Mindless

Fire

Air washes over me and I gasp. I now realize that my lungs are burning. Had I been deprived of air?

I try to sit up, but I can't. My hands are bound to the table by metal cuffs. Am I dangerous? Why have I been cuffed to a table. I look at my ankles to see that they too have been cuffed to the table.

My mind races. There has to be some sort of explanation for all this. There has to be. 

A buzz and soft hiss emanate from above my head. I arch my back and tilt my head to try to get a view. My efforts are rewarded with a wall of monitors, switches, and blinking lights.  What?

"Ahhh," a voice says from my left. "You're awake. You had us scared for a while there." With that the man smiles and approaches, as if we were old acquaintances. "There's no need to worry we've taken good care of you." He pats my arm. "Can't have you dyeing on us yet, can we?"

Is that why I had needed air? I had almost died? I know one thing for sure: I need answers. 

The man reaches towards one of the switches on the wall of monitors and things. As he does his lab coat shifts just enough to allow me vision to his I.D.  Doctor Jacob Von Wen.

Done meddling with the switches he begins to jot things down on his clipboard. 

Now or never, I tell myself. "Dr. Von Wen, what time is it?" I ask. Something small to lower his guard. Hopefully, he'll tell me my name.

Von Wen looks at me, surprised and suspicious. He glances down at his I.D and notices that his coat is no longer covering it. The suspicion melts from his face and he smiles at me. Looking at his watch he tells me, "Its 1300 hours.... One p.m.," he amends at my confused expression.

1300 hours is military time. Why would a doctor use army time? Unless this was part of a base.

"What day is it, and how long have I been out?" I ask.

He's silent for a second. "Its Friday, the sixteenth of April.......You've been out for a couple hours."

Liar, my mind whispered. He still hasn't said my name. Based off his last response, he hasn't said my name on purpose. I'll have to ask. I open my mouth and he turns around.

"I'll inform the Doc you're up. In the mean time try to relax," he calls over his shoulder as the door shuts behind him.

I jerk my wrist against the cuffs as the sudden rage over comes my mind, the urge to hit something- particularly Dr. Von Wen- overpowering. I growl in frustration and give the cuffs three more strong tugs. 

As quickly as it came, the rage is gone. It leaves me feeling both empty and relieved. Something tells me I'm not a violent person. Then why the reaction?  

That's when I notice the air seems heavier. My mind begins to fog and slow down.

They drugged me! That's the only explanation... For what?

No. Stay awake. You have to stay awake. My mind halfheartedly commands. The still awake part of my mind begins to panic. Then the pain begins. 

I don't want to, but I do. I scream. I scream as fire laces up my extremities to my mind. I scream and thrash in my bonds as the fire burns me from the inside out. I scream, muscles tensing and un-tensing, hot tears streaming from my eyes.

Dr. Von Wen's words come back to me 'Try to relax'. It seems like a cruel joke as both the drug and fire work together to still my mind and body and drag me into the black.