CHAPTER EIGHT

DOCTOR STEVENS GLARES WITH blurry eyes at 752 as the experiment smugly leaves the room. He hoists himself off the couch, biting his bottom lip to subdue its trembling. His arm is limp, bent at an awkward angle and throbbing furiously. He takes a step forward and instantly regrets it--even that little movement strikes intense agony throughout his body. He shouts for his guards, not daring another step.

"I need one of you to snap my arm into place," he says breathily, his chest tight.

They both exchange a wary look.

Doctor Stevens grits his teeth. "I have to get to Waltz's office immediately, but not with my arm like this. For Christ's sake, you've both been to war. I think you can manage this."

Experiment 1243 ends up complying, though there's immense dread in his red eyes. Doctor Stevens braces himself against the counter, biting down on a cloth fetched by experiment 1109. He closes his eyes as if that'll help, and without warning 1243 grips his arm and snaps. Even with the cloth, Doctor Stevens lets out a cry that sounds more angry than pained.

Oh, 752 is going to pay for what he's done. For his betrayal.

"Has 748 been incarcerated?" he asks once he gathers his wits and catches his breath. He keeps his arm steady while waiting for 1109 to return with a makeshift cast. Just something to get him to Waltz without any further incidents.

"Yes, sir. Another layer of fencing has been added to his cell like you requested, along with thicker chains," says 1243.

"Good. I'd like to see him before I set off."

Another of his children who have betrayed him--and won't get away without punishment.

He walks alone downstairs to the basement where 748 is kept. It boggles his mind how 748 fought the serum none of his past experiments could. He had watched the scene play out between his experiment and that girl. It was absolutely disgusting--degrading, how one of his creations could disobey him so easily.

All for a pathetic girl.

If the story gets any more cliché, he might just have to settle for a more permanent solution to the problem.

He'll make the serum stronger, and hopefully that will do the job for him. No way can 748 fight two doses of the injection. No one has that much humanity inside them.

The cell is guarded by three times as many experiments, the strongest of the bunch, yet they each dip their heads timidly when Doctor Stevens comes into view. One unlocks door upon door until there's only a barbed wire fence between him and his success. He peers into the dark room to find 748 curled in the far corner, clutching his head and breathing heavily. The sight draws Doctor Stevens' lips taut--how pathetic.

"Prepare an escort," he says to one of the guards, who quickly nods and huddles the group in formation while another grabs a chain-leash with spikes inside the collar.

Another cuts back the fence, and three more follow Doctor Stevens inside.

"Get up," he commands.

The experiment does not.

Situating the makeshift cast on his arm whilst grumbling under his breath, he snaps a bit louder, "Get up now."

Still, no movement.

"Please, 748, don't make this harder than it has to be. Everyone must face the consequences of their actions, and your actions certainly require consequences. Now get up before your punishment worsens."

A low growl rumbles from the experiment, but he pushes himself to his feet nonetheless. His red eyes are dark and full of hatred, and Doctor Stevens can't depict if it's his animalistic side or human side so infuriated. More or less both, he supposes.

One guard goes on either side of 748, grabbing the chains to his wrist and ankle shackles. Force is necessary to get 748 out of the room, but once in the hallway with the spike collar around his neck, he slowly begins to cooperate. He still drags his feet and tries to jerk away, but with each movement the spikes get nearer and nearer to piercing his throat and he knows it.

Doctor Stevens leads the escort down the basement corridor to where only two other rooms sit. On the left is the operating room. On the right is where punishments take place. He's been mulling over 748's punishment since his escape this morning, and he still isn't sure which is most suitable. Perhaps some of everything will teach the bastard a lesson.

The experiment realizes what's truly about to happen and puts up more of a fight regardless of the collar. It takes all of the escort to hold him still while Doctor Stevens opens the door, and it takes all of the escort to shove him into the center of the room where shackles hang from the ceiling. It takes three more guards called down to help chain him to it. It pains Doctor Stevens to see his son this way, it truly does, but as he said before, all actions come with a cost.

"Leave us," he says to numerous guards.

They scatter instantly. All of them have experienced punishments back at his lab; they know how this goes and they want no part of it.

Meanwhile, 748 is wriggling in the shackles.

"You know I hate this," Doctor Stevens tells him. "Discipline is a necessary evil, I'm afraid. Especially when you don't seem to know when to quit. It would be much easier if you just accepted your life as a soldier instead of fighting for weakness."

The experiment simply stares at him, but he catches a hint of horror in the experiment's gaze.

Turning away from it, he walks over to a table with many different instruments. He grips the handle of a whip, a tool often used because of its effectiveness. He the handle back and forth between his hands, and goes to stand in front of 748.

"Why?" he asks quietly. "Why do you defy your true nature? Surely it can't be for a girl. That's how books and films play out, not real life. You may think you can keep denying who you really are, but you'll soon realize how difficult of a task that is. After your little stunt today, I'll make it's downright impossible for you to disobey me again."

The experiment winces though he hadn't been touched. "You're a monster," he whispers, sounding slightly awkward with his new teeth but still comprehensible.

Doctor Stevens smiles. "It takes one to make one. I'll make sure you lose that voice of yours too. Much simpler to discipline when they don't talk back."

With that, he calmly brings the whip down hard across 748's torso.

***

"Caroline, can you tell me another story?" Robbie whispers in the dead silence of their conjoined cells, lying on his back on the cold concrete.

"Are you scared again?" she whispers back, knowing all too well to keep their voices low.

"I'm always scared here."

"Well don't be. My mom used to say I have a guardian angel, so I'm sure he'll protect you too. Or she. I don't know what gender it is."

"You believe that?"

"Of course I do. He's saved me before." He hears her scoot across the floor closer to the bars between them. He does the same. "When Mom got her new hover car, some jerk ran right into the side of us. And you know what else? It was my side. The doctor said I should've died, but there wasn't a scratch on me. You know what I did have, though? A birthmark on my wrist that wasn't there before. I'll show you tomorrow."

"Wow," Robbie breathes, completely impressed. "I wish I had an angel."

"What if you do?" she asks.

"I don't think so. I've never almost died before... Actually, I have, but it was Eve and Harry that saved me, not an angel."

She gasps excitedly, and he wishes it weren't so dark so he could see her face. "What if they're angels in disguise?"

"Is that possible?"

"Oh sure," she says, struggling to keep her voice down as she gets more amused. "There's angels in disguise all over the world. Good people are mostly angels."

Robbie considers this and an idea strikes. "I'm a good person. You're a good person. Are we angels?"

"No, goofball. Angels don't have other angels watching over them. We're just..." Caroline clicks her tongue while she thinks, something Robbie hears her do every night though she often does not share her thoughts. "We're angels in training. Yeah, that's it! When we go to heaven, God will be proud of us and make us angels."

"Caroline," Robbie asks after taking all of that in. "How did you get so smart?"

She giggles softly. "Well, my brother Nick used to read me stories, and he said books make you smart. I think that's why..."

Robbie notices she trails off and a silence engulfs them. He shuffles closer to the bars, reaches through them, then fumbles around to find her hand. Once he does, he squeezes it and she squeezes back. "Don't worry," he whispers. "I bet Nick is an angel now."

She sniffles, the only sign of her crying. "You think he's my new guardian angel?"

"Oh, yeah. Totally. He probably wishes he could tell you so you'd stop crying. Caroline, please stop crying. I don't know what to do when girls cry."

This gets her to giggle again. "Why are you acting like you're older than me? I'm like, at least three years older."

Robbie goes quiet.

"Hey, what's wrong? I didn't offend you, did I?"

He takes in a breath. "When that lady came down here, she said it was February twenty-second. If that's true, then today's my birthday."

"Oh. Well, how old are you?"

"Nine."

"You act older."

"I'm very... what's the word?"

"Mature?"

"Yeah, that."

Caroline squeezes his hand again, then starts singing softly, "Happy birthday day to you, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Robbie... Happy birthday to you."

He manages a small smile though she can't see it. "Thanks."

"Sure. Hey, when we get out of here, I'll even find a way to bake you a cake."

"You know how to bake?"

"'Course I do. I used to bake with my mom all the time."

Another silent spell before Robbie breaks it. "Caroline... do you really think we'll get out of here?"

"One-hundred percent. Know why? Because if I stop believing it, it won't happen. I've got a guardian angel, remember? I know for a fact he'll save you too. You have to believe in miracles, Robbie, or you've got nothing to believe in," she says matter-of-factly. Then she pats his arm with her other hand and adds, "Promise me you'll dream about escaping. We'll be two ninjas and we'll find a secret tunnel or something."

Robbie grins. "Okay. I can do that. But can the secret tunnel have a light? I really, really don't like the dark."

"The secret tunnel can have a giant birthday cake with nine candles and your name on it. And it'll have a chocolate fountain."

"Okay, I've got to go to sleep now. I really want cake."

"Hey, Robbie?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry this birthday kind of sucks."

"Not really... I mean, kind of, but you're here. That makes it a little better."

"Then I guess I've done my job well."

The sound of distance footsteps finally shuts them both up, but they continue to hold onto each other until both have slipped away to a faraway land of birthday cake and chocolate waterfalls.

A land where nightmares aren't reality.