As I was walking away, I was cursing Newt's name to high heavens. Who was he to decide who I should love or not? Sure, at one point, I guess I was in love. But after whatever happened in those awful labs just... made me feel weird about the idea of loving someone. Like I was too tainted to be loved. I shook my head as I got closer to the MedJack House, and went inside, rubbing my eyes. I was tired, frustrated, and sick of all the twisted mind games those scientists were playing on all of us. What were they trying to prove? That teenagers have raging hormones? I didn't understand any of it. I shut my eyes, hoping it would all just go away.
~~~
When I woke up, I wasn't in my bed. I was sitting in the corner of a grey metal room, full of doctors and tables that shone with a slight sadistic gleam. Kids lay on the tables, writhing in discomfort as the doctors pushed needles into their backs or forearms. I tried to get up to tell the doctors to stop, because it was clearly wrong, but I couldn't move. Internally, I sighed. It was another flash back to the past. Into my past. I watched, helplessly, as the children got poked and prodded. I shut my eyes listened to the slight yelps that were coming from their mouths, until I heard silence. No footsteps, no metal on metal, no heavy breathing. Just quiet. Until a small voice broke through the penetrable air.
"Are they done?"
An older voice sighed and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the table. It was a younger version of Alby. He rolled his shoulders back in discomfort when I saw all of the needles protruding from his back.
"Probably not, Thomas. You'll know when it's over."
I heard quiet sobs. My heart ached for him, and the one time I had ever seen him show weakness.
"But they're hurting me Alby. I don't wanna anymore."
Alby sighed and layed back down. I could tell he wanted to tell the scientists to stop, that they were hurting the others, but he knew there was a punishment. One that he received time and time again, because he was always the one willing to take the blame for the others. And Alby didn't want to be cut into again. It would start having permanent effects and he knew it.
Wait. How did I know that?
I watched as a younger version of me sat up, and saw a single needle with an IV drip connected to it. It obviously wasn't bothering me. I sighed.
"Who's going to stop them this time?"
Everyone else laying on the tables shifted uncomfortably, because they knew that they didn't want to endure the punishments. You didn't talk back to the scientists, but at the end of the day, somebody had to. Someone had to stop them from sticking more needles and adding more chemicals into the 10 year old, because it was just morally right. It was what they needed to do. Even if it caused them greater pain.
Past me shook her head and stretched her neck out. I was tired, thirsty, and just wanted a few minutes rest, but they wouldn't stop until someone reminded them they were human beings, not just lab rats that ran mazes. And that someone was obviously going to have to be me. I knew it pained Alby to just stand there while he could be the one helping, but he had 2 punishments over the past three days. If he took another, he could die. Or go brain dead, or into a coma, or deaf, or mute. There was too many variables for Alby to do it. So I willingly did. The boys almost never let me do anything that was harmful, it was always nice to make it up to them, no matter the cost. The Creators started to barge in again, and I tensed with fear in knowing exactly what was going to happen next. A lady pushed me back onto the table again, and I fell with a slight crash. That was the act that pulled the trigger.
"Isn't that enough for one day? It's been awhile since we've eaten anything, and-"
A fist landed right next to my ear, cutting me off. I flinched, but kept on going.
"I'm pretty tired, so I don't think I'll be of much use to you,"
I was sat up, and taken by the shoulders. I took a deep breath and looked away, smelling his awful breath and visualizing the head scientist's yellow teeth. You'd think for a doctor, he'd have better personal hygiene.
"Listen to me, Ember. No one tells me what to do in my lab."
"I wasn't trying to tell you what to do, I just think we could all-"
"NO ONE!"
He grabbed my shoulder hard and slapped me across the face. Not in terrible shock, because they used force on us all the time, but all the same I cradled my cheek in my hands. At the same time his palm connected with my face, all of the boys in the room gasped and reacted. I heard a couple shouts of my name, but the most prominent was Newt, who sprang off of his table. All of the needles ripped out of his arms, but he didn't seem bothered. All the nurses sprang toward him, but he was running at the doctor. He got him straight in the face, and knocked him over. He stood over him, and uttered two words.
"You monster."
I leapt up, tearing out my IV, but I barely noticed the needle tearing through my skin. I only saw the needle that was now jammed into Newt's neck, and his body falling to the floor.
The whole room was in chaos now. Alby had stood up when Newt fell, Thomas was screaming at the top of his lungs and the other boys were scared out of their wits. I felt arms pull my hands behind my back, and I was being shoved out of the room. I struggled, because Newt was still back there. I needed to make sure that he was going to be okay. I started screaming his name, over and over again, desperately hoping that I would hear my name called back, in the ever-familiar accent.
And I watched this all from the corner, paralyzed not only from the bonds that kept me here, but from terror.
~~~
I woke up, tears pouring down my face. One single thought was running through my head as I gasped for air, through salty tears and a horrible head ache.
How much do we really not remember?
(It's only a little bit, but it's something. Happy reading :))
