Agent Kat

Chapter 19: ... And Another

"Kat? Kat wake up." A voice stirred her from her memory.

She opened her eyes to see a boy's face just about three inches from hers. "Gah! Huh? Oh... Um... hi, Brendan... Um... Wha—what are you doing?"

"Waking you up, stupid. Why are you asleep on the floor?" His face was so close that Kat could feel his minty-smelling breath on her face. His vibrant green eyes were full of concern as he crouched down beside her.

Blinking several times, Kat looked around, only to find herself on the hard cold floor, her legs and arms bent at strange angles. "Wha... What happened?" She remembered how she had fallen into one of her flashbacks, but she didn't remember falling asleep. She sat up, holding her head and feeling a raised bump on the back of her head. "Ow..."

"I honestly can't tell you. I have no idea. I was just walking to the training room and saw you... just... lying there on the floor." He held his hand out. Tentatively, Kat took it. Pushing herself up, she looked around.

Shaking her head and then realizing that was a really bad idea, she groaned. "What time is it? How long was I out for?"

"How long? How should I know? I just found you." His dark brown hair was swept across his forehead. As if fell back into his face, Brendan pushed it back. Kat tried not to stare.

She shrugged, "Um... I don't know. But what time is it?" Only then did she realize that he was awake. "Hey! You're awake! But you were out cold!"

Brendan gave Kat a strange look. "What on earth are you talking about? Sure, I fell asleep in my room, but I'm supposed to, right?"

Blinking hard, Kat shakily stood up, bracing herself on the wall. "Um... I'll explain later. Where are the others?"

"Probably still in bed." He tipped his head to the side. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Totally fine." She gave him a weak, unconvincing smile. "Okay. You lead the way back to the rooms?" Brendan nodded and started walking down the hallway. Kat tried not to shake. The memories of that place... The place she had tried so hard to forget...

Blinking hard, she attempted to stay awake. She'd never had two flashbacks one after the other. No. Not now... Not when she was so close to a bed she could fall onto. She groaned, knowing she wouldn't make it. She tried to keep her eyes open, but it was useless.

This time, Kat could feel herself falling towards the ground, the world around her blacking out completely. The last thing she saw was her team bursting out of the rooms, calling her name.

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"Kit? Kit, are you up, sweetie?" Four year old Kat opened her eyes and rubbed them tiredly. Was today testing day already? "Kit, it's time to get ready." Doctor Winslow opened Kat's bedroom door.

Calling it a bedroom is quite generous, though. It was more like a comfortable holding cell with soft foam walls and a bed.

Kat pulled her pillow over her head and cried, "I don' wanna get up!Test days hurt!"

Doctor Winslow sat down next to her on the bed. "I know. I really do, but it's for the greater good. I promise, you're going to thank me one day."

Kat peeked out from under the pillow. "But I don't like all the needles and cutty things."

"Kit," Winslow said, stern now. "you have to come. I don't want to have to use the Shocker on you."

Kat cowered. The Shocker was a long metal stick that generated a jolt of electricity that shocked, or even burned Kat when she didn't obey the doctors.

"No Shocker..." she murmured, crawling out from under her blankets.

Winslow smiled. "That's a good girl. Alright. Let's go."

Already dreading the day, Kat slowly pulled her blankets off. While other four year-olds were getting ready for their first day of school, she was getting ready for her first flying test.

Complete with wind tunnels and an electric collar! Also injections, cuts, bruises and other things that would qualify as child abuse.

By the end of it, Kat was wishing she could die. After all, no girl of her age should ever have to go through something like that.

Never.

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As fourteen year old Kat opened her eyes after a flashback for the second time that day, again with a boy's face extremely close to hers.

Instead of freaking out, however, she groaned, turning to see where she was.

She was laying down on her bed in her dorm. The clock to her far right read: 6:26 pm.

"Kat?" It was Leroy. His fiery hair hung down into his face a little, his blue eyes hovering over her hazel ones.

Taking a breath, she tried to sit up. Leroy figured out immediately what she was attempting and reached one arm around her back, supporting her as she rose.

Smiling gratefully at him, Kat thanked him.

"No problem. Are you okay?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes. I'm fine..."

Leroy studied her for a second, like he was trying to memorize her face. "You know, I've been told that there a little bit of 'help' in every 'I'm fine'. Just remember that we're all here for you. We can try to help you."

Kat smiled sadly. "You can't take away memories..."