The Project

Chapter Thirty: Wake Up

I dropped to my knees, panting. "Mark, you okay?" He hesitated before nodding, sliding down the wall and laying his head on his knees. I tapped his shoulder, making him look at me. "What?"

"What happened?"

He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. Beads of sweat poured down his pale face as he took in shallow breaths. "I just need to-" He groaned in pain, pulling at his red hair. "-to.. sleep.." 

He tilted his head back, leaning it against the wall. I shook his shoulders, panic eating away at me. I raised my hand to smack his face lightly when he shot up, his eyes widened and glimmering with what looked like fear.

"Doc?"

I let out a relieved sigh. "W-Where am I?" His question made my head shoot back up to meet his confused gaze. "What do you mean?" He looked down at my hands and he shook his head. "You don't actually believe that I can understand that, do you?"

I guess I was right. It wasn't Mark, it was something else entirely. Sure, it looked like Mark. Doesn't mean it was, though. "Doc?" He shook my shoulders lightly and I looked back at him. How am I suppose to explain to him what's happened? 

I don't have my box- I mean I do. It's just.. dead right now. "Hello~?" I took out the thought box and gave it to Mark, trying to explain what happened through hand gestures. He groaned in frustration.

"Doc, just use words." 

I shook my head and desperately pointed at the box, making an 'x' with my arms. His face lit up with realization. "Oh! You mean it doesn't work anymore?!" I shushed him with a finger to my lips. He nodded, smiling sheepishly. 

"Oh.. I didn't know." His eyes wandered all around me, landing on the guards lying motionless. "Uh.." He pointed over to them and I just shook my head, pursing my lips. "Right.. okay." He gave me a small smile.

"So.. how and when did I get here, and did I kick ass?"

I raised an eyebrow at his questions and his face flushed again. "R-Right.. you can't answer that." I raised two fingers and nodded my head, trying to answer his second question as best I could. "Two.. yes?" He laughed a small bit. "Two.." He tapped his chin in thought.

"Oh!" I glared at him again. He ducked his head a small bit and let out a nervous chuckle. "Oh.. You mean I did kick ass?" I hesitantly nodded, smiling a small bit before realizing what I was doing and went back to being neutral.

I got to my feet and backed up a few inches to allow him space to get up as well. He held the wall with his right hand while struggling to get up, groaning. He let himself fall back to the floor, squeezing his eyes shut before looking back at me.

"Mind helping me, Doc?"

I rolled my eyes but held out my hand for him to take. He gratefully took it and I pulled him up, stumbling back before catching myself on the wall. "Heh.. sorry." He rubbed the back of his neck before giving me a half smile.

His face contorted in confusion and he tilted his head at me. "Which way?" Really? Whoever was 'controlling' him couldn't have left directions? Fuckin' ay. I shrugged, too mentally and physically exhausted to figure it out.

"Ooh! Idea." He started pointing from left to right and I groaned. He's choosing at random? He's going to get us killed. -Or.. himself killed. They probably won't kill me. Right..? 

"Aha! This way." He pointed over to the left corridor and I begrudgingly followed him to our almost certain demise. He dragged me along behind him and I'd finally had enough, about to tell him off.

He stopped suddenly, shushing me even though I never made a sound. "Do you hear that?" I quieted my breathing, suddenly more aware of the distant footsteps making their way toward us. I pulled at his wrist, beckoning him to a room.

He followed quietly behind me. I closed the door and squeezed myself against the wall, beside the door while Mark did the same on the other side. I was pretty sure he was aware of the plan, at least I can hope.

The footsteps drew closer until they were right outside our door. "Guys, I think I heard someone go in here. The click was fairly obvious." Jesus Christ riding on a bike to mass on Sunday. If only I had been a little quieter. 

The door slowly creaks open, covering Mark so I couldn't see him. "Holy shit!" I heard a small thud and a cracking sound.. then silence. "Guys! I got one." Fuckin' ay. He got caught. I mentally slap myself for thinking he could still fight before slamming the door shut.

Mark's crumpled body lay against the wall, blood seeping from the new wound on his head. "Hey! Open up!" The guard outside rams the door and I stumble a few inches before returning to hold it shut.

Think, Mcloughlin! My eyes wander over to Mark's knocked out form and an idea pops into my head. I push his body in front of the door, trying to gain time to think of a plan. The guard rams the door again, earning a groan from Mark.

"OPEN THE DOOR, NOW!"

Another voice is heard from outside and I start to panic, gripping my faded green hair in my hands. The guards outside ram the door one last time, breaking it from its hinges and toppling it over onto Mark. Ouch. He's gonna feel that one in the morning.

Three of them rush toward me, guns in hand. "Don't move!" What the hell does he think I'm going to do? Risk them shooting me? Fuck no. I rest my hands above my head and let out an irritated sigh.

They all circle me, trapping me like a caged animal. One of them nod and I'm met with an unbearable pain in the back of my head, falling to my knees. My vision fades and darkness takes over, pushing my consciousness away.