Tangent (A Liminals prequel novella) by Maree Anderson

Tangent: Chapter Five

Tangent

By Maree Anderson

Chapter Five

Rix heard the words "His name is Andy" and it took every ounce of self-control he possessed to strangle a shout of relief before it burst from his throat. Exhaling slowly through his nose, he released the terrible tension gripping his muscles and focused his attention on the "show".

Andy perched sideways, legs dangling and feet kicking, on a fancy reclining chair that wouldn't have been out of place in a high-end dentist's office. He was a scruffy, half-starved, scarecrow of a kid, with sagging, pockmarked skin and gray teeth. His restlessness was all the more off-putting given the vacant expression in his eyes when his gaze skimmed over Rix—who had to remind himself that Andy had no idea Rix was watching because this was a one-way mirror.

Andy's twitching limbs and jerky, back and forth rocking screamed "head-case" even before Rix noted the kid's lips moving, mouthing some silent chant over and over. Or perhaps it wasn't a silent invocation after all, because one of the white-coats said something that prompted Andy to swing his stick-like legs up onto the recliner and flop back against the semi-reclined seatback, but it remained eerily quiet in the viewing room. Apparently there was to be no soundtrack accompanying the disturbing tableau, so for all Rix knew, Andy could have been howling the place down.

While Andy wriggled in his chair, Rix's gaze roved over the three white-coats. The two guys were scribbling notes, but the third—a wholesome, girl-next-door type who looked barely out of college—was mucking with something she'd taken from the drawer of a wheeled trolley.

Hmm. That trolley looked far too much like a portable med-unit for Rix's peace of mind. Hang on. Was that a—?

Yep. She held up a syringe, squinted at it, and did that flicking thing medicos did to remove air bubbles or whatever.

Well, shit. Rix gnawed the inside of his cheek and tried to ignore his racing pulse and clammy skin. Whatever this little "show" entailed, it could not bode well for Andy.

Reilly leaned across the counter, his thumb poised before a panel set into the strip of wall between the window frame and the counter. "Want to hear what they're saying?"

"Not particularly." That would make whatever they were about to do to the kid all the more real. At least this way, Rix could pretend he was viewing a silent movie. Or close his eyes and kid himself this was some nightmare he would eventually wake from.

Yeah, riiight. And you just keep on telling yourself that, Rixon.

"Too bad," Reilly said. And damned if the asshole didn't hit a button on the panel.

"—will feel like a little pinch. Okay, Andy?"

The lab-rat nodded enthusiastically. "Bring it on, bitch. Go on, poke me. You know you want to."

High-pitched shrieks of laughter filled the viewing room. Rix winced and hunched his shoulders. Man. The kid had some set of lungs on him.

"He's a real charmer." Reilly sounded ever-so-slightly amused rather than bored now. "Watch closely, Rixon. You don't want to miss this."

Somehow Rix doubted that. Odds were high that whatever happened in the next few minutes would haunt him the rest of his days.

"Ready, Andy?" the woman asked, her face bright and smiling, like this was going to be fun. Rix wished he could reach through the glass and shake her 'til her teeth rattled and the smile slid off her lying, deceitful face.