SPLICED

CHAPTER ELEVEN

In my head I remind myself of the mission, remind myself that this is exactly what we want, what we need to have happen. Soon enough, we'll be free of her for good, and so will the rest of the world. Dana Jarr will be a bad memory in the back of our minds, and she will never be able to hurt anyone again. This is the mantra I repeat as we are led down the stairwell, down the long, spiraled steps towards our prison, once more.

As we arrive at the foot of the stairs we're taken through an unfamiliar set of hallways, led into a room with several doors facing each other. The guards remove our bonds and I am pulled away from Gideon, pulled towards one of those doors. Inside is darkness, but through the darkness I can see a metal table. The lights flick on, bathing the room in an obtrusive white light, and the guard gestures to the table.

"Take your clothes off and sit. The doctor will be in shortly to see to you." The man says, his voice devoid of any emotion. I wonder idly if Dana hasn't made them her mindless puppets as well, but then I recall Cook and how blindly he followed, even knowing what Dana Jarr was capable of. The people she surrounds herself with, I find, are already so dangerously close to being animals, they hardly need the aid of genetic splicing. The conscience has been so thoroughly burned out of them that many of them, I'm sure, have convinced themselves they're doing the right thing...

Without saying a word, I undress to my undergarments and pull myself up onto the table. I'm reminded them of what we've escaped, of what we've come back to and for a moment, I hate that I made this my mission. But it's too late now, and even if it wasn't I wouldn't change it, not really. I need to be a part of this. Gideon knew that, and it was why he hadn't tried to talk me out of it. Not just for me, but for Alex. For what they did to him.

I'm not sure how long they make me wait, but when the door opens I am both surprised and not so surprised to see Doctor Lang standing in the doorway. He looks and me and smiles and I want to claw his eyes own, but resist the urge.

"Ms. Cruz, but my... is it good to see you home again." He says, and doesn't bother to disguise the way his eyes rove, slowly, over my form. I cross my arms over my chest, cross my legs. It all the dignity I will hold onto though, because I know he's been sent to examine me and indeed, a moment later, he steps forward, nodding to the table.

"Lay back, please."

"No thanks." I say, narrowing my eyes at him. A brow quirks, but he stays where he is.

"I'm sorry?"

"You heard me. No thanks. It hasn't been that long since we left. Nothing changed. You don't need to examine me and if you think I'm gonna let you touch me, you're crazy."

The doctor frowns, his eyes darkening, "I have my orders, Ms. Cruz."

"Then tell Jarr to shove it... Because it's not happening. You put so much as an eyelash on me, you sick son of a bitch and I will break every bone in your body, starting with your least valuable... And you know I can."

My eyes flicker downwards, pointedly and Lang steps back, swallows. I know what I've said hit him in the right spot. He postures for a moment, but I know I've won, even before he turns and stalks out the door again. I know it won't last, that eventually I'll have to resume the brokenness, the meekness of old... or else they'll have no reason to keep me there, but it feels good, in the moment. It feel so good that ludicrously, I can feel a smile creep to my lips.

My enjoyment, as I predicted, it short lived... A moment later, I hear a cry and there is no way to mistake the voice. Gideon. Bolting off the table, I move to the door. The handle won't budge and I can feel panic rising as I jiggle it, yanking to no avail.

"Gideon!" I scream through the glass window, but there's no reply. I pound on the door until my fists hurt, try to break the glass, but it won't shatter. Eventually, exhausted, I drop to my knees. One thought resonates in my mind. This is my fault. It has to be. This is Lang's doing, because I rebuffed him. It's not a mistake I'll make twice.