She's Afraid and Forgotten - Winter Soldier

Lab of Terror...Or Is It? Chapter 5

Present 

I swallow gently as I slowly fade into consciousness. There's a really soft, cool surface under me. Something weird and fluffy's under my head. What is this? Huh? Where am I? Where's Papa?

I jerk forward, my heart pounding. A loud beeping rips through the air. I look around with wild eyes. I look down at my arms to discover needles sticking in me. I yank them out, crying out at the pain. The doctors! They're back. They're going to hurt me!

I rip some weird things off my arms and the beeping gets worse.

The doors on the side of the room bursts open. In walks a black curly-haired man and the steve guy. I jump off the table/cot thing I was on and walk backward. I bump into something and fall to the ground. A class bottom clatters to the ground, breaking in the prosses. I ignore the glass shards digging into my palms as I continue scooting backward.

" Hey, hey. Sweetheart. We're not going to hurt you. We're trying to help you. " The man named Steve says slowly, holding his hands up in surrender.

" No. No. Y-you want to hurt me. W-we're in here. Here. A doctor's lab. You're going to hurt me. No. No. I want my papa. I need to go back. Take me back! " I yell.

" I'm sorry kid. The building collapsed. I barely got you out. " Steve apologizes. " We can't take you back because there's nowhere to go. "

I shake my head in disbelief. " No. He wasn't there but he'll be going there. He promised. Papa promised. " I say stubbornly as tears prick my eyes.

" Calm down. It'll be alright. We'll look for you dad, okay? We just need to make sure you're okay. " The other man speaks up.

" No. You're-you're a doctor! You'll test me, like the other ones! No! "I shake my head, getting dizzy very quickly.

" We aren't here to hurt you. " Steve slowly holds out a hand to me, staying a safe distance away to give me space. " We just need to make sure you're okay. " 

I refuse his hand and scoot farther away. " No! I want my papa! You, you don't understand! He taught me...he taught me everything. He's my papa. " I cry. The soldier walks closer and I shake my head, holding myself tightly. " Don't get closer! Just don't! " Realization hits me. I'm never gonna see my papa again. He could be dead or, or hurt. I start breathing harshly. All the air in my body seems to exit my lungs. I gasp, choking on my spit. I try to breathe but the room seems to close in on me. My head spins, my heart pounds, and I can't breathe. " I need papa! " I choke out.

" She's having an anxiety attack! " The curly haired man says with slight panic.

" What do we do? " The captain asks. " She needs help but won't let us near-" I cut him off.

" PAPA! " I yell with whatever breath I can gather up. I run to the window where a bunch of people are gathered. I call the man on the other side of the glass. He's one of the many people watching me from behind the glass. " Don't let them hurt me! " I beg him. I stare straight into his eyes, trying to get him to help me. " Do-don't let then hurt me! Please! " Right now, I don't even care that he didn't come back. I just want papa to hold me. I just want him to tell me it's gonna be alright like he always does. I want him to protect me.

The people around him, including the bow guy, turn to papa with a confused look.

Papa shakes his head, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He says something to the people and shrugs, not remembering who I am. Please don't do this, papa. Please remember. Please.

" We're not going to hurt you, sweetie. " The doctor man says.

" Papa! " I yell and shake my head. I don't trust these people. I only trust papa. " Help me! " I start crying a bit. The room seems to close in on me. I gasp. I need my dad. I need air too. It feels like I can't breathe. 

The doctor tries to tries to move closer to me. I scoot farther away from the man. How could papa do this to me?