The Cougar

Breaking Down and Keeping Secrets

          ~~~~~~Scott's POV~~~~~~

   I was carrying the girl down the hall. I had almost gotten to the stairs when Bobby and Logan ran my way.

   "What happened?," Logan said. "We heard a scream." I turned around for them to see C.J. in my arms. Both looked shocked.

   "She's okay," I said reassuring them. Neither could tell if I was lying or not. Bobby walked up to her and placed his hand on her arm.

   "No she's not. She's burning up," he said looking slightly annoyed. Bobby's hand turned blue, and I could even feel the cold wash over her. Her next breath turned into condensation in the air.

   "Are going to tell us what really happened, or are you going to leave us here in suspense?" Logan said just as annoyed as Bobby.

   "The Professor brought her in to run some tests," I said. They still looked confused. "Guys, you should have seen her. It was like she was in some sort of nightmare. I haven't seen her this scared." Logan suddenly had a look of sympathy on his face.

   "Do you need any help?" he said.

   "No I've got her," I said and I continued up the stairs to her room. I laid her down and covered her up. I felt that her temperature had spiked again, so I went and got a wet cloth and placed it on her forehead.

          ~~~~~~C.J.'s POV~~~~~~

   My eyes fluttered open. I felt really groggy and sick to my stomach. I looked around and figured out I was in my room. There was a chair sitting beside my bed. My senses slowly came back to me, and I realized that my forehead was wet and my hair was damp. That's when Scott walked in.

   "How are you feeling?" he asked me. I processed the words slowly. He looked worried. What happened to me? My senses finally snapped back from where ever they had been. My heart rate picked up. My breathing was fast but heavy at the same time. I jumped out from under the covers, and I would have fell backwards if it wasn't for the headboard.

   "Whoa, whoa, hey, C.J., you're fine. You're safe," Scott said to me. I my heart rate was still up. It was strange. I knew who he was, but I felt like he was about to kill me. He reached out to touch my hand and I yanked it back.

   "C.J., it's me Scott. You're safe. Deep breaths," he said softly to me. I began to calm down. Scott grabbed my hand, but this time I let him. He sat me down on the edge of the bed.

   "Now, how are you feeling?"

   "Fine. What happened?" I said demanding answers.

   "You don't remember?" he said. He was almost shocked. Suddenly all the memories came back to me like being run over by a car. I didn't know what he knew, so I was going to play it off.

   "I remember going to the Professor's office, but that's about all I remember," I said trying to sound as sure of myself as possible.

   "Yeah," he said. "When I was walking there I found you passed out in the hall with a high fever."

   "Well, I'm fine now. You don't have to look after me," I said.

   "Guess I don't," he said with a small chuckle. "But you should rest. I'm just down the hall if you need me."

   "I will and thanks," I said forcing yet another smile onto my face.

   He quietly walked out and shut the door. I leaned back to the headboard and buried my head in my knees. I quietly let tears flow down my face. I could still feel the scars all over me, even if they had healed. I could still smell his God awful breath. I could still see the dreadful bright light  above my "bed". I was there for 8 months and every single day I would hope and pray that I would wake up some where else. I didn't care if the was a hospital, intense training with Stryker, or if I just never woke up again, but I never did. I always woke up to that awful bright light. I just wanted it to end.

   What am I doing? I need to pull myself together. I wiped tears from my face and was about to go to the bathroom to clean myself up when someone knocked on my door. Logan.

   "Doin okay, kid" he asked letting himself in.

   "Yeah, I'm fine," I said my voice was still shaky, but I don't know if it was enough for him to hear.

   "Kid, you don't have to lie. I know what that job does to you," he said. I don't exactly know why but I suddenly became angry.

   "I said, I'm fine and that "job" is none of your business," I snapped.

   "I didn't mean any-"

   "I know exactly what you meant, and I don't need nor do I want your pity," I said cutting him off.

   "That's exactly what he does to you, you know. He makes you defend yourself through violence and punishes you for acting human."

   I wanted to do something, to yell, throw something, but I couldn't. He was right. Stryker had turned me into in animal. A heartless, cold-blooded killer. My knees gave out and I fell to the floor. I covered my face with my hands. I made no sound but tears flowed down my face. Warm arms wrapped around me. I fell into Logan's chest. I didn't dare look up at him. I didn't know if it was out of shame or embarrassment, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. We sat there with nothing but the sound of my quiet sobs filling the room. I was almost too exhausted to talk. It finally hit me that my whole body was exhausted, both mentally and physically. I fell asleep in Logan's arms.

 

          ~~~~~~Logan's POV~~~~~~

   "C.J.?" I said. I got no response from her. I looked down to see her asleep. Her breath was shaky but soon evened out. Her eyes were puffy and red. It was obvious she was crying. I picked her up. For the first time, she actually looked like a child. She was vulnerable and innocent. She looked human. I laid her down in her bed and went to leave. After I shut the door, I barely got ten feel before I saw Lyle and Sylvia.

   "Where's C.J.?" Lyle asked looking back at the room I had just walked out of.

   "Is she okay?" Sylvia said just as frantically as Lyle. I was almost scared. Like she was worried someone had killed her.

   Both of them were breathing heavily and their faces were red. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out they had been running. Who knows where they were when someone found her, but they looked like they had just run a marathon.

   It was strange to see them like this. Sylvia and Lyle always stayed to themselves. Lyle always said he didn't need anyone else, but the truth is, Lyle had a lot of trust issues. Since he was a baby Lyle's parents beat him, experimented on him, I mean, they practically dissected him. When we found him, two years ago, he was locked in chains in a black room with no windows. He barely weighed 80 pounds and had scars all over his body. His first few weeks at the school were filled with him waking up screaming and just us just trying to get him back to health.

   Sylvia ran from her parents. When she came about a year ago, she was just lost and scared. We took her in and helped her. She is still scared that her parents will come looking for her.

   What was it about this girl? Both of them instantly trusted her. They cared for her. They looked liked they were genuinely worried for this girl who walked into the school only about four days ago.

   "First, you both need to calm down," I said to them. "And second she's fine. I she's asleep in her room."

   "Asleep?" Sylvia said. "It's only 6:15."

   "Look it's not my story to tell," I said. They exchanged looks then nodded at me and walked out.

   Now it's up to C.J. to decide whether or not she wants to keep secrets.