Authors Note:
WARNING - There is one instance of M rated swearing in this chapter so if that bothers you, you might want to skim read the first part of this.
Chapter 6: I believe an additional dose is required
I'd thought the height of helplessness would be being chained blindfolded to that wall in the basement.
I was wrong.
Even worse was the helplessness I felt as I lay on an examination table in Walker's lab ... on top of the humiliation of Brown 'escorting' me and then manhandling me into position it was difficult not to feel scared, and discouraged. Not that I didn't believe John was coming for me, because I did ... 100 percent. Would it be before Walker did something we couldn't take back? The negative possibilities in that were thoughts I struggled to suppress.
The room was very bright, sterile and too cold, the decor putting me very much in mind of one of those high priced private clinics. The cold of the room extended even to the metal slab I was stretched out on ... and restrained to. My wrists were strapped inside leather restraints which made me think of mental asylums and a whole host of other nightmarish images. Of course I tugged on the restraints and of course they didn't budge. I'd given up on them and on finding anything I could reach that might help and still no one arrived. I think Walker deliberately took his time turning up, making the most of my overly active imagination as I waited alone, conjuring up a stream of ever worsening visions regarding what he was going to do with me.
"Ah, I see you're ready," Walker commented jovially as he walked into the room. He'd gone the full hog on his role as mad lab doctor too – swapping his expensive jacket for a white lab coat. Brown had returned with him and somehow that just made the whole thing worse – as if having a witness really made that much difference.
"Did I mention that Colonel Sheppard will make you pay for hurting me?" I asked weakly, shivering slightly and telling myself it was just from the cold.
"Just lie back and relax," Walker advised in smarmy Doctor Evil helpfulness.
Yeah like I was really gonna do that! I didn't know what to say, where to look, how to be – the situation was so completely outside my experience I just had no basis to even attempt a contrived reaction. Looking away as Walker approached I missed the bit where he injected me with something.
"What was that?" I demanded.
"Just a little sedative," Walker excused. "This first examination will go better if I don't have to fight with you."
"You really are a slimy bastard aren't you?" I blinked deliberately, feeling myself spacing out and trying to stop it from happening.
"There's no need for language my dear," Walker spoke like he was some kind of benevolent uncle.
"Fuck ... you," I slurred.
"She really is quite remarkable," Walker commented over my head. He was swimming in and out of my vision but I was still with it enough to understand what was going on.
"How so?" Brown asked curiously.
"The shot I gave her should have been enough to fell someone twice her size in seconds and yet she still retains some measure of consciousness," Walker explained, his tone making it clear he was genuinely fascinated by the whole thing.
"Is that because of that alien DNA stuff?" Brown tried to sound like he knew what he was talking about ... stupid goon that he was.
"That is part of what we must determine," Walker replied. "For now I believe an additional dose is required."
I registered that second injection just barely ... my vision started to grey out around the edges ...
oOo
When I came back to myself I was in my cosy little guest room, tucked up in the bed. I could have believed the whole morning had been a bad dream but for the fact that I hadn't been relaxed enough to sleep under the covers the night before, ending up stretched out on top of them instead. Sitting up abruptly caused a head rush and dizzy spell that had me flopping back down again. Waiting a few seconds and then taking it much slower I got myself out of bed and across to the window. The sun was still high in the sky so only two or three hours had gone by ... still, that was plenty of time for them to have done who knew what.
I wasn't sure I really wanted to see evidence of what had happened while I was unconscious, but nothing unpleasant ever went away by avoiding it. Walking slowly to the bathroom I had to take a moment to prepare myself before I looked in the mirror. The guy had actually replaced my butterfly strips with stitches, and a lot neater looking than I would have expected. He really must have been thinking about keeping me there long term and that sent a sick feeling of dread rushing to the pit of my stomach. Apart from the fact I was paler than before there was nothing in my face to indicate what had happened in that lab.
Okay, easy part over – next up was the rest of me. That sick feeling returned when I realised I was wearing a different set of clothing than I'd gone in there with – oh God don't go there Sabina! I tried not to let it bother me but still found myself sitting on the floor breathing much too fast as my body shook in nervous reaction.
"Get a grip," I coached myself hoarsely. "You can do this – just get up and finish it."
Next I systematically checked the rest of myself over, looking for anything that would tell me what Walker had done. My thigh wounds had also been stitched and re-bandaged ... I glossed over thinking about that and moved on. He'd taken blood – quite a bit from the number of marks I had on the inside of each arm. I'd known he was going to do that so no surprises there.
And that was it – I wasn't carrying any further evidence of the mornings captivity – outwardly anyway. I didn't think the taking of blood would have me feeling so strange – either the sedative hadn't worn off or he'd given me something else along the way.
I'd always thought it a bit clichéd when characters in movies would rush to wash off the figurative dirt from contact with the bad guy ... after what I'd been through I couldn't get into that shower fast enough. And yeah, I did scrub much harder than warranted trying to remove the horrible imagined feeling of Walker's hands on me. The water had gone cold and I still didn't feel ready to get out – only the suddenly remembered fear that they could come back any time had me scrambling from the shower.
Fixing up my wounds with new bandages and getting myself into clean clothes didn't take long. I sat on the bed for a time, staring into space while inside my mind just wouldn't shut up. Rather than think about what I'd gone through that morning I couldn't help but focus on what Walker had said about John.
I knew with complete certainty that John and whoever else he could get from the SCG were working on finding me. I'd been gone for more than 24 hours now, enough time for John to go from pissed off to angry with deadly intent. You know what I mean – the kind of anger that had resulted in more than 60 Genii soldiers being splattered against the Stargate shield while John barely blinked.
He was good ... more than good. But if Walker had someone high enough, someone unexpected, then it was possible they could get to John without him suspecting. It was bad enough they'd taken me because of what I was ... the idea that John could suffer too because of me, that they might be able to hurt him if I didn't cooperate, on top of all the other things I was struggling not to think about had the tears streaming beyond my ability to control them.
Turning my face into the pillow to muffle the sound I sobbed bitterly until I had nothing left. Turning over I gazed sightlessly up at the ceiling, feeling thankfully numb. After doing more crying in a day than I'd done in years I was feeling impatient with myself ... apart from the first few hours I hadn't even attempted to find a way out of there. I was being pathetic and suddenly that was just unacceptable.
It was a relief to feel my own anger surging to the surface. I'd been taken against my will, attacked with a knife, abused, and had my blood stolen away for some evil purpose. They'd scared the crap out of me and made me feel weak willed and pitiful – not to mention the fact that they'd ruined the first holiday I'd ever had with John. Somehow they were gonna have to pay for that.
oOo
Deciding to make someone pay and coming up with a way to make it happen are two different things. I checked that room over in fine detail without coming up with anything. The window was a possibility if I was really desperate – the second storey was high enough I couldn't just jump and there was no lucky pipe, trellis or anything else I could hold on to within reach for climbing down.
I hadn't actually tried the door since I'd woken up ... stupid as it turned out because it was actually open again. Taking the now familiar route down the steps I headed for the front door. This time it was locked – and not just locked. There was some kind of electronic security system in operation, an LCD screen installed by the door flashing the word "armed" accompanied by five red lights all lit up.
That couldn't be the only door in the place so I did a one eighty and headed into the house. I didn't get far though – Mr Smith from yesterday was standing guard in front of a door down the corridor. He saw me straight away and immediately spoke to someone on his radio, obviously reporting in that I was awake and on the move.
Deciding the best offence was a casual disregard for the circumstances I turned away without saying anything, installing myself in the dining room to wait for someone to find me. I had my feet up on the table and was half way through one of the apples they kept in a bowl on the table before Doctor Walker appeared in the doorway.
"I am pleased to see you suffering no ill effects from this morning Ms Scott," Walker greeted me pleasantly.
"Are you planning on telling me what you got out of your little performance?" I asked, continuing to eat the apple because once I'd taken one bite I'd realised how hungry I was.
"This morning was about collecting some baseline information," Walker surprised me by actually answering. "I took a number of measurements, completed a full scan, and of course took a number of blood samples for further analysis."
"And that's it?" I asked in disbelief. "You had to drug me into unconsciousness just for that?"
"Scans require the patient to be completely still," Walker said dismissively. "You would not have submitted willingly. Rest assured Ms Scott, I have no interest in anything of a sexual nature. Your virtue, such as it is, is safe while you remain under my roof."
"Good to know," I replied flippantly. Not having anywhere to dispose of my apple core I tossed it back in the bowl, not missing the way Walker winced in distaste. "So ... what now?"
"You are free to do as you please until your blood work comes back this afternoon," Walker offered. "You have free reign of the house but please note that all exits have been secured. Should you even touch them an alarm will alert my men – there are sufficient numbers here to restrain you with ease. Ask the kitchen staff for anything you require."
"So – back to the gilded cage approach then," I muttered under my breath, watching him leave with a heavy heart.
Author's Note:
Next Up? "The Other Side of the Story: John's Point of View" Interlude 5