It's My Life

Chapter 13 - Testing, testing.

I lay on the cot, hearing the voices through the door, recognising Brad's voice, and I turned my head as the door unlocked, but there was no sign of Brad. I could smell the food in the guard's hand, but couldn't smell any fish. The food was left on the chair and the door closed and locked again. I sat up and looked at the chair, then saw the toiletries beside it, and felt happy, but also apprehensive. Pulling the food to me I felt sick at the sight and smell of the food, but ate slowly, knowing I needed the nourishment. Once I finished a guard came in.
"Come with me." He said gruffly. I stayed back, trembling. The guard watched me a moment, and then stepped forward to grab my arm. I dodge past him and out the door, slamming the door behind me, but I couldn't see any key to lock it. I looked up the hall, remembering the direction I'd been taken to go to Dr. Shields' office, and that was the last place I wanted to go back to. I ran to the left, hearing the door open behind me, and sprinted down hallway after hallway. I passed offices either side of me, but I wanted to put some distance between me and the guards, and kept going. When I thought I had run enough, I ducked into an empty office and hid, hearing the footsteps go past. I crawled over to the desk and reached up for the phone, but felt something soft and fleshy instead. I immediately tried to yank my hand back but it was grabbed and held firm. I struggled, stumbling as I was pulled around the desk by another guard. I struggled as hard as I could as he led me out into the hall where another guard was standing. They both held me firm as they led me  back down the hall.
"How many guards are there?" I gasped, trembling as they pushed me along.
"Enough." One of them replied, and they led me to the lift. Once inside the guard stood between me and the panel so I couldn't see if we were going up or down, and turned me to face the wall. I wanted to cry, but held back, and finally I was pulled from the lift and led down the hall into a lab area. Dr. Shields was waiting for us.
"You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago." Shields said. I cringed slightly.
"She gave us the slip, got to a phone." One guard said. Shields looked at me, and I tried to meet his gaze, but he stared me down.
"We can't have that. Two guards at all times when around her." Shields said. The guards nodded. Shields indicated the chair near his desk.
"Have a seat." He said. I looked at the chair, knowing I should sit, but I didn't want to make it easy. I felt a tear slide down my cheek, but I didn't move. The guards pushed me to the seat and forced me to sit down. I landed heavily in the chair and watched as Shields moved around to his chair, sitting down too.
"You've been hiding something from Dr. Thompson and everyone, haven't you?" Shields said. I shook my head slowly. Shields sighed.
"You can't lie anymore, Cassi. You heal fast, you were about to go into hiding, and you use sea water in your toiletries, even your toothpaste. What is going on?" Shields asked. I felt my stomach drop, but I stayed quiet, feeling fear creep over me.
"You are going to tell us sooner or later. Your parents are being stubborn too." Shields added. I glared at him.
"You let them go! This has nothing to do with them." I cred, another salty tear trickling down my cheek.
"They have everything to do with t. From what we can gather you never went to the doctors, never got sick. The only records we can find are high school records and school immunisations.  Why is that?" Shields fired at me. I sat up straight, glaring at him.
"None of your damned business." I yelled. Shields sat back and watched me, then wrote a few things down, and stood up, smoothing his hands on his lab coat.
"If that's how you feel, then I guess we have no more questions at this time. But remember that you won't be leaving this facility until all our questions are answered to our satisfaction. Now come along." Shields said. I looked at him in fear.
"Where are we going?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. He gestured to the guards who grasped my arm and pulled me from my chair, leading me along behind Shields. No one answered me, but I was taken into what looked like a doctors office, complete with an examination table, and I looked at the table, then at the various items around the room.
"I would tell you to relax, that this is just like a visit to your local GP, but you've never been. Sit down." Shields ordered, sitting at the desk and switching on the computer. I moved slowly to the seat opposite him and sat down. Shields looked at me, and I could see the surprise on his face when he saw the guards were still by the door.
"Good. Now, first we are going to test your vitals, blood pressure, temperature, the usual." Shields said. I watched him, a little fascinated, but also scared. He picked up the large black piece of equipment next to him.
"Arm out please." He said. I looked at him, then did as I was told. He could see I was a little curious but he merely placed the cuff on my upper arm and sealed it with velcro. He pressed a button on the machine and it started pumping up the cuff, getting tighter around my arm. I let out a soft gasp at the tightness of it, but the machine started letting the air out, and it beeped. Shields moved over and read the display on the machine, and wrote it down.
"A little high, but that's no surprise. You need to be relaxed when using one of these." Shields said. I glared at him, and looked away. He picked up a thermometer and put it in my ear, making me jump. "Stay still." Shields said, and I stopped moving,, trying to relax. The thermometer beeped and he looked at it.
"Normal. Interesting. I expected it to be higher." He said, noting it down too. "How tall are you?" Shields asked.
"Um...I think five eight." I replied. He wrote it down.
"Weight?" He asked. I frowned.
"I don't know." I replied.
"Take off your shoes and socks and get on the scales." He ordered, indicating the scales to the side of the room. I did as I was told and moved over to the scales, stepping up onto them. As I stepped up one of the guards picked up my shoes and socks. I stepped down.
"Hey, they're mine." I said angrily. Shields looked at me.
"You'll get them back when we're done. On the scales." He said. I glared at him again, then stepped up on the scales again.
"Sixty-five. Nice." He said. I got off the scales as Shields wrote it down and I moved to take my shoes from the guards, but he stepped back.
"Come and sit down, Cassi." Shields said. I looked from the guard to Shields, and slowly sat down. 
"Allergies?" Shields said when I sat down. I folded my arms over my chest but didn't answer him.
"Fish, I remember. Anything else?" Shields asked.
"Captivity." I replied. Shields frowned.
"No need for that." He said. I glared at him.
"Then set me free!" I snapped. He turned away from me.
"Get on the table and roll up your sleeves." Shields said. I shook my head.
"No. You're not taking my blood." I said. He turned to face me.
"You will do as you're told. This stubbornness is getting old fast. Either get up on that table or the guards will make you. I grow tired of your games. Now, final chance. Get up there or the guard will make you." Shields said. I stood up and moved away from the table and the men, shaking my head, hands clenched at my sides. The guards moved towards me and I tried to fight them as they grabbed me, but I was lifted into the air, kicking and screaming as I was carried to the table.
"No! Please let me go! Please don't do this." I sobbed as I was held in place whilst my feet were strapped down, then my waist, and finally my torso. My arms were also tied at the wrists, on special arm rests that moved away from the table, and I struggled against my bonds. Brad came in then and I felt my chest cave at the seriousness of my situation.
"Please I beg you, let me go. Please!" I sobbed, tears falling. I could see the emotion on Brad's face as he grabbed a tissue and dabbed at my face, holding it to my nose. I blew gently, though I found it hard to stop crying.
"Thank...thank you." I said. "Please, untie me." Brad looked down at me.
"I can't. You know that." He said. I shook my head.
"Don't let them take my blood, please. Please!" I said desperately.
"Just stop, Cass." He said. Shields grasped my right arm and pushed my sleeve up. I tried to struggle but the straps inhibited me from any movement. Shields then swabbed the crook of my arm with an alcohol swab, then tied a tourniquet around my upper arm, and then prepared some vials. I cringed when he brought the needle to my arm and let out a shriek as it pushed into me, and Brad quickly clamped his hand over my mouth to muffle the sound, and I whimpered again as the tourniquet was removed, trying to pull my arm away. I felt the needle be removed from my arm and a cotton swab was put on the tiny wound.
"That won't be necessary." Brad said, moving his hand from my mouth as he stepped away. Shields looked at him, shrugged, and removed the swab, wiping the spot again. Sure enough the pinprick was gone.
"Remarkable." Shields said, touching the spot. I pulled away and licked my dry lips, looking from him to Brad. Shields turned and bent his head over the vials as he labelled them, Brad watching me with a sad expression.
"You have what you want, please let me go home." I said softly. Brad shook his head, but it was Shields that answered me.
"We have tests to run first, on the blood, on you. No doubt more questions will arise when the blood tests are completed. Unless you want to tell us your secrets now and save the time and trouble." Shields said. I looked at him.
"I'm not telling anyone anything, and neither will my parents." I said. Shields kept his eyes on me, the three vials in his gloved hands, and he smiled, just slightly.
"Give it a few days." He said. He put the vials in a container and handed it to his assistant.
"I want every test you can think of performed on that blood, and a full report on my desk." Shields ordered. Brad moved to the foot of the table and reached for my right foot. I tried to pull away but I was still bound to the table. I looked from Brad to Shields.
"Don't touch me, untie me now." I snapped. Brad ignored me and grasped my ankle with gentle fingers and touched the skin where the bone had protruded. Shields, having moved from where he'd been standing to dispose of the gloves, looked at me.
"Not quite yet." Brad said, and both Shields and I looked at him. Brad still had his hand on my ankle, absently stroking the bone.
"I want x-rays done, CT scans, all the medical tests performed. We know the blood has human tendencies, but that doesn't explain how your bone knitted back together, your skin heals. But I get the feeling there is more that you aren't telling us. But we will figure that out." Brad said. I watched him with fear as he talked, and fought again the bonds. Shields made a few notes, then picked up a hospital gown.
"All jewelry off, hair down, and change into this." Shields ordered as he and Brad untied me. I sat up slowly but felt fine, no after effects from the blood being taken, and as I sat there Brad and Shields watched me, I realised they were watching to see if I would have any side effects of the blood loss. I looked down and wrapped my arms around myself, swinging my legs off the bed.
"Go." Shields ordered. I started to stand, but stopped.
"You said days. How long are you planning on keeping us here?" I asked. Shields had been typing away but looked up at me.
"A few days, maybe a week. It all depends on you." He replied. I nearly gasped.
"But I..."I blurted, then stopped, clamping my lips together, eyes wide, and I got down quickly from the table to get away from them, the gown in hand. The guard grabbed my arm as he opened the door and led me to the bathroom. I went in and shut the door behind me, then slid to the floor, holding the thin gown to me, and sobbed, my chest heaving.