A/N Let me know what you think about the chapter? Working on the next one, should be out very soon. Stay tuned people. :)
Tossing and turning throughout the night, I had yet to get any sleep. Sighing as I lay on my side, my eyes landed on Helen as she occasionally twitched; her eyes fluttering as they searched for something in her dream like state. Looking up, I could barely read the clock in the small amount of light that beamed in from the hallway; but from what I could manage, it must have read about four-thirty. Too early, I thought as I climbed from my bed silently.
Wandering over into the showers, I picked a stall at the far back before turning the brass nob. Hearing the sputter of the pipes and then the flow of water, I removed my clothes before stepping in. Sighing under the warmth of the water, I massaged my scalp before leaning my back against the chilling tiles "Amelia…" uttered a croaky voice.
Turning around with a gasp, I clutched my chest tight as it was only Laura "You scared me" reaching for a towel, I wrapped it around my body "how come you're up so early. You should go back to bed"
"The shower woke me up. I turned over and you weren't in bed. I thought something might have happened" replied Laura while rubbing her eyes from sleep "Is everything ok?" her head tilting to the side as she rested up against the wall.
"I just couldn't sleep" stepping forward, I watched as Laura nodded her head before caressing her stomach. For some unknown reason, I couldn't help but wonder how different she looked. Not in the sense that she was pregnant, but the fact that she didn't look like me and Helen. Laura's stomach was still flat with only a small raise, and her 'abilities' were normal. She didn't have the strength or speed that we had "could I ask you something?" I asked quietly, playing with my fingers "It's…personal"
Looking up at me, Laura's hand movement along her stomach stopped to a rest "Alright? If it's about Hel-" she began with a questionable look on her face.
"No" I said stopping her immediately "it's not about Helen. It's about you" pausing, Laura stood waiting for me to continue as I drew a shaky breath "…has anything been happening to you physically? To your body"
"My body? No" Laura said shaking her head with a faint smile "not anything out of the ordinary. I still get sick, and my stomach is getting bigger…but then again" she said glancing down at my own "I can't really complain"
Laughing it off, I glanced down at my stomach to see it prodding out against my white towel "Well" I said, letting out a faint cough "I'm going to go back to bed" walking past Laura, I quickly dried and changed before getting back in the comfort of my bed.
Twiddling my thumbs, I breathed in deep before exhaling as Erik pressed a stethoscope against my back and chest "Your fine" said Erik, wrapping the instrument around his neck and picking up the chart.
"Like always" I said with a huff. Wincing, I clutched the side of my stomach as I felt a stab of pain. Not again I thought, I hate it when this happens. It's so painful.
"Are you alright?" asked a concerned Erik, his tone deep. Placing a hand on my shoulder, he looked me over with his beady brown eyes. Trying to see why I was acting this way.
"Don't worry about it…it happens all the time" wincing again, the pain had begun to fade from my stomach and I took a shaky breath. Closing my eyes for a few minutes, I opened them to see a paper cup held out to me. Taking it from Erik's hand with a sigh, I downed the pills "…when do I get to do my exercises. We haven't gone in days"
"That won't be happening anymore" replied Erik, as he continued to check and scribble in boxes on the clipboard "from the notes Gregov made and the looks of you…I don't want to strain your body any more than already had been"
"Does that mean I have to sit here all day, every day? With nothing to do" I said in a grumpy and hopeless voice. Slouching, I felt suddenly deflated. Exercise was the only time I ever got to leave this room for long periods of time; if you exclude obvious appointments.
"Don't look so down. What happened to the book that I gave to you? The one with the charcoal"
"I- I don't know. I never went back to my room, so I haven't been able to get it" feeling a sense of odd guilt. It had taken me all this time to remember the sketch book. How could I forget? Now I'm feeling bad.
"I'll get it for you. Now you have something to do. Are you happy now?" teased Erik as he put the clipboard back onto the end of the bed. Hearing the double doors open, the same bulky man with short balding hair walked on by; a hobble in his step as usual. It's Laura's Caretaker. Glaring at the man, he gave me a greasy look before drawing the privacy screen; separating me and Laura "If you try a little harder, he might catch fire" said Erik as he stared down at me "what's wrong this time?"
Huffing, I bit my tongue. It's not any of my business I thought to myself, as Laura and her Caretaker walked past; his hand awfully low on her body. Once they were out the door, I turned to look at Helen as she lay staring up at the ceiling; still not talking. Flinging myself from my bed, I grabbed Erik's hand and tugged him out of the room and into the hallway. Navigating my way down the several paths of hallway, I had memorised where his room is.
Standing still, we were just outside his door; Erik staring down at our entwined hands. Gesturing to the door, Erik took a moment before moving. Taking his card from the breast pocket of his lab coat, he swiped it downward before opening it. Walking in, Erik shut the door behind him before crossing his arms expectantly "It's not his" I blurted out quickly.
Taking a step back, I felt the cold edge of his desk bump against my spine. Feeling away, I sat down on the chair before setting my head into my hands. I know this is bad, that I shouldn't be doing this; but it's the only way. I can't do nothing "What's not his?" listening to Erik's footsteps. He squatted down in front of me, his hand on my knee for comfort "take a deep breath" he ordered as I quivered. Doing as instructed, I inhaled to calm myself "now tell me…"
"…Laura's baby…I don't think it's his…I think something happened…her Caretaker, he-"
"Alright" Erik said signalling me to stop "I know what you're trying to tell me…and you right" he said plainly.
"How?" I said with screechiness in my voice "how could you know and not doing anything? Do you know where she is now…with Gregov. He's-" stopping, a flashback had hit me. I remembered Gregov's words "...someone is going to hurt her, Erik"
Hearing him sigh, Erik rubbed my knee "I along with Gregov have known for some time now that things are different. This appointment will most likely confirm our beliefs. What happens to her is out of my control" Erik added.
Sitting on the chair, I couldn't help but think – is it? Is it really out of your control "It's not her fault. What her Caretaker did to her…it's going to end her life. And what are you going to do with him. That brute! He's going to get away with it, isn't he?" feeling anger bubble within me, I clutched clumps of hair in my fingers. I don't know what's happening. Why am I feeling this way? Why am I so angry?
"Amelia calm down, please. You're getting upset for no good reason. We don't know for certain if this is the case. There could be a possible chance that this is all just a misunderstanding"
Scoffing, I wanted Erik to stop talking. Did he think I was stupid? "You and I both know that's not going to happen…Laura told me herself what he did to her. She has…bruises all over her body. If anyone had bothered to take one good look at her, they would see" practically screaming, Erik was still knelt before me with a blank look on his face "...but you don't care…do you" I hissed. Shoving his hands off of my knee, I stood up.
"I know you have heightened emotions. I know you're distressed and upset…but there is nothing either of us can do. You need to calm down and stop acting like a petulant child" glaring down at Erik, he soon rose to his full height; towering over me.
"I am a child. I am sixteen years old. Pregnant and stripped from my family by psychotic scientist and doctors that don't care! My friend is going to die because of what that man has done to her. Another innocent girl…and you" I said in the heat of the moment. All signs of reason blank from my mind as I ranted and yelled at the man before me "you keep saying that you can't do anything to protect the others, because your too busy killing them!"
Taking a breath, I raked my hand through my brown hair. The silence that had struck the room had made me realise the words that had slipped from my mouth. What did I just do? I wasn't supposed to say that. Not now. Not here.
Taking cautious steps away, my back had hit the solid cold wall behind me. Looking up, Erik had yet to talk or shift in position. Instead, he stared down at me with a blank face "…What did you say?"
Shivering from his voice, I wanted to run. I wanted to get away before something happened. Erik's whole demeanour had changed in one second and I felt terrified because of it "I-I didn't…that's not what I meant. I was…Gregov, he keeps telling me things about you. I tried" I said holding up my shaking hands "I tried to tell you"
"I told you" replied Erik, his voice hissing through his teeth "that I'm not responsible" watching a vein throb in his neck, Erik looked tense and agitated; but not in the normal way. He looked as if he was calm but strained on the inside, as if he were trying to keep something from clawing its way free.
"…You're lying" feeling my head snap to the side, it had taken me a moment to realise Erik had hit me. Wincing at the sharp sting spreading through my left cheek, I reached up with my hand to touch it. Turning to face him, my eyes had widened at his act of violence "you hit me"
"Yes…" he stated simply. Taking a step forward, I shrunk way as he reached his hand away to tilt my head to the side. Inspecting my reddish tinged cheek, he ran his knuckles over it "you're a strong girl. Don't act so weak" moving his hand, his fingers wrapped around my arm to tug me toward the door.
"Let go of me" I hissed, planting my feet on the ground. There's no way I'm going anywhere with him now. Not after what he's just done.
"If you don't move…I will hit you again" tugging on my arm, I still refused to move. Feeling a whip of a sting run over my left cheek again, I winced but stood my ground. This isn't the Erik I knew. I highly doubt the Erik before was even real either. Is this who he really is? Was Gregov telling the truth?
"I'm not moving. I'm not going anywhere with you" I hissed. Feeling anger rise from inside, I tugged my arm out of his grip before taking a few steps away from him.
Hearing Erik sigh and groan with impatience, he turned and strode toward me; his jaw taught and his fist clenched "You are nothing but a brat…I treated you with kindness and this is how you thank me. You trust Gregov, a filthy old worm to me. The man who saved your life, promised you a future"
"What you promised me is a lie! You were never going to help me escape. You manipulated me, told me that you loved me, so that you could play your dirty game. You filled me with lies so that in the end, you could watch me crumble with the realisation of who you really are - a monster. Gregov was right" pushing his chest in one final protest of the man in front of me; I tried to catch my breath as the anger began to fade.
Reaching forward, I had thought immediately that Erik was going to hit me again; but as his hands clutched both sides of my face, I had let out a gasp of surprise "…It was my luck that I got stuck with bitch like you. Whining like a crying infant for her mother. You clutch to the first sign of hope" this was sounding so familiar. Was this really me? Is this really how I am? "But you don't have to worry anymore" he said letting go of my face to stand straight and tall "since your so adamant about wanting the real me. Then fine, that's what you'll get" placing his hand around the back of my neck he squeezed; digging in his nails, before dragging me out of his room and down the hallway.
Tugging and pulling from him, the hold he had on me was brutal and I could tell it was going to leave a nasty bruise. Continuing to drag me like a doll all the way back to the observation room, he pushed through the doors loudly. Bringing me over to my bed, I looked up to see Helen with her eyes wide as she watched the scene before her.
Lifting me up, Erik had dumped me onto the bed before cuffing my arms down with a leather restraint "Don't move" he ordered in a chilly voice "I have business I need to deal with" he said with a slight smirk barely visible on the corner of his lips. Squirming from the restraint, I watched as Erik turned away and marched back out into the hallway. He's going to kill Laura.