OK here we go, inquiring minds. thank you for the reviews. I will try to
keep the paragraphs more manageable. Back in school now again, so, sorry
for the delay.
Brennan felt the presence of wakening. He felt the old familiar cold that was deep within his body. He was cold through his bones. There was a dull pain that was beginning somewhere within him. He knew it was going to grow in intensity if he let himself come fully awake. He knew that he was still in the hands of madmen, that he was mortally wounded, that he didn't have the strength to fight much longer. He was so cold and he hurt so badly. He thought how easily it would be to just not wake up. He prayed to God to take him. He begged God to take him. He could just slip away into the darkness where he was safe from the horror that had become his life. It would be so easy.
Other thoughts invaded his mind as well, however. They were thoughts of Emma and Jesse - Adam and Shal. His friends were here to save him; at least, he thought they were. He thought he had seen Adam earlier holding his hand. He also thought he had seen Shal and Jesse. Yes, Jesse had been holding his head off of the ground - he had been whispering to him to hang on. But then, there were also monsters. He knew he had seen monsters.
A stab of pain in his chest suddenly jerked him to a higher level of consciousness. He tried to gasp - to scream - and realized he couldn't. He heard a droning, rhythmic, hissing sound. His breathing seemed in time with it.
"How odd," Brennan thought. He heard voices; they were whispers really - near his bed. Suddenly, without warning, there was a horrible noise and the room went black. Brennan didn't quite understand what was going on but he suddenly felt compression in his chest. It was similar to the feeling he had when he was under the water in the tunnels. He wondered what was causing it. Then he knew; he couldn't breathe! The rhythm was gone! He was suffocating. He couldn't make himself take a breath!
"Why?" Brennan thought. He began to panic and reached for his throat where he felt the tubes for the first time. He recoiled at the thought. "God I'm on a respirator and it isn't on!" He began to rip at the tube that was impeding his breathing - stopping his life!
Desperate for help, he looked over to where he had heard the voices earlier and saw a flash of light. It flashed again. To his horror, he saw what it was - what they were. They were eyes, and they were red. Brennan immediately formed a ball of energy in his hand. It split the darkness like the lightening that it was.
As Samuel approached Brennan, a bright light stabbed at his feral eyes. He hissed and shielded himself from the light. He immediately knew what it was and seethed. His prey wasn't dead yet. "Damn it!" he thought. He needed to feed. He needed to rake his claws over flesh and gorge until he swelled. But he couldn't yet. He was a scavenger, not a hunter. "Patience, Samuel," the voice told him in his head. "You will get your fill," the memory told him. "Just wait. Watch Jacob and the others for me and you will be rewarded. Notify me of events, Samuel, and you will get a carcass, I promise."
Samuel smiled at the memory. His red, feral eyes laughed and then faded. Yes, Draper had promised Samuel a long time ago that he would take care of him, feed him when necessary. All he had to do was watch Jacob. No, he could not take this human alone. He had to tell Draper. Yes, that was what he had to do. Draper would reward him - maybe with this one - after Draper killed it, of course. Samuel decided to slip out in the dark and notify Draper of the developments of the evening. Oh how happy his master was going to be!
Brennan saw the monster flash before his eyes. The light made him squint, but he saw the creature. It dashed away, though, when Brennan lost the charge. He could only hold it for a second; he was so weak and still couldn't breathe. All of a sudden, another set of feral eyes was upon him. However, he didn't fear these eyes. They were yellow and familiar, not red and savage. He heard voices and felt hands all over him. The touch of them hurt his tortured body. His head jerked back and he felt pressure on his throat. The voices were so distant. He heard his name called out several times by the voices he knew. They were the voices of friends. There was another voice, though. It was one he didn't know. It was gruff and raspy but seemed to be barking commands. Time was fleeting and he saw spots in front of his eyes. His lungs were going to explode and then it would be over.
There was light now. Brennan didn't even realize when it came on. He must have had his eyes closed. He noticed, however, that he was breathing. His throat burned with each breath and his lungs were the source of the heat - they seemed like they were on fire. The pain was almost too much for him to take. He didn't want to breathe but couldn't stop himself. Something was covering his face and forcing air into his mouth, down his scalded airway into his blazing lungs. Tears were rolling out of his eyes and falling past his face. He began to scream in his mind for someone to help him.
"Adam, his vital signs are returning to normal," Jacob reported. "That last lightening hit really did a number on this equipment. I think we are going to have to risk it with him breathing on his own, Adam. There is nothing else we can do."
"I know," Adam responded while squeezing the bag over Brennan's mouth ever so gently. "I am just concerned about over-inflating his lungs right now."
While Jacob and Adam were working, Emma was reading Brennan. She suddenly jerked back. "He's awake!" Emma yelled to Adam. "Adam, he is awake and in a lot of pain."
Adam removed the bag from Brennan's mouth and listened for breath sounds. Emma was right. He was breathing on his own. They were relatively clear sounds. "Brennan?" Adam whispered by Brennan's ear. "Can you hear me, son?"
Brennan heard Emma yell to Adam. He knew that he had to concentrate and take a breath on his own to keep that bag away. He would much rather try to breathe alone and fail than have that bag forcing him to and explode his fragile lungs. He breathed in and then out. He breathed in again. This was quite the effort, Brennan thought. "I have to," he mumbled to himself. He didn't realize it was out loud as well.
"What's that, Brennan?" Adam beamed a smile from ear to ear when he heard Brennan's voice. It didn't really sound like his voice - it was too gargled - but it was his. "Brennan?" Adam pressed. "Can you hear me?"
Shal and Jesse approached Brennan's bed, hopeful again. Another horrible clap of thunder and the lights flickered. "I'm here," Brennan rasped.
"Thank God, son. You had me so worried!" Adam exclaimed. "Brennan, you have to breath shallow. Can you do that for me? Jacob and I have repaired your lungs for now but your entire ribcage is very fragile. We also managed to set your leg and repair the bullet wound. I think you are going to be OK but you need to rest."
"Where, where am I?" Brennan asked in a barely audible tone. "Adam, I saw ani . a monst ." Brennan couldn't quite get it out. He was too weak to talk.
"It's OK, Brennan. They are friends," Adam said trying to comfort him. "Now don't you worry. You get rest."
"It hurts," Brennan pleaded as tears rolled from his eyes.
Adam cringed, as did the others. He looked up at Jacob with pleading, helpless eyes. "Do you have anything?"
"No, Adam. I don't. Not even an aspirin. I don't have anything!" Jacob responded. The anxiety and remorse was clearly in his expressions. He was truly sorry.
"You don't need any," Emma replied. "I can make his pain manageable." Emma walked up to Brennan. She took his head in her hands and directed his gaze towards her beautiful eyes. Brennan loved those eyes. From the first day he gazed into them, he was lost. They were so deep. Emma relayed to Brennan a feeling of ease, tranquility, and life. Brennan saw the ocean, the sky, and the clouds. But mostly, he didn't care that his body hurt. He could feel something but it was bearable. He drifted off onto one of the clouds he saw, somewhere between wakening and sleep. That was OK. He could stay here for a while. His friends would protect him.
Emma laid his head back down and wiped his forehead. She kissed his tears off of his closed eyelids as her own tears streamed down her face. She turned to Adam and spoke. "I agree with Jesse, we go now."
Brennan felt the presence of wakening. He felt the old familiar cold that was deep within his body. He was cold through his bones. There was a dull pain that was beginning somewhere within him. He knew it was going to grow in intensity if he let himself come fully awake. He knew that he was still in the hands of madmen, that he was mortally wounded, that he didn't have the strength to fight much longer. He was so cold and he hurt so badly. He thought how easily it would be to just not wake up. He prayed to God to take him. He begged God to take him. He could just slip away into the darkness where he was safe from the horror that had become his life. It would be so easy.
Other thoughts invaded his mind as well, however. They were thoughts of Emma and Jesse - Adam and Shal. His friends were here to save him; at least, he thought they were. He thought he had seen Adam earlier holding his hand. He also thought he had seen Shal and Jesse. Yes, Jesse had been holding his head off of the ground - he had been whispering to him to hang on. But then, there were also monsters. He knew he had seen monsters.
A stab of pain in his chest suddenly jerked him to a higher level of consciousness. He tried to gasp - to scream - and realized he couldn't. He heard a droning, rhythmic, hissing sound. His breathing seemed in time with it.
"How odd," Brennan thought. He heard voices; they were whispers really - near his bed. Suddenly, without warning, there was a horrible noise and the room went black. Brennan didn't quite understand what was going on but he suddenly felt compression in his chest. It was similar to the feeling he had when he was under the water in the tunnels. He wondered what was causing it. Then he knew; he couldn't breathe! The rhythm was gone! He was suffocating. He couldn't make himself take a breath!
"Why?" Brennan thought. He began to panic and reached for his throat where he felt the tubes for the first time. He recoiled at the thought. "God I'm on a respirator and it isn't on!" He began to rip at the tube that was impeding his breathing - stopping his life!
Desperate for help, he looked over to where he had heard the voices earlier and saw a flash of light. It flashed again. To his horror, he saw what it was - what they were. They were eyes, and they were red. Brennan immediately formed a ball of energy in his hand. It split the darkness like the lightening that it was.
As Samuel approached Brennan, a bright light stabbed at his feral eyes. He hissed and shielded himself from the light. He immediately knew what it was and seethed. His prey wasn't dead yet. "Damn it!" he thought. He needed to feed. He needed to rake his claws over flesh and gorge until he swelled. But he couldn't yet. He was a scavenger, not a hunter. "Patience, Samuel," the voice told him in his head. "You will get your fill," the memory told him. "Just wait. Watch Jacob and the others for me and you will be rewarded. Notify me of events, Samuel, and you will get a carcass, I promise."
Samuel smiled at the memory. His red, feral eyes laughed and then faded. Yes, Draper had promised Samuel a long time ago that he would take care of him, feed him when necessary. All he had to do was watch Jacob. No, he could not take this human alone. He had to tell Draper. Yes, that was what he had to do. Draper would reward him - maybe with this one - after Draper killed it, of course. Samuel decided to slip out in the dark and notify Draper of the developments of the evening. Oh how happy his master was going to be!
Brennan saw the monster flash before his eyes. The light made him squint, but he saw the creature. It dashed away, though, when Brennan lost the charge. He could only hold it for a second; he was so weak and still couldn't breathe. All of a sudden, another set of feral eyes was upon him. However, he didn't fear these eyes. They were yellow and familiar, not red and savage. He heard voices and felt hands all over him. The touch of them hurt his tortured body. His head jerked back and he felt pressure on his throat. The voices were so distant. He heard his name called out several times by the voices he knew. They were the voices of friends. There was another voice, though. It was one he didn't know. It was gruff and raspy but seemed to be barking commands. Time was fleeting and he saw spots in front of his eyes. His lungs were going to explode and then it would be over.
There was light now. Brennan didn't even realize when it came on. He must have had his eyes closed. He noticed, however, that he was breathing. His throat burned with each breath and his lungs were the source of the heat - they seemed like they were on fire. The pain was almost too much for him to take. He didn't want to breathe but couldn't stop himself. Something was covering his face and forcing air into his mouth, down his scalded airway into his blazing lungs. Tears were rolling out of his eyes and falling past his face. He began to scream in his mind for someone to help him.
"Adam, his vital signs are returning to normal," Jacob reported. "That last lightening hit really did a number on this equipment. I think we are going to have to risk it with him breathing on his own, Adam. There is nothing else we can do."
"I know," Adam responded while squeezing the bag over Brennan's mouth ever so gently. "I am just concerned about over-inflating his lungs right now."
While Jacob and Adam were working, Emma was reading Brennan. She suddenly jerked back. "He's awake!" Emma yelled to Adam. "Adam, he is awake and in a lot of pain."
Adam removed the bag from Brennan's mouth and listened for breath sounds. Emma was right. He was breathing on his own. They were relatively clear sounds. "Brennan?" Adam whispered by Brennan's ear. "Can you hear me, son?"
Brennan heard Emma yell to Adam. He knew that he had to concentrate and take a breath on his own to keep that bag away. He would much rather try to breathe alone and fail than have that bag forcing him to and explode his fragile lungs. He breathed in and then out. He breathed in again. This was quite the effort, Brennan thought. "I have to," he mumbled to himself. He didn't realize it was out loud as well.
"What's that, Brennan?" Adam beamed a smile from ear to ear when he heard Brennan's voice. It didn't really sound like his voice - it was too gargled - but it was his. "Brennan?" Adam pressed. "Can you hear me?"
Shal and Jesse approached Brennan's bed, hopeful again. Another horrible clap of thunder and the lights flickered. "I'm here," Brennan rasped.
"Thank God, son. You had me so worried!" Adam exclaimed. "Brennan, you have to breath shallow. Can you do that for me? Jacob and I have repaired your lungs for now but your entire ribcage is very fragile. We also managed to set your leg and repair the bullet wound. I think you are going to be OK but you need to rest."
"Where, where am I?" Brennan asked in a barely audible tone. "Adam, I saw ani . a monst ." Brennan couldn't quite get it out. He was too weak to talk.
"It's OK, Brennan. They are friends," Adam said trying to comfort him. "Now don't you worry. You get rest."
"It hurts," Brennan pleaded as tears rolled from his eyes.
Adam cringed, as did the others. He looked up at Jacob with pleading, helpless eyes. "Do you have anything?"
"No, Adam. I don't. Not even an aspirin. I don't have anything!" Jacob responded. The anxiety and remorse was clearly in his expressions. He was truly sorry.
"You don't need any," Emma replied. "I can make his pain manageable." Emma walked up to Brennan. She took his head in her hands and directed his gaze towards her beautiful eyes. Brennan loved those eyes. From the first day he gazed into them, he was lost. They were so deep. Emma relayed to Brennan a feeling of ease, tranquility, and life. Brennan saw the ocean, the sky, and the clouds. But mostly, he didn't care that his body hurt. He could feel something but it was bearable. He drifted off onto one of the clouds he saw, somewhere between wakening and sleep. That was OK. He could stay here for a while. His friends would protect him.
Emma laid his head back down and wiped his forehead. She kissed his tears off of his closed eyelids as her own tears streamed down her face. She turned to Adam and spoke. "I agree with Jesse, we go now."