Panic Attack

Untitled Part 5

               "No!" His voice was scratchy and garbled, his new ability to vocalize proving more harmful than anything else at the moment but that didn't stop him from pleading as the white coated scientist wrung his latex gloved hands around his middle, causing the small creature to cry out again in fear. The man showed no intentions of letting go, tugging on the ring-tail's quivering body harder, tearing its small hands from the bars of its cage that it had been clutching like a lifeline.

               The creature's heart was beating rapidly and he was practically gasping for air as the metal collar was forced around his neck, his frantic clawing at the band proving useless against the vigorous yanking of the chain against his frail neck. He let out another strangled cry but the figures continued to ignore his warbled yelps as they practically dragged him down the corridor, tearing open old scabs and ripping new wounds into his already red stained neckline.

               A door was thrust open and a harsh blinding light exploded from the room on the other side, momentarily blinding the frantic creature. And when he opened his small brown eyes again, he was being grabbed roughly around the middle once again before the familiar and bone chilling touch of the metal operation table met the sensitive skin of his small hands.

               The panic only grew from there. He had been placed on his stomach, his head twisted uncomfortably to the side as firm hands held down his writhing body from escape. Because there was no escape.

               No escape.

               No way out.

               At least that's what he had learned over the years. Every time he bit, scraped, ran. He was always caught. Always subdued by another tranquilizer as the long needle was pressed forcefully into his skin until eventually he just stopped trying. Stopped running.

               Unfortunately for the poor creature, his compliance did little to stop the painful experiments. They very rarely ever put him out for the tests. Anesthetics were expensive and would only alert the authorities of their illegal work. They never seemed to mind his pleads and crying, although he often found himself with some plastic plate in his mouth to keep himself from biting down on his tongue, not that it wasn't torn to shreds already by his sharp teeth, otherwise muffling his strangled screaming.

               Larger hands wrestled down his own as he tried desperately to pull away from the metal restraints on the table while another figure carried over a bundle of neatly wound wires. The small creature only struggled further upon seeing the chords, as though scalpels and needles weren't enough torture, they had taken to electrocution as of late, tampering with the implants on his back and chest. He didn't know their purpose, only that it hurt.

               "No! NO!" He shouted again, snapping at the hands that held the small plastic guard for his mouth. He writhed again, managing to gain back one of his paws and clutching it tightly to his body as of not to lose it again.

               He heard one of the figures let out a long sigh before trying to wrestle the arm back into place. "Remind me again why we gave you new vocal chords." The voice muttered. A firm hand presses on his back and the small creature let out a stifled shout as the pain coursed up his spine, the figure took advantage of the ring-tail's pain and wrangled the arm back into place, cuffing it firmly to the steel table.

               "Don't do that!" Another voice called back, but the injured animal couldn't turn enough to see them. "Those prongs are directly connected to his spinal cord, you damage that, you might damage the brain stem." The voice finished. The man holding him down only shook his head though before finally letting go of the writhing creature's back, allowing him to take a gasping breath.