Mental Case - A Zodiac Story

Shards

Libra

Libra sat in the corner of her cell staring miserably at the wall. Her bruised shoulder ached from where the Nurse had dragged her back to the cell when the had been caught 'misbehaving'. Libra honestly couldn't tell the difference between having fun and being disrespectful. Either the people here were very harsh on discipline or they were downright psychopaths. Libra had a stinking suspicion that it was the latter. But then why send some mentally trouble kids there?

Finally, Libra decided to talk to Virgo, however risky it might be. She pulled the vent rack open and slid inside. She was glad her slim body was able to fit, or she would be stuck and who knew what the consequences were. She wriggled her body through the tunnel, her hair sometimes catching on a loose screw, making her wince.

When she got to Virgo's cell, she knocked softly on the vent gate. Libra looked eyes, her grey eyes looking almost black in the dimly lit room. "Libra!" Virgo whispered, jumping to her feet.

"I don't have time to talk much, but I was wondering if you thought the people running this place were sane." Libra said quickly.

Virgo looked at her as if she was stupid, "Of course, you've only just noticed?"

Libra's cheeks heated up. "I had my suspicions, but I didn't want to be wrong." She admitted sheepishly.

Virgo stared at the wall for a few moments, "We're never going to get better." She finally said.

Libra tried to shake her head but ended up hitting her head on a metal pipe instead, making a loud bang echo through the vent. Libra and Virgo stared at each other, paralysed. "Go!" Virgo hissed, making a quick movement of her hand. 

Libra scrambled backwards as fast as she could to her own cell. Every small noise was amplified a thousand times through the echoing tunnel. She flinched every time. She felt her way back to her cell and opened up the entrance. She slid out and fell into a heap on the ground. She was about to let out a sigh of relief until she noticed a figure standing in the doorway looking down at her with a hard stare.

Neither Libra nor Nurse Cassiopeia moved, they just stared into each other's eyes, not blinking. Libra's hand started to shake, but she balled in into a fist to conceal it. She refused to give the nurse any satisfaction.

In one quick and fluid movement, Nurse Cassiopeia had Libra caught in an iron grip and dragged her out of her cell. Libra struggled to get her arm free, but the pain made tears blur her vision. She couldn't help but believe it was her ex-boyfriend dragging her across the kitchen when she had burnt the toast. She could see his rough hand raised ready to beat her mercilessly, while she would cower in the corner taking the punches and kicks silently while she restrained tears of pain and suffering.

But the blows never came. Libra blinked and she was back at the hospital, which was both a relief and a nightmare. She wanted to scream for help, but for all those years she had be taught not to, so against her will she kept her mouth shut.

Nurse Cassiopeia shoved her into a small white room with a surgical bed. While struggling uselessly she was strapped down. The nurse hardly flinched when Libra kicked her hard in the gut. Instead, the nurse slapped her hard in the face, stunning her enough for her last leg to be restrained. "What are you going to do to me?" Libra asked as she pulled at the straps pinning her down.

Nurse Andromeda, who had entered the room while Libra was being tied down, gave her a quick glance and replied, "Standard punishment protocol."

Those three words alone send shivers down her spine. She watched hopelessly as Nurse Cassiopeia prepared a syringe full of a blue serum. Now paralysed in fear, all Libra could do was watch the nurse walk next to her bed and pull up her sleeve. Cool air hit Libra's skin as she tried to move away, but with no success. She winced as she felt the needle prick into her forearm.