I woke feeling more rested than I had in ages. I was, admittedly, a little fuzzy, and I had a splitting headache, but that was pretty normal, these days. So much so that it was barely worth noting. More importantly, my sleep had been deep and dreamless, for the first time in months, so deep that I was still in that blissful twilight state where I didn't really know where or when I was, and I didn't especially care, either. For a moment, l just luxuriated in that oblivion, enjoying the absence of a past I regretted and a future the only promised more of the same. Then I went to wipe the string of drool making its way down my left cheek, only to find that I couldn't. Grudgingly, I peeled my eyes open and learned two things. First, it was not a trick of sleep, I truly did not recognize the room I was in; second, I was tied to a hospital bed, wearing nothing but a backless gown and four-point restraints. Well, that was enough to ruin an otherwise pleasant morning, wasn’t it? I took a breath and closed my eyes again; the light was making it hard to think. A quick check determined that all my limbs seemed to be in working order, my toes and fingers twitched appropriately at my command, but the pain in my head was not the result of a hangover. At least it wasn't only due to that. I wiggled my eyebrows again and felt a sharp sting and the pull of stitches. A blow to the head would explain some things, but not all. I needed to remember how I got here. So, what was the last thing I remembered? I had been in the graveyard, tending to the roses. Something had happened… I glanced down at my hands, saw the still-fresh wound on thumb. I remembered the thorn, and then the handkerchief. A reflexive surge of anger jostled everything back into place. Tom. Asshole could have at least caught me when I blacked out, instead of letting me hit my head on the table. I wiggled my brows again and winced. Well, it wasn't entirely his fault, was it? No, the real problem was that I was a fucking idiot. What the hell had I been thinking? I suppose I hadn’t been. I had just jumped in with no plan; now I also had no phone, no weapons, no clothes, no idea where I even was. In fact, no one had any idea where I was. This might be the stupidest thing I had ever done. And there was stiff competition for that title, too. Well, it was a bit late to worry about that now. Only thing I could control was what I did next. First, I tested my bonds, but found they were well secured. I wasn’t getting out on my own. It seemed that there was nothing I could do but wait for someone to come and get me. I sighed and leaned my head back onto the pillow, mulling over my options for a time, before my reverie was interrupted by the sound of a keycard reader beeping in the hallway. A moment later, the door swung open, and a middle-aged woman in a crisp set of nurses’ scrubs entered. Seeing me awake, she hurried to the bed, quickly checking the vitals monitor, before turning her attention to me.
“How are you feeling, sweetie?" she smiled. “It’s good to see you up and about, so to speak. I’m Amy, and I am here to help you.”
I attempted to croak out an answer, by my dry throat made it unintelligible. The nurse grabbed a glass of water and offered me the straw, I took a sip and tried again.
“Where am I? What happened?”
“You are in the hospital, dear. I don’t know all the details, but according to your chart, you got a bit of a bump on the head. What do you remember?”
“I’m not sure, it’s all a little blurry,” I decided to play my cards close to my vest, for now.
“That’s normal, you have a bit of a concussion, it should pass in no time. I’m just going to check a few things, alright?”
Amy busied herself checking my pulse, temperature blood oxygen saturation, noting all the details carefully in my chart.
“You seem to be recovering nicely,” she smiled encouragingly. “How is your head doing?”
“A bit of a headache. Nothing too serious.”
“Good,” she took another note. “Do you feel like you could eat something?”
“I am starving,” I admitted. “But I am not sure eating is in the cards, at the moment.” I tugged with my wrists, rattling the bedframe demonstrably. “Unless maybe you could take these off?”
She gave me a sympathetic look,
“I’m sorry, honey. I can’t do that. Chart says you are to remain secured, until a doctor has a chance to assess you. It is for your own safety. If you are hungry, I can have someone come by to feed you.”
“How about we hold off on that, for now?” I took a deep breath. “When will the doctor be stopping by?”
“Well, now that you are conscious, I am sure he will want to assess your condition. I can go and let him know right now. Unless you need anything else from me?”
“I don’t need anything more than I need that,” I replied.
“Alright, you hang tight,” she patted my cheek and gave me a smile that was much too wide. “Someone will be in to check on you in no time.”
She slipped out of the room, and I heard it latch behind her.
I snorted in irritation, and leaned back again, wondering how long I was going to have to stare at the ceiling before the doctor arrived.
“She’s lying to you, you know. This isn’t a hospital.”
The voice made me jump. I looked to my right, searching for the source, but saw only the thin curtain dividing the room. Even if I couldn’t see him, apparently, I had a roommate.
“What do you mean by that?” I asked carefully.
“Exactly what I said,” the voice replied through the curtain. “The lady in the scrubs may look like a nurse, but this is no hospital, it’s a prison.”
“A prison?”
“Yup. You said you don’t remember how you were injured, but I bet I can guess.”
“Really?” I was actually pretty curious where he was going with this.
“I bet that you were hiding with your Family when agents burst in, and captured you, right? Maybe roughed you up a bit when you resisted? That sound familiar?”
“I’m not sure… I…” feigning ignorance was the safer strategy here, until I knew what this guy was trying to get at.
“Don’t try too hard. It will come back to you, eventually. I really only suggested that scenario because of how common it is around here. Whatever your true story is, I should warn you not to trust anyone here.”
“Why not?”
“Because they are only pretending to be your friend, so that you will let your guard down and tell them what they want to know: information about your Family. They think that can make us turn on them, but they don’t understand what devotion really is. If they did, they wouldn’t bother.”
Ah. Well, that did clear up a few things for me. At least I now knew that I must be in one of the facilities holding the Immune that had been recovered from the Domini. And if Tom had brought me here, then that meant… No, better not to jump to conclusions, yet. One step at a time.
“What are they going to do to us?” I attempted to prompt my new friend for more information.
“First, they will try to befriend you, try to get through to the ‘real you’ as they like to say. Then they will torture you. When that doesn’t work, they will lock you up in solitary confinement, saying that you need time to think things through,” he scoffed. “They refuse to see that there is nothing to think through. No amount of torment could ever make me betray them. I am sure you understand.”
“Right, of course,” I attempted to change the subject. “What you described before, is that how you got caught?”
“More or less,” he sighed. “We weren’t exactly hiding, though. No, we were trying to get across the border, to the U.S. There are plenty of places down south where law enforcement doesn’t go, where people are left in peace. If we could get down there, we figured we could hide out, until the heat died down. Then, we were going to come up with a new plan, to free this world from the biases and prejudices that keep the Domini in hiding. But they caught some of our false IDs at the border, and when we were fingerprinted, we were flagged by the system. And here I am.”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“What about the others?”
“I don’t know, they wouldn’t tell me. Some were caught with me, I know, but I hope the others got away. I hope they made it to safety,” his tone turned wistful. “Then, maybe someday, if I escape this place, I can find them again. What about you, where was your Family, when you were caught?”
“I…” I hesitated.
I could make up a story, but I didn’t know much about how the remaining Domini cells operated. Even the fact that they called them ‘Families’ was news to me. There was too much risk that I would be caught in a lie, if I tried to go into detail, and I didn’t want him to stop talking with me. The more I knew about this place, the better. So, I decided to try a different tactic.
“I’m not sure I should say,” I continued at last.
“Why not? We are all friends here aren’t we, sister?”
“Are we? You said yourself not to trust anyone. How do I know you aren’t one of them, trying to trick me into giving up information? After all, it is a bit suspicious that you just happen to be here, in the same infirmary as me, even though you clearly aren’t newly captured. If this is a prison, why are you here, and not in a cell?”
I heard the man laugh,
“You are suspicious. Good, that will serve you well here. The wardens use all sorts of tricks to get us to reveal information. But this is not one of them, I assure you. As to why I am not in a cell, that is because they are still trying to break me, even after all these months, but I refuse to bend,” his tone was proud. “I was in the cells, but I refused to speak to any of the brainwashing specialists that they sent in, I refused to participate in any of the ‘therapy’ that they mandated, I refused to touch their drug-tainted food. Oh no, I know their tricks too well. I know they are just trying to corrupt my mind. But I am still clear. I am still devoted,” now that he had gotten started, his words tumbled out feverishly. “I have told them that I will not touch a morsel of food or a drop of water until they release me and allow me to go back to the people I love. Instead, they brought me to the infirmary so that they can force feed me, when necessary, so that they can continue my torment, my humiliation. But I will not, cannot, be broken.”
“Why fight so hard, though? Surely after all this time, any information you might have is too outdated to be useful to them, right? Why not just tell them what you know and end this?”
“It isn’t just about knowledge, or information. What they want is something I cannot give them. Cannot give anyone.”
“Why, what do they want if not information?”
“For me to renounce my Family, to reject them, to declare that my love for them is a lie. And I will never say those words, not even for my freedom. Not even for my life,” he declared with a passion I was certain could not be faked.
I shuddered slightly, glad for the curtain between us. I was beginning to see what Tom had meant when he said the deprogramming wasn’t going well. This was genuinely disturbing. I wondered who this guy had been before all this, if I had met him, in the old days. The voice didn’t sound familiar, but I couldn’t be sure.
“You need to stay strong too, sister,” he continued. “I am sure that even as we speak, the others are working on a plan to retrieve us. It is only a matter of time. You’ll see. Our faith will be rewarded.”
My roommate fell silent again as the door opened and the nurse entered, followed this time by a burly young man. I suspected that he was not, in fact, a doctor, partly because he was wearing fatigues, a tank top, and a gun on his hip, but mostly because he appeared to be about 19 years old.
“Sorry for the wait, hun, but there is good news! They are ready to see you now,” she chirped. “I am going to undo your bindings, and then you are going to come with us, ok?”
I nodded and she began to unbuckle the leather restraints, the new guy glaring sternly at me, hand resting on the handle of his pistol, as if he thought I might spring from the table and attack them both. Well, I shouldn’t mock, I had considered it, however briefly. For now, though, I would behave. I had thought things over and determined that trying to escape would make this whole exercise a waste of time. This had probably still been a stupid decision, but I was here now, and it seemed like I had gotten what I had wanted, at least. I was inside whatever group Tom was working with; this was my opportunity to infiltrate and learn more about what they had planned. So, I might as well steer into the skid and see what I could discover. Getting out again with that information was a problem for a future version of myself to deal with. And that jerk would have done the same thing to me, if time flowed in the opposite direction, so they would just have to figure it out. The straps finally removed, I sat up, rubbing my wrists and stretching my stiff limbs.
“Are you able to stand, dear?”
“I think so.”
Amy stood close as I placed my feet on the ground and rose from the bed, resting a hand on her shoulder for support.
“Very good! There are some slippers right there, just put them on and follow me. We wouldn’t want your breakfast to get cold now, would we?”
I obediently did as I was told. Truthfully, I was starving, so if they were bringing me somewhere with food, I was happy to go.
“Remember that they aren’t your friends!” the voice called from behind the curtain.
“Curtis, make sure that the door closes properly behind us, alright?” the nurse instructed, calmly before turning back to me. “I haven’t heard Edward speak in weeks, was he talking with you?”
She eyed me curiously. I nodded, there was no reason to lie.
“Yes. He seemed, troubled.”
“That would be putting it mildly, dear. Either way don’t you pay any mind to what Edward there says. He… isn’t himself, right now.”
“Now who is putting it mildly?” Curtis scoffed, speaking for the first time. “Crazy Ed doesn’t even have any screws left to loosen. People around here need to accept that some of them are beyond fixing.”
“You watch your mouth, Curtis Johnson,” Amy admonished him. “Those are human beings that you are talking about. It isn’t their fault that they are like this, and we will do everything we can to help them recover.”
“Yeah, well, it is clearly going great so far,” he snorted.
“You better not be talking like this in front of the patients,” Amy’s voice sharpened. “Do I need to speak with your supervisor about this?”
“Oh, don’t be a snitch, Amy,” Curtis sneered.
The nurse frowned, then looked to me,
“We shouldn’t be arguing in front of a… patient. We can discuss this later,” Amy replied curtly, cutting off further argument.
They both fell silent, and we continued down the nondescript hallway until Amy came to a door, room 107.
“Now, there is someone in here that is mighty eager to chat with you,” she opened the door and waved me in. “So, let’s not keep them waiting.”
I hesitated for a moment, but I had already come too far to worry about what they had in store for me, so I straightened my shoulders and approached the doorway. Inside, the food caught my eye first. Bacon, eggs, waffles. A decent spread for a room that looked more like a concrete bunker than the conference room at a Hyatt. I inhaled, breathing in the smell of fresh coffee, and stepped inside. Tom rose from his chair to greet me.
“You two can go, now. Thanks for bringing her.”
My escorts both protested at once,
“Sir, I couldn’t possible leave a patient…”
“Sir, I don’t think that would be wise…”
Tom raised a hand, silencing them,
“I’ve got this. Now, go.”
He shooed them away with one hand. They both seemed reluctant, but they left, closing the door behind them. Once we were alone, Tom smiled broadly.
“Glad to see you back on your feet. You had me worried, Ray,” he clapped me on the shoulder. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I got hit by a truck. What the hell happened?”
He waved me into a chair and returned to his own seat,
“Well, we were having a few drinks at your apartment, you remember that?” I nodded. “You got pretty drunk. Eventually, you blacked out, hit your head on the table when you fell. I tried, but I couldn’t wake you. Scared the hell out of me, honestly.”
Oh, so that’s how we were going to play this, huh, Tom? He didn’t even have the guts to admit he drugged me. Alright then, if that was how he wanted it. I dropped my eyes to the floor, a slight flush creeping up my cheeks,
“God, that’s embarrassing. I normally know my limits better than that. I can’t believe I… I’m sorry to put you to all this trouble.”
“Hey, it’s no trouble. Everyone goes through rough patches, needs a little support. I just brought you somewhere that could help you.”
Bastard.
“Thanks, Tom. Really. But now that you mention it, where exactly are we, anyway? This isn’t a normal hospital, is it?”
“No, it’s an old Organization facility, it was used to hold Ubarae prisoners who needed medical treatment. We have… repurposed it.”
“You brought me to a prison?”
“It was the only place I was sure you’d be safe. And it is a fully equipped medical facility, with a very competent staff.”
“Well, I appreciate everything you did for me, Tom. I am feeling much better now, and I really should be going. If you could just tell me where my clothes are, I will be out of your hair.”
Tom placed a hand on my shoulder,
“Calm down, Ray. There is no need to rush off. Enjoy some breakfast. There is someone I want you to meet, while you are here.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, remember when we were talking, before, and I asked if you wanted to meet with my boss, the guy in charge?”
“Vaguely. But I can’t possibly do that now, Tom. Not after what just happened, not dressed like this,” I looked down at my hospital gown. “It would be too humiliating. Seriously, we can do it another time, can’t we?”
“You don’t have any reason to feel embarrassed, Ray. A lot of us have been where you are. Everyone understands. Especially the boss. He knows what it is like, to be in a dark place. And he’s good at showing people how to pull themselves out again. He’s helped a lot of people, in the months since the big revelation. He aims to help even more. Including you. You don’t need to go through this alone, ok?” Tom smiled in a way that I knew was sincere. That actually made it worse. “Now, there is a change of clothes in the bathroom over there, go clean yourself up, he’ll be joining us for breakfast in a few minutes.”
“Alright,” I relented.
My resistance had been token, anyway, just playing the part. I knew there was no chance of me leaving here that easily. I was, however, truly eager to change clothes, so I rose from the chair quickly and headed to the door Tom had indicated. If this turned out to be who I suspected it was, then I really didn’t want to meet them dressed in a hospital gown.