Chapter 4

A failed experiment
A/N Hi, im proud of the content of this chapter. It's meant to be sad so tell me if it is. Not my longest but it'll do, please read and review. I've been ignored quite a bit lately!
Disclaimer: Don't own it
Sam awoke late that night, he had been sitting in the same tree watching the same building for the past four hours and (as much as he would hate to admit it) this was tiring work. After cursing to himself for falling asleep, he resumed scanning the building for an entry, for hours now he had been waiting for the swarm of erasers and scientists to thin out but it hadn't. Sam's actions had caused frantic panic at the school and there were boxes packed with samples and paper work being moved from the school to waiting vans, he saw no experiments though, no crates or dog baskets. Sam felt a ripple of pleasure has he realised he had caused this uproar, the school, the almighty "Institute for higher living" was running as fast as it could from being discovered, from Sam. And he had every intention of following them.

Around 1am, Sam was woken once again. This time it was engine noise and Sam knew they were ready to go. He planned to check the building first, they may have left his flock behind. If there was no sign of them, Sam intended to follow the convoy; to the ends of the earth if he had to.

Sam ran swiftly and purposefully through the trees, almost every eraser and every scientist was in one of the vehicles, but a few were still rushing back and forth frantically. Sam tucked his wings in behind him and pulled his hood over his head as he emerged from the darkness of the trees and walked calmly to the last truck, at the back. In the flurry no-one noticed him, they wouldn't have seen Sam if he was luminous orange and wearing a clown outfit. He liked it that way. When Sam arrived at the rear truck, he took one hand out of his pocket, raised a talon and cut a minute hole in the petrol tank. He would need that trailto follow them if he couldn't find his flock.

Sam sank back into the trees and waited impatiently for the group to leave. Half an hour later the area was completely deserted and Sam flew towards the main entrance, which in their haste the whitecoats had left open. He walked through the cold glass doors into the clinical gleam of the waiting area and almost couldn't believe it was the same place. Alongside the padded blue chairs were toys and children's books, a huge friendly- looking colourful cat smiled at Sam from one wall as he passed it. Above the yellow reception desk was a sign.

Welcome to Sir Batchelder's young maternity & children's hospital

Sam couldn't believe it, the place was a hospital, a friendly, invitinghospital!

He screwed his eyes shut and squeezed them till they watered.

When he opened his eyes he was in the same room, although it seemed darker. Beside him Sam saw the same cat, but the transfer was peeling and beginning to turn yellow, the toys were gathering dust and the welcome sign was chipped and now read:

E t Batchelder un ity

Sam was bewildered by this, had he had another vision of the past? What had they done to him here? Or rather. How was he born this way?

He didn't have time to think about it however, because just then he heard a cry ahead of him. It sounded part human, part animal.

The experiments!

Sam leapt over the reception desk and headed for a door marked:

Staff only, Intensive Care

The door cracked off it's one remaining hinge as Sam burst into the ward. As far as he could see were rows of clean white beds, he knew these were just for show, the experiments, including himself had always been kept in cages. He ran past the beds through the narrow room and into another corridor. The screeching resumed and this time it didn't stop, it was so high pitched Sam had to cover his ears. He sprinted down the corridor following the noise until he reached another door marked:

Cell 182

Cautiously he opened the door and in front of him was the source of the noise.

As Sam walked towards it, the screeching stopped, It came from a creature in a cage. It was small and covered in scales, Sam couldn't tell if it was male or female but, as it closed it's mouth he saw a forked tongue hide amongst two or three rows of pointed teeth. It looked up at Sam with human eyes, taking deep breaths through narrow slits in it's face.

"Hello" Sam said, trying to hide his shock.

"It's okay, I won't hurt you, I'm like you, here to help" Sam reassured it, unfurling his wings.

It admired his wings and seemed reassured that Sam was no threat and he opened the cage. It stumbled out, revealing a long, green tail. And through a raspy voice it stuttered;

"Help… help… p…please" It's legs gave way and Sam had to catch it to stop it from falling, slowly he lowered it to the ground. It looked weak and Sam could see it's ribs, clearly sticking out beneath the rags it was wearing. Left here to die, another failed experiment.

" I'm Sam, what's your name?" He asked, trying to make the last voice it heard a friendly one. Sam held it close, probably the first human contact it had known.

"I'm… Keira" She replied, a small smile flickered across her face, she closed her eyes and her breathing became shallow.

Sam held her tightly and she gripped his hand. After a few minutes her grip loosened, she was gone.

Experiment terminated
R&R A.S.A.P. thanx!