{Manticore} 2 months after capture-May 9th

"How is she responding to the treatments doctor?"

"Quite well. After we tuned up the images, she gave in to them."

"Good. Let me know if anything comes up. Otherwise, place her in cell block 9, room number 430."

"Yes sir."

"And make sure she is restrained at all times. Never underestimate her."

"Yes sir."

~~~~~~~~~

Black...it used to be white. Now nothing but black. Black walls, and ceiling, and floor. She wasn't sure whether she was dreaming with her eyes open, or if her eyes were really closed. She tried not to listen, not watch the pictures...but it was impossible. Eyes open, they were there. When she closed her eyes, they came to her. Inside her head, they pounded at her. Never stopping. Never letting her have a break from her own personal hell. She tried to call out, to anyone, to make it stop. But it was as if she were frozen. Yet she burned inside. She tried to find feelings, but they ceased. All she knew now what hatred. Spite, anger. She had been de-programmed. It had succeeded. She was empty now of emotions, as an blank piece of paper. Waiting for another to fill in the blanks. That other would never come now. Not ever.

~~~~~~~~~

May 10th

~~~~~~~~~

She woke to the pain. The sudden lights rushing past her face. The many figures above her. Seeming to hover just out of focus. What was wrong with her? She tried to lift her arm to ward them off, but to no avail. She could not raise her arm. Her whole body, numb. She watched as they took her into a room, bright lights, beeping machines. A sterile smell in the air. Then, the snap of latex gloves, and she felt a pain in her stomach. A cut! Someone was cutting her! She tried in vain to struggle, to get away. The medication they had slipped in her meager rations made sure she couldn't move. They forgot to give her something for the pain. She watched, as if in a dream, as the doctors. She knew this now. Gathered around her, pulling something from the depths of her being. Imediatly she felt a rush of...some emotion. What was it? She dredged it up from the quickly emptying spaced of her memory, and she realised what it was. Love. She felt, Love. But Love for what? For whatever they had pulled from her? A sharp wail interrupted her train of foggy thoughts. Her baby...but...who? Logan. The name came to her all of a sudden. Breaking through the walls that they had tried to forge in
her brain. Logan. The baby. Their baby. Max...I'm Max. And I Love Logan. I love our baby.

~~~~~~~~~

"Doctor, she's gaining mobility!"

"Well, put her under! We can't have her awake! She must not have any memory of this birth!"

"Yes doctor"

"What is it?" Lydecker's voice boomed over the speakers.

"Nothing sir. It's all under control."

"Make sure it is under control." he snapped

"Yes Sir."

"Let me know when she wakes up. And keep that baby on all the monitors until I deem otherwise."

"Yes sir" The doctor saluted somewhat towards the one way glass that separated the operating rooms.

~~~~~~~

That voice. She knew that voice. Images flew through her mind, a man holding a radio, a scowl on his face. Lydecker. The name came as suddenly as the awareness of being awake once again. And mobile. She could move! The afore mentioned man entered the cell, looking down at her with pity, it seemed.

~~~~~~~~

"Ahh...so, you're finally back where you belong. You don't know how much this means to me."

Suddenly, realizing she could now speak as well, Max held back a biting comment....she knew now she must play his game. Make him believe she had been won over. Then, someday, she would get free.






It's almost done...