Dysfunctional -- Chapter 21

Disclaimer: The TV show Dark Angel, all of the characters that appeared on it (Alec, Biggs, Renfro, etc.), and everything else that has to do with the show belong to their respective owners, not to me. No money is being made off of this fic. I only own the original characters (X5-121, etc.).

About one year later…

121 woke up and yawned. She picked her head up, looked over to where her watch lay on top of the dresser in the cell, and zoomed in on it. 0500. I’ve got about an hour-and-a-half before I have to be up. Excellent. 121 smiled, lay her head back down on the pillow, and snuggled closer to 511. This is how to wake up. I could get through anything if it means waking up to his handsome face!

511 stirred, blinked his dark eyes, and turned to face his girlfriend. He smiled. “Good morning, sweetheart. How long have you been up?”

“Just a minute,” 121 assured him. She gave him a kiss. “It’s only 0500. We’ve got a lot of time before I have to get my ass back in my own cell.”

“It’s a nice ass, too,” 511 said, grinning. “Since we do have that much time before we officially have to be up for the day, what do you want to do?” He leered at her. “Wanna go for another round?”

121 laughed. “Oh, I’d love too, but then you’d wear me out for the day and we’ve got the two-unit round of Capture the Flag against Unit 4 this afternoon and if I’m too tired because of you for that, 849 and 228 will never stop teasing me about it.” She gave him a kiss, got up out of the bunk, and started to pick up her clothes, knowing full well that 511 was watching her. She turned around and blew him another kiss before she started to put her clothes back on.

511 pouted. “You can be such a tease sometimes, 121.”

“And you can be so damn sexy when you pout like that,” 121 replied. She walked back over to the bunk, sat down on the edge and leaned down so that she was close to eye-level with 511 before giving him another kiss. “Unfortunately, I should get going. I’ll actually have time for a nice, long hot shower this morning.” She stood back up and twirled around. “What do you think? Do I look presentable in case anybody sees me or do I look like 786 after she gets back from her late night activities?”

“You look fine,” 511 said. He grinned. “Nobody can tell that you had mind-blowing sex last night unless you walk funny.”

“It’s a good thing that I like a sense of humor in a man,” 121 commented. She smiled. “Especially you.” She blew 511 one more kiss and left the cell. She walked the few steps to her own cell next door and she’d reached for the handle on the door when she heard a faint noise coming from down the hall. Curious, she walked down the hall until she could place the sound.

That definitely sounds like somebody puking. She frowned. Not only that, but it’s coming from 908’s cell. Is she sick? She actually felt concerned, which surprised her. Well, as much as I hate 908, she is one of my unit mates.

She walked over to the door of 908’s cell and peeked through the door grating. The door to the cell’s bathroom was open and 121 could see 908 leaning over the toilet, vomiting. What shocked 121 about the scene the most, though, was the fact that it appeared that 908 had one finger down her throat. What the fuck? Is she actually making herself throw up? Why the hell would she do that? 908 suddenly picked her head up from the toilet and looked in the direction of her cell door, frowning. 121 jumped back. She head a toilet flush and a few moments later, the door opened and 908 stood there, glaring at 121.

“What the fuck do you think you were doing, you little whore?” 908 hissed. “Were you spying on me?” She narrowed her eyes, the expression on her face becoming even more suspicious. “Why were you up and in the hallway this early in the morning, anyway?”

121 thought quickly. “I woke up at 0400 and I was unable to get back to sleep. After I’d tried for a little while, I gave up and I left my cell. I heard that 511 was awake in his cell, so I went in there and we were talking for awhile, mostly about possible strategies that we could go over with 494 later for the round of Capture the Flag that we have against Unit 4 this afternoon.” 908 nodded slowly, apparently believing 121. 121 gave a mental sigh of relief and smirked. And now, to make sure that she believes me… “I’m so sorry to disappoint you and not have something that you could report my ass on, 908.”

“My, my, my. Somebody is evil first thing in the morning,” 908 snapped.

“You wrote the book on that one, 908. You should know,” 121 said cheerfully. The cheer faded from her face and she became concerned. “But seriously, 908. Are you okay? I heard you being sick in your bathroom.”

908 shrugged. “I’m fine. It’s probably something that I ate yesterday at dinner. That meatloaf looked awfully suspect. We all noticed that. Everybody’s been saying that somebody’s going to get sick one of these days from the shit that they feed us and I got to be the lucky one to get sick first from it. That’s all.”

“Is it?” 121 wondered suspiciously. She’s definitely lying. It’s obvious as hell. “908, I saw you gagging yourself. You were making yourself throw up. That is not normal.” She sighed. “I don’t want to yell at you, believe it or not. Are you okay?”

“Look, you miserable little piece of filth, I am perfectly okay,” 908 snapped. “What I do during my own time is none of your business. You will not report this to anybody. You will not tell anybody about this, not 494, not 511, and especially not Director Renfro. Am I making myself clear, soldier?”

121 felt her temper rising and tried hard to keep it in check. “Let me make one thing crystal clear to you, soldier. You have not been in any kind of position to give me orders for quite awhile now. If pull another stunt like that again, you’re going to be spending time in the brig for insubordination. As for…your physical status…” She purposefully trailed off and then sighed as if in defeat and she saw 908 relax the slightest bit. Good. She bought it. “Just make sure that you’re ready for lineup and roll call on time this morning, 908.”

“Yes, ma’am,” 908 said. She went back into her cell and shut the door.

Don’t report this to anybody, huh? 121 thought as she marched back up the hallway. She passed her own cell and continued on towards Director Renfro’s office. I heard that she lives on site and that she’s an early riser. She should be in her office already. As 121 approached the office, she saw two armed guards standing to either side of the door. Damn, I’m good. She stopped in front of the door and snapped to attention. “X5-121. I wish to see Director Renfro.”

“One moment, 121,” one of the guards replied. He took out a walkie-talkie. “Ma’am, there’s an X5 here to see you.”

“Send the X5 in,” Renfro instructed. The guard nodded and opened the office door and motioned to 121, who marched in and stood at attention in front of Renfro’s desk. “Ah, 121. What do you need to see me about this early in the morning?”

“Permission to speak, ma’am,” 121 said.

“Granted,” Renfro told her.

“Ma’am, after obtaining the four hours of sleep that I require every night, I was feeling restless and I heard 511 also awake in his cell, so I went over and we started to go over strategies to discuss with 494 later concerning the round of Capture the Flag that our unit is schedule to execute against Unit 4.” Gotta keep my story consistent. “I was returning to my own cell when I heard the sounds of somebody vomiting. After a few moments, I was able to determine that the sounds were coming from the cell of X5-908 and that it was 908 herself who was vomiting. Not only was she vomiting, ma’am, but when I looked inside her cell via the door grating, her bathroom door was wide open and I could see her kneeling in front of the toilet with her finger down her throat. She was forcing herself to throw up, ma’am.”

Renfro looked shocked, which surprised the hell out of 121. “I see. What happened next?”

“908 noticed my presence at her cell door and ceased her activity,” 121 replied. “She opened the door and asked about the purpose of my presence just outside of her cell. When I inquired about her status, she became hostile and displayed behavior that bordered on insubordination. After getting 908 to calm down, I came straight here, ma’am.”

The shock had mostly faded from Renfro’s eyes by that time, but she still appeared to be a little thrown, as well as contemplative and definitely angry, though 121 felt pretty sure that the anger wasn’t directed at her. “I see. Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention, 121. I will be discussing it with the correct people and a decision will be made by the end of the day concerning the status of X5-908. When a decision is made, 494, 511, as well as yourself will be informed. You are dismissed.”

“Ma’am, yes, ma’am!” 121 saluted Renfro and turned around and marched out of the office and back to her cell. A decision on her status…should I be feeling worried? She bit her lip as she approached her cell door. Yeah, I probably should.

TBC