Please, Stay Until I Fall Asleep
Zack looked at her fallen form. Her arms told stories of what Manticore had done to her, so did her face. Everything battered and bruised, even burned, like an old rag doll that had survived a fire. It told stories of the good times and the bad times. She was unconscious as he slowly picked her up and headed out the door. He had to get over then fence before the guards caught him, he couldn't risk that.
As he jumped over, he heard people screaming behind him trying to scare him into falling. That's all they could do, he was to fast for them, to agile. Swiftly he ran through the forest hoping that their weren't guards patrolling outside the fence. He had nothing to fight with since his arms were full. Sly was behind him, so was Krit, and Jodie. That comforted him, he didn't need to worry now. They'd get back safe.
* * * * *
Slowly she came out of a haze, Lydecker had given her some chemical to see how much her body could take before she went into a coma. She slowly went into a haze after he said 200 mL. She wasn't in a peaceful state of rest though, haunting scenes came to her about her past, things that they did to her in the past that they were doing now, only now they weren't always doing it for testing, they did it to punish her for being rebellious. Two nights ago they had broken her femur bone, when she yelped they made the pain worse by totally dislocating it and then putting it back together. Looking around, her mind still dull, something was different. (What was it?) She was in a bed, not the hard ones like they had in the clinics, but a soft one. The room wasn't colored in institutional white. Scrambling up, she ran out the room. Why had they left her without a restraint on? She jogged through the rooms. Then she came upon a room with a man in it, two strange men with two strange women. Who were they? Were they observers?
"Max." the blond guy said surprised. "What are you doing..."
She decided to make a run for it, she ran out that room only to find another room, everything confused her. "Max!" the bland man called.
Suddenly everything began to spin and she collapsed on the ground. She went back into a haze feeling a dull throb of her leg, it hadn't already healed. There goes that escape. Where was she trying to escape to? She knew there was a place in her past that she wanted desperately to get back, but she didn't remember to where. Soon she went back into the horrifying dreams. She screamed out names, she didn't know who's name or why she had called them out, but the comforted her.
* * * * *
"How long till she comes back to us?" Zack asked looking at Bling. The large husky man shrugged.
"Not sure, I've never dealt with these chemicals before, I have no idea what they are and what they do." Bling said his forehead knotting. "I wish I did, I wish I could tell you and help you guys out."
Zack remembered a book that he had read when he was ten. It was a pre-pulse book, 'Dragon Blood' it was called. He remembered what the little boy had said. 'Wishes don't fill bags'. He agreed and there was no point on telling people what they wished. Just like the bonders in that book, manticore rogues just didn't have good luck. "That's ok Bling. She's home safe."
"Do you think she's physiologically damaged since she didn't recognize anyone?" Jodie asked looking at her sister lying on the bed. Zack had tied her down so she wouldn't run away and get caught again.
"Everyone is after they visit that place." Zack whispered softly. His sister nodded agreeing and then left the room. He could tell that she didn't like seeing her sister like this. "Bling, don't tell Logan. We want her to recover slowly with as little trauma as possible."
"Yeah, I guess I wont. Just make sure she takes it careful and call me when she wakes up." Bling replied grabbing his medical supply bag.
"Bling?" Zack asked. The man turned to look at Zack. "Thank you."
The man nodded and left leaving Zack in the room with his little sister. How could they do this to you sis? How could they be human an harm you? You're so innocent. You always were never wanting to take part in the killings and if you had to you never used a weapon because you thought that was unfair to the humans. You'd let your emotions go wild and got punished for it. You even let go of a hostage because he pleaded his life to you. You let him go and he escaped. For that you were sent to the punishment cells where God knows what they did. You never deserved any of it. Me, I felt a rush of happiness when I killed the enemy, that is why I deserved the punishment. But you, you never did.
Two hours later he woke up to a whimper, something so painful it made a human soul cringe. She was scared, she tugged on the ropes and tried to escape, her eyes as wild as a deer. He quickly got up, looking at him her soul shrunk away and all the fire in her eyes ran out of sight leaving dull dark eyes staring at him. She was pale and had lost a lot of weight, but she had also gained a lot of muscle.
"Max, it's me Zack. I don't know what they did to you but I'm here." he spoke soothingly and lifted his hand . she turned her face to the side ready for a hit. When it didn't come, she looked back at him her eyes gaining more fear, fear of not knowing what was going on. "You don't remember me do you? You erased it from your mind..."
"Permission to speak sir." Max asked weakly. He had never seen her cower like thins, not in all his life. He couldn't imagine what they might have done to her to make her like this. She was a strong willed girl, that's what he liked about her, that's why she was his favorite sister. Now that she coward, he got scared.
"Max, It's Zack, I'm your brother." Zack replied almost crying it out but kept his patience.
"Who is Max? I am the only one in this room... and I am X5 452. I have no brother." Max responded quietly waiting to see what would happen next.
"You are Max. You named yourself when we were kids. When we fought side by side and I was your CO. You are my sister. There is no X5-452. You are Max. Max is who you are inside and out. I am Zack, your bother, your watcher. And I did not watch close enough.." he began sobbing. Suddenly her eyes lit and then dulled again as if a thought struck her and she fought it back in.
"Sir, I know this is a trick. I don't know who Zack or Max is. I am X5-452." she said with an uncertain voice as if she were lying. Zack found hope in this.
"No, it's not little Maxie. I know that you are my sister. I am Zack through and through. You are Max. There is no such thing as X5-452." Zack repeated over and over until soon her body relaxed and she looked at him unsurely. As if she was hoping she wouldn't get punished she spoke his name quickly and with haste. "Yes Maxie. It's me. I swear, would I ever lie to you?"
Her eyes rimmed with tears and her quickly undid the straps that tied her down. She sat up and hugged him and for the first time in his life he didn't feel uncomfortable about hugging her back. Fuck emotions, fuck Manticore. They stayed like that for a minute and then she let go and lay back in the bed wincing.
"I thought I'd never see you again." she whispered almost as a breath. She didn't smile but her eyes showed through the stone with a sparkle almost like the sun peaking over the mountains. "They asked where you were and If I knew how many others that survived. I used their own methods against them and .forgot everything. They tried ev..." she paused seeming like she didn't want to be to truthful. "They tried to get me to spill. But I wouldn't, because I didn't know."
"What did they do to you Max?" Zack asked. Her eyes turned cold again. She shook her head.
"It wasn't bad..." Max lied not even trying to cover it up. "Nothing new. Just old teachings."
"Max, don't lie to me. You have cuts, bruises and burns all over your body. It's not hard to see that... I'm glad your back. I should leave you to rest." Zack got up but a strong grip on his arm stopped him. He was suprised how weak she looked but how strong her grip was.
"Would you stay? Please?" Max pleaded her eyes showed her fear, fear that this would all be a dream and she'd wake up at Manticore. He knew that feeling. Nodding, he sat back down and she closed her eyes.
* * * * *
This time the dreams weren't from the past. They were all to real and to vivid. She'd go from scene to scene not knowing what would happen next. One minute Lydecker's men would be pumping electrical surges through her body, then the she'd be under water, and then she'd be doing curls, pushups, and drills. She cried, it was all to much. Lydecker poured acid on her back, she held back the scream of pain that was building. Then she found her self getting beat by a soldier, he used a night stick and beat her till she couldn't move. Then she screamed.
"Max!" yelled a voice very far away. She jolted awake. Sweat soaked her sheets and clothes, tears ran down her eyes, sobs raked her body.
"Oh God Zack. Don't let them take me back. Please don't let them take me back. I'd rather die then go back. Help me Zack, I'm to scared." Max sobbed. He held her and she put her head on his chest. He hushed her.
"I promise Max. They'll have to kill me to get you back Maxie. God what did they do to you?" He whispered trying to sooth her aches that pined her soul. "Max, they wont harm you without going through me first."
Zack looked at her fallen form. Her arms told stories of what Manticore had done to her, so did her face. Everything battered and bruised, even burned, like an old rag doll that had survived a fire. It told stories of the good times and the bad times. She was unconscious as he slowly picked her up and headed out the door. He had to get over then fence before the guards caught him, he couldn't risk that.
As he jumped over, he heard people screaming behind him trying to scare him into falling. That's all they could do, he was to fast for them, to agile. Swiftly he ran through the forest hoping that their weren't guards patrolling outside the fence. He had nothing to fight with since his arms were full. Sly was behind him, so was Krit, and Jodie. That comforted him, he didn't need to worry now. They'd get back safe.
* * * * *
Slowly she came out of a haze, Lydecker had given her some chemical to see how much her body could take before she went into a coma. She slowly went into a haze after he said 200 mL. She wasn't in a peaceful state of rest though, haunting scenes came to her about her past, things that they did to her in the past that they were doing now, only now they weren't always doing it for testing, they did it to punish her for being rebellious. Two nights ago they had broken her femur bone, when she yelped they made the pain worse by totally dislocating it and then putting it back together. Looking around, her mind still dull, something was different. (What was it?) She was in a bed, not the hard ones like they had in the clinics, but a soft one. The room wasn't colored in institutional white. Scrambling up, she ran out the room. Why had they left her without a restraint on? She jogged through the rooms. Then she came upon a room with a man in it, two strange men with two strange women. Who were they? Were they observers?
"Max." the blond guy said surprised. "What are you doing..."
She decided to make a run for it, she ran out that room only to find another room, everything confused her. "Max!" the bland man called.
Suddenly everything began to spin and she collapsed on the ground. She went back into a haze feeling a dull throb of her leg, it hadn't already healed. There goes that escape. Where was she trying to escape to? She knew there was a place in her past that she wanted desperately to get back, but she didn't remember to where. Soon she went back into the horrifying dreams. She screamed out names, she didn't know who's name or why she had called them out, but the comforted her.
* * * * *
"How long till she comes back to us?" Zack asked looking at Bling. The large husky man shrugged.
"Not sure, I've never dealt with these chemicals before, I have no idea what they are and what they do." Bling said his forehead knotting. "I wish I did, I wish I could tell you and help you guys out."
Zack remembered a book that he had read when he was ten. It was a pre-pulse book, 'Dragon Blood' it was called. He remembered what the little boy had said. 'Wishes don't fill bags'. He agreed and there was no point on telling people what they wished. Just like the bonders in that book, manticore rogues just didn't have good luck. "That's ok Bling. She's home safe."
"Do you think she's physiologically damaged since she didn't recognize anyone?" Jodie asked looking at her sister lying on the bed. Zack had tied her down so she wouldn't run away and get caught again.
"Everyone is after they visit that place." Zack whispered softly. His sister nodded agreeing and then left the room. He could tell that she didn't like seeing her sister like this. "Bling, don't tell Logan. We want her to recover slowly with as little trauma as possible."
"Yeah, I guess I wont. Just make sure she takes it careful and call me when she wakes up." Bling replied grabbing his medical supply bag.
"Bling?" Zack asked. The man turned to look at Zack. "Thank you."
The man nodded and left leaving Zack in the room with his little sister. How could they do this to you sis? How could they be human an harm you? You're so innocent. You always were never wanting to take part in the killings and if you had to you never used a weapon because you thought that was unfair to the humans. You'd let your emotions go wild and got punished for it. You even let go of a hostage because he pleaded his life to you. You let him go and he escaped. For that you were sent to the punishment cells where God knows what they did. You never deserved any of it. Me, I felt a rush of happiness when I killed the enemy, that is why I deserved the punishment. But you, you never did.
Two hours later he woke up to a whimper, something so painful it made a human soul cringe. She was scared, she tugged on the ropes and tried to escape, her eyes as wild as a deer. He quickly got up, looking at him her soul shrunk away and all the fire in her eyes ran out of sight leaving dull dark eyes staring at him. She was pale and had lost a lot of weight, but she had also gained a lot of muscle.
"Max, it's me Zack. I don't know what they did to you but I'm here." he spoke soothingly and lifted his hand . she turned her face to the side ready for a hit. When it didn't come, she looked back at him her eyes gaining more fear, fear of not knowing what was going on. "You don't remember me do you? You erased it from your mind..."
"Permission to speak sir." Max asked weakly. He had never seen her cower like thins, not in all his life. He couldn't imagine what they might have done to her to make her like this. She was a strong willed girl, that's what he liked about her, that's why she was his favorite sister. Now that she coward, he got scared.
"Max, It's Zack, I'm your brother." Zack replied almost crying it out but kept his patience.
"Who is Max? I am the only one in this room... and I am X5 452. I have no brother." Max responded quietly waiting to see what would happen next.
"You are Max. You named yourself when we were kids. When we fought side by side and I was your CO. You are my sister. There is no X5-452. You are Max. Max is who you are inside and out. I am Zack, your bother, your watcher. And I did not watch close enough.." he began sobbing. Suddenly her eyes lit and then dulled again as if a thought struck her and she fought it back in.
"Sir, I know this is a trick. I don't know who Zack or Max is. I am X5-452." she said with an uncertain voice as if she were lying. Zack found hope in this.
"No, it's not little Maxie. I know that you are my sister. I am Zack through and through. You are Max. There is no such thing as X5-452." Zack repeated over and over until soon her body relaxed and she looked at him unsurely. As if she was hoping she wouldn't get punished she spoke his name quickly and with haste. "Yes Maxie. It's me. I swear, would I ever lie to you?"
Her eyes rimmed with tears and her quickly undid the straps that tied her down. She sat up and hugged him and for the first time in his life he didn't feel uncomfortable about hugging her back. Fuck emotions, fuck Manticore. They stayed like that for a minute and then she let go and lay back in the bed wincing.
"I thought I'd never see you again." she whispered almost as a breath. She didn't smile but her eyes showed through the stone with a sparkle almost like the sun peaking over the mountains. "They asked where you were and If I knew how many others that survived. I used their own methods against them and .forgot everything. They tried ev..." she paused seeming like she didn't want to be to truthful. "They tried to get me to spill. But I wouldn't, because I didn't know."
"What did they do to you Max?" Zack asked. Her eyes turned cold again. She shook her head.
"It wasn't bad..." Max lied not even trying to cover it up. "Nothing new. Just old teachings."
"Max, don't lie to me. You have cuts, bruises and burns all over your body. It's not hard to see that... I'm glad your back. I should leave you to rest." Zack got up but a strong grip on his arm stopped him. He was suprised how weak she looked but how strong her grip was.
"Would you stay? Please?" Max pleaded her eyes showed her fear, fear that this would all be a dream and she'd wake up at Manticore. He knew that feeling. Nodding, he sat back down and she closed her eyes.
* * * * *
This time the dreams weren't from the past. They were all to real and to vivid. She'd go from scene to scene not knowing what would happen next. One minute Lydecker's men would be pumping electrical surges through her body, then the she'd be under water, and then she'd be doing curls, pushups, and drills. She cried, it was all to much. Lydecker poured acid on her back, she held back the scream of pain that was building. Then she found her self getting beat by a soldier, he used a night stick and beat her till she couldn't move. Then she screamed.
"Max!" yelled a voice very far away. She jolted awake. Sweat soaked her sheets and clothes, tears ran down her eyes, sobs raked her body.
"Oh God Zack. Don't let them take me back. Please don't let them take me back. I'd rather die then go back. Help me Zack, I'm to scared." Max sobbed. He held her and she put her head on his chest. He hushed her.
"I promise Max. They'll have to kill me to get you back Maxie. God what did they do to you?" He whispered trying to sooth her aches that pined her soul. "Max, they wont harm you without going through me first."