Author's Note: Sorry for the short chapter, been busy. Not much happens, it's just a bridge chapter. Enjoy!
Six.
Rex woke to the lazy sound of mechanical beeping. It took him a moment to orientate himself. He opened his eyes, only to close them against the harsh white light that blinded him. He tried to raise his hand to shield his eyes, but couldn't move his arms above a few inches. He arched his neck to look down on himself. He was lying on his back, his limps strapped down to a hospital cot.
His head pounded against his skull and his mouth was dry. Panic started to rise within him and he began struggling against his restraints. The beeping from the machines started to increase, growing into an urgent pitch as Rex tried to break free.
Rex turned his head to the side at the familiar sound of air pressure releasing as a metal door slid to the side. Dr. Holiday jogged in and headed straight for the loud machines. Rex stopped thrashing and watched the doctor's eyes scan over the screen before turning a dial. The beeping didn't stop, but it wasn't as loud now.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Doc," Rex groaned. His throat felt dry and he swallowed thickly.
She seemed satisfied with his anwser. "Do you know where you are?"
"How…what…" he started to ask slowly.
"Do you know where you are?" She repeated.
Rex nodded. "Medical Ward in Provi-" he begin coughing.
"Hold on, Rex. Take it easy." She instructed. Holiday pushed a button on the side of the bed and the top half started to inch forward, allowing Rex to sit up. Next, she reached for the pitcher of water on the side table near the head of the cot and filled a tall paper cup and added a straw. "Drink," she instructed, holding the straw to his lips so he could drink his fill.
He drank two and a half cups before the pounding in his head eased up.
"How are you feeling?" Holiday asked when Rex refused the third refill.
"Tied down," Rex replied, managing a grin.
"Sorry, but we had to make sure that you still weren't a threat."
"Still a threat?" He repeated. "What happened?"
"I'm not entirely sure...after you were discharged by Kevin you and Noah disappeared. Not long after we got an Omega Evo Alert and Six got called into the field and were he found you..."
"But how do I lose control?"
"I don't know."
"But you have a theory?"
The brilliant doctor nodded. "One of the Agents found this during clean up." She held up a plastic evidence bag for Rex to inspect. Inside was a small empty syringe. "This syringe matches the needle we found enbedded in your neck. I've sent a samle of it to the lab to find out what you were injected with. I'm just waiting for the results."
"What do you think it was?"
"My guess, someone pumped you full of unstable nanities."
"Why?"
"Don't know." The doctor repeated and shook her head. "Perhaps whoever did this wanted to get Providence's attention, or maybe just yours. All I know is if Noah hadn't found a way to stop you," she let her voice trail off in a meaningful way.
"Noah's was there and he stopped me? Is he okay?"
Holiday smiled at the teen with knowing affection. "Yes, his fine. I'm more worried about you. I was hoping to learn more about what happened but you don't seem to remember and you've been asleep for over twenty-four hours."
"A whole day?" Rex tried to focus on Holiday's face, but the white of her lab coat stung his eyes and he turned away, blinking rapidly. "I…I don't know. I just can't remember."
Holiday brows knitted close together in concern. "Try to think of sounds and smells or how you felt."
"I remember being hungry." Rex frowned and tried to kick in frustration. "Doc, can you take these off me?" he asked, shifting in the leather straps binding his body to the bed.
"Sure," Holiday walked around to the opposite side of the hospital cot and started unstrapping the restraints from Rex.
"Ah, that's much better." Rex sighed, rubbing his wrists. He reached for the pitcher and drank the rest of the water.
Holiday held out her hand and Rex gave her the pitcher. He watched as she went over to refill it in a sink nearby. He drank another pitcher full and sighed, satisfied.
"So what's the deal, Holiday?"
"You're stable for now, but you need to rest as much as possible. I want to keep you here for observation for a few days, maybe staying in one environment may help you remember, and perhaps writing it down." She said producing his journal from the top drawer of the side table.
Rex snatched the book from her, his eye wide. "Sure, thanks" he said, stuffing the journal under the pillow. "You didn't read it, did you?"
"No," Holiday promised, shaking her head. "I understand that a growing boy needs his privacy."
Rex visibly relax, his shoulders sagging as he leaned back onto the bed.
"I'll send food in an hour, try to sleep until then."
"Thanks, Doc." Rex turned onto his side and tried to get comfortable, suddenly feeling extremely tried.
Holiday tuned the machines back up and once again the room filled with the sound of beeping as the EVO drifted off to sleep.
00000
"Stupid fucking blond bastard," Mark cursed, slamming his meaty fists through the makeshift table. Debris of plywood and scrap metal covered the cement floor as it was destroyed. Mark ignored the mess, his rage blinding him to anything else but the hate bubbling inside.
There was an acute stabbing pain in his palm and he saw that he had cut himself during his rant. Mark swore and pulled off his shirt one handed and placed it over his hand to stop the bleeding. His blood lust had left him the moment he saw his own blood falling to the ground.
"God dammit." He sighed and reached down to grab the First Aid kit off the floor and headed to a sink. He turned the tap and threw his t-shirt away so he wouldn't be tempted to use it again and contaminate the cut.
He put his hand under the tap, the cold water cooling off the heat radiating from the wound. The cut wasn't deep but it would take a few days to heal. He stretched for a towel while his hand stayed under water. With a groan Mark turned off the tap and wrapped the towel around his hand before the cut could start bleeding again. Already the blood flow was slowing, all he needed to do now was disinfect and bandage it properly. He looked around his makeshift base with a frown. Mark had destroyed the only table and now had nowhere to use the First Aid kit. He maneuvered himself over to his metal chair and set the kit on the seat then kneeled down in front of it. Using his injured fist to hold down the kit Mark used his other hand to open the kit and search for the necessary items.
Nearby a phone rang. Mark ignored it and continued to wrap his cut. He was familiar with the tone and knew that it was actually the fax and not the telephone that was ringing. Sure enough a few seconds later he could hear the sound of paper going through the machine as it printed off the message. Mark bandaged his cut and waited until the fax machine's timer went off indicating that the fax had finished printing.
Satisfied with his work Mark closed the kit and tossed it into the sink and walked in the child's bedroom that he had converted into his communications center. Tele wires and electrical cords littered the floor connecting monitors to computer screens and landlines placed around the room. Mark continued passed the computers and phones to the fax that had come in.
He's grin returned as he grabbed the paper and scanned the contents. Once again his Providence contact had come through for him. Mark made a mental note to add a bonus to the guy's payoff for really going out of his way to give Mark this information. He scanned the fax again to make sure he retained the contents to his memory and dug into his pocket to pull out his lighter and set the paper aflame. He held the paper out for a moment, watching the paper burn before dropping it into a metal trash bin then pulled out a prepaid cellphone from the depths of his jacket. He sent a text confirming that he had received the fax then proceeded to pull out the battery and break the phone in half. He was about to toss it in after the fax, but thought better of it and carelessly threw it onto the nearest table and placed the aluminum lid over the trash bin before the flames got out of hand.
Mark flexed his hands testing the hold of the bandages. There as a slight sting as pressure pushed down on the cut but Mark could easily block out the pain. He crossed over to the main room and stood with his fists on his hips as he looked at the arsenal in front of him. Stacks of ammunition lay next to their guns in weapon ready clips near to high velocity arrows and metal crossbows hung near to climbing gear stared back at him waiting to be used.
Mark selected the crossbow and a sling of arrows now that he knew that he was going to have a small delay in his plans and that meant he would need to practice.
Afterall according to his contact he wasn't the only one who needed time to heal.
