Sensation, pins and needles running riot over his skin, the first thing he’d truly felt in months, it built gradually, painfully until it filled his entire world. He wanted to scream with the pain of it but his throat wouldn’t work, all he could do was endure in silence. Light was becoming noticeable too, the deep shades of grey were moving around, it was no longer fully black, it was many shades of grey, coloured with the flashes of his retina as it remembered exactly what it was for.
His body felt like lead, he couldn’t lift himself if he tried, he knew he should be able to, there was a reason he should be able to move but it eluded his clouded mind. His brain finally began to process scent again, there were people nearby and his blood pressure shot skyward, fear and adrenaline pumped through his body. People, people meant pain, his mind knew that as a truth and he tried to move to get away from the grey shapes that were coming closer. He even managed to sound out a tiny whimper that inside his mind was a full-throated scream; the scent came closer as did the dark grey shape. There was a pricking and a softness blurred his mind again, taking the relief given he dropped back into the comforting darkness where there were no people, no feelings only darkness.
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Marie woke to find herself back in a bed, dressed in scrubs and restrained again. Choking back a sob she took a look around the place she was in, the room was around sixteen feet long, nearly twenty wide. Her bed was the only main piece of furniture in there, there were two chairs in here, their red upholstery clashing nicely with the mint green of the walls. The door looked solid, metal by the looks of it and something out of an asylum if her mind remembered correctly. The sheets covering her were warm as she dropped her head, turning her head to the right Marie caught sight of a cabinet next to her bed. A syringe was in a paper kidney bowl and she knew she’d been caught by someone, looking at her stomach she could feel the baby moving still. At least she still had her baby, she stopped the thought right there, when had it become *her* baby?
Tears pricked at her eyes, when she’d run and found no one else wanted either of them, that’s when. She’d fight for her child and if it meant using her skin she’d do it, shifting herself around in the bed her ears heard the slow whine of something and her eyes searched for it. Finding the camera in the ceiling looking directly at her, there were no windows in here, only over head strips so she had no idea what time it was or if someone would come to see her now she was awake.
She didn’t have long to wait; the door opened revealing a long corridor and two armed soldiers either side of the door. Her eyes widened as she saw people in white coats moving between several other rooms through the gap. Her movement ceased altogether when she looked at the person who’d walked in, it was the doctor who’d done this to her in the first place, Doctor Howard. She looked at least five years older than she’d looked the last time she’d seen her and her voice was stilled in shock as she walked over to her gloved up and ready to examine her.
The whole thing was entirely done in silence, the equipment was wheeled in by orderlies whose demeanour spoke volumes, they were male for a start and muscular. Marie came to the conclusion that she must be in a mental institution somewhere, something secure, very secure. Tears were forming and she cried as the doctor scanned her baby, took blood samples and put a line in her arm. Before she left the doctor reached out and touched her bare arm and Marie found herself wishing she could hurt her. Finding the doctors calm gaze looking at her, a sadness resting deep inside her eyes, Marie found her voice, “Why? Why me?” The doctor traced her soft cheek with the latex covered fingers, Marie noticing the doctors own eyes filling with tears. She didn’t answer her; the tear rolled out of her tired eye and was lost on the sheets covering her. Taking the new samples and data she left her alone again to the silence of the room, the sounds of the guards moving outside her room filling the air.
She was caught by god knows who and she was back in the hands of the one person she never wanted to see again, the doctor who’d seen her as an experiment. The imprint of her was foggy now in her mind but she still could learn as much as she could about her. So that’s what she did, spending her first night in captivity plundering the thoughts of the woman who’d obviously be her keeper for the duration of her stay.
It was after this her thoughts drifted to the reason she was still alive and the truth made her stomach turn. The baby, they wanted her baby, whatever or whoever the child belonged to was important to them, important enough to kidnap her right under the hospital’s nose. Hospital’s had security, she’d seen them so how had she….. then it hit her; it wasn’t just a small thing anymore, she’d seen other doctors in the corridor. She wasn’t the only one in here, there were others like her kept captive, looked after by the good doctor. Her mind finally retreated from the revelation, she didn’t want to face it, and if she did it meant her life was over in four months when she gave birth. She was just an incubator, and her mind threw up the words the doctor had used to describe her ‘healthy, strong, malleable’. She was perfect for this, hell she’d even volunteered for it and as she looked at the baby she was carrying she wondered just what they’d given her that day. It sure wasn’t the Chalmers baby that’s for sure and if it wasn’t theirs then who’s was it?
A steel seemed to enter her mind at that moment, a sense of power filled her veins as she let herself relax onto the bed. She’d be ‘malleable’ upto the point where she found out exactly where she was and what she was carrying. She wouldn’t give up hope until she knew there was nothing left for her to hope for, she wasn’t injured and she hadn’t been harmed, yet. Her mind thought to the things she’d gleaned from the doctor and the half faded images of an experiment she’d been excited about. Something about infections and viral antidotes was all she could glean from her memories; the doctor had been a researcher into nutrition and development before she became a fertility specialist. Whatever things she had in store for her Marie would do whatever she asked of her calmly, she wouldn’t risk her babies life just make their lives difficult. When it was born, hell that was a different story all together, because if she’d been in the same situation and she had someone like her here she’d keep her to breed from. She was young, strong and healthy, she’d looked after herself religiously, even more than her mother had when she’d been carrying her. If she had the chance she’d grab her kid and run, damn the rest; she came first and so did her child. She’d wait her time and when they thought they had her controlled they’d let their guard down, hell the doctor thought she was ‘malleable’ already so she’d play to it, make everyone else believe it too. Inside she spoke to her child, ‘We’ll be okay, ah know we will, trust your momma and we’ll get out of here. One way or another.’
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The coffee was awful but he’d been awake for nearly twenty-eight hours straight, the journey with the girl had been easy, they’d been picked up just outside of Kansas City and flown the rest of the way. The pickup had told his partner to get back and find her car, when he found it to bring everything with him to the facility. His partner’s face had fallen at that, he’d expected to be free after this drop off, to get back to his first assignment but no things had changed and he was now drafted into the squad. Shrugging he’d left his partner on the road looking after the unmarked helicopter, it’s light showing the frown still covering his features. It never did to try and understand things; you were doing well if you could remember your name some days.
Sat in the plastic chairs of the canteen he looked around the room, the small grey walled place wasn’t exactly homely but someone had made an effort with the food. Pity they hadn’t tried with the coffee, eyes running to the clock it told him the world had turned to another day and the sun was up above his head. Thing was all he felt was tired and he still had to give his transport report to the head of security. They’d almost lost the donor on the way here; his vitals had fallen after they’d crashed off road. It was only down to the doctor they had with him that they still had him alive and breathing. Settling the cup down on the formica table, he heard the approach of army regulation boots, standing up and turning as the soldier spoke to him, “Agent Richards?” Nodding he followed the hard faced young man, noting he had a small gold pin on the lapel of his shirt. A triskelle in gold and he felt his blood chill, the soldier taking him to his debriefing was one of the new anti-mutant insurgency regiment. There were rumours about them in the circles he moved in, doing work for the spooks that never saw daylight but what was one of them doing here?
He never got the time to think about the answer as he’d reached his destination, the office of the facility head, rubbing a little life back into his skin. The soldier opened the door his eyes never leaving Agent Richards as he let him inside.
The room inside was quite well lit; it even had a false window and view, making the inside look as if it were on the surface. The figure seated behind the desk was a small man, dressed in a dark shirt; his smile though didn’t reach his eyes. Seated already in the room was a larger man and when he turned to look at him Richards almost bolted. It was Carter, Carter had been the old head of the department, the rumour mill had been working overtime about why he’d left after nearly thirty years service. Now it was making sense, he hadn’t left he’d been promoted and now he was here as well.
The smaller man spoke first as the door shut behind him trapping him with the two men, “Agent Richards, please sit down before you fall down.” He did as he was told and kept his eyes just over the head of the man who told him to sit, eye contact here would be a bad thing. “Now if you’d be so kind as to fill in your superior as to why you nearly killed our newest resident?”
Swallowing nervously he kept his eyes above the smaller mans head as he prepared to give his version of the disaster that had been the transport of the donor.
“Well sir, the road wasn’t actually to blame it was the truck we were using. Whoever does the maintenance has to answer for this one, we were lucky we had the doctor on board. Otherwise it would have been even worse, she managed to get him stable once we’d finished getting ourselves out of the ditch.” The smaller man nodded as he took in every single detail of his speech even down to the nerves that were showing as he was trying desperately to relax.
“Now tell me, just how exactly the whole escapade actually happened. I have the report from the driver but I want the details from you. You’re a trained observer I want what you saw and what you heard before and after the accident.”
Clearing his throat he began, “We’d just turned down the access road when we went off the tarmac, the driver was having trouble keeping the truck on the road. I called through to him from the back but he didn’t answer me, the sounds coming from the drive shaft weren’t normal. Something was grinding in the gears too, so I just told everyone to hang on when I heard something shear underneath us. The doctor did her best by covering the donor with herself and the medical kit. I just hung on until we’d stopped moving, then checked that the cargo was still viable, the doc was doing her thing by then and she didn’t need me interfering. I got out to have a look at the driver; he’d been hit by something, a weapon not something done by the crash. I used the radio in the cab and called for back up, kept my eyes peeled and waited for you to come and collect us.” The smaller man nodded as he finished; finally, Carter spoke directly to him making him turn his head to look at his old boss.
“How many do you think were out there?” Carter’s eyes were peeling back the layers of his tiredness, making him re-evaluate the scene he’d been in.
“No more than six sir, the set up would have been difficult to do under the security of the compound. To get inside unnoticed would have been near impossible if you ask me, although there was the river at the bottom of the ridge, someone could have….” Carter cut him off mid flow.
“Thank you Richards, that’ll be all.” Carter’s dismissal of him was abrupt but the smaller man just nodded to them both.
“Thank you Agent Richards, Mr Carter if you’d be so kind as to remain with me for a few moments more.” Getting up out of the soft chair Richards felt his body complaining, he needed to get some rest. Going toward the door, the smaller man spoke to him again, “Please get some rest Agent Richards, we’ll be meeting again soon enough. If you’d be so kind as to follow the young gentleman who brought you here he’ll escort you to the barracks.” Opening the door he came face to face with the young soldier, the gun he was carrying in his hand pointed in his direction for a second until the younger man moved the gun to the side. Turning to see the thin smile on the dark shirted man finally reach his eyes which radiated a kind of sickness that suddenly filled the entire room. Casting a look at his old boss he knew who he had to thank for being here, nodding Richards let himself be taken to the barracks.
All the while his mind trying to remember any more details about the crash, there was something they knew he couldn’t remember and it was important that he did remember, his life may depend on it. Tired he let the younger man lead him aware that he was just as much a prisoner here as the donor and the girl, when he’d had some sleep maybe he could start putting the things together in some sort of order. Now all he was good for was sleep, he just hoped he’d get a full eight hours but being here, he doubted he’d sleep well anyway. Not when he’d heard the cry that had come from the donor when they’d crashed, the doc had to put him out to stabilise him. It had reminded him of the prisoners he’d taken in Afghanistan, you always knew when they’d given up hope because they’d cried like he had just before they did something stupid, like rushing an armed platoon with nothing but a rock in their hand. Men who’d had enough who’d finally snapped under the pressure and torment they’d put them through, it hadn’t been loud but it had been there and the doc had worried about it too. He’d seen her panic run across her face as she’d sedated him, doing everything she could to keep him calm and stable while they waited for another truck. But there had been something just before it hadn’t there, what it was eluded him and would make his dreams fitful if he had any at all. He had to remember what it was, not just for himself but for the donor, whatever it had been he’d been crying out to it, he’d sensed it before they had. He just hoped he remembered what it was.
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Light, bright light, a sterile breeze wafting over his skin, making it goose, feeling something on his skin, something keeping him still, holding him steady as he fought upward toward consciousness. A million thoughts and feelings rushing through his starved mind, images of men in uniforms, colours so bright they hurt his eyes, then laughter, the stink of liquid metal, harsh in his lungs, burning flesh and the stench of seared bone. Everything coalescing around a bright point of pain, something so deep it unlocked the darkness, the beast inside his mind, the primal half most men kept locked away and under control.
Unable to move the beast let itself be known, he was weak, tied up, held down but it wouldn’t be forever and when he got free he’d destroy everything and everyone that got in his way. Pushing his head back into the support foam he opened his throat, tilting his head back and howled, the sound building slowly. His vocal chords unused to being used the sound wasn’t as full as the feelings behind it, but it was enough. It echoed through the lab he was in, bouncing off the walls into the office where Doctor Howard was writing up her own report about the crash. She dropped her pen when she heard it; the sound made her hair stand on end.
Standing slowly she made her way into the lab where the donor was laid, his body was arcing out of the foam support in places, his muscles were tensing against the straps. There was no chance he could get out of them but she still took a step back from him, her fear of him evident in her movements. She skirted the edge of the room so she could get a look at him before she went any closer; he dropped back into the bed. His chest rising and falling rapidly as he breathed in the air of the lab, moving closer now as he relaxed further she took a look at the readouts. He’d had an event in his nervous system, something was happening to him, he was healing, but exactly what state he’d be in was another matter entirely.
Looking at his face she saw he’d dropped back into a stupor, his breathing evening out again, the body had ways of dealing with trauma and this was one of them. He’d retreated again somewhere inside his head but he’d been aware once and that meant he could be again. Feeling a little better about her own prospects she began work on the regimen she’d have him in, upping his doses of vital fluids and nutrients, they’d try him on some liquid food soon by mouth. Then they could remove the stomach tube they’d been feeding him with upto now, smiling she put her hand near his head. Her voice almost whispering to the man on the table in front of her, “I think we’re going to make it, both of us.” Turning away, she didn’t see the eyes follow her as she moved away or the low growl that rumbled through him. He had her scent now, his tormentor, his keeper and he’d remember.
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The bed was comfortable she had to give them that, the foam support seemed to mould itself to her body making it easy to sleep, even with her extra passenger. Marie hadn’t seen anyone since the doctor had been to poke and prod her, her stomach was now beginning to protest at not being filled. Her own internal clock was telling her that this must be breakfast hunger, she didn’t feel the same twinges as she did when she’d missed lunch. This was breakfast and that meant a big meal of toast, cereal, milk, pancakes and fresh fruit. She’d been following the same routine for most of her pregnancy and she wasn’t about to stop now. Shifting herself so she could look directly into the camera that was trained over toward her bed she began to squirm as the other daily routine made itself known. She needed to pee, badly, “Hey, you in there, ah need to pee!”
She shuffled as far as she could with her body strapped down, her belly rising and falling as she went, her bladder sending urgent signals to her brain that if someone didn’t come soon it’d be too late. Just as she’d made her peace with actually soiling the bed, a nurse arrived with two hefty orderlies. She was pushing a small chair with a cover on it, a commode, seeing the thing her eyes locked onto it and didn’t leave it as the orderlies unstrapped her from the bed. Pushing herself upward a wave of dizziness swam over her and she grabbed onto the covered arm of the orderly, not realising what she’d done until she looked at his face. The shock was registering in his eyes but Marie still felt the need to apologise, “Ah’m sorry.”
They both moved her over and the nurse lifted her scrubs so she could go, the sound was intensely loud in the bare room, none of them seemed embarrassed about it but Maries face told of her shame. She was clinically cleaned by the nurse and helped back into bed by the two male orderlies, this time they strapped her differently to the bed. Two upper arm restraints, linked to a chest restraint, her legs were left free, she still couldn’t leave the bed but using a bedpan would be doable strapped like this.
Everyone left before she got a chance to talk to them further, the door was pulled to not shut and Marie could hear the rattle of a trolley coming around. Although it was the smell that made her sit up and take notice, this was food coming and her mouth began to water. Patiently she waited for it to come through her door, her voice squashed in her throat when she heard the wheels move on from her door. She had to be *good* damn it, if they didn’t want her to eat yet she didn’t, she had more than herself to think about here. Shuffling a little Marie prayed for someone to notice she was there.
A mumbling was heard outside her door and the trolley began to wheel back toward her doorway. It opened revealing a female orderly with a hot trolley, seeing Marie eyeing the food and almost drooling the orderly turned to a soldier and spoke quickly, “She doesn’t have a table, go get me one and then I can make sure she gets fed. Next time make sure you fill the damn form in when there’s a new resident I’m not taking the heat for your mistakes.” The soldier left quickly coming back with a hospital table, wheeling it into position for her; the orderly flashed a thin smile at him as he left leaving her with the trolley and her new patient.
Seeing Marie she plucked a menu card off the trolley and held it out to her, raising her hand she managed to hold it. The menu read like heaven and the orderly just took a look at her and just piled a little piece of everything onto her plastic tray. Handing it over she took back the breakfast menu and slid an orange card over to her, “That’s lunch, you’d better get your order in now while I’m here. Newbies usually don’t get lunch, the medical tends to run on for a while.” Looking at the pile of food and the orange card Marie just scanned down it and found her eyes drawn to the steak and liver salad. Handing the card back over she spoke to the woman who’d just made her life a little more bearable.
“Ah’d like the steak salad please,” her voice was quiet and calm, mousy almost and a million miles away from the personality she usually had. The orderly smirked at her as she recognised her accent, the smile re-appearing on her face and actually reaching her eyes this time.
“My-Oh-My, we have a southern belle with us. Well missy ah’m afraid the nearest we’ll get to your momma’s cookin is Canadian bacon. Ain’t no beans and biscuits here.” She was trying to get Marie to smile or at least lighten up a little; she wasn’t in danger from her. Seeing the woman’s attempt at humour Marie let herself smile a little. "There now that wasn’t so hard now was it?” Marie shook her head and picked up the plastic fork she’d been given to eat with as she started in the orderly began to take the trolley out. Just as she was closing the door, she winked at her, making Marie wonder exactly where she was, prisons don’t usually have food as good as this. And everything she’d seen didn’t look like a normal hospital to her, but what hospital had such good food and helpful staff?
She’d almost finished her breakfast when the answer came to her, one where they want you to be as relaxed as possible, just in case you harm the baby your carrying. The food had been good, exceptionally so but what did you expect from a nutritionist? She was making sure everyone got the best they could including her, she’d eat it, hell yes she’d need the strength to run after her child was born and she had a clue already, she was north, how far was another matter. But she had an inroad to that information and she’d use it.
Soon after her mammoth breakfast, two armed soldiers appeared in her room, their bodies radiating a sinister type of violence, insidious it wound through her nerves making her fear to make any sudden movements. Her mind knowing by instinct that these men would kill her without a thought, with her eyes were locked onto them she didn’t notice the smaller man enter with the good doctor. She only noticed them when he spoke directly to her. “Miss D’Canto?” Her eyes dragged away from the looming bulk of the soldiers and met the cold glass stare of the man who’d addressed her. Her stomach tightened at the sight of him, she was in danger right now and the answers she gave this man would tell her how long she survived if at all.
He pulled the small chair over and seated himself in it demurely. “Now if we can begin,” he plucked a file from the doctor on his right, opening it he began to read. “You were implanted nearly six months ago yes?” Marie nodded quickly not trusting her voice her eyes watching every movement he made, he turned to the doctor for a second. “Did she show any signs of rejection at her first scan?” The doctor was pale as she answered him, her own voice trembling slightly as she shifted toward the bed.
“No, the patient had a solid recieval of donor sperm, growth started around twelve hours after implantation.” The words hit Marie’s ears, the room shrinking to her own body, the child she was carrying was hers, she was so involved with the information she didn’t hear the rest of the conversation about her.
“Really? That fast? My we do have a prize on our hands don’t we?” The grin that was on his face was lost to Marie but it made Doctor Howard’s blood run cold in her veins. Turning back to the file in his hands he looked at Marie again before reading her results, “She’s shown no problems, no mutation of the foetus?”
“No her own mutation came on as a result of the pregnancy, we’re wondering if it’s a self defence mechanism by her body. The mutation in the donor sperm could have triggered her own genetic response after the first trimester.” The little man was nodding to himself as he listened to the doctor, Marie came back to herself when she heard her name being called again.
“Marie? I can call you Marie can’t I?” The way he gave her name a sliding twist reminded her of the way her uncle had sung to her when she’d been a child. He’d stretched her name out as if it was a lyric to be sung, it had made her smile when she’d heard him calling out to her. But he’d been dead for nearly five years now, crushed at the mine, half a mile under the earth and now the same lilt was here to haunt her.
She just nodded at the small wraith like man as he flicked through the file, he held up a scan of her child smiling to himself. “Well it looks like you’ll be giving us a very healthy baby soon Marie, I hope you do as your doctor asks of you. Everything here is for your own good and the babies.” Her eyes couldn’t help but flicker to the guns being held by the soldiers that flanked the small man, he noticed her gaze and smiled as he got up handing the file back to Doctor Howard. When she met his gaze again the coldness that met her own gaze frightened her, there was nothing human in it. “The soldiers are here to protect you from the donor my dear, he’s not someone who can be trusted you see, he’s killed several women just like you already. We keep him here too you see, it’s a lot easier to have you all in one place, just in case. But I’m sure you’ll do as your told, follow what the doctor prescribes for you, we want your baby to be born healthy don’t we?” The threat was in every word he spoke, even Doctor Howard had her head dropped so she couldn’t see the look in the smaller man’s eye as he turned away from Marie.
“Do your medical Doctor Howard and give me her file personally, I want to know if her mutation could be passed to the child. If so she’ll be worth keeping, just think of the possibilities Doctor, we’d be the answer to the worlds problems.” He handed her the file back and walked out of her room the soldiers following close behind him, the dread flowing into the room in his wake as Marie finally understood why she was there and whose child she was carrying. Yet now she knew, her sense of self preservation seemed to leave her as she watched the doctor approach the bed, her hands already gloved up. All she could do was scream and her fear found a release in the sound, the small man walking down the stark corridor smiling to himself as he heard her crying out to ears that couldn’t hear her. His tone urbane and cultured as he spoke to his personal guard, “Come, let’s go and see what else the good doctor has for us.” His hand opened another room door, the occupant sobbing quietly as they entered as one.
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