The Rabbit's Den

Lab Rat Pack

After a couple days of Dr. Mullens verbal abuse Trixie eased up. She quit arguing with him and cooperated the best she could strapped to the bed. "So does this place have a rec room too?" She asked him as he changed her bag, annoyed he gave her a side glance. "I'm not up for your games today Trixie." "I have an ankle monitor and you strap me to a wheel chair, how much trouble could I possibly cause?" His heavy sigh was laced with irritation, "If you don't give any of us grief today, I might roll you into the T.V. room for a couple hours." His angered eyes never leaving hers, "But I promise you, you start anything you'll spend the rest of your time right here. Just like this."

Dr. Mullens kept his word, and after lunch he had Cyrus take her into the T.V. room. She felt awkward strapped into the wheel chair with a tube running to the sludge bag above her. There was an odd blonde woman sitting with her back to the T.V. staring at her. Trixie wasn't normally intimidated but this woman was strange. She had strong features, a solid jaw and piercing greens eyes that burned into her. It was the way she sat, staring not blinking or moving that un-nerved Trixie.

After several minutes of intense staring she stood up and slowly walked over to Trixie. She noticed the beginning of a baby bump on her. The woman dragged a chair next to her and sat, now she was focused on the T.V. When she finally broke the uncomfortable silence she spoke with a thick Russian accent, "I'm Yana." Trixie couldn't turn her head due to the strap across her forehead, "Trixie." She didn't seem to notice, "Do you like children's pictures? That's all they play. All day long, the same picture on loop." Trixie spoke softly not wanting to be dragged out for causing problems, "I've only watched it a couple times." Yana shifted so Trixie could see her, "I like this one. The baby deer learns to make it without it's mother. He makes friends with shy skunk and stupid rabbit." Yana looked hard at Trixie, she reached up and touched the tube.

"You should stop fighting." Her hand came back down. "What?" Trixie asked. Yana pointed at the straps, "Stop fighting, they win." "That's easy for you to say." Trixie retorted becoming annoyed she couldn't just walk away. The woman raised an eyebrow, "Like now you fight. Why? You cannot go anywhere. Listen to Yana. You wait, save the fight for one you win. Then you have power to win. Are you pregnant?" Trixie sighed deeply, "I don't know yet. How many babies have you had?" "Ten." Trixie's eyes opened wide in horror, "Ten?" Yana nodded, "All have to learn to make it without their mother." Trixie understood the analogy she was making to the movie.

"Have you tried to escape?" Yana looked around hushing her, "Not here, I save my fight. But I learn." "You tried to escape somewhere before?" Yana nodded, "In Russia, this facility is much nicer. I didn't get far." "How can you just accept this for so long?" Yana stared hard at her, "Do what you want malyshka. You don't eat, they make you. You fight, they bind you. So tell me, who wins?" She sat silently next to Trixie until the movie ended, and just as she said it looped again starting over. Cyrus came over and pulled the chair back, "Yana, you're being nice?" Yana smiled up at him, "Of course mudak, Yana always nice." Yana flashed a smile at Trixie, "Maybe I see you tomorrow."

Cyrus felt uneasy with how compliant Trixie was being as he strapped her into the bed. "I'll tell Dr. Mullens you're ready for another bag." She cut him off before he could say anything else, "Can I have something to eat? Like real food?" He gave her a bewildered look then said, "Let me talk to Dr. Mullens." After he walked out of the room she thought hard about Yana and what she had said. Maybe acting docile and compliant wouldn't hurt right now. Yana wasn't wrong in the sense she wasn't doing anything but hindering herself, WOLF just kept doing what they wanted no matter how much trouble she made.

It felt like she'd been waiting a long time when the Doc finally came back in, he had a small tray with a sandwich and a bag of sludge on in. "Cyrus said you asked for food." She nodded. Taking the bag off he set the tray on her lap. Her wrist caught as she tried to grab for it, she looked up at him. "I'm not an idiot Trixie." He stated as he picked up the sandwich and held it to her mouth. "You're not going to take the tube out?" She asked. "It doesn't do any harm, and I don't have to fight another in if you suddenly change your mind."