Columbia ran to Frank's side. He looked shocked to see her. His eyes
went wide, and he tried to say something. He couldn't; there was an
accumulation of phlegm in his throat. He forced it away with a few harsh
coughs, then said in a uncharacteristically hoarse voice, "Hell has white
walls, does it, Columbia?"
Col hadn't been expecting that. She had been expecting a harsh word, or perhaps a classic 'what's going on, where are we?' line. Instead, Frank had reacted as though he had just experienced what had happened so long ago. He hadn't forgotten a thing. Col wondered if he had been caught in a recurring cycle nightmare of his last moments before Riff had shot him.
Columbia said gently, "No, Frank.." A slow smile of pure joy formed on her lightly painted lips, "We're alive."
Frank looked at her with a quizzical look in his eyes. He was judging her seriousness, she could tell. He had to clear his throat again before saying, a bit less hoarse, "Eh.. Really?"
Columbia nodded, "Uhuh.. You should get up, I'll explain on the way to.. My house, I suppose.. We don't have much time to stay here.. I can't even explain the reason why we have to leave right now.."
Frank nodded, seeing her urgency. She saw him make an effort to once again sit up, but he couldn't. He looked at her, questioning, "My muscles.. They seem to have begun to atrophy.. a lot. That only starts to occur in the human body over a half year.."
Columbia said quickly, "Frank, I can't explain right now, it has been awhile.. Oh God, how do I get you out of here?"
He looked her up and down, "You're muscles look fine to me."
She raised an eyebrow, "Me? Carry you?"
"You can carry me.. I'm light."
She tapped a foot nervously, "I know I 'can'.."
He winked, "I won't bite.. I promise."
She giggled a bit, then remembered the situation. She quickly but gently put an arm under Frank's neck, her other arm around the back of his knees. He smiled a bit, but Columbia didn't see it. She was too busy avoiding his eyes.
With a slight squeal, she managed to lift him to her chest. She wrapped his arms around her neck. She advised, "Try to get your fingers working at least, so that you can hang on if I need to shift your weight a minute."
He followed her direction and began to will his fingers to twitch. While he did that, she stepped in a cautious circle. When she had made the full circle and was facing the door, she looked up from her feet. What she saw was Dr. Scott, sitting proudly in his chair. He spoke slowly, calmly, "Columbia, you're tampering witch science."
Frank could move his neck slightly, and he did so to accommodate a view of the doctor. His eyes went wide with memory, but he said nothing. Columbia began to plead, "Oh, please, Dr. Scott! Let him stay conscious!"
Scott considered it a minute, then said, "Sorry, Col.. He'll be conscious for about a month.. Then he's going back on the slab.. He's a subject."
Col argued, "But you have Rocky!"
Frank's ears perked, "What?! Rocky's alive, too?! Where?!"
Columbia barked at him, "Frank, shut up!"
He was taken aback by her force, which he was not used to. Still, he considered the fact that she was holding him in the air AND defending his life from what he could gather, he looked down, resembling a scolded puppy.
Dr. Scott ignored the last occurrence, "Yes, but Rocky is an alien- made creation.. His workings are all-together different than Dr. Furter's."
Columbia tried once more, "But, Doctor.."
He shook his head.. I can have you arrested. I am in possession of a permit that gives me the right to study aliens. That subject, which you are tampering with, is my property.. Besides, he took my nephew's life.." He frowned, then continued, "You can hang around for the scientifically useless month in which he will be conscious, if you want.."
She nodded reluctantly, "I guess that's better than nothing.."
Frank was quite confused. He had a million questions, so much to catch up on.. He voiced his first priority, "Excuse me, but would either of you happen to have a hand mirror?"
Col hadn't been expecting that. She had been expecting a harsh word, or perhaps a classic 'what's going on, where are we?' line. Instead, Frank had reacted as though he had just experienced what had happened so long ago. He hadn't forgotten a thing. Col wondered if he had been caught in a recurring cycle nightmare of his last moments before Riff had shot him.
Columbia said gently, "No, Frank.." A slow smile of pure joy formed on her lightly painted lips, "We're alive."
Frank looked at her with a quizzical look in his eyes. He was judging her seriousness, she could tell. He had to clear his throat again before saying, a bit less hoarse, "Eh.. Really?"
Columbia nodded, "Uhuh.. You should get up, I'll explain on the way to.. My house, I suppose.. We don't have much time to stay here.. I can't even explain the reason why we have to leave right now.."
Frank nodded, seeing her urgency. She saw him make an effort to once again sit up, but he couldn't. He looked at her, questioning, "My muscles.. They seem to have begun to atrophy.. a lot. That only starts to occur in the human body over a half year.."
Columbia said quickly, "Frank, I can't explain right now, it has been awhile.. Oh God, how do I get you out of here?"
He looked her up and down, "You're muscles look fine to me."
She raised an eyebrow, "Me? Carry you?"
"You can carry me.. I'm light."
She tapped a foot nervously, "I know I 'can'.."
He winked, "I won't bite.. I promise."
She giggled a bit, then remembered the situation. She quickly but gently put an arm under Frank's neck, her other arm around the back of his knees. He smiled a bit, but Columbia didn't see it. She was too busy avoiding his eyes.
With a slight squeal, she managed to lift him to her chest. She wrapped his arms around her neck. She advised, "Try to get your fingers working at least, so that you can hang on if I need to shift your weight a minute."
He followed her direction and began to will his fingers to twitch. While he did that, she stepped in a cautious circle. When she had made the full circle and was facing the door, she looked up from her feet. What she saw was Dr. Scott, sitting proudly in his chair. He spoke slowly, calmly, "Columbia, you're tampering witch science."
Frank could move his neck slightly, and he did so to accommodate a view of the doctor. His eyes went wide with memory, but he said nothing. Columbia began to plead, "Oh, please, Dr. Scott! Let him stay conscious!"
Scott considered it a minute, then said, "Sorry, Col.. He'll be conscious for about a month.. Then he's going back on the slab.. He's a subject."
Col argued, "But you have Rocky!"
Frank's ears perked, "What?! Rocky's alive, too?! Where?!"
Columbia barked at him, "Frank, shut up!"
He was taken aback by her force, which he was not used to. Still, he considered the fact that she was holding him in the air AND defending his life from what he could gather, he looked down, resembling a scolded puppy.
Dr. Scott ignored the last occurrence, "Yes, but Rocky is an alien- made creation.. His workings are all-together different than Dr. Furter's."
Columbia tried once more, "But, Doctor.."
He shook his head.. I can have you arrested. I am in possession of a permit that gives me the right to study aliens. That subject, which you are tampering with, is my property.. Besides, he took my nephew's life.." He frowned, then continued, "You can hang around for the scientifically useless month in which he will be conscious, if you want.."
She nodded reluctantly, "I guess that's better than nothing.."
Frank was quite confused. He had a million questions, so much to catch up on.. He voiced his first priority, "Excuse me, but would either of you happen to have a hand mirror?"