Who We Are [Bellamy Blake]

Chapter 52

Athena snapped her neck to the side as the needle penetrated her skin. She couldn't become a Reaper; she would rather be experimented on for years than become one of those vile creatures. As the fluid began to enter her veins, she could feel it right away. A gasp finally slipped from her lips as she tried to fight it; she tried to be strong and brave, but being strong and brave wouldn't get her out of this. She had to fight both mentally and physically.

Before Dr. Tsing was able to fully inject the small amount of the drug, she stopped, her eyes darting side to side, and then her face began to pustule and burn. She dropped the gun and it ripped from Athena's neck, giving her an odd sensation in her neck. Dr. Tsing staggered backwards, knocking over a small metal table, scalpels and scissors scattering over the floor loudly. All of a sudden Athena could feel everything more vividly. She could see the black and red flesh burning from Tsing's face, hands, and everywhere else where skin was visible.

The sounds of the instruments hitting the ground was startling, as Athena could hear so thoroughly that it hurt her ear drums. The binds that restricted her felt tighter, and she began to sweat as she realized that she was filled with this surge of energy and something else, and could not go anywhere. Her heart began to beat so fast in her chest, she thought it might burst through the ribs that held her in place. Her skin began to crawl eerily, as if there were bugs on her flesh.

Beside her Dr. Tsing had disappeared from the room, leaving the door wide open; a bitter sweet thought. Athena was free, if she was not bound. She tried to focus on pulling her hands through the straps, even breaking her hand would make that a possibility, but she seemed to have lost all control of her limbs. Despite not being able to move suddenly, her eyes were darting and her heart was still pounding. It was a terrible feeling, like being trapped in a body that could do nothing but watch everyone else experience life.

She tried to call for help, but she knew that she would find no help down here. It was a living hell down here, and she would find no solace, no freedom, no familiar faces that weren't in the same or similar agony as her. Another doctor would come down, continue the tests, complete the process of turning her into a Reaper. She felt the drug radiating throughout her entire being, but she was still mentally aware of herself and her surroundings. She took that as a good sign, as she was seeking optimism in any place possible.

Foot steps entered her head and she shut her eyes. They could turn her into whatever they wanted, but she wasn't going to go down without a fight. Every few seconds Athena felt a jolt of pain and pleasure mixed in one, and she knew that her body was fighting off the drug. She had trained herself to withstand numerous poisons by taking small doses over months, gradually increasing the dose after her recovery time quickened. Many of her people had done that, and when the rare occurrence of being poisoned by someone, or accidentally eating the wrong thing, they were fine. With no previous introductions with the Reaper drug, Athena was having a hard time with it mingling in her system, but she was still aware.

"Here!" Someone yelled, "This one, come on!"

Athena turned her head and a black haired kid come in the room. His eyes were wide, his face was thin. She recognized him as Jasper from the camp with the kids, and she suddenly felt less worried. He raced to her and began to unstrap the restraints. When the first one was free, Athena yanked her arm away and accidentally smacked him. She was involuntarily jerking, her muscles finally free to flex and release the built up energy.

"Bellamy, get in here!" Jasper shouted.

Athena's body stopped moving completely when she heard his name. Through a dry mouth, she managed to speak, "B-Bellamy?"

Jasper nodded, and then carefully released the strap on her ankle, and then the other. By the time he reached her other arm, Athena was completely still, waiting on Bellamy to enter. Perhaps Jasper just said that to slow her down, to trick her mind into thinking that she was okay. But when he entered her vision, her mouth gaped open, and no words slipped from them. She was amazed that he was standing there, in the flesh, when she had thought him to be dead already, or caged.

"Athena." Bellamy raced to her side and tucked his arm underneath hers, wrapping it around her body and holding her so that she could stand upright. "It's okay, you're okay."

Before Athena was able to reply, she lost sight of everything and dropped to the ground. She was only slowed because Bellamy had his arms around her, but she hit the floor nonetheless and began to seize. As her body writhed involuntarily again, this time she had nothing in her head and could not see anything, Bellamy realized that he was useless. How could he help her when he didn't even know what was wrong with her? Her mouth began to froth and Bellamy shook his head, trying to find anything to indicate why she was seizing.

When his dark eyes spotted the gun that he had seen inject the Reaper drug into Lincoln's neck, he knew. "Jasper, find me adrenaline. Now!"

He kept Athena on her side until she had completed her seize, and when she was finished, he scooped the froth from her mouth to ensure that her airway was clear. She was hardly breathing, a skimpy and raspy sound coming from her lips. She was still alive, and he intended to keep it that way. He began the compressions on her chest, though he was unsure if her heart had stopped or not. "Come on." He said between compressions, "Stay with me, Athena."

Jasper found the adrenaline and handed it to Bellamy, who bit the safety cap off and stabbed the needle deep into her chest, directly above her heart. Pushing the plunger down, he pulled the needle from her and back away, watching, waiting, hoping. She had to make it.

So, my boss asked me the other day "We have you on every day but Saturday... can we have you on call for Saturday?". Alas, I am working every day again, and probably will be until about September. Regardless, I will always find time to write, even if that means getting up at 6:30 to post a chapter before work. I do think this story will end by chapter 60, that is how my notes are, but I might think of things I want added before it ends, but I do know how I want to end it. It is just a matter of getting there.