Chapter 7: Take Me
"Ow," Wakko moaned. Darn why did his head hurt? Actually everything hurt, hurt, hurt. It was just a small ach which forced him to wake up. When he did he instantly wanted to be unconscious again.
He was warm though. He was surrounded by fur, but his lower back and legs were on hard, cold floor. It took him a while to figure deep breaths hurt like hell. Okay so he tried to sit up in the darkness. Bad idea. His stomach instantly flared in a fire pain. He bit back a yelp, and his furry bed began to move. There were voices around him, but his mind was fully upon the pain. Slowly…painfully slowly it stopped to a dull ach. He was in his brother's arms.
"Y-yakko…Dot?" he moaned.
"We're right here, kiddo," Yakko's voice came through the darkness above him. He wanted to see his face. Damn it. He wanted to be home with clean sheets, pancakes, and without pain.
Blindly he reached and touched a small face. Dot. Her face was wet just below the eyes.
"I'm fine, Dot," Wakko said. "Just hungry."
"Banana or apple?" Dot asked wandering away from Wakko's touch.
"Huh?"
"Our menu has been…momentarily deducted," Yakko explained.
"Huh?"
"We're on an all fruit diet."
"Oh…Wait! What do they think we are, monkeys?"
"After we get out of here we'll go on pizza run for a whole week."
"Sounds nice," Wakko said. "I'll have an apple."
Two hours later they took Dot. Wakko could only cower in the corner with his eyes shut tightly against the struggle. Each breath inhaled was like breathing in hot ashes. His fingers gasped the dust on the concrete floor while his sister screamed. Yakko fought the best he could, but in the end there was nothing he could do to stop it. They took his sister.
"Damn you, bastards!" Yakko yelled hitting anything he could. "Leave her alone! Take me!"
Yakko yelled out any and all curse words, threats, and growls. The nasty tape was wrapped around Yakko's mouth not before his teeth clamped onto a doctor's hand.
"DOT! DOT!" Oh, how Wakko hated this. This helplessness that consumed him like his pain.
Runt was taken too after he tried to save Wakko's little sister. Yakko was knocked to the ground, the door slammed shut, and the cell was plunged into darkness.
She was gone.
"Yakko!" Wakko called loudly. His abdomen was on fire in protest, but Wakko didn't care. He crawled using his hands to his brother. Rita was already working on his muzzle.
"Wakko, stay where you are," Rita hissed. "Don't make me come over and sit on you!"
"Too late, Rita. Already here," Wakko commented through clenched teeth.
"Yakko! Hold still!" Rita scolded. "Seriously, you boys! You want Dot to come back seeing her brothers have turned into scratching post. Now hold STILL!"
Wakko reached them quicker than expected. He reached and found Yakko's hand and held it while Rita finished. Wakko bit his lip while Yakko whined when the tape was harshly removed in the darkness.
Finally it was off. Yakko just lied there seething with most of the fur removed from around his mouth.
"Yakko," Wakko called still holding his hand.
"Damn those doctors," Yakko hissed. "If I didn't have this damn band I would…."
Yakko hardly ever swore. He talked a lot but never swore. It made Wakko's blood run cold and his stomach twist. Sure he shared his brother's anger, but to hear his brother so…different. It scared him.
Yakko stood quickly. Stormed toward the door and slammed his fist against the metal yelling as he did. Wakko could only lie there again on the floor…weak.
"Take me, you bastards!" Yakko screamed. "Give her back and take me!"
Wakko couldn't take much more. It hurt too much. It was a different kind of pain then the one threatening to tear his insides. It was a helplessness that consumed Wakko. A thought crossed his mind. Why didn't he die there on the table? Why did they allow him to live only to watch the destruction of his family?
"Why didn't they kill me?" Wakko sobbed out load. It was just a whisper, but in the small cell it filled every crack.
"Don't you ever say that again," Rita hissed her voice filled with vile. "Do you hear me? You can't give up! Once you've given up your as good as gone! Nothing will save you!"
Wakko was instantly in Yakko's arms. He felt his brother's tears on his forehead. Wakko's body bucked in pain but he gripped Yakko's shoulder. There was too much pain! He stifled a whine.
"It was something Runt always told me," Rita said softly. "You've always need hope because if you don't you'll be pushing up daisies. Definitely daisies. You've gotta find something to live for. You've gotta cheer up and never give up hope."
Wakko passed out in his brother's arms.
