Chapter 14:
The last hour was like a roller coaster for Martha. What should be the happiest day in her life had taken a drastic turn into a day she wished would end. Yet, no matter how broken her son had become her inner joy would never be quelled, but a selfish part of her knew if she never woke up she could continue to believe that maybe Clark had left on his own. And no matter how painful that was to believe, nothing could be worse than this. Her son was home now, everything should go back to normal, yet the battle had just begun. He didn't even trust her. Worst than that, he had yet to show any sign of recognition that she even existed.
A loud creak at the top of the stairs snapped her out of her thoughts. There they were: father and son, just like old times. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of Clark wearing a red flannel shirt. There was something about it that made the boy seem more Clark-like, instead of just a boy in a cruel, sick joke. Her faith slightly restored, she called out, "The eggs just finished cooking. I was running around the kitchen for the longest time trying to think of what to make. I just thought eggs was simple and easy enough." Realizing she was rambling, she turned to attention towards setting the table.
"Looks delicious honey," Jonathan answered as he helped Clark down the stairs. With a hand on the boy's shoulder, he guided Clark toward the table. Letting go of Clark, Jonathan pulled out the closest chair.
Clark suspiciously eyed the hard, wooden char for a moment. He'd seen that chair before. He knew. It was where he was taught tings. It was where he went when he said something wrong. He nervously glanced back at the man, trying to recall what he had said earlier. Maybe if he redeemed himself he wouldn't have to sit in it.
Noticing Clark's hesitation, Jonathan calmly urged, "Go ahead, sit down, Clark."
Clark anxiously bit his bottom lip. He knew he was supposed to follow orders the moment they were spoken, but he would do anything to get out of his 'retraining' sessions. Clutching the dirty sheet he dragged out of the room, he stuttered, "I-I…" as he continued to glance between the man and the chair.
"It's not going to hurt you, sweetheart," the woman stated, as she touched the arm of his chair from where she was sitting.
Noticing Clark's shivers steadily increasing, Jonathan gently grabbed his shoulders. "Clark, remember what we talked about upstairs?" he asked, hoping the memory would help his son trust them.
Now chewing on his bottom lip, Clark thought back to the dim room. What did he say wrong? The memory was quickly becoming a blur mixed with dozens of flashbacks.
"Clark?" the man questioned, waiting for his answer.
The word triggering his mind, he opened his eyes and stated, "My name's Clark. I know. I said it wasn't, but I was wrong. I know. It's Clark-"
Confused by his son's words, Jonathan quickly interrupted him, "Shhh. No, I mean, that we're equals." He picked up Clark's trembling hand and placed it on his face as a reminder.
Clark slowly shook his head at his own stupidity. "Yes, of course. I know, dad. I'm a person," he stated, his voice becoming bolder with every word.
"And people sit with their families at breakfast," the father patiently explained, urging his son towards the seat.
"No! Please don't!" Clark screamed for the first time since his return. His usually lifeless eyes became vibrant with fear but with a strange glimmer of determination.
Jonathan quickly backed away as Martha rushed to replace him. "Clark, honey, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice ringing with a calming sing-song tone, even though her eyes were wide with worry.
His arms outstretched, the sheet quickly fell to the ground. Clark began to blink back tears as he begged. "I know. I know. I'm a person. Please, just don't."
"Don't what?" the woman asked as she slowly moved towards him.
Looking fearfully at the chair, Clark continued to move away from the approaching woman but closer to the dreaded chair. "Don't re-teach me. I know. I know!" he cried in desperation.
A gasp quickly escaped Martha's mouth as she placed her hand over her heart, recalling the 'brainwashing' Dr. Harris mentioned in that very chair.
"Martha, get him out of here!" Jonathan ordered from behind, almost as if he was reading her mind.
Leaping into action, Martha grabbed her son's arm and rushed him into the family room. "Jonathan! Get some sheets out of the laundry room and cover the chairs!" she called as she sat Clark down on the couch. She miserably looked at her son, who had a blank look on his face and was rubbing his arms as if he was cold. She instantly realized in her haste she left his sheet in the kitchen. Before her mind even knew what she was doing, she had returned with the filthy blanket in her hand.
Martha wrapped the sheet around him, just as she used to when he was a child. "Feel better, honey?" she asked in the same sing-song voice.
"Yes, ma'am," Clark nodded, his eyes never leaving the floor.
"Please, Clark, call me 'Mom'," Martha insisted as she brushed a couple bangs out of his face.
"Yes, mo-," he started robotically, but his mind froze min-word. 'No family!' the ominous voice hollered. 'You're my son, and I love you," the man wearing plaid retracted. 'You have no family!' the voice screamed louder. 'You do have a family, Clark!' the man, dad, yelled back.
As each word was scorched into his brain, images from the past attacked his mind. The nice man...in the dim room. The voice with the green needle. A cell...his cell. Alone in the corner. A nice lady...Cassie. She left. She wasn't there. A table with metal restraints. She never existed. Pain, such pain. Strapped to the table, people surrounding him. Glowing green knives. He didn't know what was happening. First time...many times will follow. Day after day. Miss the house, the farm, the people...Mom and Dad. Knives coming closer. Can't move. "No! Don't!" They can hear him but don't listen. The first knife cuts. "Mom!"
Gasping for air, Clark snapped his eyes open, finding himself in a strange room with a woman in front of him. "Where am I?" he breathed, placing a shaky hand on his head.
Still stunned by Clark's breakdown, Martha whispered, "You're home, honey. Remember?"
Panicking, Clark looked around him, muttering "No...no...no..." For a brief moment he locked eyes with Martha, lisping, "Mom," but he quickly shook his head, his fingers entangled in his long hair. "It doesn't exist...you don't exist."
Acting without thought, Martha reached towards her son. But, a second before her fingertips touched him, he disappeared from her sight, the front door instantaneously slamming against the frame.
To Be Continued...
oOo
Chapter 15:
It was simple to tell by swarm of scurrying scientists something was drastically wrong at the scientific research facility that particular morning. Papers were flying everywhere as well as high-pitched voices. Trying to stay unnoticed, Dr. Harris kept a hand on the cement wall, attempting to stay out of everyone's way. As the panicking scientists rushed by she tried her hardest to pick up on bits and pieces of their incoherent mutterings, wondering how much they knew. She assumed they still had no idea where Clark was located at, since everyone's face was tense though fear lit their eyes.
Unaware of her own, personal surroundings, an unknown hand quickly grabbed Cassie from behind and pulled her into an adjacent room. She heard the door click shut, her heart-rate dramatically increasing as she blinked against the darkness. The room was instantly flooded with light with a flip of the switch by the invisible hand. Bringing her hand up to her eyes, Dr. Harris stated in shock at the figure standing in front of her, "Dr. Baum? What on earth are you doing!"
Already pacing around the room, he shouted frantically, "What am I doing!" As if the volume of his own voice frightened him, he nervously glanced behind him, immediately quieting himself. "I'm here to help you," he whispered as he approached her menacingly.
Placing a stray strand of hair behind her ear, she questioned, "Help me with what?"
His pale blue eyes flaring once more from his hidden temper, Dr. Baum whispered through his clenched teeth, "They know it's gone. And I know you took it."
Breaking eye-contact with the furious colleague, Dr. Harris backed away towards random, dusty television against the wall. "That's preposterous!" she exclaimed, glaring back at him.
Taking a deep breath, Dr. Baum grabbed a unmarked tape off a table. "Let's just stop this façade," he stated as he placed the tape in the VCR beneath the TV. Pressing play, a sketchy black and white hallway appeared on the screen, obviously a security recording of one of the many corridors in the facility. "Right before the power was cut off, one of our hidden cameras caught this..." His voice trailed off as he fast-forward a bit before pausing on a dark clothed figure scurrying down the hallway. "Even though I cannot prove directly that this is you, she seems to have a close resemblance to your stature, and you were the only one who had access to the building last night."
Crossing her arms accusingly, Dr. Harris wittily replied, "If you're so sure it's me, then why doesn't everyone else know yet."
Finding his colleague's confidence slightly amusing, Dr. Baum stroked his graying goatee slightly before answering, "I replaced the security tape from last night with one taken a month ago...before you were even introduced to the facility."
"And why would you do that? I'm sure they would be curious to your assumptions," she asked as she brought her thin-rimmed glasses down a bit, revealing her bitter hazel eyes.
Sighing once again, Dr. Baum explained, "To put it simply, your not the only one in trouble here. If they find out you stole it, then they will look into your purposes at this facility and who introduced you to this project, which directly ties you to me. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not someone who will stand idly by as you destroy my career."
"But I didn't take it," Dr. Harris bluntly stated, enunciating every word.
Tiredly rubbing his pale blue eyes, Dr. Baum subtly licked his lips, obviously quelling his inner frustration. Looking back at the psychologist, he answered, "All I know is what I showed you. But let me warn you, if the subject doesn't return by tomorrow morning, I will show anyone I can this tape, and this facility does not take kindly to traitors."
"Is that a threat?" she mocked, barely above a whisper.
Walking towards the door, Dr. Baum answered, "Only if you took it." Cassie quietly watched as the scientist placed his hand on the silver doorknob. He seemed obviously perturbed by something, as if he had something else to say. Turning the doorknob the slightest bit, he glanced back at her, his jaw tense with anger. The passion flaring once more behind his blue eyes he charged towards her. "Tell me where it is!" he screamed, stopping only inches away from her face.
"I don't-" she started, but was cut off with surprise when the crazed doctor grabbed her lab coat by the collar.
"Stop lying! This is my career we're talking about here! You can't just come in and trample on everything I've worked so hard for! Don't you even realize that these people will kill us once they realize what you've done! How dare you just feed me to the wolves like this!" he screamed, his pale face growing red with anger. As if shocked by his own words, he stood agape for a second, his eyes wide with surprise. Backing away from the stunned woman, he nervously glanced around the room, obviously frightened by his prediction. Hanging his head shamefully, he looked up at his colleague, his eyes blinking back tears. "Please, just...tell me what's going on. You already dragged me into this. I just want to know," he begged, his voice now meek.
Slowly taking off her glasses, Cassie bit her bottom lip, her mind quarreling between what was fair and what was right for Clark. Looking back into Dr. Baum's fear-ridden eyes, she sighed, defeated. "Alright, don't worry, I'll tell you."
Two hours later, the two doctors were sitting across from each other in Dr. Harris's small apartment. "Incredible," Dr. Baum breathed, looking once again at the picture of Clark Dr. Harris stole a little over an hour ago from the secret file hidden in the office.
Glancing across the table at the photo, Dr. Harris sighed, "I know. Before those 'scientists' got their hands on him, he was just and average kid, with hopes and dreams."
"I just...I always thought..." the doctor breathed speechless from his own ignorance.
"That's okay, don't beat yourself up over it," Cassie comforted as she stood up and refilled his glass of water.
Turning his chair towards her, Dr. Baum curiously asked, "And there was no record from where he previously came from?"
"Nope," she lied simply as she handed him his drink, thinking back to the previously shredded piece of paper with Clark's information. To be honest, she wasn't proud of still keeping the concerned doctor out of the loop, but she thought it was the best for Clark's safety.
He quickly gulped his drink, as if he hadn't drank in days. Rubbing his mouth with his sleeve, he asked, "Then where is he?"
Sitting back down in her seat, Cassie placed the picture into the unmarked manila folder, answering, "Don't worry, I've got it taken care of."
To Be Continued...
AN: I know everything may seem thrown together with Clark's escape and Dr. Harris with Dr. Baum. But I just wanted you guys to know that don't worry, I'm a firm believer a story isn't complete without a twist at the end. So please be patient.