as she said that, she reached in again and I felt a tingling feeling inside my lower left torso. Until it erupted into a unbearable burning sensation when I felt a quick tug.
"Aaaargh!" I cried so loud I swear you could've heard it through the windows.
"Oh God! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
"Don't stop, get the damn thing out!"
She kept pulling the object inside me. It got to the point where I could not contain myself anymore. I screamed and cried. Hot tears poured down my face. Raquel literally had to hold me down to keep me from thrashing.
"Keep still! I won't be able to get it!"
My throat was dry and raw. I tried to speak between my hiccuping sobs, but it was hard to find my voice through my screaming.
"Oowooh G-Gohawd! Please! Please ma-ake the pain s-stooop!"
Each breath was difficult because I was afraid of hyperventilating. I kicked my legs and braced my shell up against the bed frame. I felt another excruciating pull on my insides and let out another agonizing cry.
"N-nnugh Aaaaahh!"
That's when I felt something release inside me. And the pain slowly eased.
My head fell back against the bed frame. My vision was becoming blurred. I glanced over at Raquel. Her hands were covered in my blood, but she held the small round tracker in her hand, the red light was still blinking. She quickly threw it on the floor and stomped on it multiple times until little chips broke off and the light went out.
She rushed back over to my bedside and started pulling out the gauze.
"Hold on Leo...hold on."
Her face was full of worry and fear, and it was the last thing I saw before I blacked out.