Mental (Slow updates)

Chapter 25

The room was somber as the teens assembled for dinner. Mitch and Alex sat beside Ash but refused to even glance at the icy leader, remaining at his side only out of simple duty. Katrina sat further down the table struggling to keep it together as she glanced across at the empty chair where Danny had sat only hours ago. Thomas had refused to speak to anyone since, leaving Katrina with no one to support her. Everyone obeyed the masters without hesitation. Once dinner had been cleared away everyone went their separate ways continuing to stay quiet in some sort of wake. The quiet was only broken as the door opened, although no one aside from Katrina and Alex glanced up. The evil doctor entered, a scowl appeared on his face when he realised no one had acknowledged his presence. Katrina rose from her seat feeling Alex do the same on the opposite side of the room. Before the doctor could speak Alex stood before him. Katrina moved closer to Alex's side, keeping further enough away that the evil doctor would not spot her. "Haven't they been through enough tonight. Don't punish them, the two deaths today were punishment enough. Leave them alone tonight," Alex begged. The doctor looked down his nose at him and sneered.
"I'd be careful boy, you're on thin ice after that little sedative you gave Zero earlier." An expression of surprise crossed Alex's features but he hid it well enough that the doctor seemed to not notice. Katrina's heart began to race for Alex's sake. Alex appeared unfazed and spoke with a slight edge to his voice. "That sedative was given under my discretion as Zero's personal med doctor."
"A role you no longer have X," the doctor smirked. Katrina excepted Alex to back down, like everyone else but, to Katrina's surprise, he bit back. "Then why am I here? I was brought here as a master, if I'm no longer in that role, then my contract has ended here and you let me go." The evil doctor grabbed the collar of Alex's shirt and pulled him closer. "And if I did let you go, where would you go? Everyone thinks you're dead, you don't exist outside this facility," the doctor hissed in his ear. Katrina winced at the similarity to her own situation. Alex remained quiet. "Besides," the doctor continued releasing his grip, "your miraculous recoveries make you different. For all we know you're as dangerous as the rest of them. For humanity's sake you're a subject and subjects only leave the way Thirty-five and Thirteen did earlier." Katrina flinched as Alex turned his head away, hiding the tears that had formed in his eyes. The evil doctor gave a victorious smirk before sighing. "I'll be generous tonight. If all those involved in the incident earlier come forward, I'll punish them harshly and leave the others, if not everyone gets punished. You, on the other hand," the doctor placed a finger under the boy's chin forcing him to look up. "Spoke back to me and gave Zero a sedative you had no authority to give and for that," Katrina watched in horror as the doctor reached into his pocket. "You will be punished." The doctor pressed a button on the remote in his hand. Alex's scream blended with Katrina's own as she watched him fall to the ground. The doctor glanced up at her. She froze, eyes locked on the evil man. He stared back at her until he forced her to drop her gaze. With a victorious smirk, the evil doctor turned on his heel and left.

No sooner had the door swung close Katrina dashed to Alex's side. She called out to him as she frantically felt for a pulse. He wasn't shaking like the others did when they got zapped but maybe that was because Alex was apparently different to them. Mitch appeared at her side mere moments later and clasped her shaking hands in his. "It's okay. He'll be okay. Calm down," Mitch soothed.
"He's not shaking," Katrina said numbly. Mitch nodded.
"He's different so he doesn't shake, but he's okay see?" Mitch guided her fingers to the side of Alex's neck where she could feel a faint pulse beneath them. With every pulse Katrina calmed down. After a few minutes Mitch stood up and gently picked up Alex. Katrina followed without a word.

Mitch lay the unconscious boy on one of the couches nearby. Katrina thanked him as she sat on the ground beside Alex. In response Mitch grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. "He's one of us," Mitch murmured before glancing up. Katrina followed his gaze to see him watching a stoic Ash gazing at nothing. "Go," she whispered, knowing he needed to despite how much he did not want to. It had been silently agreed amongst Alex, Mitch and herself to continue as if nothing was wrong with Ash. This was easy on her part as she already hated the boy, or at least disliked him, and everyone knew it. However for Alex and Mitch it was harder. Mitch nodded and with a deep breath headed back over to the cold hearted boy. Katrina watched him go with pity, then turned back to the unconscious boy beside her. She grabbed Alex's hand and silently willed him to wake up and be alright.