Chapter 4: Injection

A few weeks have passed since I woke up in my dank, cold stone cell. Woke up to an unknown world full of blood tests and daily medical examinations. A lonely, isolated place where the people who on rare occasions pass by my prison have neither faces nor names. They are all just soulless moving corpses in my eyes.

Maybe my sanity has finally slipped, or maybe I am hallucinating through anaemia, but I swear that those things are not entirely human. They speak in one tone and all seem to share the same voice. I can never recall their faces; maybe they just don't have one? Anything is possible to me now and it is jus to much energy for me to waste on trying to figure the puzzle out.

I sit up and sigh in defeat after spending two hours staring at the ceiling counting imaginary sheep and still failing to fall asleep. I rub my arms and the cool metal chain o my wrists rattle with the sudden movement. I then glance up t the clock across the hall. My nurse Matsuri put it up there at my request a couple of days ago as I was going crazy at not knowing the timings of things going on. It is currently 6.30am and once again I have not slept at all this night.

I listen to the ticking off the clock and count in my head. I reach ten then the door screeches open on its un-oiled hinges. He is seven seconds late today. I watch his shadow glide ever closer o my cell until finally he emerges from the shadows.

"Good morning Nicola. Sleep well?" Madara asks as he takes his regular seat across the bars from e with clipboard and pen at the ready.

"Morning Madara." I mumble, I gave up with the formalities weeks ago. "As for sleep, it is a no-go zone at the moment.

He tuts at me, shaking his head.

"You need sleep. Skipping it is bad for your health." He says.

I shift position so I am sitting crossed-legged on my bed and face him. Oddly enough, I am getting used to this strange routine and the fact that I am stuck in this cell. Not for much longer if I have any say in it.

"It's not like I can help not sleeping. I do try to." I say suppressing the erg to yawn.

"Well at least you are trying." He says sighing and tapping his pen on his chart. "You have been here a month now, including the week out were unconscious." He states.

"I am aware of that." I say. It looks like something is up.

"Well, your friends blood has finally finished being tested." He says carefully and looks at me intently to judge my reaction.

My face hardens and I ball my hands p into fists until my knuckles turn white. My 'friend' he means Gaara. And with the tests finished being his way of telling me that my time as a human is up. I never thought that my humanity would be something to miss, but I think I might get all nostalgic about it in the near future.

"You know what this means don't you?" he asks, just o make sure I am still listening.

"Game time." I say and meet his gaze with my icy one. He winces slightly at it; my numb personality has turned my glair into quite the cold one.

"That's on way to put it yes." He says sighing and reading off his charts. "The human trial runs all ended in mortality. His genes were just to strong and consumed them. Their cells were devoured and destroyed. They didn't stand a chance." He looks up at me. "But your cells have a neutral gene in them somewhere that will enable you to cope with the change."

"When?" I ask, stopping him in his so heart-felt attempt at comforting me. "When does it happen?"

"In a couple of hours." He says placing his clipboard down on his lap and biting his lip. "I am confident that things will run smoothly. But you can never be a hundred percent sure…"

I chuckle at how worried he is over me. I can understand has concern. From a scientific perspective he is taking a very large risk. It is odd how I can detach myself from the situation at times like this to try to see the other side of things. It makes no sense for a scientist to risk their only specimen in such a risky experiment, so the fret is justified. Yet if it all plans out, the benefits could be extraordinary. The power of a blood sucker in the form of a shifter, the possibilities are endless.

"Okay." I say after a moment of thought.

He looks up at me and his gaze steadies. He nods before getting to his feet, clutching his beloved clipboard tightly. He really is very nervous about this. He says goodbye and tells me he will be back to give the injection himself along with Matsuri.

I listen to his dull footfalls leave down the hall way and wait for the mental door to slam shut before I let out the breath that I didn't know I was holding. I stare down at my bare, pale feet. They are dirty from the floor, and the many times I have paced my cell in boredom. I run my fingers through my bangs, since being here my hair seems to have grown quite long. I pull my ponytail round and inspect the hair for any split-ends. There are none.


I only have two hours left human or even two hours just being alive. What should I do? I glance round my cell and think. I suppose I should start with my final silent goodbyes to everyone, just in case. So, who do I start with?

Sasuke, thanks for being so overprotective all the time. Even though I acted like I was angry, most of the time I was secretly happy that someone cared enough to nag me about irrelevant things. Like looking both ways when crossing and never taking sweets from men who smirk at you. Thanks especially for the latter, though I know you had trouble curbing that particular habit of mine. I really do have a sweet tooth. Don't argue too much with Naruto and Arisu, but give them lots of love from me, Hinata to. I still have that dagger I pinched from you when we were seven; it is on the wooden bed frame in my apartment on the head end of my bed.

Naruto, you next. Thanks for always being so loud and happy all the time. You really are just like a sun when you act like that. Try not to hassle Sasuke to much and make sure to let Hinata have lots of love and affection, by hell does she deserve it after how long she had to wait for you to finally notice her. Don't argue with Arisu to much. I leave my comic collection to you. It is under my bed in the grey shoebox on the far right-hand side.

Okay Hinata it's your turn. Thanks for keeping the sanity for all of us. You are so kind and understanding no wonder everyone loves you so much. Keep loving Naruto, he is a dummy but hopefully he will grow out of it some-what. Keep Sasuke and Arisu from arguing with each other and Naruto to much. It's a hard job but I know that you can do it! You are free to pillage all the clothes in my wardrobe, both in my apartment and at work. They will fit you the best seeing as we both have the same chest size. I think. Never give up! You are stronger then you think!

Orochimaru. What can I say about the likes of you? Well, you have been such fun to work with! I am so glad that I had such a great boss, not everyone is as lucky to have a boss who lets you use their deceased clientele as puppets and dace round with them. So many weird and wonderful times... Try not to work Kabuto so hard and I hope my replacement can live up to my standard. If not, sack them! You have my permission to do so. You can ransack my room and take whatever you want really, as long as you share with Kabuto. But leave my clothes; they are for Hinata only so don't even think about it you sick, sadistic snake man. I want you to know that even though I never got to meet my real dad, I considered you a farther to me and are proud to admit it.

Now it is your turn Kabuto. What is there to say? You are a constant nag and worrywart. You blow up anything negative that happens me into some big drama. But it is only because you care and I love you for it. If I had to give a role to you, it would be my mother. You care so much it hurts some times thinking about how you deal with it all. Keep Orochimaru on a short leash and don't let him take all my stuff for himself, you get in there to! You are the only mother I have ever met who is able to wear a pink frilly apron and glair sadistically to such a degree that you look actually masculine. Not that you don't usually, just with that apron of yours.

The turn of my best friend next. Yes Arisu I am talking about you. Don't argue with Naruto to much and give Sasuke a break when it comes to that jealous streak of yours, he has to go through just as much as your and he never freaks out. Thank you for being so much fun and seeing the joy in everything. You are free to tear my apartment apart to look for stuff; you can have everything apart from the clothes, comics and Sasuke's dagger. Try not to miss me too much and keep out of trouble, though I suppose it being you that trouble will find you no matter what you do.

Have I missed anyone? All those in my classes I wish you the best of luck with exams and university. Teachers push them hard to do their best, but not too hard so that they keel over. Anyone else? Well then, I guess it is his turn.

Gaara. Okay you will be the hardest. At first like most of the girls in school I will admit that I was mesmerised by you. A perfect creature is what I saw you as, even all covered in blood. Then I got to know you. You annoy the hell out of me and are a pain in the ass. I don't think straight when it comes to you and that very fact confuses me to no end .But alone is this dark, cold cell I have realised something. I have been in denial all along. Embarrassment, confusion and jealousy. Those are all things you cannot associate with just a friend. I feel stupid for not realising it sooner. I have fallen in love with you. There I said it! I just wish that I could have really told you this, and that I would have found out your feelings for me in response.

I hope I shall meet you again in the next life. Be nice to be though! And don't tease me so much. Try not to hate other so bad and I hope that I have given you a better opinion of humans and shifters. Till we meet again.


I pull myself back into the room and whip the silent tears that I didn't realise had been falling from my eyes. I chuckle as I look at the salty drops on my fingers from my face. I didn't know saying goodbye could be so hard. At least I can die knowing that I don't regret not knowing how I saw Gaara. But I will regret never getting the chance to tell him, even if it wasn't face-to-face.

I hear the dull thud of footsteps from beyond the corridor drawing closer. I wipe my face again to remove any last tears and steady my resolve. The keys clang on the metal door as it is unlocked. The hinges scream in protest as they are moved. The footfalls approach and my nurse Matsuri comes into view. She looks nervous. I smile kindly at her and greet her as I always do.

I am ready to die.

She comes into my cell and draws out a large key. She gives me a pitied look, but I don't get angry. There is no point dying in anger. She places it into a large keyhole between where the two chains come out of the wall. There is a click and the metal clangs to the floor. She picks up one in each hand; I am surprised she can even lift them! She is a skinny little stick of a girl.

"Let's get going then." She says and swallows.

I nod and stand. She then leads me out of my cell and down the corridor towards the oil-deprived door. We do not speak, not that neither of us would know what to say. We continue through the door past many cells which are identical to mine, only with one main difference. There is straw in the floor, and no bed.

I peer into the darkened pits and are able to vaguely make out deformed humanoid shapes in the shadows. Deep panting comes from some; others make no sound at all. As we stop at the next door I decide to thoroughly inspect the creature within the nearest cell. I stare at the shape in the shadows intensely. After a moment my eyes adjust and I bite my lip to prevent a gasp escaping me.

Whatever it is, it appears to have once been human. It is slumped on the straw leaning against the back wall where it is chained to by the throat. Its clawed hands look like those of a sloth, only with human skin covering all bit the sharp tips. It rests them on what I presume to be its knees, but they look as if they are just the knee caps left, no skin or muscle of which I can see. The lower part of the leg is skeleton like, as if the poor thing had all of its flesh removed. The feet are larger than they should be, they seem to also be devoid of any body, but have a covering of skin which continues down to the toes which are long and webbed.

I presume the torso is also to be deformed in some way but the creature is hunched over its knees. Its arms are coated in thick hairs that appear matted in places with what I can only guess to be blood. It has long dark hear with falls down to hide its face, only a bald spot on the left side of its head shows the pale, scarred skin beneath. My stomach churns as I see that the spot is bald due the lack of an ear.

Only a think, grey rag seems to adorn its form. It hangs loosely off its thin shoulders, dirt and dark stains spattered across it. There are holes in places where the fabric has torn and left jagged holes in the material. Overall, the creature looks horrible. I pity the poor think.

There is a large click as the door finally opens. At the sound the creatures head twitches. It slowly raises its head. Times slows down for me. The hair falls back to partially reveal its face. No, his face. Chocolate brown orbs look on me with a glazed expression, but still I can see the humanity that lies behind them.

The face is scarred and it looks like half the lower jaw has been removed. Sharp, jagged teeth fill his mouth, not one row, but three rows on what is left of the upper and lower jaws. The gums look think and are broken, some parts bleeding. He has no lips to hide what has been done to him. His nose is none existent; there is just a pair of slit-shaped scars where it used to be.

He seems to not have a throat as such, but an open wound. There is neither skin nor flesh. I can clearly see his oesophagus, the later of which expands and contracts as he takes his thin, shallow breaths. I can also see a glisten of white of his spinal column as it descends from his skull, a think strip peeking through the vertebrae. His spinal cord is still intact. That means he can still move. He can still feel everything.

Our eyes remain locked for what seems like minuets, but can only be seconds as Matsuri pulls me through the doorway. My head even turns so our gazes can remain locked. Just as the door is shut the glazed look fades and I see the man he once was and a single tear falls from his right eye, a bloody tear of sorrow. But as I am moved on I feels as if the tear may have had a different meaning all together. A tear of thanks, that someone had finally seen him as a person, not a beast.

"It is best not to look to closely." Matsuri says and I look up at her back, it is tense. It seems she doesn't seem to approve of everything that goes on in here.

I nod at the comment even though she can't see me. I unclench my fists that I did not realise had formed. I stare past my nurse to the destination ahead. After a few more corridors of cells, which I don't look at, then we reach a plane, normal looking corridor. It cream coloured walls seem to bright and I actually wince as I look at along it. Steel doors line the walls on either side. They have large windows at head height and I peer through some to see wide arrays of medical equipment and machinery. A few we pass contain rooms with empty beds and they resemble the hospital wards like those you see on programmes like Casualty.

The hall forks to the left and one single door lies at the end of it. I peer over Matsuri's shoulder and through the glass of the door to peer into the room. Madara's face appears and the door is swung open as soon as he registers who is outside.

"Right on time. Come on in." He says, standing back like a gentlemen would hold the door open for a lady.

We step inside. It is the same cream colour as the corridor walls. It has a single bed which takes up the centre space of the room. There are chains on all four corners of it and on the right hand side there is a mental trolley with what looks like a flue jab on it. Only the liquid inside the needle is red. There is a heart monitor and a defibrillator already set up. There is an array of surgical equipment and I spot several tanks of various gases spotted round the room. On the shelves there are many vials of medication. I can't make out the labels, but the one that one of those faceless people is holding has a very clear label. Morphine. A powerful sedative and painkiller. Well this all looks very promising. Death, I hope you're ready? I know I am.

"Well, lets get you strapped in then." Madara says and I look up at him. He gestures to the bed. "In case of muscle spasms. And possible violence."

He somehow appears older to me as I look at him. Sweat is running down the side of his face which is wrinkled with age that I hadn't noticed before. He is pale and his hands are shaking. He has dark bags under his eyes that rival a panda and his dark orbs look glazed, worn-out.

I have accepted my fate, I remind myself and nod at the old shifter's request. Matsuri looks at me worriedly before walking me over to the bed. I sit down on it and wait patiently as she fiddles with the chains on my wrists. They fall to her waiting hands and I have to suppress the urge to rub my saw wrists as she lays my shackles to one side. She then asks me to lie on my back which I do. I shuffle my body deep into the mattress and close my eyes in a moment of bliss. This is the most comfy I have been in a long time.

I open my eyes as I feel the familiar cold of metal on my wrists as I am shackled to the bed. Matsuri then goes to the end of the bed and locks the chains around my ankles. I look down at my dirty grey t-shirt and trousers that I was given yesterday to wear after I had finally persuaded Matsuri to sneak me a fresher change of clothes.

Madara nods at one of the faceless people and they move away to the side of the room near the oxygen cylinders. Matsuri stands beside the metal trolley and Madara moves up beside her. She uses some alcohol and cotton wool to clean a patch of my skin on my left arm, over a bright blue vein. I have noticed that my veins have seemed to stick out a lot more since I came here.

Madara picks up the needle as Matsuri moves away and goes to stand along with the rest of the faceless which have all gathered around the oxygen tanks. Madara mutters some encouragement, more to himself it would seem.

"It will be alright." He says. "This will work."

I turn my head up to the light above my head, it is broken and there is no bulb. I feel relief at the thought that I am not in the spotlight for all to see, but am partially shadowed. No one knows what will happen after all. But as I have prepared myself for the worst. I will say death is the most likely outcome.

I see Madara's shadow fall over me. His warm hand rests itself on my arm in a gentle but firm grip. He thumbs the vein to check that the needle will go in correctly. Then there is the sting of pain that comes from the needle being inserted. I hear the squirt of fluid as it goes into my body.

Immediately I feel the spot on my arm ice over, then the sensation continues up my arm and to the rest of the body. It feels as if my veins have frozen. I listen closely for a moment in the silence which has fallen over the room and mentally sigh as I locate the sound of my own heartbeat. It is slow and subdued, but it is still there. I am not dead yet.

I feel my stomach clench in pain and I roll to my side in a jerky motion and curl up. I swallow down the bile in my throat. I gag but stop myself from throwing up just yet. The chains chime in my ear, the sound is defining.

"Bowl." I manage to rasp out between gags.

A large silver bowl appears in my vision a moment later and I let the entirety of my stomach fall into it. At least I cold sensation is gone. But it has been replaced by a throbbing sensation all over my body, as if my veins wish to push out through my skin.

"Morphine!" I hear Madara bark and there is the clanking of bottle.

I am sick again, but this time my throat burns as mostly acid spews into the silver bowl. There is curse. Everything is starting to sound further away. My organs seem to be shouting in protest at me. As if my body is crying for help. I can almost hear my own body screaming at me.

Stop it! Help! I don't want to die!

No. I tell it. Death is something which is coming for me and I shall accept it. My stomach churns up more fowl smelling acid in protest. I can hear people shouting in the background. Something about something not working. Who are we loosing? Loosing me? Well, what did they expect? Everything to go just as they want? Nope, like is a bitch like that.

My limbs start to feel heavy, as if lead weights are pinning me to the bed. I try to move my legs, I will them to shift just a little bit. They don't respond. I mentally sigh to myself and decide to give up. It looks like whatever is going on; I have absolutely no control over it. I just know that this is going to take a hell of a long time.

Death. If you can hear me, it is very rude to keep a lady waiting you know. So please hurry up because I bore very easily and I am bordering on dullness at this moment. But I suppose that I can bare it, just as long as this experiment fails and I get to die. If not, hell hath no fury because mythical entity or not, I shall kick your undead ass if I live through this!


Okay 4th chapter finally done!

I had real writers block on this one ¬_¬ but I got over it.

I am offereing cookies for any reviews as I did in chapter 3.

Hope you liked it! *bows*

ByeBee! :3