But He Stopped Pt 2

I Don't Feel Ashamed

My stomach hurt. I wrapped my arms around my gut, leaning over into the grime. The cramps were ever-increasing.

"The fffuck is happening?" I slurred, gritting my teeth, grinding my face into the road, tensing my body to fight against the pain.

The man leaned over me, worry blotted his face, making his complexion splotchy red. His face was coated in a thin covering of sweat. I felt a succession of pricks on various areas of my body.

"No, no, no, no!" He growled venomously.

My vision went fuzzy as the pain rose on a wave of nausea. I vomited violently, retching from the very core of my body. I caught the scientists wide-eyed crazy look as I wiped my mouth.

"It was fixed. It was fixed! I had perfected it." His hands moved rapidly just beyond my vision.

Another prick followed by a burning pain. I hissed on an intake of breath. Another wave of nausea. I vomited again, dully noting the pink streaks of blood in the mucus and slime. My stomach immediately started cramping again. I couldn't help the shout that came out of me as I tried to push against the pain.

"I know." He whispered, rubbing my shoulder. "I-I thought I f-f-fixed it! I kn-kn-know I d-d-did! But you should be o-oh-okay. I've given-n-n you twelve stimpaks, a-a-and I've hooked you u-up with a drip of radaway. This might save you. It might.. Oh, God. I'm sorry. I-i-"

I puked again, more blood than anything else. I groaned as I lay back on the asphalt. I felt so weak. My eyes drifted shut.

Just need to rest for a minute. Just...

~*~*~

My stomach cramping woke me. It was very dark. I gasped in pain, clutching my shirt, grinding my heels into the ground.

A scream burst from my mouth as I felt my guts writhe, my intestines knot. I vomited again and again. My eyes felt dry and red, itchy. The groan of a ghoul nearby told me that I was still outside, I was alone.

The fucker left me! I rolled onto my back with herculean effort.

I didn't mind dying, though I wished it wasn't so painful. I didn't want to die alone. In the wastes. My body wouldn't be found by anyone ever. The cramps rolled upon me again, so intense I feared I'd shit myself. I half wondered if I hadn't already. I knew it was coming, my guts were dissolving in on themselves. It was just another step in the procedure.

I found myself very glad to be alone as I rolled into my side and left the blood pour out of my mouth, not bothering to move away from my mess. The ghoul I had heard was uninterested in me, maybe sensing the radiation levels my body was producing.

I was grateful to not be ripped to shreds and consumed though, as another bout of nausea flooded me, only marginally. As more blood and chunks of what I could only assume was stomach tissue leaked from me I felt a burning begin under my skin. A warmth that began as only making me feel overly warm. Soon I was sweating, even my clothes were a torture of the worst kind.

I screamed and screamed and screamed from the burning I couldn't extinguish. I was roasting from the inside out, my blood boiling inside of my body.

Eventually the pain faded enough for me to fall into an uneasy sleep.

~*~*~

A sharp jab woke me. I closed my eyes, trying to find the reprieve of slumber again.

The quick, sharp pain returned.

"Mister?"

I groaned, the sharp jabbing continuing despite me batting at it.