The Rabbit's Den

One Smart Rabbit

Trixie sat between two men, arms cuffed behind her and attached to the seat. Her face was red, as the tears slide down her face. It felt like an eternity as they waited, the men were going room by room. Soon enough she saw Sadie being dragged out, she was dirty and bloody. Then out came Candice and her two year old son, they were also in shambles but not bloody. As they set Sadie down across from Trixie she could see the large gash on Sadie's head. "Kaleb never came." She mumbled. Trixie let out the air she was trying to hold back and cried more, she knew why Kaleb hadn't come. Candice was also cuffed back to the seat a man between them. She was bewildered and shaken, "What are they going to do with us?"

A flutter rustled in Trixie's chest when a man came out and declared the area was empty. Sadie's eyes closed and silently thanked God. Then the vehicle started to move. Trixie looked at the man in the armored mask sitting at the furthest end from them, blocking the way out. "She needs medical attention." He pointed the military weapon at her, "Shut up." She threw herself back further on the seat. "I'm fine Trix." The gun was now pointed at Sadie, "I said shut up!"

It was a long drive from the Den, in a direction they rarely went and never this far. They watched the sun rise twice from the inside of the vehicle as it sped along. Finally as the sun was setting once again they saw the lights from the city.

It wasn't like the clinic that she was in before, more like the private hospital rooms from the time before. Trixie had been forced to change after the group had been separated. She now lied in a hospital bed, fastened tightly by her wrists and ankles. The IV dripped slowly and the piggyback bag was hidden behind the large bag of saline. Her head was floaty, but not completely sedated. Then the door opened.

The intense pressure in her chest was unbearable, but she would hold it in. She had stinging in her throat, like she was going to scream or cry. Her face twisted as he came to the side of her bed, with a mixture of confusion; anger and relief. "Daddy?"

Dr. Gregory Peterson walked slowly beside her, he studied her for a moment then touched her hand. "Trixie." "Daddy?" She repeated with confusion. Then he walked in, left arm in a sling with a victorious look upon his face, and that smile.

Dr. Mullens looked her over then turned to Dr. Peterson, the older man raised an eyebrow, "Seems to me, we have a problem Dr. Mullens." He took a few more steps towards her and placed his hand on her stomach, she flinched away. "What happened Trixie?" Dr. Mullens demanded. She pondered for a moment whether to play the jilted lover, or the injured daughter. Her eyes fell coldly on him, "You shot me you son of a bitch, what did you think was going to happen?" Dr. Peterson jerked his head towards Dr. Mullens, whose mouth had dropped open. "You shot her?"

His hand came up in defense, "I didn't shoot her," He looked down at the, "I didn't shoot you, I mean I didn't know you were shot." Even sedated she was getting fired up, "What the hell do expect to happen when you start a blasting away in a delivery room?" Dr. Peterson coughed alarmed, "Jacob what's this?" Dr. Mullens shook his head, but Trixie started again, "During the birth of the twins he decided to attack us in the delivery room." Did he just call the Doc by his first name? Her brain was scrambled.

"Trixie that's not fair, you all were going to kill me. I was a prisoner!" "You opened fire around the girls, the babies and a pregnant woman?" Dr. Peterson was still trying to get a grip on what had happened. "What Doc? Don't believe me?" She hissed at him. He grew irritated and grabbed the blankets and lifted her gown exposing her stomach. She still wore the bandages as it wasn't completely healed. He cut them off and looked at the red angry crater on her side. "What? Did you think I was lying?" Slowly he pulled the gown down and began speaking without looking at her, "Petra? The twins?" She looked hard at him, with all her hate. "What do you think happened to them?" She was going to try her hardest to protect them. His eyes slowly met hers and locked.

"Petra. Trixie, what happened to her?" He had a fist full of her blanket now. "Bled out, bullet to the chest." She stared harder at him. "And the twins?" It was almost a whisper, "One was hit by a stray bullet, the other passed away a couple days later from starvation. Bang up job Doc." His breathing was steady as he glared down at her, then a smile crept its way on his face. "Lying little bitch." He let out a gush of air, looking up at Dr. Peterson, "She's lying. She's trying to protect them." He laughed out, "God Trixie, you almost had me." Dr. Peterson failed to see what was humorous about the situation. He was internalizing the anger from the death of his grandchild and the nonchalant attitude Jacob had about his own child.

"Dr. Mullens can we have a word outside?" He looked up at Dr. Peterson, "Can't have it here? We need to run tests on her, she may still be able to carry to term." "Jacob, outside!" Dr. Peterson boomed. The Doc was notably shaken just then. He nodded his head and walked toward the door, the elder of the men followed him out and shut the door. Immediately Trixie began pulling on the straps, they were tight and not going anywhere.

"What is wrong with you Jacob?" Greg hissed. Jacob used his good arm to point at him, "You weren't the one held captive by them for a better part of a year. I know her, she's not the little fragile girl you left on the side of the road Greg. Those specimens are alive and out there somewhere and we need to find them." "What about your child Jacob?" He furrowed his brows at Greg in slight confusion, "It's gone Greg, you taught me not to take anything personally." The older man's face flushed with anger he pointed toward the door, "If that wasn't the most personal outburst I've ever seen, I don't know what is. And I taught you to not take the job personal, the subjects. That was your child!"

Jacob stopped and smiled, "It's personal for you isn't it? You did intentionally leave her behind," He took a step closer to Greg, "To protect her, right? Tell me Greg, what would happen if the committee found that out?" Greg swallowed, uncomfortable with Jacob in his face like this, "Jacob, I think you might have a fever from your infection still. You're acting manic." Jacob smiled but more like baring his teeth, "I have a job to do Dr. Peterson. And so do you," He narrowed his eyes at his mentor, "This isn't going to be a problem, is it?" Greg clenched his jaw, then released them, "Not at all, Dr. Mullens."