3 months since the last chapter

Max's POV

Ahh, blissful sleep. And thank the Lord it was a dreamless sleep. I'd rather have a dreamless night that one filled with terrifying nightmares.

"Max," I hear, snapping me out of extreme happiness. I pry my eyes open.

"What?" I ask groggily, sitting up in my bed. Who said that? Looking at the clock, it hits me. Crap! It's ten o' clock! Crap crap crap. Now I know who said it. Jeb.

"Max, come with me," he says, waiting at the door. Reluctantly, I climb out of bed and follow him into my old room. When we get outside the Free Room, I turn to look at him. He closes the door.

"But Jeb, I don't want to," I whine, giving him my best win-you-over face.

"You need to," he replies shortly, content to leave it there. But I'm indignant.

"Why?" I ask furiously. "Why do I need to do these things?"

"All in good time, Honey, all in good time," he sighs. "Besides, it will all be over soon."

He takes my hand and leads me out the door. Inside I'm screaming. It will all be over soon?! What does that mean? Am I going to die? I don't want to die! Escape, yes. Die, no! wait, he probably just meant whatever the white coats are going to be doing today will be over soon. Yeah, that's all he meant. Psh. I'll do whatever, and then go back to my friends. Okay, yeah, this won't be so bad. I've survived the others. Yesterday, all they had me do was take a test, on paper. It'll probably be the same today. Getting all worked up over nothing. Shame on you, Max. Keep it together.

Jeb is leading me to sector C. I haven't been in this one before. It's underground. We stop in front of a door marked EX-7. Before he opens the door, Jeb squats down in front of me. He looks nervous, and glances behind him quickly. What's going on?

"Jeb?" I ask, a little worried. He's become a father figure to me, kinda. It confuses me to see him this way. He rarely shows emotion, except kindness towards us.

"Just one more, okay?"

"One more? Jeb, what are you talking about?" I ask, shaking my head.

"When you go in, be quiet, answer their questions if they have them, but stay quiet. Don't fight with them okay? I don't want you to get hurt," Jeb says, his eyes full of concern. I'm so confused. "I'll be there for a minute, but I can't stay long."

"Why, what's gonna happen?" I ask, biting my nails.

"Don't do that," he says, taking my hand from my mouth. "I can't tell you. Now, be good." he says, giving me a quick hug. He stands up and opens the door. Putting a hand over my wings, he gently pushes me inside.

The room is, gag me, white. Haven't these people heard of color? There's a metal slab in the middle of the room. A bunch of medical devices are placed haphazardly around it. Half a dozen computers line the back wall, lost in a mass of wires and gadgets. I have a bad feeling about this. I see what could only be white coats, but they are dressed in disgusting blue/green smocks, with booties and hairnets to match. They also have gloves and face masks on. The once white floor tile is littered with black scuff marks, and, oh gross. Blood stains. I have to give a round of applause to the clean up crew. I'm not squeamish when it comes to blood, but I definitely don't want to be the next donor to the floor bank. They've taken enough of my blood, thank you very much.

"Okay Max," Jeb says softly. "Up on the table." My heartbeat and breathing take off in a wild race. I think my heartbeat is winning.

Crap, I really don't want to do this, whatever it is. A little more firmly this time, Jeb pushes me towards the slab. I see needles. I hate needles. I hate them with all my being. I hate them almost as much as I hate this place. So I guess I hate this place with all of my being, plus Fang's being. Since he hates it just as much as me.

The white coa- I mean, blue coats stare at me impatiently while I clamber onto the table. Oh God, I'm going to die, aren't I? Jeb did mean I was going to die! They're just itching to slice into me and take me apart, piece by piece. I can just see them drooling.

"Lie down on your back," one of them commands me. Reluctantly I agree, since I was told not to fight them. I know, I know. Why would I listen to one of them? Because for some out-of-this-world reason, I trust him.

I lay down, and icy metal numbs my bare arms, calves, and heels. I shiver, and they give me disapproving glances. Jeb gives me on last encouraging smile before he slips out of the room. I fix my eyes on a speck on the ceiling as one approaches me with a needle. He injects a stunning purple liquid into my arm. I suck my breath in just slightly. Ow. I tried not to look at it, I saw just enough to see the color and want to vomit.

Oh, it's an anesthetic. How do I know that? I don't. But I hope it is, since everything is slowly fading from my sight. And I can only hope that I wake up.