The Pariah

"Yes I've changed. Pain does that to people." ---Unknown

For the last two or three weeks things had been getting better for Nick. He had been getting beaten less and being fed more. He knew his sister had something to do with it, but he couldn't figure out what deal she had made. All he knew was that any deal made here was like making a deal with the devil. Everything here had a terrible price. It made him sick to his stomach thinking about the price she could be paying. Nick's job was to sacrifice himself, that was not Mia's. He missed the times where Mia would just do what he said. Things were so much easier when Mia thought he knew best. When she knew obeying him kept them alive. Now, the game has changed.

Mia was not his only problem though, Sam was high on Nick's problem list as well. Ever since Sam kissed him two or three weeks ago things had been awkward. Sam had tried to talk about it, Nick simply avoided it. Sam tried to have a conversation even close to romance, Nick would flat out ignore him. Sam had gotten used to it, heck, he and Sam didn't really talk at all now. Nick was so focused on figuring Mia out that he didn't have time to mess around with Sam and figure out his feelings in that department. Not that he even wanted to either. Feelings had never been something that Nicholas excelled at, more because he didn't have any time to take for himself.

Sam had left the room early today, something about visiting Liam. Nick was half asleep when he left, he had heard the door open and shut which left him where he was. He was on his bed, sitting and thinking about all the horrors he had seen over the last few months. It had to end, and it had to end now. If Mia had any chance at a normal life, he had to fix this now.

The door opened and Carter walked in with a clipboard in his hands. He had the same sinister smirk he always had on his face, but it looked even more pronounced today. "Your sister is dying," Carter announced.

"I'm sorry?" Nick said standing up from his bunk. What the hell was Carter going on about. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Carter shook his head at the other boy as if he was so naive and stupid. Nick wasn't stupid. Okay, he wasn't the brightest, but that wasn't the point. He understood the concepts of life, death, and everything in between. Mia could not be dying. Right? Barbatos needed her, right? Why would he kill someone he needed, Nick was more likely to die than Mia, because he wasn't of use. Well, Nick was used to be shot up with things and beaten around, but that was his only use. He didn't have the brain they wanted, but Mia did. Why were they going to kill her? What did they have to gain?

"Your sister is dying, and it's your fault." Carter explained to him as he marked something on the clipboard in front of him. "The drugs are eating her alive, and those drugs were meant for you. My father loves watching her deteriorate, because you know what the best part is?" Carter asked in a patronizing tone. "She doesn't even know how truly screwed she is."

Nick rubbed his temples, he didn't get what Carter was talking about. What drugs? Why were they giving Mia drugs that were meant for him? It didn't make any sense. Carter just came in and started talking about how his sister was dying. Mia couldn't be dying, it didn't make any sense. Why would they drop this bombshell on him now?

"That can't be possible," Nick said shaking his head, his hands were clenching and unclenching in a distressed manner as he tried to process what was happening. "Your father needs her. Mia has the brain he needs, right? Why would he give her drugs that would hurt her mind?"

Carter laughed at Nick as if he was a fool. "You don't get it, do you?" Carter asked him in an almost bitter manner, as if this made him angry. "Those drugs were meant for you but you were too stubborn and pig headed to do our testing. My father needed the drugs tested more than he needed Mia's brain. She was willing to go through all of our tests as long as you were taken care of, and my father accepted." Carter said with an evil grin as if this twist of faith was supposed to cause Nick pain. "I honestly think he was foolish to accept, but he doesn't see things the way I do."