Double Helix

chapter five
~ nightmare ~

Something was on top of her, she was sure of it. In the darkness that seemed to engulf her, she was certain something unworldly was either sitting on her or pressing down against her. Fear tickled at the back of her mind, but Meryl felt so heavy and groggy that she dismissed the sensation for a dream. Meryl wasn't one to sleep deeply, but grogginess held on to her with a vice grip. It was pleasant. Rare were the moments when she felt sleep pull at her so strongly. The darkness was calm, and strangely comforting.

Whatever it was that felt so heavy against her body would disappear if she simply rolled over onto her side and snuggled against her pillow, the deep sleep would return that much sooner. When her body refused to obey her will did she feel the first true hint of fear.

It was then that her mind began to question her situation. If she were dreaming, she wouldn't be thinking so logically. Therefore, she must be awake. The fact that she couldn't roll over onto her side was simply a side-effect of her grogginess. Nothing more.

It wasn't like she was paralyzed.

To prove her point, Meryl tried to move her arm. Then her leg. She even tried to wiggle her toes or move her hands.

Suddenly, her heart began to pound harder in her chest.

Why couldn't she move?

What was wrong with her? She should be able to move...

Why couldn't she move?

Night terrors. Yes. That had to be it. She was experiencing a night terror, or something similar. She'd heard of night terrors before, but she never experienced one for herself. It would pass in a few moments. Her body simply didn't know that her brain was awake. Once the two caught up, she'd have full mobility again.

It would pass.

Soon.

Meryl counted to one hundred and tried to move her fingers again.

Why couldn't she move?

Why did she still feel that weird pressure on her body? It felt almost like someone was sitting on top of her...

That was just part of having a night terror... wasn't it?

Wasn't it?

Meryl willed herself to calm down. The stress of her job was getting to her. That had to be it. She was just stressed out and overly tired. Travel tended to have that effect on her. Being assigned to follow Vash around meant she had to do a lot of traveling...

'Vash..?'

All at once, Meryl remembered leaving him and Milly. She remembered boarding a sand-steamer and crying as she watched the landscape roll by. She remembered purchasing a thomas and the taste of sand in her mouth...

...but there was something else... something important... something to be afraid of...

The pressure on her body suddenly increased, causing her chest to tighten painfully as the air was suddenly pushed from her lungs. The sensation fueled the anxiety that haunted the back of her mind, causing it to roar to the foreground of her thoughts. There was something very important to be frightened of, but she couldn't place what it was. It lacked a name and a face, but it was as real as the fear that sent her pulse racing.

The more she tried to concentrate on that something, to name it, the more pressure she felt on her chest. Even her ability to form coherent thoughts became stifled. She had to fight to think clearly. If she poured all her concentration into it, she could recall flashes of memories, but none of the images she saw made any sense.

Finally, an image flashed in her mind that of someone she recognized, but the name of that person escaped her. She could only think of Vash when she saw the face, but the eyes were wrong.

'Why are the eyes wrong?'

As she tried to formulate the answer to that question, a cold malevolence moved through her, choking her. That man was someone she was supposed to fear. She knew him, but her ability to remember why she knew him was lost to her.

Panic threatened to pull her mind into chaos. She fought back against the fear and forced herself to think. If she was truly in danger, she had to remain calm. With a new sense of purpose, she concentrated. The haziness relented a fraction, allowing her to explore her own thoughts. She feasted upon her memories, searching for the whys and hows. Still, she couldn't remember what happened to her, nor could she figure out why she felt such odd sensations all over her body. She felt like she was being held down... but by what? How?

Whatever it was, it was crushing her. It pressed down on every square inch of her flesh, preventing her from even the tiniest bit of movement. She felt the weight strongest around her ankles, chest and arms. Was she tied down? Her brain told her that her arms were at her sides, but she had the distinct impression that her feet were slightly elevated. And whatever she was laying on was hard. She wasn't in a bed or on the ground.

'A table,' she realized in horror. 'I'm on a table!'

Somewhere within the haziness, a hand seemed to reach into her and puck out a forgotten memory from childhood. She recoiled from what the memory suggested, but it persisted. Earthly fairy tales and legends she had heard as a child swirled about in her mind and she could only think of demons. 'A demon must be sitting on you,' the haziness seemed to suggest. Then the demon smiled at her, it's eyes a sickly yellow. Behind him she saw another pair of eyes watching her. Ice-blue eyes.

Pushing the image out of her mind, Meryl struggled fruitlessly against her invisible bonds. The more she fought, the greater the pressure upon her body became, causing her even more pain. She only needed to feel the sharp increase of pain once to know she had to calm down or else she would be punished again.

Then she heard the voices and the distinct and sickening sound of metal on metal.

Fear flooded her her body as the image of being in a hospital room filled her mind. The sensation was overwhelming and she could do nothing to stop the tide of panic building within her mind. Something horrible was going to happen to her if she didn't flee. She was certain of it. She had to get away. She had to move.

Calm down, Meryl.

All thoughts ceased. Meryl was certain she heard that, but not with her ears. Straining, she searched for the voice once again, but to no avail. Still, hearing her name — even if it was within her own mind — gave her a sense of stability. The tide of panic began to recede. If only a little.

Then something bit her arm, a pinprick of pain that reminded her of needles and tests. Another clang of metal caught her attention and then she felt something cold touch her, enter her, and the fear came back with a vengeance.

Sound refused her as she desperately tried to scream out in protest. Something was happening to her, something was being done to her — something cold and hard and painful was inside of her, stretching her, pushing painfully against the soft flesh inside her. Horrified, she felt like she was drowning as the sensations pushed against her belly. Her lungs suddenly couldn't get enough air.

She was hyperventilating, but the violation of her body continued.

Silent pleas filled her mind as she begged for whatever was happening to her to stop, for the pain and invasiveness to end. Instead, it merely withdrew as suddenly as it had entered her and she was empty. The murmur of voices and the clanging of metal continued in the haze as she tried not to feel the dull ache and cold slime between her legs.

• • •

"Initial test results appear promising, but we can't go forward with the procedure just yet." Dr. Conrad said as he pulled his gloves off with an audible snap.

Knives merely followed his movements as the doctor washed his hands, paying little attention to the woman strapped to the examination table behind him. It was the same table that Vash had been strapped to all those years ago.

Drying his hands, the doctor cleared his throat. "She looks perfectly healthy. Her uterus is a good size, the cervix appears healthy... the only thing holding us back is her menstrual cycle. If she is compatible we will need to wait at least two weeks before we can implant the seed."

"The final test results will only take a few days." Knives watched the doctor carefully store the blood samples. "I don't want to wait two weeks if she is compatible. Give her a hormone treatment."

"I would but you said that you didn't want her to be drugged in any way," Conrad said, "We don't want to risk upsetting her equilibrium. I think it would be best to wait for her uterus to prepare itself naturally. It should only take a couple of weeks."

Knives pursed his lips and let his eyes rest on Meryl's vulnerable form as the doctor gently covered her with a blanket. Legato was suspended a few feet behind her psychically keeping her restrained. He could feel her emotions and thoughts spill out of her like a torrential flood. She was in absolute despair, though to look at her one would think she was simply sleeping. Her terror-filled thoughts were distracting and he found himself somewhat disturbed by her reaction. He told her to calm down, but his words went ignored. So turbulent were her emotions that nothing would pacify her, though she did strive to not give in to panic.

That, in itself, was a feat many humans never even attempted. It was almost commendable.

Almost.

In the end, she had crumbled as all flawed creatures do. Such was their nature. That much would never change.

"Fine," Knives acquiesced, "I will return in two weeks."

Conrad nodded.

"Legato, I have some business to take care of," Knives said, making his way toward the exit. "You know your responsibilities. She is to be protected at all costs. No physical harm is to come to her, but keep her under control."

The yellow-eyed cripple smiled and bowed his head, "Of course, Master. I understand."