When Lee woke up again, he was in a new place.
Sitting up from the thin sheets and pulling the blanket off of him, the child spared a glance about the new room he'd awakened in. He found himself resting upon a large, hard cot, placed, as far as his groggy, blurry eyes could tell, on the far side of the small room he'd been left in. Apart from the cot, the child could spot a toilet and a small sink, each with a step-stool that he could use to access both as he was still quite short. Save for those two things, Lee could distinguish nothing from the concrete walls, nor the matching concrete floor. As far as he could tell, the room was completely and utterly barren, but that wasn't really at the forefront of his mind.
He didn't know where he was.
Swinging his feet around towards the edge of the cot, he was a bit wobbly jumping down to his feet, gripping the sheet tightly and leaning against the mattress in his small fist as he waited for the spell of dizziness that fell over him to fade away. His mind reeled at his last memory, the hand of the strange person that he'd seen right before everything went black and he awakened here fresh in his mind despite the fact that he was still groggy. Lee didn't know what to make of it, the utter confusion that gave him cause to release the sheets in his hand, pushing from the bed with concerted effort, though he'd managed to make it to his feet.
He didn't understand why he was here.
He...didn't want to be here at all.
"What's going on? I...I want ..." The child whimpered softly, reaching down to fiddle with what he'd expected to be his shirt, but he realized quickly once he'd reached down to grab at the formerly rough texture of his clothes that he wasn't wearing what he had been before. Looking down at himself, the boy noticed he was in something entirely different, donning a plain, white, hospital gown, his bare feet planted firmly to the cold ground as he wiggled his toes in confusion.
Why was he wearing this?
Grabbing the edges of the gown and lifting it up, Lee had another realization, rushing to pull the thin fabric back down, face blooming red with embarrassment.
He wasn't wearing underwear.
Still blushing, the child jumped at the sound of the door to space clicking, as if it had been locked and sealed from the outside. Rushing over to the cot and crouching beside it, his wide, dark eyes peering behind shaded bangs as a clang of sounds and solemn footsteps entered the room, giving way to a strange machine and two individuals, a man and a woman, entered the space, paying little heed to wary child that watched him from afar. Each were donned with white coats, fluttering in the still air of the room as they spoke amongst themselves, with many of the words that they were using mostly unknown to the child.
"You know, isn't it enough that we have the few that we have now? I'm getting tired of dragging our feet on this, and priming seems like a bit much, doesn't it? All of this preparation is far less interesting than I thought it would be." The man started, popping his gum loudly, watching the woman round about the strange cart they'd brought into the room and start up the computer. Initially, she didn't give him much heed, in fact, she didn't appear to have heard him, typing along with swift hands that Lee couldn't help but look upon, transfixed, though the man continued to speak.
"Oh, come on, Sorae. We have all of these guinea pigs; you don't seriously only intend to just keep it vanilla, right? All of this trouble, and the strings we had to pull to even get the funding for this little...pet project of ours...haven't we dragged our feet enough?" He asked, popping his gum again, giving the child a start. Lee didn't understand what any of these things meant, or why they were talking about guinea pigs or something like that, but something about his statement much have bothered her as she stopped typing for a moment. Her face remained blank, a visage of stoicism, and her words carried much the same cadence, a whispering ghost that bore a quiet intensity that even Lee couldn't help but listen to.
"I see you've learned nothing, Hagire? It was you rushing into things that gave cause for our last...debacle, or do you not recall? As long as I head the program, we will progress at the rate that I designate, is that clear?" Sorae ordered coarsely, her silver eyes still, planted firmly on the man as if calling an immediate end to their conversation. Scoffing, the man raised his hand, relenting without another word before he turned to Lee again, mulling, dark-ringed eyes staring emptily at the child, and much to Lee's surprise, he walked over to the boy. He wasn't sure why, but immediately, as the man knelt in-front of him on a single knee, Lee knew, looking his dead, stilted eyes, that something wasn't...right with this man. He wasn't sure he could voice it, or even understand where this feeling came from, but...his very presence made him squirm with discomfort as he brought his legs in tighter, feeling no desire to be close to this man, even when the former gave his an empty, crooked smile.
He wasn't sure liked him very much.
But the Hagire only grinned, reaching out with a clammy, cold palm towards the child, only to have him cower back in fear, but he didn't seem offended by the reaction, but if anything, he looked deeply amused, clicking his teeth with interest.
"You know, you sure do have a way of picking them, don't you? This one looks a little, how do you say...skittish, right? Weak. Isn't that right, little birdie?" The man hummed coldly back at Sorae, but he turned his hand into his pocket, rooting around in the cavity, and Lee watched with caution, eyes widening once he'd removed his hand from his wrinkled coat and presented to the child what he had.
A single, wrapped piece of chocolate.
Opening his palm and placing it closer to the child, Lee wasn't sure what to make of him.
Looking at his face, he didn't see kindness.
In fact, he didn't see...anything.
Yet he smiled, dark, empty eyes plastered, unblinking, half-lidded in stupor, minor interest, and the best word that Lee could use to describe him was...weird. But he looked to the candy, and realized just as quickly that he was pretty hungry. Sorae didn't react, though that wasn't anything new, though he missed her eyes regarding him solemnly, silently, behind Hagire as she continued to work, far too focused on the words that tumbled carefully from the man's lips through straight lips.
"But that won't matter, will it? You'll make this interesting, won't you." Hagire pondered, inquiry falling on a muted voice that couldn't find the words to respond, but with a nod, unsure of what he was agreeing to, he reached up, warily taking the candy from the strange man.
Make what interesting?
Unwrapping it, he couldn't begin to guess, he'd have little time to think on it very much as finally, Sorae appeared to complete what she was doing, though Lee couldn't tell what. But it didn't matter as, grabbing her clipboard and a pen, the woman came forth, her tall, impending shadow and form blocking out the overhead light as she gave her single command to man at her feet.
"Hagire. Prepare the marker. I will finish my final diagnostics and prep him for his ID. It should only take a moment." She voiced calmly, and with a single look at the boy, Hagire came to stand without another word. Watching as he walked over to the cart, Lee was now in the presence of Sorae, minding her cold features in the bright, fluorescent light of the bulb above their heads. Whereas with the man, Lee felt uncertain, wary, the child wasn't quite sure what to feel with her. It was hard to get anything from the stern, non-emotive features that had remained largely unchanged during their brief visit, so once she knelt down and stared deeply into his dark eyes, he wasn't sure he expected her voice to be so soft when up until this point, it had been cold and hard.
"Do you mind getting onto the bed here? I just have to do a little check-up, if that's okay with you." Sorae requested gently, extending a cold palm to the boy that he eyed with a touch of caution that felt eased by her voice. Her face didn't change, no, it remained the same, but he couldn't deny the tone of her words, feeling a bit calmer despite the fear that rested in the back of his mind. Nodding, the child took her hand, small palm wrapped in hers as he came to a stand and, crawling clumsily back on to the bed, sat down as she turned away. Remaining still, Lee was interested to know what it was on that cart that kept her coming back to it, the woman grabbing a few utensils here, a tool or so there, and she brought them over to Lee in succession.
She checked his eyes with a bright light, waving it back and forth as she watched his eyes.
His reflexes as she gave his knees and arms a gentle tap with a sort of hammer he couldn't name.
She held his arms, prodded his fingers, tapped here, pressed there, some of the touches eliciting a quiet giggle from the child before he she let him go to record notes upon her clipboard.
"Subject is in optimal health. Measuring weight now." Leaning down, Lee noticed her press a certain spot on the edge of the cot, and suddenly, he felt the bed vibrate for a moment before it hummed to life. Amazed, he looked down at the sheets, but could note no difference as a breath passed before, on the same side where she'd pressed the button to start the sequence, Sorae plastered her eyes, only looking away to mark what his apparent weight was.
"38.453 lbs; registered as a bit underweight, but to a negligible degree. Candidate is clear for marking process; note identification following procedure." She uttered succinctly, and pressing the button once more, the bed's hum came to a sudden halt, and again, it was still. Disregarding what he'd said, Lee, spared of his earlier reservations, felt the questions, again, bud in his mind.
Why had he been brought here?
Who were these people?
Why were they doing all of this weird stuff?
More than anything though, his young mind grappled as he bit his lip, when would he be able to go home?
He liked that he'd been given candy, and didn't so feel so bad around the lady, but...he wasn't sure this was okay. He...had to go home, didn't he? Maybe they would let him go if he asked?
Working up the nerve, Lee watched them toil a bit, and with a start, he jumped at the opportunity to say what had been on his mind from the start.
"W-when...when can I g-go home? I want...I want to go home..." Lee uttered over the sounds of beep and hums, noting that the machine that they'd been toggling with the strange poles was oddly...vibrating, and from his bed, he could feel a distinct heat. Yet, he didn't mind it, focusing his attention on the two even as his heart pattered and thrummed nervously in his chest.
Lee...was sure that was worried.
He didn't even get the chance to tell him where he was, so he didn't want the kind man to think he didn't want to train! Lee absolutely did! Besides...Mommy and Daddy were probably really worried, too! He didn't want them to be upset because he was gone for a little while without coming back.
But Hagire, hearing his question, scoffed, cracking a small smile with a look to Sorae without so much as looking at Lee, with Sorae returning a stiff, if exhausted, expression at his inquiry, sighing as she left the man's side, the part of the machine that she'd been prepping, but before walking over to Lee, she grabbed a few item. Coming over to the child, he noted little swabs and gels, a few wet wipes, too, as she ripped open each small pack and ran the alcohol pad over his skin.
Lee didn't understand why the man found his question...funny.
Surely...surely, he was allowed to go.
He didn't want to stay here!
Opening his mouth to speak, he didn't get the chance to, as the woman, Sorae, had begun to do so herself, her words, as always, soft...gentle.
"I think you've made a mistake." She started, and with one of the cotton swabs that had been placed on the sterile sheet beside Lee, took up some of the gel and spread it in a thin, even coat on his arm, though the child shivered at the texture and coldness of the substance.
And...how itchy it was?
Lee reached with his opposite hand to scratch the spot, but Sorae, with swift, careful movements, caught his hand, shaking her head to tell him not to. Even with his discomfort, Lee tried to obey, hissing as the spot began to burn a little.
'W-what...what is this stuff? And a mistake, I don't understand - ' Before he could finish his thought, Hagire was at his side again. The two adults nodded to each other, and Sorae looked to Lee, her still, tranquil expression morphing, stranger still, into an odd, half-smile that the boy wasn't prepared to see.
Why...was she smiling?
He didn't think it was bad that she was, only weird since...she'd looked so serious the entire time. But this smile didn't fade from her lips as they laid him on the cot, and kneeling down again, both Sorae and Hagire pressed button somewhere where he couldn't see, and with a hiss, Lee could see straps eject from holes on each side of the mattress.
Looking down at the bed, Lee couldn't help but be amazed, if a little apprehensive, at how many things this weird, hard bed could do, but he wouldn't dwell on this as, pulling the bindings over his wrists, ankles, forearms, and stomach, the sense of calm the boy had felt before began to come undone. But sensing his heightening fear, as Hagire continued to tighten the binds, Sorae came back into view, placing a cold hand upon his cheek as she eased him to be calm.
"You see, you don't know...that this is your home. You're new home. Isn't that nice?" She almost whispered, giving the child a moment to process what she'd said.
He was confused.
New...home?
Why was this his new home?!
But what about Mommy? Daddy? ?! He didn't want to leave all of that behind, he didn't want this at all! And, to make matters worse, the child was becoming acutely aware of, the portion of his arm where she'd rubbed that...whatever it was...was being to hurt, burn, itch; every negative sensation that he could manage to articulate as he squirmed a bit in his bindings, but he had little range to move.
Beginning to cry, he didn't know what to do, but above him, Hagire turned to Sorae, and grasping the long poles that had been placed inside of the machine, Lee, even in his prone position, could see their red, hot ends, the man fiddling through a few of them as if searching for something.
"This one is supposed to be...the last one right? So...that would make him...ah, here were go!" Hagire hummed, mostly to himself, though Sorae noted the three he'd selected, with the man pointing them at her so that she could check that they were indeed the right ones, she nodded, and Hagire was almost too excited to put the others back. Separating them into groups, the man put two of the poles back and grabbed just one of them, and as he walked over to the opposite side where his left arm had been secured by a number of straps, and immediately, Lee began to struggle a bit.
He didn't get to go home, he was strapped to a bed, and now, the child's rushing mind thought fearfully as he tried to bend away from the screaming heat of the end of the thing, even as Hagire tried to steady the positioning of it over his arm but, of course, since he was struggling so much, the man blew out a frustrated breath, shooting Sorae an expectant look.
"Think you could get the little piggy to keep still? After doing so many of these, I just want to get this over with." He huffed, appearing irritated, but Lee didn't even mind it.
He wanted to leave!
He didn't want to stay!
He wanted to go home and see Mommy and Daddy! He wanted to spend time with ! He wanted to -
"Why are you crying, hm? You aren't excited?" The woman started, taking his chin into her hands and turning his head away from Hagire's work as the man set about immediately to align the brand. Lee turned over the question, but shook his head no, and at the feeling of heat growing closer to his arm, the child felt compelled to see what he was doing, but all the same, Sorae made him turn away. Blinking, the child mouthed a sullen 'no', warm tears streaking his red, cheeks.
How could he be excited when he didn't even know what was happening?
But she only smiled, a distant look didn't fade even through the hesitation that wavered heavily in Lee's own eyes.
"Well, don't worry; you'll learn to be. We're giving you a home...a family...a purpose; whether you understand that yet or not...I'm sure it will come with time. Because, of course, all good things come to those who wait." And with her last word, Lee's arm exploded with pain, the child loosing a desperate scream as he tried to look at where the pain was coming from. At once, the smell of burning flesh filled his nose, a nauseating stench, made worse by the dizzying rush of blood to his head as he tried to register what was happening. He could see it, the tongue of the reddened brand licking his red skin, the blistering mass beneath its mouth bubbling and sizzling with a horrid hiss as the head was rolled at different angles on his skin, Hagire, stranger...was smiling.
Yet all the while, plainly still, plainly kind, Sorae only grasped his face, turning him to face her, messes of snot and tears dribbling down his face.
It hurt.
It hurt too much to think.
Sorae seemed aware of this, sweeping sweaty strands of his hair from his face as she smiled, though she came to a stand, the child, strangely, growing to yearn her gentle touch, flinching as the first brand was pulled from his skin with a sickening, sticky sound. Sheathing it in the bin on the low section of the cart, Hagire, through grinning teeth, turned to the next pole, making a careful note with the woman at his side.
"First serialization complete. Moving on to the second serial." The man chimed gleefully, an odd sound in Lee's ears, and more than that, a horrid realization as the child realized that they weren't done.
There was more.
He didn't have the energy to struggle, his quiet sobs easing only for a breath before he heard Hagire speak again.
"Beginning branding. Mark the time." He cooed, and Sorae, nodding, did just that.
And again, Lee felt himself thrash against the heat, searing the area just beside the place where the brand had been placed, and somehow, it seemed to hurt even more. He could feel something drip down his arms, though he couldn't tell what it was, making the sheets beneath his wet and sticky as the process continued for, as far as it felt and the boy could understand, forever.
Forever as he screamed.
Forever as it burned.
Forever as he writhed.
He wanted . He...it hurt so badly.
Where was ?
Was he coming?
He didn't want this family if it meant it was going to hurt. He wanted...he wanted to go back. It hurt.
It was all he could think about.
It hurt.
could make it better.
He could make this go away.
Just like before, the brand was yanked from marred skin, the burn raised and angry, blistered and red against his pale skin. Lee, growing utterly exhausted, could only close his eyes, grunting short gasps through his teeth in a bid to ease the pain, though he couldn't tell if it was working at all. Just like last time, Hagire threw the used brand in the bin, and, without missing a beat, grasped the third and last one, paying no attention to the stilted breathing of the child, though he looked impressed, the child minding him with a single, open eye as the man inspected his seething wounds.
"Wow. They usually pass out by now. Here I thought you were going to be a soft one; you're much hardier than I gave you credit for, huh, One?" The man mused, going no further to elaborate the strange name that he'd given the child, something that didn't get missed despite his distress.
One?
Why had he called him that? His name was Rock Lee, not a number.
But he didn't have the energy to correct him. It was enough just trying to stay awake, his mind heavy with a faint sense of nausea and tiredness that began to set deeply in his bones.
Over.
He just...just wanted this to be over. Why was this going for so long? Why were they doing this? What had he done to make them do this?
Was this his fault?
There were too many questions to even begin thinking about, and so little time at that as, just as it had been before, Lee could feel the heat, wavering over his delicate skin with ominous promise.
Opening his mouth, voice raspy and spent, Lee choked out a tiny plea, small enough that even he wasn't sure that they'd heard it. But when Sorae looked over to him, her stale, grey eyes placid despite his suffering, he felt his mouth move on its own, desperate to have her hear him.
Because maybe...just maybe...they would stop.
They would let him go.
He could go home.
"P-please...hurt...h-hurts..." The child whispered, unable to go much higher, his opposite arm to the blistered one gripping the sheets tightly in his small fist, doing whatever it could to diffuse the raw discomfort that seeped violently under his skin where the marks had been made. But they didn't hear him, or, at least, didn't give any indication that they had as they'd immediately begun to speak amongst themselves, completely ignoring his words.
"Motion for the third serialization. Final mark; stand-by." Hagire hummed, aligning the brand where he needed it to, and Lee didn't even get the chance to prepare himself before he wailed, throat raw and hoarse with strain. He could feel himself growing faint, the pain even more intense than it had been before, but the man was all the more amused, pressing harder to see the child thrash wildly against his restraints.
"Interesting! Sorae, make a note about One and their pain tolerance. He's managed to remain conscious through the entire process. Hell, even Sixty-six couldn't take much but one before they went under, and they're twice this pig's age. I like it when they last." He hummed darkly, and pressing harder, again, Lee felt like he would throw up.
' ... ...help...hurts...it...i-it hurts...' Lee could only think, shuddering violently as moments like eternity passed within a minute, the stench of his own burning flesh so deeply ingrained in his mind that even when the brand was eventually lifted from his skin with a sickening tear, it didn't leave his senses. However, he rewarded the occasion by turning his head, spilling the meager contents of his stomach along the bed sheets in a single lurch that didn't seem to bother either scientist. In fact, they were far too preoccupied with making their notes and speaking to each other to even pay heed to the trembling form that was still strapped to the cot.
Setting the last brand inside of the bin below, Hagire went back to the cart, removing his gloves and placing them within the biohazard bin that was placed on the rolling cart as well. But this wasn't something that Lee noticed, caught between solemn gasps and wheezes as the pain had yet to wane, but that didn't deter Sorae, the young woman, again, fiddling with a few items on the cart, though from where he was laying, the boy could hardly tell what they were.
They...were done? Was it...over now?
His dark eyes closed once more, unsure of whether to be relieved or scared by the sudden stillness.
Everything had...been happening so fast; it was hard to believe that they didn't have anything else planned. However, that seemed to be just so as, once this thought had crossed his mind, he heard something snap, and within moments, he could feel the bindings that had kept him on the bed loosen and come undone. He didn't move though, thoroughly spent even as Sorae came into view, her placid, calm expression filling his field of view as he was pulled to a sit. Lee swayed, a rush of dizziness bearing the risk of him vomiting again, but he managed to keep it down...somehow. He could hear them vaguely, speaking amongst themselves, but it was harder than ever to really...discern their words. Perhaps they'd said something to him too, the child noting Sorae's moving lips as she gripped his injured arm, and immediately, he was aware, painfully so.
Just the lightest touches set the entire limb ablaze, and already too tired to bear it, Lee froze, eying her inspecting touches with wide, terrified eyes that didn't move even when she grazed lightly over the area.
"N-no...no, hurts...why does it hurt so much? D-don't...don't touch..." He whimpered, attempting to pull away, but she held him fast, focused intently on the area as, with a gloved hand, she grabbed a bottle of a clear liquid. Unscrewing the bottle, she set his arm down, taking a bit of cotton that had been placed on the sterilized area of the stand beside her, and she doused it, soaking the material through on the end of the tweezers that she'd used to pick it up. Briefly, she looked to where Hagire had gone, eyes shaded with focus.
"Subject identification has been registered? Subject #001, yes?" She inquired, and behind the cart, at the computer, Hagire nodded, and, pressing a button, Lee winced as his arm began to tingle painfully for a moment before settling back into a terrible, burning throb that, admittedly, wasn't much better.
"Yep, it's all in. He's officially set for priming. It's about time, too. I was getting tired of all of this preparing nonsense, but now, we can finally get to the interesting part." The male scientist parsed with an excited tone, though Lee felt anything but. He still didn't like that she was so close to his still seething wound, but his reluctance wasn't apparent to her as she nodded, turning back to his arm without so much as a look to the child. Again, he tried to pull away, a quiet attempt of defiance that she, however, did take notice of.
Silent at first, she looked into his eyes, silver meeting ebony as she stared long and hard into his own before she spoke.
"I take it you do not want this to get infected. It feels bad, yes, but all of this is necessary, One. It doesn't help if you don't cooperate. You know what it makes you when you don't cooperate?" She asked simply, and the child tried to find and answer to her question, but couldn't think of anything.
Shaking his head, he peered back, hissing as her grip tightened crudely against his arm, eliciting a small cry from him, but she smiled, a little grin just like before. Relaxing her hand, the pressure on his arm reduced by only a hair, though it was better than the radiating pain that had been born of her cold, crude touch.
"It makes you bad, One. It makes you bad because you should always listen and do what others say, right? That's what a good boy would do. You're a good boy, right?" Sorae asked in a low, slow tone, careful with her words as she drew close to Lee.
Lee's heart skipped.
He...was being bad? He...wasn't trying to be bad, it was just that...it hurt so much and he was scared and just...he wasn't sure what to do. The child didn't intend to make them upset, but it seemed like, no matter where he went or what he did or how hard he tried...he ended up making someone mad at him. Shrinking at her words, he nodded his head, his raspy, hoarse voice, mouthing a soft, battered apology that played like ghostly words on his lips.
"S-sorry...I just...I want to go home. I don't...I d-don't want to stay. It feels bad here, and I - " The child froze, stifling a cry as she squeezed his injured arm harder.
"Ah, ah, ah; no more of that. What did I tell you? This is your home now. This is where you belong, One. There is nothing else but here, okay? Don't ask that again, you understand?" She reaffirmed, and without resistance, the child nodded, squirming in his seat with discomfort as she gave his arm one last squeeze before releasing it again, and quickly, the boy realized he was crying.
So...he had to stay?
This...was his home now?
But..what about Mommy? And Daddy? And... ?
He would never...see them again?
Never?
The thought was enough to tear down any other notion of hope that he had.
He was scared.
He was...terrified.
Completely and utterly terrified...and completely and utterly alone.
The child couldn't bear to keep his sobs in anymore, small body racked with violent tremors that shook his tiny frame, but with a gasp of surprise, he felt himself be pulled forward, the warm embrace of a tender body pressing him to her own as a hand stroked his head.
"There's nothing to be sad about anymore, One. You should be happy; today is the first day of your new life, your new purpose. Heck, after this, me, you, and Father Hagire are going to go meet all of your new brothers and sisters. Wouldn't you like that?" The woman offered between each stroke of her gloved hand, and the child considered the thought.
He'd...always wanted brothers and sisters, and thinking back on it, he knew that Mommy was supposed to be having twins, and that would have given him two new siblings, so to think that he could do that here was...nerve-wracking, but also...sort of neat. Through the pain, he nodded, smiling at the thought that it wouldn't just be him here; at least he'd have someone to play with, which he was always up for.
"H-how many will it be? A lot?" He pondered curiously, looking up at her with interest, and amazingly, she nodded her head.
"Oh, plenty. So many that you won't even be able to count them; exciting, right?" The woman hummed, and that was enough to make him smile, the child nodding as he buried his head into her shoulder where it had been resting. That didn't sound bad at all! She pulled away after a moment, granting a soft look.
"I thought you'd think that. Now, follow my lead." Taking her free hand that wasn't filled with the tweezer and cotton, she lifted her finger to her lips.
"When you start thinking about those things, about where you came from or the people you knew, I want you to take your little finger..." She wiggled her finger, and the child, with his remaining good arm, followed suit slowly. When she was pleased by his action, she continued.
"...hold it just like this..." Hovering just before her mouth, she closed her eyes.
"...and say go 'Shhh! Go away, go away!'. Can you do that, One?" The woman asked, and reciting what she'd said in his head, and squeezing his innocent eyes as tightly as he could, with a finger raised to his lips, his small, raspy voice echoed her words.
"Shhh! Go away, go away!" The child copied, and smiling, she waved her hand in quite celebration, and at the praise, Lee, even through the dulling pain, couldn't help but smile.
"Yes! Just like that. You can do that as many times as you like until those bad thoughts go away. Because remember..."Taking her free gloved hand, she palmed his soft cheeks, and instinctively, before he could even think about it, he was leaning into her palm, a primal bestial urge to be comforted, to be held, rising up through his skin as he hadn't even realized that he yearned for it so badly. It felt nice, even through the plastic and the coldness of her hands...it felt like everything that he'd been missing for much longer than he'd realized. In fact, the boy felt his panic rise when she took it away, a tempting desire to reach out and pull it back for just a moment more filling him, but he managed to restrain himself.
He wasn't ready for her to stop yet.
But she looked at though she had more to say.
"...that right here, with Father, myself, and your new brothers and sister...is right where you belong." Came her pressing, firm, but gentle words, and Lee only nodded, quieted once more as he came to terms with her words.
Maybe...maybe she was right.
Maybe...this was where he belonged.
He...wasn't liked very much where he'd come from, he knew that well enough, but there lingered something still, an upheaval of her affirmations as Guy's face appeared in his mind again. It hurt, deeply, something far down his heart as tears budded in his eyes at the thought that slowly dawned on him.
...was really gone. He had a new family, sure, but...that wouldn't mean he wasn't going to miss him, to think about him. Sorae picked up the bottle again, dousing a new, sterilized cotton ball as the old one had since dried up, and Lee (and quickly, he corrected himself, recalling that he was called...One now), preoccupied with his own thoughts, was surprised when he felt her dab it against his wound, the child hissing with a pain breath as air was drawn quickly through his teeth, and he squirmed...a bit too much for Mother, it seemed. Her tightening grip on his tender arm told him so.
So even as he bit his lip to keep from screaming as she continued to clean what he could now see were numbers, placed in aligned, red blisters and bleeding cuts, he did his best to keep still, only occasionally flinching as she covered it in a thick gel just like before, a bit of white ointment, and finally, thankfully, with what One could only guess was a sort of bandage, her swift, precise, and careful hands pinning the white fabric to his arm in quick revolutions that, after just a few seconds, was covered and secured with medical tape at her side. Minding her handy work, she stood up, collecting the leftover materials, she peered down at the boy, voice stern.
"Soon, that's going to start healing. It might get really itchy when it does that, but you must make sure that you don't scratch it or pick at your bandages, do you understand? That will only make it worse and slow the healing process, and, it would make Father and I very upset with you. You don't want us to be mad at you, right?" Sorae asked ominously, and at the very idea of it, the thought of his parents' scowling, scornful, bitter faces came to mind, and without so much as a thought, he nodded vigorously.
He never wanted to have anyone look at him like that again.
He would anything if that meant always keeping them happy.
He had to keep them happy.
He liked it better when they smiled at him.
"Y-yes, Mother!" He responded, beaming when she smiled back at him before turning back to the cart and throwing the used cotton balls and anything else into the biohazard bin, and ridding herself of her used gloves. Hagire, swapped her place as he'd remained somewhat silent during their exchange, came back over to the child, leaning down and reaching over to handle the child's bandaged arm. Just like before, he didn't move, yet instead, the boy focused intensely on fairing the pain, the man grazing his finger over the new bandage before looking to the child, placing a free-hand over his hair. One looked back, appreciating the gesture even though the man's smile, the man's entire existence, still made him feel uneasy, but...he was Father now.
Father's didn't make their kids feel nervous, so he was probably just thinking too hard about it, the child figured as he looked to see what the man had been rummaging around in his pocket for, and he smiled when he saw it was a treat, different from the one before. Instead of a chocolate, he was given a sort of taffy, wrapped in delicate, white paper. Nodding, as in a question of whether he was allowed to take it, Hagire returned it, thrusting his hand forward to give it to the boy. Taking it, he used his teeth to open it, and immediately, upon tasting the soft, sweet strawberry, he smiled back at Hagire. Still stroking his head, One missed the dark, shifting look in the man's eyes as he spoke to him, too focused on his treat to even register it in full.
"You know, if you continue to make things interesting...you can have as many treats as you want. You like that?" He proposed, and One nodded excitedly, relishing the idea of having as many sweets as he could possibly, though he didn't understand what that meant.
Interesting? What did he mean?
He had thought to ask, but he wouldn't get the chance to, with Hagire leaving his side, joining Sorae again as they were nearly finished packing up their things. Finishing his own candy, he smiled as Sorae came back over to him, and, extending her hand, she gestured for the boy to take it.
"Ready to meet everyone?" She mused
His eyes, full of hope, of apprehension, gazed at it before taking it, and stepping down from the cot, the child's bare feet again touched the floor. The child's head snapped over to the door as he heard it open again, and another person wearing a white coat came in, a little younger than both Sorae and Hagire, but not by much, it seemed. The man came in, bearing a clipboard of his own as he stepped forward, marking a few things off before looking up to see One, Hagire, and Sorae, though he hardly paid attention to the child in favor the two others, and when he spoke, his words were sharp, full of irritation that even the child could take note of, though he didn't miss the strange, red mark that covered a small portion of the man's hand.
"Fifteen and Seven are registered and have been taken in the Nest with the rest of the subjects, but I made a note here about Seven specifically; she's a bit...combative. It's going to be hard to work with her if she makes everything a fight to get through." The man spat, though he tried to restrain his anger, rubbing solemnly at the small ring of marks on his hand, and One quickly realized with a start that...it looked like a bite.
But Hagire disregarded his concern.
"Ah, it's nice to have ones that have a little, how do you say...spirit. Clean it out and you'll be fine." Hagire expressed calmly, waving a dismissive hands to the man's injury as he turned from him and back to his work. At the doctor's callous answer, the man looked to Sorae, waiting a moment to hear if she had anything to say, but noting her silence, he turned to leave, grumbling under his breath words that One couldn't make out. With him gone, Sorae turned back to One, face blank with disinterest. Hagire, leaving the cart where it was, faced them as well, his smile never leaving his face as he came to their side.
"I'll have one of the interns come get this and take it to the Disinfection Wing. Have Mariko or one of the others clean it up." He said, and holding out his hand for One to hold, the child took it. Walking over to the door, One's heart leapt in anticipation, yet all the same, as they padded down the halls, the child hushed himself again, a quiet sound, as he pushed away the thoughts of his former home.
He was where he belonged now.
He was home.