Chapter Eleven

Warning: Mentions of abuse and post-traumatic stress. Nothing big, but I thought I'd post this just in case.


"So, I take it your talk went well?" Kayla asked as they sat in their room.

"Something along those lines."

Emily looked down at the floor, her heart racing with unease as she recalled that conversation. Something in the back of her mind kept telling her that he wouldn't believe her. That the story just wouldn't add up. She closed her eyes at the thought. She suddenly wished that Kayla had never called him in the first place. It would have made everyone's lives easier if she was able to maintain the secret of where she was from.

I shouldn't have told him in the first placeNow he's never going to see me the same way again, she thought bitterly, resting on her bed as she realized the mistake she'd made. Captain Pike and Admiral Marcus had bought the story, but even they didn't know the full details. She hadn't felt the urge to tell them just how long those things had kept her in that dungeon, or how long their experiments would run. The whole experience had been traumatic to say the least.

A shiver ran through her as she self-consciously reached for the scars that ran along her arms. When she had spoken with Nurse Hallie, the woman had explained that she had looked as if someone had ripped her apart and sown her back together. She winced at the thought, realizing the sight must have been horrific for anyone to witness. She was suddenly thankful that Nurse Hallie and the citizen that brought her in were the only ones who saw her before she managed to fully recover from her injuries.

"Emily, are you sure you're okay?" Kayla asked, concerned as she noticed that her roommate hadn't said a thing since returning to their dorm.

She was normally vocal about their classes and everything she had learned about this world. Today however, was different. She wasn't in any mood to talk about how miserably her day had ended. She hadn't seen Leonard since they parted ways from the medical center. That had been nearly nine hours ago.

Her mind was still trying to wrap itself over the fact that she had explained everything to Leonard. She wasn't sure whether or not it was safe for someone else to know the truth. While she trusted him far more than she would ever trust Jim, a small part of her still worried that those creatures might come back. And if someone else knew about them, there was always a possibility that the same creatures that took her could take them as well.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she brushed it off as if nothing had happened.

Kayla frowned at that, knowing full well that something was clearly bothering her. Luckily, she didn't press.

She closed her eyes as memories of the world she was taken away from suddenly came rushing back. Memories of her family, of Julia and her life as a college student flooded back as little more than images. She had lost more than anyone would ever know.

In a sense, it was almost a relief knowing that her parents were no longer scrutinizing her every decision. And yet, they were her family. As much as she tried to deny how much she didn't miss them, she knew it wasn't entirely true. Kayla had no idea just how lucky she was to have family that cared and supported her choices.

She never wanted to wish this kind of life upon anyone. Being torn away from everything she knew had been overwhelming enough. She felt guilty for knowing that she had abandoned everyone she knew. While her parents would more than likely move on, that didn't stop her from wishing she could return and change the way things had been between them.

"Hey, if you ever feel like you need to talk to someone, you can always ask me," Kayla offered when Emily's eyes finally opened again. She looked at her roommate in surprise as Kayla merely shrugged. "I know that whatever happened to you couldn't have been easy, especially if you're keeping it a secret from everyone else."

She's only worried I'll have another nightmare, Emily realized after noticing the concern in her eyes. It was strange, knowing that someone actually cared enough to feel concerned over the fact that she was losing sleep.

Guilt gnawed at her stomach as she glanced at Kayla self-consciously. She probably should have sought professional help when she woke up that first night from a nightmare. But the fear of how anyone who found out would react kept rushing back.

"Thanks, Kayla," she sighed, feeling both fatigued and confused over the notion. She was so used to looking out for herself that letting someone else do so felt alien in itself. Kayla just looked her up and down with that same frown when Emily tried pushing her away once more, "I think I'll be fine."

Kayla didn't seem reassured by that response, but she didn't bother arguing after realizing Emily wouldn't go into further detail. Once the two girls had drifted off to sleep, that was when the real nightmare began.

"Dear, I appreciate the efforts, but you aren't nearly as gifted as your sister."

Emily blinked in disbelief as her mother brushed off any attempts at helping with the project she was currently working on. She had only been home from boarding school for a week now, and her mother was constantly comparing her to her sister. By now, she had gotten used to being pushed aside as if she didn't exist. But that didn't stop her from trying to worm her way into their lives.

"Mom, I know what you're working on, I can—"

"Leave your mother alone, Emily," her father blatantly rebuked her, frowning as he caught the look in her eyes. "She's right. If your grades start improving, then maybe we can allow you to work on these projects."

She only glared at them in response, realizing that no matter how much her grades improved, they would never approve of her. With a sigh of frustration, she threw her arms up and stormed up the stairs and into her room.

It was always like this. Her grades had always been considered 'less-than-stellar' compared to her sisters, who happened to be at the top of her class at a prestigious academy. Emily glanced out the window of their two-story apartment, knowing that her life would never get any better if she didn't do something about it.

"Well, if it isn't the family disappointment."

Emily scowled at the sound of her sister's voice. She looked up to see Sarah smirking down at her. If ever there was a more annoying pest than the kids that Emily shared boarding school with, it was her sister.

The two of them had never gotten along, and Sarah always seemed to go out of her way to make her life miserable. Sarah was only three years older than her, and she sure as hell reminded Emily of that on a daily basis when they were home. Her hair was a darker shade of blond, with pretty blue eyes that could melt the heart of anyone she came across.

"Go away," Emily grumbled, burying her face in a pillow as she tried to ignore her sister's jibes.

"What? And miss the perfect opportunity to see you fail, again?" Sarah sneered, grinning when Emily threw the pillow in her direction. "Admit it – you'll never amount to anything."

"You're wrong," she retorted. "I may not be a straight A student like you, but that means shit to me."

Sarah only grinned at that, clearly enjoying her sister's misery.

"And here I thought they wouldn't teach you kids how to swear at boarding schools," she shook her head mockingly, tsking her tongue for good measure. "You know, it's no wonder mother and father always send you off to boarding school. They're too embarrassed to admit you're their daughter."

That stung. Sarah's smirk widened as she saw Emily cringe at that. She always seemed to know how to get under her skin at the worst time. Emily finally sat up and glowered at her, eyes like chips of ice as Sarah feigned innocence.

"I'm amazed they haven't put you up for adoption yet," she went on, ignoring the fact that she was probably putting her own life in danger. "I mean, doing so would do them and myself a favor. I for one am embarrassed by—"

"Shut up!" Emily shouted, cutting her off. Sarah blinked in surprise at the ferocity in her voice, clearly taken aback by her reaction. "Just shut up, and go to hell!"

For a moment, Sarah was too stunned to say anything. Her lips pursed as she looked at Emily serious, before finally leaving. It wasn't until she felt something shake her shoulders that she blinked a few times, until the room had begun to change to a familiar scene. She blinked once again to find Kayla staring at her in alarm.

"Emily, what the hell happened?" she demanded after sighing in relief.

"I-I don't know," she admitted, her voice shaken as she looked around frantically.

They were back in the dorm, only Emily found the place a mess. Kayla took a step back and glanced around too, her eyes widening in alarm as she realized just how much of a mess was made. She swallowed hard, grimacing at the thought.

"I heard shouting, and things being thrown around the room until realizing it was you," Kayla explained in an accusing tone. "What the hell were you dreaming about this time?"

Emily's face paled for a moment as she recalled that dream. She suddenly found herself back in the apartment, yelling at her sister to leave her alone as she was tormented again and again. Then, the scenery around her began to change again.

"Do you have a name, human?" Those damned cloaked figures again. Her heart was racing with dread as she found herself strapped to the table again. She refused to answer, until feeling a bony hand squeeze her shoulder, hard. "I would answer the question, unless you want the pain to feel even worse."

She knew they weren't lying. These creatures, whoever the hell they were, had relentlessly experimented on her. They had said the procedure would only work if she was still awake throughout the torture. And, torture it was. She could still remember that first day, waking up on the stone table and feeling the needles pierce her skin, slicing her open as she screamed and begged for them to stop.

"Emily Hayes," she relented, loathing the fact that these creatures felt it necessary to cause any harm in the first place. How long had it been since she was kept in this hellhole? It felt like years had gone by with little to no sunlight. That was probably the worst part of this whole ordeal. Not seeing the sun for days on end, not knowing whether or not she would live when they were finished. That was what terrified her the most, knowing that one wrong move could kill her. "Why can't you let me go?"

"We are not finished with you, yet, human," the creature responded with that same voice that sounded like nails on a chalk board.

Kayla's heart was pounding with fear as she realized that something was seriously wrong with her roommate. After managing to wake her up from one nightmare, it was almost like Emily had slipped off into another one. She was huddled in the corner of the room in a fetal position, arms wrapped around her legs and eyes wild with terror as if she didn't recognize where she was. There weren't any other options other than calling someone who had already experienced this first-hand.

She scowled at the thought after having made the call. Two damn nights in a row was almost too much for her. Luck never seemed to be on her side as a knock sounded on the door just minutes after she'd made the call. She wondered how long the response time would have been had she called anyone else on the matter.

"Look, this is worse than I thought," she sighed after letting him in. McCoy only scowled at her before noticing how much of a mess their room was. "She's over there."

His characteristic scowl suddenly turned to a look that few people probably saw. Concern. Kayla could only watch on as he reached the corner, kneeling down so that he was eye-level with Emily. Her eyes were still wild with fear, showing signs that she didn't even know anyone was there.

"Come on, Emily, you need to wake up," the Doctor sighed, his voice unusually soft as he reached out for her hand. She kept muttering something under her breath, too quiet for Kayla to hear, but McCoy heard it loud and clear. He let out another sigh before suddenly wrapping his arms around Emily in a hug. Kayla's eyes widened in disbelief as Emily began to relax in the firm embrace. "No one's gonna hurt you," he reassured her as she buried her face into his chest.

"Well, this is awkward," Kayla whispered.

She kept her voice quiet as she realized that whatever had effected Emily seemed to vanish the minute McCoy arrived. That was enough for her to nearly roll her eyes. What was it about the doctor that had calmed her down so much?

"Yeah, no kidding," McCoy nodded in agreement.

Kayla rose an eyebrow when she noticed that he didn't seem to mind. In fact, he looked relieved that something had worked.

She frowned when she realized that the moment he left, the nightmares could return. For whatever reason, Emily felt safe with McCoy. Kayla didn't even want to know how that had happened, but if it worked, then she needed to suck it up and act like the friend she was supposed to be. They both needed sleep, and neither of them were going to get much sleep if Emily continued suffering from said nightmares.

"Look, I may not be a professional doctor, but uh… it seems to me like you're the only one she trusts," she began, fuming over the fact that it needed to be said in the first place, "And as both a friend and roommate, I think it might be best for you to stay, in case this happens again."

She braced herself for whatever valid argument McCoy might come up with. It sounded ridiculous when she said it out loud, yet she knew that it was true. But, to her surprise, McCoy actually seemed to think it through instead of snapping at her. His expression was impossible to make out as she tried figuring out what was on his mind at the moment. The doctor was impossible to get a vibe on, and Kayla had to hold back a sigh of irritation at that.

"Sounds like neither of us really have much of a choice," he remarked.

Though, he kept his voice oddly quiet as he was able to move Emily back to her bed as she fell asleep cradled in his arms. Kayla would have found the whole thing sickeningly cute, if it wasn't for the fact that she couldn't bring herself to trust McCoy as far as she could throw him.

"Alright," Kayla sighed once she realized that rules would need to be put into place, "But, under no circumstances is this conversation, or this night leaving the dorm. She's gonna kill me the moment she finds out I let you stay for the night."

McCoy almost smirked at that, having already felt the wrath of Emily on more than one occasion. She had a fiery temper almost as bad as his own. Kayla had learned from experience that it was best not to piss off her roommate, under any circumstances.

Neither of them had gotten much sleep that night, as McCoy had opted to sleep on the floor, and Kayla was just really, really uncomfortable with the idea. She knew they could suffer severe consequences for having another Cadet in the dorm. That was, if they were caught by security.

Luckily, the rest of the night had gone off without a hitch. In fact, Emily had finally gotten a decent night's sleep, the first in weeks. McCoy had left early in the morning before she woke up, and neither of them had spoken a word of the incident ever since. However, it was the first time that Kayla had found respect for the doctor, and for everything he seemed to put up with on a daily basis.