Tortured Awakening (Book #1)

Chapter Four

(Picture of Theodore)

 I had been in here for weeks, at least, I believe it has been weeks.

I technically stopped counting after eight days. It just seemed to take most of my strength and effort, just to try and figure out what day it could possibly be. It feels as though I've been emotionally withdrawn from the real world, only to be placed in a warped version.

I quit fighting with Byron and Maxwell when they came to retrieve me for the newest treatment. Fighting them only made the exhaustion worse, once I was returned to the shrinking confinement of my room. With me no longer putting up a fight, it only made it easier for them to touch me.

There was another worker who assisted, but he was different from Maxwell and Byron. He always looked at me differently, as though he sympathized me. It was quite strange, but at least he wasn't hurting me. Theodore was different, he showed kindness.

Once Maxwell tried to sneak into my room and Theodore removed him; the next morning Maxwell had a darkening bruise near his eye and nose.

Someone opened my door and lightly knocked against it "Cordelia?" I recognized the voice as Theodore's, making me sigh in relief, knowing that the other choices were not there to assist me.

I was seated on my bed, with my legs pressed to my chest. If mother had seen me in such a position, especially around a man, she wold have had a fit, for being so unladylike.

Theodore knocked again.

I looked at him, with tired eyes, turning away from the light streaming in through the doorway, that hurt my vision.

"It's time for the procedure" he said, looking at me, with sympathy. "Byron won't be helping, so please work with me"

I nodded lightly, feeling energy drain from me, just by a simple body movement.

I had lost track of all the procedures they had done, but their favorite seemed to be the bloodletting, trying to force my body to replace my impure blood so that I may be rid of this disease.

He walked over to me and carefully stood me up "That's a good girl"

I immediately leaned into him, feeling as though I might collapse after a number of steps taken.

"I've got you" he whispered, leading me down the hallway, with a firm hold around me "If you keep up the good behavior, Dr. Lennox may schedule your check up pelvic exam, earlier than planned"

Images of the first pelvic exam flooded my mind and I was left with an aching pain between my legs at the thought of being examined there once more.

Never had I thought that I could be violated in a way that damaged me more than the incident in the park. Dr. Lennox had no boundaries and was determined to find physical proof of his theory that I had a sexual disease.

Half the time, I could not come to a conclusion for who was the most deranged man in here.

Dr. Lennox treated himself like a god that could cure the mentally ill women that he kept here. However, if he could not find a cure, he deemed them unfit to be cured and they would most likely spend their remaining days here or worse.

I didn't respond. I wasn't quite sure if that was a good thing. In fact, I wasn't sure which was better, staying here or returning to the people that put me here and wouldn't hesitate at doing so again.

Theodore led me into one of the older, dirtier procedure rooms and sat me in the chair, and then he carefully put the restraints over my heavily bruised wrists. "Dr. Lennox is only trying to help you, remember that"