-Flashback-
"How are we doing today Ana?" Henry gale smile sweetly, a long white coat was hanging over his usual attire.
The room was empty, bright white walls and floors made the place look clean, sterile, not normal.
"That's good to hear" He replied, although no answer was given. He looked to the unconscious Ana.
She sat straight strapped to the cold metal chair. Her head was lolled to one side, wires fastened to her forehead and bare arms – which were cuffed to the arm rests, her feet cuffed to the legs of the chair.
The wires connected to a little machine placed on the desk beside her. "Well Ana," Gale cupped her face in his hand, admiring her sleeping form. Ana's whole body shook as an electric current surged through her body, waking her from her slumber.
The Machine beeped, the sound getting faster and faster.
Ana Screamed.
"How about we make this day even better?"
And with a sadistic grin, he flipped the machines switch.
-End Flashback-
"Ana! Ana wake up!" A voice was calling out to her from the black, drawing her out of her unconsciousness. "Ana!"
Her eyes snapped open.
The first thing she saw was a strong pair of arms clamped down on her shoulders. She bolted upright, Shoving her captor hard in the chest – sending him flying into the far side wall.
"Easy Chica! That ain't no way to treat your rescuers!"
Ana's head whipped to the side, Sawyer stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed over his chest, a smug look on his face.
Jack got to his feet. Dusting himself off as Ana took stock of her surroundings. She was in the hatch's 'bedroom', she got up from the bed, bare feet touching the cold floor.
Locke and Kate stood off to the to the side, Locke no longer needing his crutched to walk.
How long had she been gone?
She loked to Jack. "Sorry Man." She said, voice unsteady.
"Are you okay?" Jack asked her.
Ana Nodded, "I think so."
"You were screaming."
Ana turned to face Kate. "What?"
Kate inched further into the wall, a slight hint of fear on her features. "I-In your sleep… you were screaming."
"Bad dream?" Locke Asked.
She shook her head. "It was nothing."
Ana looked to the ground, not wanting to share what she had dreamt. The mere thought of it sending shivers down her spine.
Ana knew it wasn't just a dream. Henry had tortured her – for reasons unknown to her – and he would have done it more than once.
"Sure didn't sound like nothing." Sawyer mumbled.
Ana raised a hand to her cheek, feeling bruise forming there. She frowned with confusion. "You hit me," She looked up at Sawyer, "assh-le."
Sawyer grinned, "I say jump, you say…"
"…You first." Ana Smirked, remembering one of the first times Sawyer had had his teeth knocked out of him by Ana's fist.
Ana looked down at herself, only now noticing the torn gown she was wearing. She picked at the fabric, feeling it between her fingers.
"Ana…"
Jack saw her body go stiff, she stared hard at the fabric in her hands like everything around her had vanished. He drew in a sharp breath, waiting for Ana to speak. Move. Blink. Something that would let him know she was still alive, but it was obvious her mind had drifted elsewhere, but it didn't stop him from calling her name again.
"Ana…"
She heard Jack calling her name, could feel all of their eyes burning into her, watching as she stood there, as if in a trance – face blank, body absolutely still.
Blurred, distorted images flashed through her mind like a strobe light;
Running through the trees,
A knife plunging into her side,
A small hand leading her out of a door,
Being strapped down to a table – her white gown stained red.
Ana snapped out of her trance. "I need to get out of this…" She murmured, her mind elsewhere.
"T-Theres clothes in the laundry – unclaimed luggage." Kate stared at the other woman.
One moment she was fine, the next minute a zombie. Kate didn't know what to say or do around her, afraid that she would snap and hurt someone. She had heard the woman screaming in her sleep, saw the tears falling from her eyes as she fought with something in her dreams – something Kate didn't want to find herself face to face with. Her eyes caught Ana's and she saw nothing…
When Jack and Sawyer had returned to the hatch with an unconscious Ana in the southerners arms she had no idea that Ana would be like this. When Claire had returned to them she had lost all her memory, but she was almost exactly the same.. the only word she could use to describe Ana's state was 'off.'
"Thanks." Ana turned to leave the room,no one objected – tried to stop her. All of them standing in awe, not knowing what to do or say to the newly returned member of their group.
Sawyer stood up straight as Ana walked past – she paused, "How long have I been gone?" she looked at Sawyer – asking no one in particular.
"About a month." She heard Locke say – one of the only things he'd said during the whole thing.
Ana only nodded, then she turned and left, heading towards the hallway – almost robotic – leaving the others in the room to watch her go.
"They've done something to her." Sawyer said as soon as she wasn't able to hear them, stepping further into the room and closing the door behind him. "That's not Ana out there."
He was right and they all new it.
"It's the shock Sawyer, it'll wear off." Kate turned to Jack "Right?" her voice filled with unease, they all felt the same. What if Ana had changed? Had her mind been used a playground to the others, doing whatever they pleased to her brain just to see how far they could go before destroying her completely?
Ana stepped into the hatch bathroom, a bundle of clothes in her hands. She stared like a Zombie. Sliding the door behind her, snapping the lock into place, going through the motions like it was programmed into her.
"It's hard to say…" Jack looked out to the direction she had gone.
"she's been gone an entire month, who knows what they could have done to her in that time."
Ana placed the clothes on the small stool by the sink, she stood in front of the mirror, staring blankly at herself. She had lost weight, and her skin was noticeably paler. Her reflection looked strange to her.
"There is a slight chance that she might not even get better."
She looked deep into her own eyes, finding nothing but but a never ending black, like her soul had been ripped from her – taking away every inch of her being and leaving behind only her body, an empty shell slowly filling with nothing but confusion and pain."there's also a chance she will only get worse..."
Something inside her snapped – her face contorted with rage, and she lashed out. Her fist smashing the glass – and now there were several more strangers looking back at her.
She couldn't stand to look at herself. She lashed out again, and again, her fists pummelling the glass until there was nothing left but a thin wire frame and sliced open knuckles.
Ana let out a frustrated cry. Sinking to the floor, rocking herself backwards and forwards, tears streaking down her face as she sobbed.
"…And there will be no way of helping her…"