Colours // Poofless AU

Chapter 14

Preston's POV

I groan as I wake up, hoping that the attack was all just a dream. When I open my eyes, I'm in a white room on a hospital bed. To my right there is an IV that is not even an eighth of the way done. My arm has the needle in it and it hurts so bad. There is a huge purple bruise around the needle. It's turning a bit green around the perimeter, so I think it's healing. 

All the way to the right wall is lined up with cabinets and closets. Some odd paintings are on the walls, such as one with just a blue eye with a mix of green, some yellow, orange, and pink flowers in a light blue vase, and a happy family. To the left is a huge window and a wooden table with a vase of flowers on it. Underneath it is a white crochet place mat. Someone around here really likes flowers. 

I start to hear a faint heart monitor next to me. It's at a nice, steady tempo that is just the right speed. When I think more about it, it speeds up a bit more. It finally settles when I do. I glace at it and in bright green numbers says I have a eighty-seven bpm, which is in the normal range for my age. I learned that in Mr. Pleb's class before we went on The Colours topic. The EKG line goes with my heartbeat and it is actually more calming than annoying. 

I lean my head back and try to figure out where I am. This place doesn't look like any hospital I've ever been to. It's more like a lab than anything. I tilt my head to the left to see people with white lab coats walking down the hall with clip boards and papers. Some are pushing carts with weird looking liquids in it. 

Hearing my door open, I automatically close my eyes. They walk up to me and I can feel their shadow tower over me. They scratch something down on their paper and sighs. They go to my right side and feel my forehead. Scared, I bite my tongue.

"Why did he have to beat him up to get him here?" a male voice ponders. It's a bit scruffy, maybe from talking for a long time. He sounds maybe around my age, but maybe five years older. He takes his hand away from me. I want to open my eyes to see who it is, but I don't want him to know I'm awake. 

The man exits my room and shuts the door, so I open my eyes back up. He seems to care about me, so I don't really know what this place is. If it is a lab, they would care less about my existence and want to end me. That's how most of the scientist that are trying to "cure" the world of Colours act. 

If this is a lab, I'm going to die before I'm even eighteen or I'm only going to be eighteen for a few days. They could kill me today, which is my last day of being seventeen. They might wait until I'm an adult to run certain tests. I remember reading somewhere that you can only be an adult to be tested on. Maybe they changed their priorities. 

Another person opens my door, so I close my eyes again. I slow my breathing to make it seem like I'm still sleeping. Their footsteps come closer to the side of my bed and they write something down. They touch my arm that has the needle in it and rub my bruise. It stings a little, but I'm fine. 

"I do know you're awake. I saw your eyes open in the hallway. You can't fool me," he says. I sigh at my defeat and open my eyes. I'm surprised to see someone without a lab coat on. He has wavy black hair and black eyes. He has a huge forehead and his eyebrows are abnormally bushy. He gives me a big smile. 

"So, you're Preston Arsement. Correct?" I nod at him. "I'm Mathew Nucciarone. You can call me Mat, though." He pulls out the needle in my arm carefully and it feels like someone just stabbed me. He opens up a band-aid and places it where the needle was after wiping it with an antibiotic wipe. He then takes off the sensor pads that are on my chest and back. I try to say something, but nothing comes out.

"Oh, let me go grab you some ice chips. Give me a minute." He sets his clipboard down on the desk farthest from me and goes to get me some.  He closes my door and I rub my bruise. He seems really cheery, so he is definitely not the first guy who was in here. Besides, his voice isn't the same. 

After a few minutes, he comes back with a cup of ice chips. He hands me it and I suck on a few of them. I didn't realize how dry my mouth was until I felt the cold ice melt in my mouth. I give a thankful smile to Mat and he smiles back.

Once I'm able to talk, I ask, "Where am I?"

"Oh," Mat acknowledges. "You're at a... facility for gifted people.It's kinda like a boarding school."

"What? I don't have a gift," I say. It's true. I don't have a gift. I have a curse. 

"You should know. You can see things others can't. Don't play dumb with me," he says. His eyebrows furrow for a bit, but he goes back to his smiley exterior. 

I sigh and say, "I can't see colour, man. I'm not one of them." He laughs to himself creepily and he shakes his head.

"So, you're going to be here for a while. Not sure how long, but it won't be longer than a month."

"But what about my dad and my friends?" I ask. Just the thought of my family of friends not know where I am scares me. What would Vikk think? He'd probably be terrified. His worse nightmare is being put in laboratories and being tested on. He has lived with that fear since he was born. I understand, now.

"They shouldn't worry about you. We called your dad and told him you're in good hands. He is okay with you being here and you'll see him soon enough." Mat walks to the desk and picks up his clipboard and clicks his pen. He writes something down and grins at it. I raise an eyebrow, but he doesn't notice. 

"So, would you like to see around the place?" he questions me. I nod and he motions over to a closet that's in the corner. 

"Well, because you were knocked out, we needed to put you in the given hospital clothes. The clothes you were originally wearing are in there. I'll leave and you come out when you're dressed." 

"Okay," I state and he leaves the room. I stand up and stretch. My back and elbows crack and I pop my neck. It feels like I've been sleeping for about two days, but I know it's probably not that long.

I walk over to the wooden closet and take out my clothes. I search my pants for my phone, but it's not there. I could've sworn I had it before getting knocked out. Probably just fell to the floor when I did. I still don't know who that was. Whoever it was, I'm going to kill them later.

Before putting on my stuff, I cover the window with the curtain. I then slip on my clothes and look in the mirror that is inside the closet door. I fix my hair and rub the crust out of my eyes. I sigh, wondering how I even got in this situation. Now I'm in a laboratory or boarding school. I'm leaning toward lab because why would I need to be knocked out to go to a school?

I stand up straight, adjust my t-shirt, and head out the door.

"Ready?" Mat asks. I nod. The hallway is now empty and bare. It sends chills up my spin.

This is no school.

"First stop, your new room." His smile turns devious, but he quickly changes it to a friendly grin. He grabs my left arm and practically drags me down the hall. 

Oh God. I'm going to die here, aren't I?