Okay, I wasn't so sure about this chapter when I wrote it, but I think you will be surprised. If you liked Subject 1 before... haha. Just read the chapter.
Kaoru had thought he liked Subject 1 that night before… but the next day, when he woke, he wasn't so sure anymore. She was different and he didn't know why.
"This is place is horrible," her soft voice whined as soon as Kaoru opened his eyes after sleeping on the floor. He lifted his head off the floor to look at her but she wasn't looking at him. She muttered to herself as she stared at the wall. "I want to go home. I hate this place…"
"Are you okay?" Kaoru called over to her, scooting up to the cell door.
Her head snapped in his direction with a smooth glare. "Oh look, the favorite boy has awakened."
Kaoru scrunched his brows and bit his lip. What was she talking about?
"They should let me go free if they have you to test on, don't you think? Your blood is more valuable anyway." She chuckled lightly to herself. "But that would be the day, wouldn't it?"
"What's wrong?" Kaoru asked, spooked by her sudden downturn in spirit.
"What's wrong?" Subject 1 repeated with a chuckle. "Everything is my problem. This place. You." She turned icy stare on him with cruel malice. "I hope they kill you."
Her words jolted up Kaoru's spine. Never before had Kaoru heard those words uttered so forcefully. He curled into himself, huddling into the corner by the door.
"Yup," she continued as she copied Kaoru's position, "I hope they take one syringe too many of your blood. Or maybe they'll get curious and decide to look inside of you. They could carve into your skin and pull out your heart," she laughed in a way that chilled Kaoru's spine.
Kaoru's stomach churned. "Stop it. Why are you saying this?"
The girl shrugged, not looking at him. "I'm bored so I pass the time. It's always nice to see the new ones squirm."
"Yesterday you were so nice," Kaoru whispered, feeling pathetic. He was stronger than this; he didn't have to care about the girl that had once been nice to him. But he did. He needed someone to talk to.
"Yesterday?" The girl laughed manically just as the hall door was buzzed open. "I've never met you in my life." Subject 1 glanced up at the figure entering the door and smiled. "Hello, nurse." Turning her eyes back on Kaoru, Subject 1 began chant in a sing-song voice, "You are going to die! You are going to die! They will drain all of your blood. They will drain all of your blood."
Kaoru's panicked eyes darted from Subject 1 to the nurse who went down the hall with a cart full of food trays. She slipped one under Subject 1's cell before turning Kaoru. "Don't worry 83, Subject 1 has multiple personalities. She should be back to normal in hour or two. Her mean side only comes out to play every once and a while." The tray scraped noisily under barred door.
Kaoru didn't reply to the nurse, so she moved on in silence to the other subjects, the ones Kaoru couldn't see. Instead, Kaoru watched Subject 1 curiously. She was staring at the food suspiciously, as if it were poisoned. Her deep green eyes darted up to watch the nurse strolling further out of view. "I bet this food is poisoned!" She hollered, gripping the bars tightly in her fingers. "I bet we will all be dead within an hour!"
"Shut up, One!" a boy yelled back.
"Prove me wrong, 49, then I'll shut up," she replied.
"We have the same damn meal every day. Now eat your sandwich," Subject 49 said in an irritated voice. And Kaoru was surprised to see Subject 1 do as she was told. She picked up her turkey sandwich hesitantly. Kaoru bit into his green apple just as she took a single bite into the bread, but then she froze.
The sandwich in her hands was still in her mouth, but she didn't finish the bite. She just stared blankly ahead. Kaoru paused in his chewing just as she blinked slowly. "Uh, One?" Kaoru said tentatively.
She whipped her head in his direction, ripped the sandwich from her mouth, and gasped loudly for air. "Oh, god," she moaned. "Did I do it again? Did I become her?"
Kaoru's simple nod sent the girl spiraling in tears. They streamed from her face. "What horrible things did I say, 83?"
Kaoru looked away, feeling extremely uncomfortable, "You didn't say anything."
She shot him a hurt look before turning away in a sobbing mess. "I know I did… Sorry for whatever I said…"
Kaoru was completely bewildered. "It's okay, you can't control it."
"Glad to see you're back to yourself," the nurse smiled at Subject 1 as she rolled the cart back to the door. "Oh and 83, we just need to take a few more vials of your blood," she said, glancing over at Kaoru.
"More?" Kaoru squeaked, dropping his half-eaten apple back onto the full tray.
"Oh, it won't leave you as weak as yesterday. I just need two more vials." She went to unlock the door and swung it open with a creak. Kaoru kept still, just wanting it to be over quickly. "Besides, we need your strength up for tonight." Kaoru's heart thudded at her words.
The woman knelt beside Kaoru with the first needle at the ready. She stuck him swiftly, making Kaoru only slightly flinch. The sensation of blood being taken from his body was something he thought he would never get used to. He hissed as the needle was removed. The second one was just the same, but Kaoru hardly flinched at that one. He wondered if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
"Thank you, dear," the nurse cooed, running her fingers through his hair just like the night before as she covered the punctures with a green bandage. "Now you make sure you eat your food and drink all of this water." She set the canister of water in Kaoru's shaky hands before disappearing out the door.
A few minutes, after Kaoru was sure she was gone, Kaoru asked, "What do you think they have planned for me tonight?" He looked up from the water to Subject 1.
Her tears were dry and her face was full of concern for him. "I don't know. Sometimes they take me in to redistribute the Red Plague into my system, but I doubt they would do that so soon after yesterday…" She trailed off, leaning closer to the bars. "You'll be okay. They don't do anything torturous to us. They only test the Red Plague."
"That was torture enough," Kaoru mumbled. "But you're right, I can handle that. I'll be okay." But he didn't know if that was the truth. Yesterday… had been so painful.
He smiled weakly at her and she mirrored him. Alright, maybe this Subject 1 was okay.