"A1 I refuse to be carried. I can walk just fine!" I promise him.
I'm walking to my room with A1's assistance. I feel like an old lady holding onto A1 in order to walk.
"You are injured. As a P.A.I.R. I must treat your injuries'. I advise you to move as little as possible." A1 reasoned. "Being carried is not something to be embarrassed about if you are injured."
"For the last time I said no. Walking is not what's going to kill me." As if Dr. Brooke and Capitan General would let 'walking' kill me. No way it's that easy.
"Lilly!" Tonia called after me. "I made a huge discovery in the lab, I need to tell you about."
She ran up to us and practically tackled me in a hug.
"Ahh! Let go let go let go!" I held my side. That did NOT help my broken rib.
"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry. I didn't realize you were hurt so bad."
"Neither did I." I can feel A1's disapproving look. "Why didn't you tell me?"
I stayed quiet. Anthony and A1 were already on bad terms. Who knows how much worse it would have gotten if I told A1.
"Fine. Will you at least tell me how bad it is?" A1 asks.
I sigh. No point in hiding it now. "I think I might have a broken rib. It hurts when I breath, my whole body is sore, and my arm feels like its on fire."
"Lil! That's not ok. We have to get you to the med bay." Tonia pulls me over her shoulder to help me walk. "A1 can you get us food and meet us there? She needs food to keep her energy up."
I felt him hesitate, or maybe it was thinking. "Yes, of course."
Tonia and I were walking alone now. Where? I have no idea. This place needs a map. Its a wonder how anyone knows where they're going.
"I cannot believe Win would take your training so far. Ex or not, this is so not ok."
Win is Lillian's Ex? Really? But he's nice and she... I mean...like how...what!?
"Ok, first things first, I have a new instructor. Win doesn't know I'm hurt because this is very recent. Like not even 5 minutes ago." I clarify. " And second...WE WERE A THING?" My shouting shot a sharp pain up and my side. I hunched over grabbing at my painful ribs. "Bad idea. Shouting is a really bad idea."
"Deep breaths. We're almost there." Tonia reassured me. I could only nod it hurt so much.
Note to self: don't yell when you're in pain.
We reached the door with a pair waiting outside. I really cannot believe my luck. I'm starting to think they might be out to get me.
"Ms. Champ, I see training went well." Captain General commented.
"You're still alive?" Dr. Brooke was honestly shocked. They really are out to kill me! "Er- I mean, Anthony Dealer's training methods are uh- intense. Considering his past students , you look well."
"Intense?! Look at her!" Tonia was furious. "She needs help to walk after his 'lesson'. Her arm is still bleeding and it hurts to breathe thanks to the broken rib he gave her!"
I'm so happy she's my friend. I honestly don't know if I could stay sane without her. It's nice to know someone has my back out here.
"And now she's crying she's in so much pain! Why the fuck is Anthony Dealer her instructor anyway? Didn't he leave Edan's Apple Corps?"
I'm crying? Wait... Their military is called the Apple Corps?
"Pfft... Hahahaha." It hurts to laugh but I can't stop. They're the forbidden apple? This has to be some sort of joke.
Unfortunately my laughter soon turned into a terrible coughing fit. It wasn't good for my lungs considering blood came out.
"Lillian!" Great... Who is it now? "Why are you guys blocking the door?! She needs medical care!" Win pushed his way through.
I couldn't protest when he picked me up and took me to the next room. I hate being carried but I could barley breath now.
The room looked so weird. It had huge egg shaped capsules in rows behind three metal tables. The the front row capsules are big enough to fit children and got bigger the further back they went. To the right cabinets lined the wall, I'm assuming, filled with medical supplies. To the left a counter with 3 sinks, bandages out, and other things I really couldn't recognize.
Win laid me down on one of the tables when it started glowing.
"Lilly, I need you to lay down and relax while we scan you." Tonia explained.
The table made a whirling sound as a blue light scanned me up and down.
"Oh my. You've attracted quiet the crowd Ms. Champ." I heard A1 but couldn't see him.
"What can I say? I'm a charmer." I joked.
Tonia gave a soft laugh. "You have your moments."
*beep beep beep* The table turned off.
That's it? I don't feel any better and my vision is still blurry and red.
"It's worse than she let on. We need to put her in a healing pod right away." A1 said.
"This is all your fault!" Tonia yelled at Captain General. "You gave her a new instructor! You knew this is how he trained his students!"
"Tonia its fine. I'll heal." I tried to make her feel better.
"No its not! You have two broken ribs, punctured lung, a bloody eye, a bloody arm, and who knows how bad those bruises under your clothes are?! This is supposed to be the safe part of your job! You're in training Lilly! Not combat." She was crying. "First the memory loss, then the surgery, and now this? How can you possibly be ok? When we first met you thought we wrongfully abducted you. You shouldn't have to go through this!"
I gave her a hug even though it hurt. "It's ok. I'll get through this and I know I have you to help me. Everything's going to be ok."
"Don't say that." Win was angry, I could see the veins in his arms. His hands balled up into fist. "She's right. Its not ok and its not fair. We should have left you on that planet. You were happy there. You had a family, we shouldn't have taken you away."
General glared at me as if to say 'Fix this. We are not taking you back.'
I sigh. I don't want to lose them. Tonia and Win are the only living beings that actually care about me on this terrible ship. If I don't calm them down... I don't know what the captain will do.
"Its to late for me to go back to Earth. My life there is over and I have already forgiven you Win. Don't beat yourself up over it." I look Tonia in the eyes. "Everything I am going through now is to make me stronger. All this means is that it is really really hard to kill me. What's happening to me is not your fault. "
"But-"
"I am going to be ok. I promise."
I looked back at the captain. 'There, fixed it.'
"We should hurry Ms. Champ. If we wait any longer and we risk permanent damage, possibly death." A1 warned.
Tonia walked me to a capsule more my size.
Everything is going to be ok. They'll let me out. It won't be forever.
It hissed open.
Memories flooded my senses. The MMI. Its just a tiny version...
"Lilly?"
I can't move. I'll be stuck again. Forced to watch the outside, unable to control my own body again. I'll be trapped in my own skin all over again. Listening, waiting, never being able to move on my own. My body used against me.
I can't. I can't go through that again! I can't go in here!
"Lillian? Please enter the healing pod." I don't know who's talking. It sounds miles away. "Lilian. The pod?"
"Not again. I'll be trapped. I won't be able to move, to speak, I-I can't." I don't know if I'm really speaking are not. I think I am. "No. Not another year."
"Lillian. Lillian!" Someone called. "Angela look at me." It was Win. "I'm going to let you out. You'll be asleep the whole time and it'll only be for the night. You'll die otherwise."
"N-no. Please no... I can't do it again."
"Look at me. It's not forever. I will let you out. Understand?"
It's not forever. I'm just going to sleep?
I'm just going to bed. I'll be asleep. I won't be trapped. Not trapped.
"ok" I whisper.
I stepped in and it closed. My hand on the glass, Win's hand on the other side.
It started to fill up and I lost feeling in my feet.
No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no!!!
"Let me out! I change my mind! I can't! I CAN'T DO IT! LET ME OUT!" The liquid was to my hips as I hit the glass. "PLEASE! LET ME OUT!"
I can't move my hands. It's to my shoulders now. "LET ME OUT! I CAN'T BREATH IN HERE! PLEASE!"
It's to my neck! "Win! WIN YOU PROMISED!!"
Taking one last breath, my vision was starting to fade to black.
God. God please, let me out.