An Edge of Tomorrow Fiction
Live, Die, Repeat
"William Cage, the Major that was inspired by love in the end to keep going. The one who will make Rita Rose Vrataski feel loved, wanted, and cherished for the rest of her life."
Living the Beginning Of The End
Chapter 3: Only Makes It WorseCage could've sworn that this was a joke, but the glass of water and the two pills in his hand told him otherwise. The Major's room was small, having a bed and a desk in the corner. A small window was next to his bed, rays of sunlight shinning through it. Every now and again a mimic would scratch at the window, but Cage was getting used to falling asleep with the mimic at the window.
He chugged the pills down and set the glass on the table. He wasn't sure how long he was going to be here. The nurses told him to take his pills and soon he would get out, buts that's what they told his neighbor and his neighbor is a whack-job.
The Major sat upon his bed, his legs brought up under his chin. The mimic purred up to his window like a giant house cat. Cage swallowed hard as the mimic raked his claws against the glass, it sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Cage covered his ears, the noise making his ears ring. His body tensed and all thoughts seemed to vanish as all he could think about was the mimic getting into the room.
Cage glanced slowly at the window behind him, the mimic was gone, nothing but the outside world. He crawled over to the window and looked out, trying to find the beast. Suddenly the mimic popped out from below the window, causing Cage to spring up from his bed and under his desk.
The door knocked loudly, making Cage peep out from under the desk.
"Mr. Cage I going to come in now." Said the nurse's voice as the door unlocked. The blond nurse stepped into the room, her shinning hair kept neatly up in a bun. She smiled gently at him.
"Now what are you doing under there?" She asked like he was a child. Cage took a quick glance towards the window then back towards the nurse.
"I thought I saw something." He said innocently, crawling out from under the desk. A figure stood behind the nurse and Cage peered over to get a better look.
"Mr. Cage, your friend Mrs. Rita is here to see you." She told him and Cage's face lightened up.
Rita never knew Cage could've withered away so fast, when she stepped into the room, his smile was almost enough to make her cry.
"May I have some time alone with him?" She asked, turning towards the nurse.
"Of course." She replied and walked out of the room. Rita turned to Cage and suddenly she hugged him. Cage looked startled but then enjoyed her company.
"What happened? Why are you here?" She asked, not letting go of him.
"I don't know. I don't know." He stammered desperately and Vrataski felt bad for him. Rita and William stared into each other eyes; his eyes were full of fear while her eyes were filled with sympathy.
"I promise I'll get you out of here." She stated, drawing him close again.
"You promise?" He said, almost dreamily.
"I promise." She reassured him.
Cage didn't know how much time passed since that conversation; he just knew that only about five days ago they got him a new psychiatrist, one from the Government that knows every detail about the war with the Omega.
The Major stepped into the room; he wore regular jeans with a white t-shirt and a red plaid button-up shirt. His gray sneakers fit snuggly around his sore feet. His psychiatrist smiled at him, he sat comfortably on the brown armchair, legs crossed and his hands placed carefully on the clipboard.
The psychiatrist got to his feet and reached his hand out to shake.
"I'm Doctor Nicholson and you must be-"
"Cage, William Cage Sir." Cage said hesitantly, scanning his new surroundings.
"Please, have a seat." Doctor Nicholson said, showing him to his armchair. Cage sat down and Nicholson sat opposite of him.
The Major studied his surroundings carefully, the room was almost a perfect square, the door was behind him to his right. A fake tree sat in the upper left corner, along with a table, that had pictures of nature. Directly across was a cabinet file, a quite large one in fact, probably had all the records of every patient this man had. The floor was hardwood, in the center, between him and the Doctor, lay a fluffy brown rug. Up on the walls were paintings, which all had the same thing in common, they were of nature.
As the Major observed the room, Nicholson observed him. Watching as his eyes flickered back and forth, acknowledging everything in the room. Nicholson drummed his fingers against his clipboard patiently. It took Cage a few moments to realize he was staring at him.
"Shall we begin?" He asked, giving his patient a gentle smile. Cage frowned.
Rita longed to see Cage again, to touch his face, to feel his warmth. She currently took out her feelings on the punching bag. The conversation she had two weeks ago with him still echoed inside of her brain. Every few days Wilson would give her updates on Cage's status, but it wasn't enough for her.
Vrataski couldn't say how much she wished that Cage was alright, healthy, fit . . . normal. All she could see of him was that smile he gave her when she first walked into the room. He looked like a child that had just seen his father coming back from a war. The way the nurse found him haunted her dreams, the way he crawled out from the under the table. The panic in his eyes.
Rita busted her knuckles as she punched the bag. The bones cracked under the force and she yelled in pain. She crouched down, balancing on the balls of her feet. Vrataski took in a few deep breaths. Pushing back all the memories of Cage.
Cage was supposed to be talking to Dr. Nicholson, but all he could focus on was the mimic that slept on the rug. It looked quite peaceful, curled up into a tight ball like a giant cat.
"Mr. Cage?" Nicholson said, trying to get his patient's attention. Cage snapped his neck towards him, his expression looked quite startled.
"Are you even listening?" The Doctor asked, his expression changing.
"Huh? Oh yeah . . . right." Muttered Cage, but still his focus wasn't on the psychiatrist.
"Mr. Cage, why don't we do this another time?"
Next thing he knew, he was being led down the same old white hallways. Cage could've sworn each time he walked down these halls, they go skinnier and skinnier. The Major walked between two bulky men, each one gripping his arm. He was determined to leave this place, but he didn't know how. Cage decided he could start with the pills.
The guards led him into his room and locked the door. A cup of water and two pills sat at his desk. Cage glanced up at the camera, wondering if they were actually watching or the cameras were just there to fool you.
Cage casually snatched the cup and pills. He tossed the pills in his mouth, but he clenched the between his teeth as he swallowed down the water. When he finished the drink, the pills remained in his mouth. The Major hopped onto his bed and laid down, with his back facing the camera, he spat out the pills and tucked them into his pillowcase.
Vrataski finally got permission to visit Cage once again after three weeks. The nurse led her down the hall and to the same room. She warned Cage she was coming in before she opened the door. The Major was pacing back and forth, his hair ruffled with lack of sleep.
Cage looked up from his muttering, for the four mimics that surrounded him got up and raced out the door. He glanced towards the nurse Wendy and saw Rita standing behind her.
"Mr. Cage, your friend Miss Rita is here to see you." She said gently, Cage just nodded his head and then continued to pace back and forth.
Wendy slipped quietly away from the room and Rita approached Cage.
"Cage?" She said, pausing beside him, but he didn't look at her. Rita tried to make eye contact but Cage refused. Vrataski suddenly put her hands on his face and Cage shivered at her touch.
"Rita?" He mumbled, seeming to snap out of his daze. Vrataski smiled.
"Yes, it's me Cage." Cage just half snorted in disbelief. Rita didn't know what to say, what to do. She hadn't gotten him out, but he seems to be worse than when she last saw him.
"It's okay, you always say that." Cage muttered, seating himself on his bed. Vrataski looked confused.
"I always say that? What do you mean?" She questioned, sitting beside him. Cage just sighed.
"You come through that door every day. You always say that it's you. And I know it's you, so you don't have to tell me." Cage replied and Rita's heart skipped a few beats.
"Cage I'm real." She said, trying to convince him, but the Major started to shake his head and chuckle.
Vrataski lasted about an hour before she left Cage. He had changed so much that now he was unpredictable. Cage really did think she was just a hallucination and she couldn't figure out what to tell him to make him believe it was her.
Rita requested to see Cage's psychiatrist, at first the nurse told her she couldn't do that, but luckily Doctor Nicholson was walking by at the time and heard the conversation. He then granted her request and led her down to his office. Nicholson took her to the exact room that Cage sat in everyday.
Nicholson seated himself at his own chair and let her sit in the one opposite of him.
"So we're here to talk about Mr. Cage ehh?" He said, crossing his legs and folding his arms in his lap. Rita tensed, observing his mannerisms. He was confident and seemed to have a thick mental barrier; she could tell by the way he held his posture.
"Yes. I have a few questions." She started, thinking of which one to ask first.
"Before we begin, I'm curious, what relation do you have with Mr. Cage?" He asked and Rita knew he more than likely already knew, but just wanted to see how she responded. Vrataski played along, letting him think that he was leading the conversation.
"Oh Cage? We're just good friends." She replied, fixing her blond waves of hair.
"You have to be more than just friends?" He persisted, his eyes narrowing at her.
"Hmm, I don't know, we never really thought of it. But enough about me, I didn't come here for you to evaluate me, but to learn about Cage."
"Very well then, what would you like to know?" He said, staring at her without ceasing. Rita drummed her fingers, a grin appearing on her lips after several silent moments. She glanced up and looked at him directly into his gray eyes.
"Let's start with day one."
Rita didn't leave the psychiatrist's room till after five hours. She drove all the way back to camp, by the time she got there it was past 9 o'clock. Vrataski already missed talking to Cage; just talking to him nowadays isn't the same as it used to be. She longed for the old days, the ones where all she worried about was herself and herself only. The days where she wasn't in love, the days Cage wasn't there.
Cage sat on his bed, waiting patiently for the nurse to enter the room. His pillowcase was full of pills and he wondered if they would ever find out. William planned to escape; he needed to leave this place before he joined the rest of these nut jobs. He had a feeling that he didn't belong here, someone planned this. Or he could just be paranoid, which was on his medical list.
Slowly the nurse entered the room, a cup of water and his pills in her hand.
"Here you go Mr. Cage." She said softly over to him. Cage got up hesitantly, watching for the right time to strike.
Once the nurse turned her back to him, he snatched up his blanket and wrapped it around her throat. The nurse stumbled backwards into him. Cage held it against her throat until she no longer struggled. He then threw the blanket aside and ran out the door.
He had to think fast, any moment now the guards would see the unconscious nurse and set the alarm. Cage raced down the hall making his way past the barred doors. Unfortunately a Doctor Nicholson was pacing through the halls to his office when he saw Cage fly by in the corner of his eye. He immediately set off the alarm.
William was racing down the last hall when the alarm went off and bars slammed to down to cover the exit. Cage came to a screeching stop and turned around. He had to find another way out, this was it. He then continued to run down the hall, his bare feet slapping the tiled ground.
The only other way out was through the roof and that was on the south side of the building. He would have to get past several guards to reach it, but it was the only way. Cage sprinted towards it, hearing footsteps behind him. He took a sharp right and crashed straight into a guard.
The guard tried to sedate him with his syringe, but Cage whacked his arm, making him drop it. The guard then tried to overpower him, but William easily avoided his swings. Cage then saw him pull out his buzz baton. The Major knew that he stood no chance against that.
He gave the guard one last blow into the chest and fled for his life. Cage reached the bottom of the stairs after several minutes. He took them two at a time, his heart pounding in his chest as he panted for oxygen.
Once at the top, he kicked the door open and raced through the entrance. The crisp air filled his lungs as he searched for a way out. Cage heard the guards rushing up the steps, so he closed the door and held the handle still so they couldn't open it. The door got slammed by the guards on the other side and William kept searching for a way out.
After a minute, Cage couldn't hold them off any longer, he let go and raced to the edge. Below him were dozens of windows. Quickly, Cage grabbed the lip of the edge and lowered himself down. He hopped from window to window. The guards above him couldn't reach him, so a group of them started to rush downstairs to meet him at the bottom.
Luckily Cage reached the bottom before they did and he sprinted off. Whizzing tranquilizer darts flew by him as the guards on the roof tried to hit him. Cage reached cover from other buildings and continued to run.
After a few hours, word reached the Boot Camp and Rita didn't know what to do. Days went by and there was no word from Cage. They had search team out to find him and he was even on the news. After two weeks, the search teams didn't cease, but continued to search for him.
Rita paced back and forth in the training room, her bare feet hitting the cold cement. Commander Wilson entered the room quietly, his big feet somehow made no noise. Vrataski looked quite surprised to find him in the room when she saw him.
"Can I help you Commander?" She asked, walking up beside.
"No, but you can help yourself." He started, scratching the back of his head.
"How?" She inquired her expression changing as she thought.
"I know how close you are to Major Cage, so I'm granting you time off to find him. You have a week before you have to come back. Spend it wisely." He said and he got an unexpected hug from her.
"Thank you Commander." She said quietly and suddenly she realized what she was doing and took a few steps away. Wilson just half smiled and left the room.
Rita sped off in her car, heaving a few sighs in relief. Now she had to think like Cage. If I was Cage where would I go? She drove past the Clinic and continued towards town. Cage would've found a hideout, somewhere no one would look, somewhere so obvious but just perfect.
Vrataski suddenly slammed on her breaks. The cars behind her came to a screeching stop and some swerved around her and continued to honk as they went by. Rita swallowed hard. Cage would go to someone he trusted and the only person he trusted was herself. Cage trusted her; he would go to her for help.
Rita pulled up to the intersection and did an illegal U-turn and sped back down to the Boot Camp. After she parked, she searched everywhere, including breaking into his bunker, which she found empty. She searched the entire camp but found him nowhere.
It was around 12 at night when she came strolling back to her trailer. Which she found the door cracked open.
"Cage?" She spoke softly inside, but to her surprise the room was empty. Rita sighed to herself; she must have left the door open when she left this morning.
She flipped on the lights and shut the door behind herself. On the fridge was a note and she checked the bottom of the note, but there was no signature of any sort. The note was hand written with a black pen, the words were smeared though, like a left-handed person wrote it. Cage was left-handed though, it had to be from him.
She scanned the note over, reading every detail and taking mental notes. After she was done reading it, she set it down and she jogged off into the night.
Cage waited in the parking lot, he sat upon her car, stroking its smooth sides. He had just gotten here about 2 minutes ago and he hoped that Vrataski had gotten his note. After about 5 minutes, Vrataski arrived, her hair kept in a ponytail and she wore an all black leather jacket with dark blue jeans and her normal military boots.
The Major swallowed hard, his heart filling up with emotion mixed with an uncontrollable anxiety. Rita had tears in her eyes when she approached him. Neither one of them spoke, but Rita ran straight to him and gave him a very tight hug. She pressed his head against her shoulder and wrapped her other arm around him. Cage's heart pounded, not sure how to respond.
Would she turn him in? Would she send him back to the nut house? Will this be his last night free? Will he ever see her again? Is this real?