Chapter 2

“You are sure it's her, Garnet,” I heard Morrison say and my eyes fluttered open. I was in a small room with a tiny bed and bathroom as its main features. I tried to get up, but my body was very sluggish right now and my mind wandered to Darren. Had he started drinking yet? Did the afflicted have a leader now?

“I am sure I recognize my sister, sir,” Garnet said and I heard them walking down my hallway.

“She just woke up all on her own,” Morrison remarked.

“That's what she said,” Cass answered then I heard a key chain outside.

“Fascinating,” Morrison said then Cass opened the door and Morrison along with two other doctors came striding in. “Maya,” he looked me over, “I should have seen it before, no decomposition or greying of any kind.”

 

“I guess you're not as smart as you think you are,” I forced myself to sit up.

“I'll want to run some tests, Officer Garnet with your permission,” Morrison commented flashing a light in my eye.

 

“You have it, sir,” he said then unlocked my chains, “Behave for the doctors, May.”

“I don't kiss their asses like you do, brother,” I said snidely then an officer dragged me out of the room.

 

“Maya, these two are doctors, Randall and West,” Morrison said once we were in their lab and I was strapped to the table.

“We are very interested to understand how you survived the death serum, young lady,” the older one said, “I am Dr. West, do not be afraid I am on your side.”

“The only doctors on my side are Jamieson and Hunter,” I retorted and Morrison took away my army coat.

“I'll take that sir and the boots,” Cass offered, “There is an officer looking for these.”

“Miss. Garnet, what were you doing in a military compound?” Morrison placed sensors on my forehead.

“Looking for some food,” I muttered.

“Why didn't you hand yourself over? We are more than willing to find you, my dear,” he informed me.

“Yeah after you test on me and try to turn me into some kind of robot,” I snapped, “I was gathering food to take to my group, I am still on their side.”

“We'll see,” Morrison checked his data, “Her brain action is higher than normal and she...” I lost focus on them as a vision of fire in the hallways filling my mind.

 

“Come on, May,” I saw Eva's face then...I opened my eyes to see Seth standing in front of me.

 

“She must have just had a vision,” Randall said excitedly.

 

“Seth,” I said, but he just stood there looking at me coldly.

“Oh, you noticed your old friend,” Morrison commented, “Peck just got back from hunting down a small group of afflicted children.”

“Do you need anything, sir?” Seth questioned.

“No, you can return to your room and rest,” Joseph Morrison looked pleased with himself.

“You are sick,” I hissed.

 

“You won't think of it that way for long,” he said calmly then took the sensors off, “We'll need a full brain scan.” They did scans and took blood, even swabbed my mouth once before I spit in their faces.

“It seems to me, sir that her mind went into hibernation for the month and she is very lucky to be alive,” Dr. Randall said checking the machine next to me that was measuring my thought patterns. I felt exactly when my arms got free of the straps, but I didn't attack while Cass was still around.

“What are you thinking about right now, Miss. Garnet your patterns are jumping around the scale?” Morrison questioned.

“That's none of your business,” I answered.

 

“You are going to have to be more cooperative,” he commented then watched my brain patterns and looked at all of the charts they'd created, “You said there was nothing in this world that was perfect, this is an example to everyone that I can create a more advanced, stable human being.”

“I am not stable, Morrison and you didn't create me,” I insisted, “The only reason I survived was because my will power and people like Seth.”

“Garnet, can you go take those boots and coat to their owner?” Morrison cleared his throat.

 

“You can punish her in front of me sir I'll understand,” Cass assured him.

“I know, but I gave you your orders,” Morrison said seriously, “And tell Dr. Peck that his mistake can be forgiven since Miss. Garnet is alive and well.”

“Yes, sir,” Cass left the room and I flexed my fingers.

“Maya,” Morrison took out a needle, “You don't have to be afraid of us, my dear you are safe here.”

 

“I am not safe,” I unbuckled my strap carefully.

“I will insure that you don't go through any more pain,” he promised.

“Pain must be felt to be human,” I snapped then Randall got too close to the table. I flipped myself off and smashed my wrist into Randall's nose. I shoved the table into West then turned to Morrison. “Go ahead and try, Morrison I am not going to comply,” I warned him, “Not ever.”

“We'll see,” he said then his officers came rushing in and pinned me to the ground. “We'll try the first injection, Miss. Garnet,” he stuck a needle into my arm and I thrust my elbow back into his nose. He let go of me and I tried to get up then the pain from the needle spread like wildfire through my body. It felt like it was destroying everything in its path.

“No,” I clenched my fists and curled up in a ball.

“Don't fight it,” Morrison commanded, “Let it run its course.”

“I am not dying a second time,” I focused all of my energy on forcing the pain back. I would not go numb. I struggled against the person who picked me up and they dropped me.

 

“Careful with her,” West warned the officer. I refused to move, to give in to this enemy. I got lifted up again and I heard Morrison speak.

“Put her back on the table we need to monitor her progress,” he said and I felt when the sensors were back on my forehead. “Strap her back in,” Morrison said and I swung blindly at anyone who got too close.

 

“Enough, Maya,” I heard Dr. Peck say, “My son couldn't fight it and neither can you.”

“I have to,” I felt like I was being suffocated, “For Darren, Eva, Nora, Seth and Kiara,” I thought about my friend, Kiara who died as a punishment given by my brother.

 

“Give her the second injection, West,” Morrison commanded.

“Her thought patterns are all over the place though, sir,” Randall insisted.

“She can handle it,” Morrison said seriously then I felt the next needle in my skin, “Can you feel that, Miss. Garnet?”

“Yes,” I fought off the officers who tried to strap me down.

“Stop that,” Peck injected something else into me and my body was trapped in place.

“You didn't need to paralyse her, Peck she's still weak from returning to this world,” Morrison told him.

“Now she can stop fighting us,” Peck remarked, “Without her, those afflicted children have no real leader and they'll return to us or parish out there is the cold.”

“She came bring in a new era of peace, we can see if any uprisings are coming or if we need to go back to the bunkers,” Dr. Morrison said thoughtfully, “With all the information she has, we are going to be unstoppable.”

 

“You're all mortal men,” I said feeling the liquid trying to burn me out, I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes.

“We are, but our sons will continue our traditions,” Morrison said and I saw flashes of past visions behind my eyelids.

“You will continue our traditions too, Miss. Garnet,” West said excitedly, “Let your visions guide you to the right side, they are your guiding force.”

“No, they aren't, my visions are a part of me, but so are my memories and I'll never forget what any of you did,” I hissed then I felt one more needle.

“You will when you wake up,” Morrison said as my mind wandered and I passed out. I felt when they did their third injection and the fourth, then I started to see faces.

 

“I love you,” Darren told me.

 

“You are not my sister, you're a freak,” my brother yelled at me.

 

“You have voices too? Where have you been all of my life?” Kiara laughed.

 

“Kiara won't want you to get hurt,” Nora commented.

 

“I like Seth,” Eva said and tears started to fall down my face. “It just keeps getting better,” Eva smiled.

 

“You're my best friend,” Seth said and I saw flashes of Edmund Peck injecting his own son with that poison. It felt like poison trying to take me over, but I would not allow it to define me.

 

“Her brain waves are out of control,” Dr. Randall said worried, “We might be losing her.”

“She's tough,” my brother's voice said and I felt hate towards him. I saw my parents and the tears came faster.

 

“She's still fighting it, her brain patterns should be steady by now,” Morrison said frustrated, “She has no mission or orders, it's like the serum isn't working.”

“Make it work, give her more,” Peck suggested, “I know you have a fifth shot.”

“That is only for extreme cases,” Morrison replied and I gained enough feeling in my fingers to unclench my fists.

“If you want her abilities in your grasp then you best act fast before her mind plummets and her body goes back in her hibernation state,” Peck argued, “Give her the shot.”

“Fine,” there was a needle in my neck then the last wave hit me like a brick wall. It shut everything out and I could almost feel myself beating against the wall. I banged the walls and tried to regain my control.

 

“Fight,” Darren said and my body shook.

“I can't,” I moaned.

 

“Come on, Maya,” Seth urged me.

“No,” I beat against the bricks.

 

“Do it,” Kiara's voice yelled at me.

“Enough,” I shouted then the walls were blown away. I could feel my fingers and my toes. I could feel the betrayal, the love and every emotion in between.

 

“What on earth is happening?” Morrison demanded, “It was working, is the brain activity plummeting?”

“No, it's ricocheting and her heartbeat has only increased,” West told him, “The drugs should have had time to numb everything by now, I don't know what is happening here.”

 

“Maybe the machines aren't working properly, no one can fight the serum it kills or changes them,” Dr. Morrison said seriously, “Find me some new machines, I want a second reference.”

“Barnes, Garrison, Lyle go now,” Peck said and I felt the numbness leave my body. The fire seemed to dissolve and my eyes opened. “She's awake,” Peck told the others and they all looked down at me.

“Maya, I want you to raise your left hand,” Morrison ordered and I stayed perfectly still.

 

“Maybe she can't hear you,” West leaned down closer, “Maya, we want you to raise your left hand and salute.”

“No,” I answered.

Author's Note

Will Maya ever be saved?