Max' POV
The little girl in the cart is sobbing, Angel, I presume. They stick her next to the little boy as more white coats come pouring in. They've no doubt been draw in by that dramatic scene. Most filter out when they see what's happened.
"Angel, Angel, I thought they were taking you away forever," the little boy manages to say, once he has his own sobbing under control. The boy has blonde hair and big blue eyes, now rimmed with pink. The little girl has big blue eyes and blonde hair too, they look so alike, they must be related.
"Me too," Angel says, whimpering. Her speech is not very good, but then again, she can't be more than two years old. As their little reunion continues, the last of the white coats leave.
"I'll always take care of you, Angel," the boy says. He pats her hand through the metal bars of their cages.
So far, we are all in a line, the cages I mean. On the far left, there's me. Then Fang, and Iggy. The screaming boy, Angel, and oh yeah! There's another cage. I'd forgotten all about it with all the ruckus. There is a girl in the far cage. She's laying on the base of the cage in a heap, she appears to be unconscious. She's got black curly, frizzy hair and has brown skin.
"That's Nudge," the boy says, seeing my eyeing her. "I'm the Gasman." I frown at the prospect of what this name could mean. "This's Angel, she's my sister," he says proudly.
"Yeah, I got that," I say. "Why did they move you in here?" I ask, addressing all of them, not really expecting the unconscious Nudge to answer.
"Our room got overcrowded with the Rejects. So they moved us out," the Gasman answers helpfully. I look to Fang, he shrugs.
"Same," Iggy says.
"I'm Max," tell the newcomers.
"I'm Iggy, that's Fang." What? Fang can't talk for himself?
"Do you all have wings?" I ask.
"Yep," the Gasman says, rather gloomily.
"Us too," Iggy says.
The buzzer outside beeps and white coat comes in. Suddenly, the whole room has stiffened up. He looks a little like Ari. I wonder if they know about Ari. Maybe it's just me he bugs.
"I'm taking you all to a Free Room," he says. What's a Free Room? I guess, I'll find out… He goes to Nudge's cage opens it, lifts her out, and carries her to a door on the backside of the room. This door leads to another room that I have never been in. He sets her down on a couch and comes back. He then comes to my cage, opens it and reaches a hand in for me to grab. I bite it. Told you so. He jerks his hand back and examines it. No blood, darn! "Now Max, I am not here to hurt you. I'm here to get you out of that little cage, sweetie." Sweetie?! He has an almost soothing tone, he doesn't sound angry at all that I bit him. I narrow my eyes at him, but get out on my own. I march straight to the room and plop down in the middle of the room, facing the door in which I came. The man goes back and takes Angel out and carries her to the room. He thrusts her into my arms. She looks up at me with those huge blue eyes; and I melt. She's just about the most adorable thing I have ever seen. The Gasman is still in his cage, his face pressed against the cage bars, staring at us. The man goes to Iggy's cage and helps him into the room with surprising care and cautiousness. Iggy's face is full of confusion. All the other white coats are cold and heartless, what's up with this guy?! He waits for Iggy to situate him self on a chair and goes back to the Gasman. As soon as his cage is undone, he runs to Angel and I, snatching Angel out of my arms. He has her in a such a hold that I think her little blonde head is gonna pop right off. But it doesn't and the man goes back to release Fang. Fang walks slowly into the room and takes a seat next to Iggy.
We sit in silence as the white coat stares at us, wringing his hands, like he's nervous. Nervous of what? Us? Psh.
"I'm Jeb. I'm going to be taking care of you six now," he says. At that, he turns on his heel and withdraws from the room.
I take a look around. There are windows on two walls, big ones, with chicken wire running through them, like veins. It's a fairly large room. Until now, Iv'e had two rooms: the hospital room where I was born, and that room I just exited. I've lived in a cage all my life. Sure, they let me out. But only when I don't want out. They take me out to perform experiments and make me take tests and exercise. The exercise is often mostly an experiment. I shudder just thinking about it.
There are three sets of bunk beds on one wall. There is a sad excuse for a couch on one wall and a desk on the same wall. There are two plastic chairs, one of which is planted firmly under Iggy's butt. There's a cabinet that reaches from the floor to the ceiling. And oh my gosh, shocker here, the walls are completely white! Not. Things around here don't surprise me very much anymore. I expect the unexpected. The floor is tile, just like all the other rooms in this prison. There is a surveillance camera on the wall above the door, its red light blinking rapidly. There's also a digital clock on the wall above the door. It's a little after eight pm.
I get up and go to the door. It's locked. No surprise, but I had to try. This isn't so bad, but I don't want to stay here, that's for sure. I can't take much longer here. I walk to the windows. Looking out side, I see desert. Lots of desert. The sun is just about set. Looking down, I see we are on the fourth floor. Too high to jump, but the windows aren't made to open. There is a courtyard outside. A barb wire topped wall surrounds it. I make my way over to the cabinet and open it. Inside, there are games and cards and children's books and pillows. A door catches me eye, it's not the one I came in through. It's tucked behind the bunk beds, previously hidden from my view. I go to open it, it opens! Now I'm surprised. I poke my head out the door, It's a bathroom. Complete with toilet, sink, and shower. Huh. Okay, cool. No more twice daily bathroom breaks from the cage. Other than the times when I have to do the white coats bidding, that's the only time I get out of the cage. Or got? Am I going back there? I hope not. If I have to stay in this jail, I would rather stay in here, even though I'm stuck with these five.
Oh hey, Nudge is waking up. As she sits up, she talks.
"Woah! What happened? Where am I? Oh my gosh! I'm not in a cage. What happened, the last thing I remember is them bringing in a little girl with bunny ears and everything going black. Gazzy? Ange? Oh, there you are. Who are those people? What's with his-?"
"Nudge! They moved us into here with Max, Fang, and Iggy," Gasman says, pointing at each of us in turn.
"Hi, I'm Nudge, nice to meet you all," Nudge says with a jovial smile. Wow she talks…a lot.
"Hi," I say vacantly, plopping down onto a bottom layer bed in the middle, claiming it as my own. Hey, wait a second. Why are there just the right amount of beds in here? I never saw them bring anything in. The only door into here is the one that comes from my old room. Unless they did it while I was out. Oh well. Whatever.
Angel jumps off of the Gasman's lap and climbs onto the bunk above mine with a little help from me. The Gasman takes the bed on top right next to hers. Nudge takes the one below him, leaving the bunk in the corner for Fang and Iggy. Fang directs Iggy towards the bunk and Iggy takes the bottom bunk. Fang whispers something in Iggy's ear and he smiles, nodding. Then he goes to sleep. Fang goes back over towards the couch and lays down on it. He falls asleep too. What's with him? He seems really distant. I look at the clock on the wall, it's about eight-thirty now. It's a little early for sleep, but I fall into it anyway. The little ones are still awake, and chattering away.