SUBJECT 204
Notes: So. Before we start, let's give some credit where it's due. HollowShadowWolf (Wolfie) is the best cheerleader 5ever and has been gracious (more or less) about all the beating they get from the angst of this story. Konako is perf because I now have two illustrations from this story by her and it's just amazing. Look her up because it's worth it yo. And then let's not forget FromThoughtsToInk (Andi). Check out her angsty af fic Beauty and the Beast. It gives me life. I think at this point we're trying to out angst each other.
This chapter took a lot longer to write than the others and I went through several versions till I figured out what I felt would provide the most impact. I won't spoil anything for you, and I'll just share my thoughts at the end of the chapter. But this one will be a bit of a kicker so as Emma said last chapter, "Buckle up."
CHAPTER TEN
It was agony.
Her skull felt like it was trying to split itself apart. The bright lights in her quarters were aggravating the headache and hiding under her bed did little to alleviate the pain.
Recently, she'd developed a habit of pulling at her hair when this agony came over her. Now, it was nearly impossible to grasp at the brutally short strands. What she was doing instead was clenching her hands into tight fists that dug her claws into her palms.
Claws.
She couldn't turn them back into fingernails anymore. She'd been trying all day. They stayed sharp and strong and they were now cutting into her palms. That was another habit she'd acquired in recent years.
The worst of the pain was centered around her head, but it wasn't isolated to that area. Her jaw felt tight and tense. Her skin was itching and crawling and burning up. Her stomach was twisting itself into knots and knots and knots of fire.
Whimpers and whines were coming out of her.
She was breathing heavily and trembling and curled up into a ball and everything she knew right now was pain.
The door to her quarters slid open and she saw boots approaching her. "Get out from under there, 204."
She hesitated, recognizing the voice as belonging to the guard she disliked. The one that didn't hold back when assigned to subduing her. The one that was rough when she was being transported. The one that taunted her when she was uncertain.
"My dog can follow commands faster than you." The familiar spark made her skin crawl. She saw the prod come in to view as he held it low so she could get a good look at it. "Get your ass out of there 204."
Still feeling the pain reverberating through her body, the subject slowly inched her way out of the bed. Agony shot through her limbs as she finished pulling herself out. There was a soft squelch as she pressed her palms against the floor to push herself up into a standing position. The scent of blood was fogging her senses.
It was her own blood but she was so hungry, it might as well have been gravy or barbeque sauce or cheese.
A gurgle rumbled in her clenching stomach.
The wave of pain was finally starting to recede, but it didn't go away entirely, merely dulling to a throb.
"There we go." Gaston motioned for the other guards to move around her. "Now face the wall, hands behind your back. You know the drill."
"Did you study the files thoroughly?"
It was a maze of hallways through the facility's lower floors and Belle doubted she would have found her way around without Dr. Gold to escort her. She also wouldn't have gotten far without Dr. Gold's security pass either.
"Yes, sir."
They passed several doors and it was hard to keep track of all the labels she sighted and they ranged from things like "rats" to "apes", which was standard enough, until they passed other doors with labels like "Yeti" and "Jersey Beast".
"Sir, were you considering letting any of the other interns study 204 as well?" Belle hoped he'd been considering Aurora as well. Not telling her the full story last night made Belle feel guilty. And there was also the hostility Tamara would be showing from now on if Belle's involvement with 204 would become regular.
"Maybe Tamara." Dr. Gold said, "She's not good with deescalation but I like the firmness with which she speaks to Regina. With the two of you working together, we could have a… what's the term?"
Just when Belle thought they were nearing the end of the facility, Dr. Gold led her to another elevator which went deeper down.
"Good Cop and Bad Cop is what it was called, I believe. That's the dynamic you could have with Tamara." Dr. Gold chuckled to himself as the elevator slowed to a stop. "With how much time we spend down here, some of us are very behind on the latest media. Regardless, Whale and I had been talking about having the two of you collaborate more."
The elevator doors opened and Dr. Gold led the way out. "I was hoping to observe Tamara and yourself for several more sessions, but since you've sped up the process, I may be approaching her about 204 any day now."
"Thank you, sir." The thought of working more closely with Tamara made Belle uneasy. Attempts to get to know the girl better tended to be met with hostility and sarcasm.
"There is so much more data in 204's file, but the overview I gave you should be enough for now. I didn't want to overwhelm you, dearie."
"Er… thank you, sir."
The images of a girl being cut by silver blades and metals still kept running through Belle's mind, still made her stomach churn. It was hard not to cringe visibly as the elevator doors finally opened into another hallway. She had to stay calm. Emma was so fond of pointing out how transparent Belle and her expressions were. It was important now for her to maintain her composure.
"By the way, I've spoken with Dr. Whale." Dr. Gold led the way past several doors and swiped his keycard over another scanner. "He claims he'll make sure to be more careful about keeping classified files classified."
The doors opened up but Dr. Gold stepped in front of Belle, blocking her way and shielding her view of the room. "I hope we have an understanding dearie, that I can expect you to be at least a little bit more careful than Dr. Whale."
Meeting his eyes, Belle kept her face as neutral as she could. "I understand."
"Good." Dr. Gold turned and led the way inside. The doors shut behind Belle as she took in the new location. There were monitors and file cabinets and shelves with miscellaneous binders all over the room, but the main part that pulled Belle's attention was the thick glass that spanned a whole wall, from floor to ceiling.
Belle walked closer to the glass.
The room on the other side was bare in comparison to this one, with just one monitor. Several guards were stationed inside, piling over and restraining someone. Chains rattling under them were bolted to the floor. The guards were maneuvering farther from the bolts until the chains were pulled taut. Dr. Whale and Dr. Hopper had their backs turned to the glass and were focused on the subject.
An arm was being stretched out from under the pile of guards. It was thin and pale and ended in claws instead of fingernails. The skin under the manacle around the person's wrist was red and raw. Once the guards had steadied the arm enough, Dr. Hopper was able to take a blood sample.
Growls and screams suddenly filled the air, startling Belle and making her jump. She tore her eyes away from the scuffle to see that Dr. Gold was standing over another scientist manning the controls. The microphones must have been turned on and now the sounds of the struggle were filling the control room.
Returning her attention to the other room, Belle drew closer to the glass.
Dr. Whale and Dr. Hopper had finished up what they were doing and starting to exit, walking just a bit faster than usual. The guards were signaling to each other and coordinated moving away from the subject, forming a loose circle around her. Belle noticed that they were all brandishing electric prods that sparked to life.
Now that the guards had moved away from the subject, Belle had a clearer view.
And it hurt.
The long brown hair from the picture and from Emma's image was gone. Instead, scanners and wires covered a scalp that held just a thin layer of very closely cropped hair.
Where there may have once been deep green eyes full of life and energy, there instead were sunken, tired eyes with a dullness to them that hurt to look at. The high cheekbones from the teenage picture were exaggerated on her face now, bony over the sunken features.
There was a thick collar around the subject's neck, most likely lined with silver, based on the irritated skin underneath it. A thin hospital gown was draped over her, and despite its looseness, the emaciated form underneath could still be made out.
Horror and pity wrenched at Belle's stomach and she felt lightheaded.
Folding her arms across her chest and biting her bottom lip, Belle tried to keep her face relaxed and expressionless. She needed to keep her composure on the outside even if on the inside, she felt turmoil.
Subject 204 wasn't growling or screaming anymore, but she was breathing heavily and every so often would cry out and recoil.
"The transformation should be starting soon." Dr. Gold was now standing next to Belle. He handed her a clipboard. "You can just note what you observe for now. Tomorrow we can go over more data and run some proper tests. Tonight, dearie, just watch and observe since what you're about to witness is the spectacle of a lifetime."
Everything hurt.
It was like she wasn't getting enough air no matter how much she breathed in and out. Her lungs were on fire and she rubbed at her head, reminded once again that there were no longer any strands she could pull at.
Her stomach was cold and claws were tearing it up from the inside.
Letting out a long, low whine, she clenched her fists behind her head and hid her face between her elbows. Her palms were being punctured by her claws again, but she didn't particularly care about that right now. The smell of blood hit her nostrils and made her stomach rumble.
Breathe.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Her jaw was clenched tight and her teeth were pushing against her gums and her lips and it hurt and her eyes were burning up and…
It passed.
The agony dulled to a throb.
Unclenching her fists, she put her damp palms flat against the floor and pushed herself up into a sitting position. There was still an ache in her head, like a band of metal was clamping down on her skull, getting tighter and tighter.
She wished it would just go away.
She wished they had the cure already.
She wished she wasn't a monster anymore.
But she was.
And time was ticking down to when the monster came out of her completely.
The guards were stationed just out of her reach if she pulled the chains taut. Most of them were at the ready with their prods. The one guard who treated her better than she deserved was just standing and not brandishing any weapons. Dammit, what was her name again? Milan? MULAN. That was it.
They made eye contact and though Mulan kept her mouth neutral, her eyes looked… pained? Concerned? Pitying?
It was hard to read, but the subject knew it was more than she deserved.
Rubbing at her forehead with her bloodstained hands, wishing the pain would go away, she looked at the glass wall in front of her. It was tinted, but she could make out shapes of the people watching her. She tried to focus instead on her reflection. It was hazy, but she could make out the silhouette of her crouched, scrawny form. She could make out the clear shape of her head, no longer framed by hair.
She couldn't make out her eyes, but they should be starting to glow yellow soon.
Another wave of pain blasted through her and it was more intense than ever. It burned through her skin, her nerves, her very bones. The ache in her head was splitting, breaking through her skull and her jaw and her teeth and her nose.
"It's starting." Dr. Gold's teeth gleamed as he beamed wide. He rubbed his palms together and turned to Belle. "It's a beautiful sight that leaves me in awe, no matter how many times I've already seen it."
The excitement on the head scientist's face was almost manic, and it unnerved Belle. She tried to return his smile without cringing. "I'm looking forward to it."
Hugging the clipboard close to her chest, Belle returned her attention to Subject 204.
The poor girl was thrashing and screaming in pain, sending the chains rattling back and forth. Surrounding her, the guards were brandishing their prods and prepared for… whatever danger they were anticipating. Belle noticed the guard that had been assigned to watch Aurora earlier today was in a prepared stance but not yet drawing her weapon.
"Lower the volume of the speakers a bit, Igor." Dr. Gold instructed, before turning to speak to Belle again. "As much as I adore the spectacle of it, I can't stand the screaming."
This was sickening.
A part of Belle wanted to just turn away from the agonized screams, look away from the thrashing, emaciated form on the other side of the glass, run away from this facility that was treating a human being like less than an animal.
Breathe normally, Belle reminded herself. Just breathe normally and stay calm and neutral.
It was hard, though.
Belle set her jaw and watched as Subject 204's screaming and thrashing grew more frenzied. A glance at the readings showed that everything was spiking up to dangerous levels.
And yet, none of the scientists and staff was looking the least bit concerned. If anything, they seemed accustomed to the sight. There were no whispers or exclamations of surprise or distress. Belle thought she might have heard Dr. Hopper say the readings were normal and consistent with the previous full moons.
"It seems to be happening faster though, doesn't it?" Dr. Gold pointed at the subject. "Limbs are already starting to shift to a quadruped, digitigrade structure."
"There's been a consistent increase in transformation speed in the past ten months," Dr. Hopper shifted through his notes. "Ever since we implemented the new variables and SOP's."
"Good, good." Dr. Gold nodded. "That means it's working."
Belle tore her eyes away from Subject 204 contorting into unnatural positions to accommodate the shifting anatomy. Though the screams coming through the speakers were at a lower volume, it still tugged and twisted at Belle's heart.
The gleeful look on Dr. Gold's face made Belle want to scream at him to stop and do something, anything to ease the girl's pain.
Instead, Belle said, "What's working?"
A more guarded expression crossed Dr. Gold's face as he faced Belle. "We have a longterm program in place for 204, the details of which will take time to explain. Only a select number of us know the full scope of the program. That's classified information for now, dearie."
Belle was about to nod when a piercing scream came out of Subject 204. It was longer and louder than ever. Fur was growing all along the subject's skin and her bones were contorting as the scream turned into a howl that sent chills up Belle's spine.
A large wolf stood in place of the pained woman. The collar around its neck, though adjusted to fit the larger frame, still looked much too tight and dark fur awkwardly stuck out around the metal. Whimpers came out of the wolf as it shifted its weight and shook its massive paws, as if trying to shake off the cuffs clamped tightly around its forelegs.
With the hospital gown reduced to torn shreds at the wolf's feet, Belle could see the ruffled fur along its ribs where the bullet scars probably lay.
"Who wants to run the exercises?" Dr. Gold asked.
He and Belle turned to see Dr. Hopper and Dr. Whale exchange glances. The former looked nervous and uneasy while the latter looked irritable.
"I did the last one." Dr. Whale grumbled.
"I…" Dr. Hopper fidgeted with the paperwork in his hands. "I usually do the post-transformation readings."
Dr. Gold's frown made them both shrink. "It's like training a pitbull. Honestly, there's nothing to be afraid of while the guards are right there."
Walking past the two scientists, Dr. Gold placed his clipboard on a desk and pulled off his labcoat. "Must I do everything myself?" He hung the coat and opened the door to the other room, striding in without flinching when the wolf started to snarl and bark at him.
Dr. Gold pointed to an assistant. "Igor, bring me the meat." A hunched over assistant even shorter than Dr. Gold came scurrying over with a tray full of raw meat.
At the sight and scent of the meat, the wolf grew frenzied in its barks and growls, lunging and pulling at the chains so violently that Belle thought they might break. Even the guards seemed to be concerned about that because they looked tense. The sympathetic guard had also given in and drawn her weapon.
"Remember our training, dearie." Taking a slab of meat with one of his gloved hands, Dr. Gold approached the wolf but was careful to stay just out of its reach. "You can only have this if you behave."
The wolf didn't seem to understand a word because it continued to pull at the chains and growl, drool flying as it struggled to reach its target.
One of the assistants handed Dr. Gold a prod, longer than the ones the guards used. He pushed a button to activate it before dropping the meat right between the wolf's paws. Before it could sink its teeth into the food, Dr. Gold drove the prod right into the side of its neck. A sizzling, crackling sound echoed through the speakers, punctuated by a high-pitched yelp.
The wolf staggered back, shaking its head side to side, sending spittle flying.
Still, it wasn't ready to be subdued just yet. It lunged forward, trying again to get at the meat, only to be shocked again, this time along the cheek.
Yelping and whimpering, the wolf pawed at its face.
"Gold, don't forget the sensors on its head." Dr. Whale spoke into the microphones to warn Dr. Gold. "The prod might affect the readings."
Dr. Gold nodded towards the glass but didn't seem to like being told what to do.
The wolf had recovered from the shock but was hesitating now. It shuffled around, too agitated to stay still but not allowed enough slack on the chains to really pace. There was no growling for now, but the wolf's lips were curled back to reveal dangerously sharp teeth and the fur along its neck and shoulders were standing in spikes.
"That's better dearie, but not quite there yet." Dr. Gold was speaking to the wolf again and took a few steps closer, stopping just next to the meat, and definitely within the wolf's reach.
Realizing the distance was much closer now, the wolf tried again, this time with its paws outstretched, aiming for Dr. Gold. With reflexes surprising for his age and stature, he gave the wolf another shock, this time driving the prod into its chest. The crackling sound was louder than ever and Belle suspected that Dr. Gold used a higher voltage this time.
The wolf collapsed, whimpering. It had its ears back and its tail between its legs. Shivers rippled through its body.
Gripping the clipboard provided to her with trembling hands, Belle had to remind herself to breathe slowly and keep her face relaxed. Her jaw was sore from being clenched so tight- something she hadn't even been aware she was doing. She also forced her face and shoulders to relax.
If she came charging in there right now, clipboard a-blazing, screaming about humane treatment, she would most likely be thrown out and banned from the facility. What good would that do anyone?
"There we go." Dr. Gold picked up the slab of meat and brought it close to the wolf's face, dangling it just inches from its nose. It was now either too weakened or too frightened to reach for the meat. "That's a good wolf."
When the wolf continued to stay still with its ears back and its eyes so wide the whites were visible from here, Dr. Gold seemed satisfied and put the meat down in front of the wolf's nose then took a few steps backwards.
Cautiously, hesitantly, the wolf lifted its head and glanced at the meat then at Dr. Gold.
There was a tense moment of silence.
The wolf kept its eyes on Dr. Gold as it sniffed at the meat, then licked at it. Finally, the wolf tore into the slab, digging into it with gusto.
From where she was standing, Belle saw the poor thing must have been starving. Besides the ruffled fur along its ribs, there was the very fact that its pelt loosely clung to its very visible ribcage. Now that the fur along its back was starting to lie flat, Belle could see the protrusions of the wolf's spine.
This was not a healthy wolf.
How could they be treating it like this?
How could they be treating her like this?
Belle couldn't stomach a dog being treated this way, what more this… this person? She may be in a "wolf state" now, but wasn't she still a person in there somewhere? Didn't she still retain her humanity? Her basic right to just… not be treated like that?
Stay calm. Belle had to remember to keep herself together, no matter how much she wanted to scream and run in there and stop this.
This wasn't an it.
This was a her.
Dr. Gold had repeated the exercise and the wolf was much more docile this time, waiting for permission to eat.
The sight of this weakened, scrawny frame curled up and waiting to be allowed to eat made Belle feel sick and she had to swallow back the bile rising in her throat.
It was as Dr. Gold was getting confident and crouching down to handfeed the wolf that she struck.
With a snarl rumbling deep in her chest, the wolf lunged for Dr. Gold, snapping her jaws just short of his face as he pulled back on reflex. After that failed initial attack, the wolf immediately moved again, pouncing at the scientist and knocking him over.
Before she could dig her teeth into him, the guards took action, several pulling the wolf off by the chains, while the rest gave it painful shocks from their prods.
The crackling sounds filled the speakers, almost louder than the wolves wails.
As the guards subdued the wolf until it was lying on the floor in a curled up ball, the assistants checked on Dr. Gold. Their fuss over him seemed to irritate him as he brushed them off.
"Get off me!" The anger was clear in his voice as he pushed passed the assistants.
Belle's stomach lurched when she realized that Dr. Gold was holding a knife.
This was wrong. She couldn't just stand and watch this. Resolving to do something to stop this, Belle started moving towards the door, but nearly crashed into Dr. Hopper.
She tried to sidestep him but he blocked her way and bent down to put both hands on her shoulders. "Belle, what are you doing?" His voice was a low whisper and he made it a point to glance at Dr. Whale, who was engrossed in the scene unfolding on the other side of the glass.
Dr. Gold was now crouching over the wolf while the guards held it down by the chains. "Remind me again how badly pure silver can burn you." The wolf was snapping and trying to reach him until one of the big male guards managed to loop rope around the wolf's snout in a makeshift muzzle.
"We can't just…" Belle struggled to keep her voice under a whisper as she watched in horror as Dr. Gold pressed the flat of the blade against the wolf's cheek. The agonized whines that came out of the wolf were heartwrenching and sickening and Belle felt like she was going to throw up.
"We can." Dr. Hopper was also wincing at the wolf's cries, muffled by her muzzled snout but still more than just audible. "We have to."
"I can't just watch this and… and…" Belle closed her mouth when Dr. Whale glanced in their direction.
"I'm in charge of maintaining Subject 204's health and lead the regular tests to monitor her vitals." Dr. Hopper straightened up and put his hands behind his back. He spoke at a normal tone now, probably to keep Dr. Whale form getting suspicious. "I should be able to authorize you to join my team in checking on her when she shifts back."
There was a lump in Belle's throat and she felt her eyes watering but she had to fight it all back. The look in Dr. Hopper's eyes showed that he could at least partially relate to what she was feeling and was offering the one way she could do something without compromising Dr. Gold's plan.
The wolf's whimpers were softer now- weak and defeated. Dr. Gold was standing over her, brandishing his blade and watching her cringe when it came close.
At Dr. Gold's signal, the guards started to move off of the wolf, although the one aggressive guard was getting a proper muzzle from an assistant and strapping it onto the wolf's face. When she turned her head and tried to shake it off, Belle saw a deep cut from snout through cheek to jaw. It wasn't healing as fast as the notes said it would normally heal for a regular blade.
Why did Dr. Gold even carry a blade supposedly made of "pure silver"?
"The control tests have mixed results sometimes, usually on the first day of full moon." Dr. Gold was looking at Belle through the glass and giving an explanation for her benefit. Still, as far as Belle was concerned, she doubted she would find understanding in the way the wolf was being treated. "But we have noticed an increase in success rates with the combination of punishment and reward."
Belle felt at a loss for words.
When Dr. Gold started conducting another test, Belle had to remind herself she was deep in the facility with hardly a clue how to get out from this area. She couldn't entertain ridiculous thoughts of running in and setting the wolf free from its captivity. But god, how badly she wished she could do something, anything to free the wolf of this abuse at this very moment.
This test required the guards to put more slack into the wolf's chains so it could move in a small circle.
Belle felt her skin crawl when Dr. Gold started luring and shocking the muzzled wolf into walking left then right, back then forward at his command. She was pained and terrified and several times tried to snap at Dr. Gold, despite the muzzle. This only caused her to receive additional shocks from both scientist and the guards.
This was inhumane. How were they allowed to treat any living being like this? It was illegal to train dogs this way, why was it any different for… for a werewolf?
As the test wore on, there was a moment where the wolf's attempts to attack grew to be less frequent, more halfhearted. It was starting to timidly follow Dr. Gold's commands to move left, right, backward or forward.
"The wolf's heartrate is growing erratic, and her blood pressure is dropping." Dr. Hopper had left the glass to monitor the readings and lines of worry had begun form on his wide forehead. He pushed a button to activate the microphone to the room's speakers. "Dr. Gold, sir, I suggest finishing up the session soon. The wolf's vitals are reaching some dangerous levels."
"Give me more time, Hopper." Now that the wolf seemed to be submitting, Dr. Gold was requiring more and more from it. "Gaston, give the wolf's chains a little more slack." At the superior guard's gesture, the team adjusted the chains. In its frightened, exhausted state, the wolf just lowered its head as they made their adjustments.
"Come now, dearie, let's see you go clockwise for me." Dr. Gold was brandishing the prod again and bringing it down on the whimpering wolf. She was struggling to understand and obey his commands in one go.
"Dr. Gold, the wolf's vitals are reaching concerning levels." Sweat was starting to coat Dr. Hopper's forehead.
"How concerning?" Dr. Whale asked, moving over to get a better look at the readings.
Wiping at his forehead, Dr. Hopper turned to face Dr. Whale. "Remember how Subject 115 stopped healing?" Dr. Hopper glanced at Belle and lowered his voice, but she still managed to make out his whisper. "Shortly before total organ failure?"
"Shit." Dr. Whale frowned at the screen.
Belle returned her attention to see that the wolf's snout was foaming up inside the muzzle, saliva dribbling down her lips as she panted heavily. Her movements were clumsy and unsteady as she limped in circles with the painful guidance of the electric prod.
"Dr. Gold, please, finish up." Dr. Hopper's worry was starting to leech into his voice. "The readings are showing that her healing abilities are faltering. It's also getting late and the transformation should be starting in an hour or two. Her vitals are reaching critical levels."
Dr. Gold was barely listening, "Just a little more, Hopper. I know what I'm doing."
"Gold, give the thing a break." It was Dr. Whale speaking into the microphone now. "We don't want another 115 on our hands."
The wolf was very unsteady now, and the panting seemed more like struggles to breathe than anything else. Still, Dr. Gold was pushing her past her limits, driving the prod into her and causing her to wail and jolt everytime she felt the current coursing through her.
Belle couldn't stand by and just watch this. Pushing past a guard stationed at the door, Belle burst into the room. "Dr. Gold, please! Stop!"
"I'm done when I saw I'm done!" Dr. Gold pressed the prod into the wolf's shoulder and didn't pull back. The crackling sound filled her ears and burning hair reached Belle's nostrils as the wolf's cries echoed throughout the room.
"STOP!" Without thinking or hesitating anymore, Belle charged forward and slapped the prod out from Dr. Gold's hands, sending it flying to the side. The guard, Gaston, just barely dodged out of the way.
"Dearie." Dr. Gold's face was stiff. Anger burned in his eyes but his voice was eerily calm. "What do you think you're doing?"
"You were close to killing her!" Belle snapped before she could stop herself.
"I knew what I was doing!" Dr. Gold was yelling now. "I had this UNDER CONTROL!"
A retort was just at the tip of Belle's tongue, but she stopped short when she saw that the wolf was lying still, eyes closed.
Belle rushed towards the wolf's still form, only to be pulled back by one of the guards. Despite Belle's desperate struggles to get free and go to the wolf, the guard's grip remained firm around her waist. "I need to check on her! I need to-"
"Take it easy." The guard turned Belle around and gripped her by the shoulders. "Let Hopper handle it first." This was the sympathetic guard, the one that Emma was thinking of trusting. A glance at the guard's uniform showed the name 'Li.'
Belle clutched the elbows of the guard's sleeves. "We can't keep letting them treat her like this." There was an expression that flitted across the her eyes, before she looked left and right, then back at Belle. "Aren't you worried about her, too?"
A torn expression came over Li's face. "I worry a great deal." She straightened up, face now neutral and guarded. "But we are not in the right positions to stop any of this. We do what we can."
Following the guard's gaze, Belle saw that Dr. Hopper was already attending to the wolf's needs. Meanwhile Dr. Gold was no longer in the room. Dr. Whale was giving instructions to the assistants for items and preparations required by Dr. Hopper.
"Can I go now?" Belle gestured towards the scientists and assistants attending to the wolf. "Dr. Hopper said I could assist him with the wolf's health needs."
For a moment, the guard looked like she wanted to say something, but chose not to and instead simply released Belle and nodded.
It was tempting to stop and ask the guard for her first name, but Belle knew they weren't exactly at that level of closeness yet. The connection Belle felt with the guard was artificial, brought on by the brief stay in her mind. Still, maybe developing a relationship of some sort with this guard could be useful.
Useful for what, Belle wasn't sure yet, and she chose not to dwell on it just yet.
Upon reaching Dr. Hopper and his team, Belle saw that the wolf was barely conscious, but alive. They kept her snout muzzled for safety, and the chains had been tightened down again so the wolf was kept lying on her side with limited free movement.
"What can I do?" Belle asked.
"She's starting to stabilize now that the shocks aren't constantly coursing through her body." Dr. Hopper said, "But her healing is still delayed. There are no broken bones but she's suffering from some damaged tissue and severe burns."
Crouching down next to Dr. Hopper, Belle got a good look at the burns riddling the wolf's body. The fur was singed and some parts were now hairless and raw, some bleeding. A long, low whine came out of the wolf.
"Those should be able to heal in several hours, we just need to treat them for now, until the transformation sets in." Dr. Hopper continued giving Belle an explanation to what was going on. "When the transformation sets in, that should trigger enough of a spike in her system for her healing to start working again. Because at the moment…" A glance at the monitor in the room listing an overview of the wolf's vitals told Dr. Hopper what he needed to know. "Her accelerated healing doesn't seem to be kicking in at all."
With Dr. Gold gone and Dr. Whale out of his element, Dr. Hopper was taking charge and though Belle had only been training under him for a few sessions, it was surprising to see the authority he was capable of exhibiting. He led Belle and the rest of the team in monitoring the wolf, treating her burns and ensuring her heartbeat and breathing were normalizing.
Every so often, the wolf would let out a whine and look around at them in fear and it broke Belle's heart. There were also shudders that ran through the poor thing's body whenever they would administer treatment to a burn.
Time seemed to stretch on forever before Dr. Hopper noticed changes in the wolf's vitals and told everyone to loosen the chains and then back away.
The transformation was starting up again.
It wasn't as frenzied as earlier, possibly because the wolf was so drained.
That didn't keep the sight from being tormenting to watch. Wails and whimpers tore out of the wolf as she thrashed and struggled through the pain of her body bending and breaking into place. Her shoulders popped in and out of their sockets several times and her ribcage broke itself into a smaller frame. The long snout snapped and cracked and shrunk.
Running her hands through her hair and then agitatedly rubbing her face, Belle wished there was more she could do to help the wolf.
"Dammit, I should have administered a higher dose of painkillers." Dr. Hopper muttered, probably more to himself than to anyone else.
It felt like hours before the struggling form before them finally finished shrinking into a trembling woman chained to the floor. The silver-lined collar and cuffs still burned into her neck and wrists and Belle wished they'd just remove it.
What Belle did instead was walk over to 204, crouch down next to her and pull off the muzzle now loosely strapped to her face. From this close proximity, Belle could see the deep red scar that ran from the bridge of her nose, through her cheekbone and down to her jaw.
Tired green eyes looked up at Belle and it seemed that 204 was still trying to focus her vision. When she finally seemed to be able to take in Belle's appearance, a confused expression came over 204's face. Her brow was furrowed and her lips parted slightly.
"It's okay." Belle felt like the words were hollow and meaningless, tumbling out of her mouth by force of habit than anything else. She put the muzzle down and slowly reached a hand over to the woman's face.
Subject 204 immediately flinched the moment she saw the hand coming close. Her eyes were screwed shut, her jaw clenched and her shoulders bunched up close to her ears. She was trying to make herself as small as possible, bring her hands and knees as close to her body as the chains would allow.
Belle hesitated, not sure if she should carry on trying to touch 204 when she seemed so frightened.
"I'm not going to hurt you." Speaking as softly as she could, Belle waited for 204 to slowly open her eyes and meet Belle's. "I won't, I promise." She tried again at moving a hand towards 204 and though she was still clearly very tense, she didn't flinch away.
Belle ran her fingers through 204's shorn hair, maintaining a light touch at first, just enough for 204 to start to feel accustomed to the sensation. When she started to relax a bit more, Belle widened the area she was stroking, at first from forehead to the top of 204's head, then eventually including nosebridge until behind the ears, careful to avoid the new scar.
204's face was more relaxed now and she was closing her eyes as Belle continued to stroke her face and hair.
Glancing over at Dr. Hopper, Dr. Whale and the assistants, Belle saw that Dr. Whale was eyeing her suspiciously and looked away the moment he realized Belle had noticed. Dr. Hopper was taking another bloodtest from 204's thin arm and Belle couldn't help but notice several burns along her upper arm and shoulder. It was different when majority of the wounds were covered in fur.
Now, Belle couldn't help but look over 204's body and stare at every scar, every bruise, every burn. The worst burns were along her shoulders, but there were some nasty ones on the sides of her thighs as well. They seemed to be starting to heal, since they admittedly looked like an improvement from earlier when they were on the wolf. It was just unnerving to see how bad the burns really were against bare skin.
Consciously avoiding letting her eyes dwell on 204's breasts, Belle did find herself looking at the bullet scars on her ribs. And that's when Belle noticed that pale lines riddled 204's limbs, some areas darker and deeper than others, some very pale and almost white. Though Belle hoped those weren't scars from the silver and blade tests, she knew they were.
Belle paused in stroking 204 to continue the fight to maintain composure. There was a heavy lump in Belle's throat and a tangled knot in her stomach. She also realized her hands were trembling and unsteady the moment she stopped focusing them on gently stroking 204.
It tore at Belle not knowing 204's real name. It tore at Belle seeing 204 so broken. It tore at Belle seeing the chains and the scars.
Feeling her eyes starting to water, Belle pinched the bridge of her nose and slid her fingers down to the corners of her eyes. The lump in her throat was fighting hard now to come out as a sob and she had to breathe deeply to steady herself and keep it from coming out.
A hand on her other wrist caught Belle's attention and she saw that 204 was trying to reach over. Belle clenched her jaw and swallowed back the urge to break down here in the middle of everything. She moved her hand closer to 204 so she could more comfortably grasp Belle's hand.
She couldn't help but notice how rough 204's palms were and a subtle glance at her hand told Belle that the rough skin was riddled with scars. Belle wasn't sure if it was some other test run by the scientists or self-inflicted with 204's own claws. It was impossible to decide on which thought was more painful to think about.
"I'm sorry…" Belle couldn't stop the useless apology that choked out of her.
204 opened her eyes and looked up at Belle. The expression in those deep green eyes was tired and defeated, almost like she was resigned to her fate. She was the one who offered a small, stiff smile to Belle, almost like smiling was something 204 barely knew how to do, and almost like she was the one comforting Belle.
Part of that small offer of comfort was 204 gently squeezing Belle's hand.
Belle bit her lip to keep it from trembling. She felt the tension in her forehead as she realized how much she'd been furrowing her brows.
Not sure what else to do with herself, Belle used her free hand to start stroking 204's head and face again, and she seemed to lean into it now, closing her eyes and starting to relax.
A part of Belle wanted nothing more than to take this poor person away from here and give her love and kindness and warmth. Most of Belle wanted to do that. All of Belle wanted to do that.
She took a deep breath and slowly let it out, using the motion of it to try and steady herself.
Continuing to stroke 204, Belle looked around at the rest of the team. Dr. Whale had left the room, but Dr. Hopper was still taking some notes and running some tests. The other assistants hovered nearby, awaiting instructions. The guards were also standing at attention. The head guard, Gaston, seemed just barely able to hide his disgust. Meanwhile, the sympathetic guard, Li, kept her face guardedly neutral.
But Belle had a feeling Li was also feeling tormented by this situation.
204 seemed to be starting to fall asleep. Her breathing was slowing and her grip on Belle's hand was starting to loosen.
At least she could finally get some rest after such a long night.
Belle herself felt drained, but she doubted she'd be able to sleep once she got home. She wondered how she could ever sleep comfortably again, knowing someone was a tortured captive in this facility.
At this point, Belle no longer had any doubts that there may come a time that Regina and Emma would be facing a similar fate of dark and painful captivity.
Note 2: Gosh, this chapter was a lot harder to write than the rest of the story up to this point. It took me several days and versions to work it up to the impact I wanted it to have and even then, I feel like I still could have tinkered with more things. Also, you have my buddy, Wolfie, to thank for some bits and pieces of Gold's training session with the wolf.
So how did you find this chapter? What hit your feels the most and what do you think is in store for everyone now that Belle's shaken off her delusions of any good being there to be found in Dr. Gold? Tell me what you think because me is an insecure attention cow.