Her

Part Five:

I miss my chance. As soon as I would of pounced, she turned around to grab a metal instrument, taking her sweet time.

"Maddox, this won't hurt a bit." she drones, very unconvincingly. 

As soon as she is turned back around, I slip my hand to the cart, wrapping my fingers around the handle and silently pushing it out of my way, without my eyes leaving the back of her head. I take a stealthy step forward, and a quiet breath.

It is your only choice out of here. You need to do this.

My hands grasp her neck and pull .

She crumples to the floor, before I even take another breath. I feel terrible and shocked, but I need to get out, and fast.

I quickly glance at the locked door, which you need a scanner pass to get in and out of, and drag her body behind the curtain. I take her white lab coat off, unsullied and blaring white, and find the pass attached to her black dress pants. I exchange my hospital gown for her black turtleneck, dress pants, and loafers, completing the 'look' with her hipster glasses, white lab coat, and simple chain necklace.  Car keys jingle in my pocket. The pass is securely hidden underneath the coat.

The Torturer, now in my sterile gown, I manage to place on the metal table behind the curtain, turning her face like she is sleeping. Some nap. She actually looks hauntingly like me, now that my hair has grown out a few inches.

I rush to the door, tasting freedom, so close. My hand hesitates on the pass.

"Maddox?" I whisper. "How would you like to get out of here?" After all, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be close to freedom anyhow.

I walk over to him, and try in my most coaxing voice, to explain that the nurse that was going to put him to sleep just died, and that I was another patient. He looks very freaked out and somewhat pleased. Maddox nods slowly, wincing,  and pushes the covers back to show strong arms and legs. We reach the door when I realize that I need to make it look like I am actually taking this patient somewhere important. 

There was a gurney in the hallway.

We quickly get into the hallway and I tell him the plan, and I glance up towards the hallway doors. When I look back, he is already under the restraints on the gurney and the sheet is halfway pulled over him. Pretty good for a blind person.

Please, if there is a god listening somewhere, let us succeed.

With one final deep breath, I wheel him towards the door, scan the security pass successfully, and we make it three quarters of the way to the main door.

"Uh, Stevens?" A motherly-sounding woman's voice asks me. I turn from the deserted lobby to look at her, a plump, lopsided lady with rosacea and bad skin blemishes. How does she recognize the former Torturer if my face is different?

"Can I help you? I was just taking this patient, " I jerk the gurney, "On an excursion, ASAP. Main Office's orders. Don't check with them, no one is supposed to know about it. They told me to use these doors, and if I do not get going right now, you may lose your job for holding me back." I snap quietly, maintain eye contact, impersonating the Torturer as flawlessly as I can.

"Uh...ohm...yes...go on...sorry", she flusters at me. I sweep to the front entrance, pushing the doors open, my heart about to break open my chest from pounding so hard.

I pull out the keys, pressing the 'unlock' button and squinting in the natural light that I haven't seen in what feels like years. I forget to breathe. A car chirps about twenty feet away. Minutes later, Maddox and I are pulling out of the parking lot, speeding away down the dirt road. 

My emotions bursting, I don't know how to feel, except in the first time in what appears to be a lifetime, I am Out. I can go back to the Before and sort this mess to chaotic organization.