Buzzkill: The Reckoning

Chapter 38

Hours passed before Mage returned to the room. Hours taken up by eery silence. The florescent lit room stayed empty around her, the guards positioned at each corner not even appearing real. But Ruth knew, just like before, someone always watched from the two-way mirror at the side of the room.

"Are you still in much pain, Miss?" Mage asked, never breaking eye contact from his clipboard as he walked to his table, three doctors following behind him.

Ruth watched him carefully, "Nope."

Mage made a tsk with his teeth, "Shame." He nodded to the doorway, "Before we get started, Agent Kal is going to ask you some questions."

Ruth looked to the door as Kal walked in. What a dramatic entry.

"Now," Kal began, walking to Ruth, holding that same small remote in her hand, "When we arrived at that Russian town you were hiding in, you said you had something for us. Where is it?"

"Hm," Ruth pretended to ponder, "Have you checked if it's up your ass?"

Kal ignited the magnetic pulsars. Ruth's body strained, twisting in on itself while her whole head erupted with throbbing, slamming pain.

Kal asked again after turning the pulsars off, seething, "Where's the USB?"

Ruth's breathing quickened, her body weakening. "You know, you really should have checked the credibility of your sources before you believe them."

Kal let out an annoyed sigh, "Do you have it?"

"Yep," Ruth replied simply.

Kal ignited the pulsars again, Ruth's screams echoing through the room.

"Where is it?" Kal demanded.

Ruth tried to gain her breath, "Up yours."

The pulsars burned through Ruth's face as Kal ignited them once more for a few seconds before turning them off.

"Alright," Mage interrupted, looking to Kal, "That's enough for now. I still need her somewhat awake when we administer the serum. You can ask again later."

Contempt radiated off of Kal. Ruth could see Kal's neck straining, physically holding herself back from igniting the pulsars again.

Two doctors beside Mage each took a vile of serum out and laid them on the table, placing one within a syringe, then handing it to Mage. An assistant placed the mask back over Ruth's nose and mouth, now attaching it to oxygen.

"Stay still," Mage ordered, walking over to Ruth's right arm, preparing the needle. A doctor assisting already cleansed Ruth's arm with an alcohol pad.

Ruth bit her bottom lip as she watched the needle slide into her skin. A flashback to the first experiments shined vividly in her mind. She closed her eyes tight, the pain only subtly different to the way it was before.

It burned as it crawled through her bloodstream. It lit every vein, every part inside of her on fire. Everything felt similar to the serum before, but escalated to something more powerful than she could bear. Her muscles tightened, straining beneath her skin. Ruth could feel every vein, every crevice, every part of her body that the serum traveled to, like flames to gunpowder. Her heart beat out of her chest, feeling as if it would burst.

Ruth couldn't tell when the serum ended and the electrodes began, but the switch changed something in her body. It felt as if every muscle inside of her tore at once. It all became a blur, a white noise of pain. Ruth had no idea how the hell her body could take any more. Everything began to black out around her, lights flashing as she held her eyes tight, swirling into a void.

Did she pass out? Did they put her under? Ruth opened her eyes, seemed to have skipped through reality, exhausted beyond belief. The light in the room way too bright, the faces of the doctor's coming into focus were elated. The pain had stopped, at least the worst of it; but when? When did it all switch off?

Ruth panted heavily, her body covered in sweat, feeling it drip down her neck and back. Her whole body ached, muscles she'd forgotten she had throbbing with pain.

Ruth's face strained, tensing up.

Through the fog, Ruth could hear Mage talk to one of the doctor's beside him, "Keep her hooked up to the IV and monitor her vitals," He told them, his voice calm, authoritative. "In two hours we'll test her blood for any change from the first serum."

The doctor scribbled away at his clipboard, "And the next dose?" He asked Mage.

"Tomorrow morning," Mage answered. "One vial in the morning and one in the afternoon, electrode shock with each one."

"Should we keep her hooked up to the electrodes?" The doctor asked.

"Yes, in case she tries to do anything stupid."

Ruth's eyelids became increasingly heavy, she struggled to stay awake, even while sitting in a lab chair with horribly bright lighting shining overhead.

"How many scars do you think you'll get from this charade?" Kal asked Ruth, walking closer to her. Her voice was sinister, her smile cunning, "How many mistakes do you think this counts for?"