The Curse of Dr. Zola
Chapter 6
A gentle shaking roused Bucky at last. He moaned without opening his eyes. "What hit me?"
"Honestly, we don't know. What did it feel like?"
"Like I stuck all my fingers in the light socket."
"You dropped like a stone."
"I have what feels like a hangover headache, except I didn't touch a drop, I swear."
"Can you sit up? I've got some water here."
Bucky gingerly maneuvered his body until he got it into a sitting position. "Remind me never to drink for a while, ok?"
"Have some water; you won't get anything stronger than that here."
Cautiously opening his eyes, Bucky peered at the cup being offered. "At least this one won't spill all over me, like in the truck." He took the cup and slowly drank all the water.
"Feel better?"
"Not really."
Bucky didn't get too much time to rest. The guards showed up to shuffle them to the work room.
"I don't get all this stuff. What the hell are we working on?" Dum Dum shook his head and spread his hands out over the project he was working on.
"I don't either, but then what were those things we were working on at the factory?"
The men all looked at each other with the same uncomprehending stare.
"What makes us all so important? She said we were to play an important part in this war, but I don't see how when we're stuck here."
Bucky was about to tell them what she had revealed to him upstairs but a nudge from a rifle end silenced conversation, and work resumed.
He mentioned it at lights out, and they all went to sleep with one question on their minds…
Bucky was on edge for a couple of days expecting something to happen, but everything seemed normal. Just as he was letting his guard down, the other shoe fell…
After supper, Dugan said he didn't feel good. About an hour later, Morita, and Jones began to feel ill.
Bucky got a bad feeling and he knew what was coming.
Dernier, and Falsworth were the last to exhibit symptoms, but it was clear now, that she'd laced the food of everyone except Bucky. He kept a vigil overnight, going from man to man, trying to reassure them all that everything would be ok. He brought cool washcloths and dabbed their faces, something Bucky had not had as he was isolated during his ordeal. Perhaps that had been to instill fear in him, he didn't know. What he knew now was that the other men were being punished for his refusal to bend to her wishes.
By morning, none of the men could hold down anything but water. It didn't help, but Bucky kept feeding them sips anyway. It made him angry. She was doing this on purpose! He banged on the door for over an hour, but no one came.
Just a short while later, after he stopped banging on the door, food was brought down to them. Bucky tried to go after the man with the tray, but those with him carried those same strange-looking pistols Bucky had been shot with before. He eyed them warily, not certain he wanted to tangle with them again, but as they left, he tried tackling from behind. His reward was another shuddering jolt, which left him trembling and dazed on the floor.
Once Bucky's body recovered from the electric shock, he crawled to his feet using the nearest bed. He still felt like bugs were biting him. He began attending the men again.
After lunch, she came down to take a look, guarded by her armed men. Bucky got to his feet anxiously.
"I see you know how these pistols vork by now."
Bucky gave her a rueful expression. Yeah, he knew.
"How are dey?"
Bucky looked at the men suffering. "Please, why won't you help them?"
"You can help zem Bucky. You know vhat you need to do."
His eyes flashed angrily at her. "Why are you punishing them? They don't deserve this."
"I'm not punishing them, I'm punishing you. You are the one who has to listen to their pain, and you can stop it."
He took a step in her direction, but several guns pointed at him. He could barely get to his feet after being shot with one, he didn't know what would happened if he got shot with more than one. He looked back over his shoulder. The men had sweat-soaked shirts. He was gritting his teeth when he looked back at her.
"I will not give any medicine to them. They will continue to suffer. Extreme intestinal blockage can lead to a painful death." She wouldn't let it come to that, of course, but Bucky didn't know that. She needed these men to fulfill their destiny.
She stared at him and then turned to leave.
"Wait!"
"Yes?"
"You give your word that they will be released?"
"Absolutely."
"I-I'll do it." His shoulders slumped, and his head dropped down.
"Excellent! I'll have medicine sent down immediately."
With that she turned and left the room.
True to her word, the medicine was sent down and Bucky gave them enough to treat their condition.
"Bucky, can you hear me?" It was Gabriel Jones on the walkie talkie.
"Yes. Where are you?"
"I think we're close to the drop off zone. I have a map and the compass."
"Stay on as long as you can."
"I will."
Pvt. Jones stayed in touch until the truck came to a stop and the men got out.
"Bucky, we're at the stop. I have to give back the radio now."
"I understand. Good luck."
"Good luck to you too. Thank you for what you did. I'll make sure everyone knows it."
"Just make it back to camp alive, don't worry about me. I'll be joining you soon enough."
"Goodbye from all of us." Jones handed over the handset to the driver, and with a determined expression, the men began the hike to freedom.
"Goodbye." Bucky spoke into the speaker, but the transmission was never received, as the other end was already off.
He sighed heavily. He could only hope that they made it; he might not ever know. He only had her word that the fellas had been dropped in the right spot. What happened after the radio went dead? Had they even been let go? Were they alive or dead? He didn't know.
He looked up, sensed her presence even before he saw her, and with a grim determination, stood up to face her.
"Well, what now?"
"Now, your training begins."