A familiar brightness pierced Charlotte’s eyelids. She recognised the incessant buzzing that accompanied the bright glare. It never faltered, never stopped, not until the light died and darkness returned to her. Beneath her she could feel the cold table and the thin tissue paper that separated the cold steel from her bare flesh. She didn’t need to open her eyes, to know she was in a pale blue gown, tied behind her neck. She didn’t need to look down to know that her arms and legs were bound, holding her in place, fearing she may spring forward and attack those nearby.
Charlotte knew this place. She had been here many times following exhibitions and detentions. It had been her home for a year, but she didn’t remember that, not like the others did. It had been her home while they had experimented on her, changed her. She had been gifted her alterations here, a mere child of six years. They had made her a monster here, surrounded by the cold, tiled walls and sterile, strip lighting.
“Charlotte?” a soft voice called. “Can you hear me?”
Reluctantly Charlotte opened her eyes, blinded momentarily by the white light of the hospital. Charlotte blinked furiously, allowing the hospital surroundings come into focus.
“How do you feel?” Ashley Porter asked, looking at her clipboard. Charlotte sighed, focusing on her body.
“Fine,” she replied, her voice a bare whisper. She felt wonderfully calm, free of all physical pain. She felt as if she was floating above the table her body had been placed on, but as Ashley spoke she found that she was being pulled back down, back down to reality.
“Are you in pain?”
“No,” Charlotte muttered, as her memory began to return to her, angry tears stinging the back of her eyes.
“Are you sure?” Ashley asked, placing a gentle hand on Charlotte’s forehead and smoothing her hair back from her face.
“My body feels as good as new,” Charlotte coughed, trying to clear her throat. Ashley watched her from behind her glasses for a moment, soothingly continuing to stroke the top of her head. “I just forgot where I was for a moment – why I was here,” she muttered, closing her eyes and trying to gain control over the tears.
“I know sweetie,” Ashley sighed, moving away from her side and looking in the cupboards. “Mr Desmarais brought you to me”. Charlotte tensed at his name but didn’t speak. “He was pretty distraught to be honest. You had cracked your skull – again,” Ashley explained. “Don’t worry I’ve patched you back up, your nose, your fingers – everything”. She moved back to Charlotte, standing beside her and smiling. “It was actually quite surprising to see how concerned Desmarais was. He didn’t leave until he was sure you were safe – he doesn’t seem to be like his father at all”.
“He stayed here? Why?” Charlotte asked frowning.
“He seemed concerned over your injuries,” she shrugged, she looked at Charlotte for a moment, before undoing the straps that held her arms and legs in place.
“You know it’s not necessary to strap me down,” she said, sitting up once free.
“And I have told you enough times that it is protocol,” Ashley smiled.
Charlotte threw her legs over the side of the table and sat a moment watching as she swung her feet back and forth. “Why was he concerned with my injuries – he helped Bennett bring me below?” she pressed.
“How am I supposed to know?” Ashley laughed. “Maybe seeing you at the end of the session was enough to cause him to pity you?”
“I don’t need his pity,” Charlotte grumbled.
YOU ARE READING
Altered
Science Fiction'They wore uniform grey, their expression hard and distant, their muscles taut with expectation, as if at any moment they were ready to lead an assault, to carry out orders, to kill, to die. And yet they were. Kingston had trained these children to...
