The Pain>

By RJ Artty

Chapter Twenty-Five

< You never told me, > I said.

"Tell you what?" Max replied.

< Where the Germans got their morphing powers. >

"Oh, that, sure. They got them their-selves. They just found the Escafil Device on the ground in a cave, took one look at it and thought; 'Yeah, that must have been the box that gives you morphing powers,' so they got there and touched it."

I sensed more than a hint of sarcasm in his voice, I also noted that he used the morphing cube's real name, as in the inventor's name. I stared at him.

"The Ellimist." He said rolling his eyes, "Not that straight is he?"

Ah! So they too know about the Ellimist's ways. No one knows whether the Elimist is one, or a race. All we know that he fights Crayak in a certain way, rules and regulations, I suppose.

< I see. >

"No you don't." He muttered under his breath.

Humans, I thought, one knows nothing of what to expect of them. I really do worry about my human friends, sometimes.

It was the next day, the Animorphs had school and I had met Max while I was feeding. The question just occurred to me.

"You Andalites love to lie huh?" Max said.

< What? > I wasn't sure I heard him correctly; human speech is very confusing, especially if it is said improperly or too fast. Max had a heavy German accent and he was talking in a slurred way, I don't know why. For all I know he could have said; 'You Andalites love to die huh?'

"Lie, you know, as in mislead the truth." I had heard him correctly.

< We have our reasons. > I answered back.

"I'm sure you do." He said with a snicker.

< What's that supposed to mean?! > I demanded.

"Oh! Max?" Prince Ralph averted his eyes to me, then to Max, "What were you doing? What did you say?"

"I didn't murder him, be happy." He said sarcastically, he then looked at Prince Ralph and shook his head. Snickering again.

"What?" Prince Ralph said.

Max shook his head again, looked at both of us then walked away, muttering to himself.

"Don't take Max too seriously, he's a complete jerk." Prince Ralph advised.

< No, I wont, > I said, < But he seemes to dislike us Andalites a lot. >

"Yeah he does, then again…" Prince Ralph stopped.

< 'Then again' what? > I asked.

"Forget it." He said.

< No, I want to know. > I insisted.

"He has a reason, I don't know what. But he does." He said.

< Is that all of what you are going to say? > I asked.

He nodded sadly.

We walked for a while. With Prince Ralph deep in thought.

< So, it's the silent pair? > I heard a voice call out.

"No, just deep in thought." Prince Ralph replied with a sigh.

< So? Anything up? > Tobias asked, < How was the Hork-Bajir? >

"Fine, They weren't that bad. In fact, they were kind of sweet and generous." Prince Ralph replied.

< Yeah, never judge a book by its cover. > Tobias said.

< Is that a human saying? > I asked.

"Sure is." Prince Ralph replied with a sigh.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

I had left them and went to feed. While I was running, I felt a sudden sharp pain in my head. Almost like a sever headache. I put a hand up to my head and groaned. Quite suddenly, the pain evaporated. And I felt dizzy, as if the world was revolving and spinning inside my head. Actually, the pain was there but I didn't feel it. As I walked I saw two flashes. A flash that represented were I was, and another flash representing the other place. The place where the human was.

FLASH

I walked on the sharp rock, the sea on my side. I was on a cliff, watching the waves crash alongside the rocks. Crash! Crash! The forces came again and again, pushed by the wind and the seas own momentum, tons of water hitting the cliff. I started to run, aware of my pursuers. They were very close now. Very close.

My head was hurting, I didn't know why. I kept seeing things I shouldn't be seeing, trees, grass, a red-tailed hawk…

< Get her! Don't you let her escape! I'll personally torture you if you allowed it! > The Alien was raving.

Pain, I couldn't understand… My vision was blurred. I kept veering off to the open side of the cliff, the no return side, drop there and I probably will never live past that. The water was so saline… I could smell it. Salty.

Behind me, a mixture of reptile and demon, perfect mixture, just perfect, their blades flashing…the gigantic centipedes running behind them. The furry blue deer like creature running with them. None of them from my world. They did not belong here. What did they want? This is my place not their's it's not right. It's not right.

I stumbled. This threw my closer towards the ledge.

< Get her! > Roared someone in my head. Not a sound that could be heard, but a sound that was in my head, images, ideas and much more.

Something hovered above me, a bird? No, too big. Not something that originated from my world no, it was big, black and shaped like a battle-ax. With it were a few flying cockroaches, bugs; dark green, not brown. Why was a roach so big and so high up the sky?

TSEWW!

I screamed, I felt a burning sensation in my stomach and guts. It hurt. It also threw me off balance. I stumbled, getting closer to the edge. I stood there trying to maintain balance… I couldn't… I felt my self stagger and go over the cliff's edge. I tumbled through the air. Below me was the crashing sea, water.

< Catch her! > Roared a voice.

< Catch him! > Shirked a voice, < He's going to fall! >

I felt confused, what was happening? Why was a seeing this? I felt myself crash to the ground, but I didn't hit the solid land… I fell on the Earth, my body at least, but part of me didn't. The other part of me, the living part, my consciousness didn't hit the ground and stop…

Splash!

It was like falling on knives. The freezing water numbed my body. Making it impossible to move. I kept sinking. I panicked. I started thrashing wildly, I saw a dark shadow above me, but that didn't matter, nothing mattered, except one single fact; I couldn't breath! No oxygen! And the cold! So cold.

Every time I thrashed I felt pain. My thrashing was not helping the wound on my abdomen. In fact, I was bleeding. But I didn't care, it was cold, I couldn't feel a thing I couldn't…

In my fading vision, I saw long, slimy creatures swim towards me. The centipedes…they were fast, very fast. They were also heading towards me.

I felt numerous hands grabbing me, at least, I think they were hands. Two of the creatures were fighting… over who?

I felt the water carry me, away from the strange creature, and towards… The cliff rocks! The waves were building up on top of me! I could see the rocks looming nearer and nearer! I feebly tried to swim to the other direction but the current was too strong! I felt my body crash into the rocks and after that pain, and after the sharp pain, I ceased to feel anything at all. My consciousness went dark.

What was happening? I tried to use thought speak but couldn't do it. I couldn't move or see anything, but I could think.

Think, what was happening? I was still in the human's body, but why? All this had lasted longer than usual. I should be back to my own body but I wasn't why?

GREETINGS AXIMILI

The Ellimist! He must know something surely, I tried talking to the Ellimist in thought speak, strangely, it worked.

< What is happening? > I cried out frantically, < Why am I here? Where is here? Why me? Why is this happening? >

I CANNOT ANSWER ALL THOSE QUESTIONS, BUT I CAN OFFER AN EXPLANATION TO WHY YOU ARE HERE.

I saw a strange shape come into my conscious, and the shape spoke in mouth sounds.

"You are here because you are linked to this human in a way I cannot possibly explain,"

< That's very helpful. > I grumbled.

"This human had been the key to your race's survival."

< What do you mean? > I asked sharply.

"Without her, the Andalite race would have perished, not because they couldn't survive, but because Crayak had decided to annihilate them."

< But why? >

"Because your race would have gotten in the way of Crayak's plans. His twisted plans for the Universe you live in."

< But by annihilating my race that would have defied the rules you and Crayak had set, correct? >

"You are, but there was a choice to be made. A creature had to be chosen to decide. To decide whether or not your race was worth it, whether your race deserved the help the chosen creature can give."

< This chosen creature… Is it the human female I was with? >

"Yes, and even though she found no real reason in helping your race, she did."

< This human, is it…? >

"Devils? Yes, she is. And it is peculiar that Crayak himself gaveyou're your morphing technology. The technology discovered by you Andalites. However faulty."

< Why? > I said, ignoring the insults.

"This alone you must find out. This human had been counted as a villain, she still will be. But you must find out what had happened why she did the things she did. And there is a secret she hides. You must know that you will be with this human for a time. Her friends think she is dead, but she is not. Your friends-the Animorphs- will think you are dead. You are not. And what had just happened is real, to her. Not to you. You will be able to talk to her. You will see and hear what she hears and sees. But her pain is not yours. You will feel it, but to you, it is not real and does not exist. You will be a part of her. Like when a creature has been infested. You can consider her as the parasite that controls your body. It will seem this way. But remember that the body you are in is not yours. And you can hear her thoughts and fell her emotion. But she cannot feel nor hear yours. Mostly, you will see that she will think for you. Since you hear her thoughts you do not always need to think alone… I have explained it the best I could, your backward mind and state will never understand beyond that."

< I am dead! > I shrieked.

"No, I said you are not. It will only seem that your body is dead. Therefore your friends will think you are dead."

< But I haven't chosen to do this! > I yelped.

"You have no choice in this matter."

< Why me?! >

"Why her? Why is all this happening to her? Aximili, you ask all the wrong questions. But, it is your responsibility to stop her from killing herself. It is very crucial that she does survive. One of the main reasons that you were chosen to do this is because you are the strongest and most reliable in the group. Also, humans despair easily, compared to Andalites. Remember that Humans are an emotional race. Do not allow her to kill her self. Remember that the communication between you and her could only be heard by you two. You cannot communicate with any other being except her. And when she does answer you back, it will be through her thoughts."

With that he was gone!

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

< So? What was I supposed to do? Just wait until something happens? I waited for what seemed as an eternity. Then…

What's happening? Where am I? I felt as if I'd been run over with a bus. About twelve times and then thrown into the air by a tornado. Why was I wet?

< WHAT? What was that? Who was that? >

< Just me. > The voice said.

I then explained everything to her, I told her every thing that happened from the point that I first came to be in her till now. I left out the part about the Ellmist saying to me what I had to find out and do. I just told her the things I had been told about her. I did not tell her about the part about me being able to hear what she thinks. I decided it would be better if I just shut-up about this part. She may not be very thrilled. She said nothing for a long time then she said,

< True, but I have no idea where I am. >

< Open your eyes. > I suggested.

I opened my eyes with difficulty and saw someone standing over me. It took time for my eyes to adjust, I still couldn't think clearly. When my eyes adjusted ad I was able to focus on the figure standing over me, I almost threw up.

< Visser Three! >

There, that alien said it himself, Visser Three, why wasn't I surprised? He was Andalite.

I saw him look down at me. I was still bleeding and I think I broke a couple of my ribs. I was also bleeding from my mouth; I think that one of my broken ribs had ruptured my left lung. I prayed that he didn't move me. That's the last thing I needed.

< Well, Well, Well… > He said to me, < Looking pathetic, aren't we? >

I said nothing; exactly what would be the point? He had me, I was helpless and under his control. I think he would have found it too easy to kill me. But I don't think that was what he had in mind for me.

My spilled blood started to form a puddle under me. I was losing blood fast, I probably wouldn't last another hour. Was that his plan?

The Visser leaned close to me and said < You'll be made into one of ours very soon. >

I don't think so. Not while I'm around you wouldn't. Of course I didn't say that. Let him gloat all he liked, I didn't care.

< You are not afraid? > The Andalite said in surprise.

< Nah, not of him. >

That was a lie of course, I was afraid. Only I wouldn't admit it. I pretended that I wasn't. I wouldn't have been that afraid if I was uninjured. But I was. And I know he can make life very miserable for me. I know.

The Visser turned away and laughed at me. I heard the human-controllers and Hork-Bajir-controllers laugh fake laughs with him. Just to please him. They seemed like two seconds away from fainting.

< What are you laughing at? > The Visser snapped, < Tend the human's wounds before she dies. I want to have fun with her later. >

I saw one of the Hork-Bajirs run outside and another talk in the communications.

Next thing I saw was me being surrounded by humans and two Hork-Bajirs, all controllers of course.

One of them look down at me and seemed to be examining me. He carefully touched my abdomen. I groaned. It was all I could do. It was that or screaming. And I was betting that I was going to do a lot of screaming tonight.

"She's loosing a lot of blood." One of them said.

"Yes, but we can't just move her onto the stretcher. Who knows what the Visser did to her?"

At the corner of my eye I saw a stretcher. It was not like the ones you saw at an ordinary hospital. This one was different, although I couldn't tell how. Also, I realized that they were changing the dressing on it. It was a brown in color they were changing it to white. I guess that it would make it easier to see if I was bleeding or not.

One of the human controllers leaned down towards me. "Can you understand me?"

Yes I can but I wont talk to you. Go ahead move me. I hope you kill me as you do.

He held on to my hand and spoke more forcefully,

"Come' on, we're trying to help you, node if you can hear me."

I wasn't going to.

< Do it! > I told her fiercely. I remembered what the Ellimist had said "Humans despair… Don't allow her to kill herself. It is your responsibility."

< Why? > She cried out to me, she sounded upset and panicked.

< They will not kill you when they move you. It will only cause you great pain. > I didn't mention that moving her was going to be more then painful.

I nodded.

He looked at me and said. "Can you speak?"

Can I? I tried saying yes but ended up choking blood.

"All right, I'm going to gently touch you, I want you to give me a signal if it hurts you."

He started to touch my ribs and I winced slightly. He worked his way down till he reached my abdomen and I gasped out loud.

He looked up at the Hork-Bajir, "You two, get ready to lift her. Is the stretcher ready?"

"Yes" someone replied.

"All right you two, on three… One, Two…three!"

I felt them lift me carefully onto the stretcher –It felt as if they were pulling me apart- and they started to push me somewhere I don't know where.

As they pushed I saw the Hork-Bajir's blades flash in front of my eyes. I don't know why, I think I felt threatened. The Blades kept flashing as they walked and my fear started to turn into panic.

Looking at those flashing blades reminded me of the fight I had with the Yeerks earlier. The way I was forced to fight the charging Hork-Bajir, the way they cut me again and again and again. Till my blood spilled and I started to beg them to stop. Of course, they didn't hear me. Those blades were not going to be kind to me. They were like the very blades that had cut me. I think I went crazy after that.

Almost without warning, at the minute they stopped pushing me and started considering to move me on the table. I started to thrash wildly. I screamed and thrashed and thrashed more. The tighter they grabbed me the madder my thrashing went. I ignored the pain and screamed at them.

< Don't do that! > I cried in alarm, < You're just hurting yourself. They would do whatever they want! >

It was if the human did not hear me. I think she was hysterical. Maybe it's the loss of blood. Maybe she was delirious. In any case she did not stop her thrashing. The Yeerks where going to have no choice but to strap her down. And I don't think that she would like that very much.

I also came to realize that the human was actually afraid of the equipment they were going to use. The syringes, the needles, the scissors and a lot of other things I had no name for. She was very nervous of it. And she disliked their sudden moves. At least it seemed like that to her. Every time they moved they managed to startle her.

She was especially nervous of being injected. She was very, very nervous, I don't know why. I think it was because that generally, on Earth. There are a lot of creatures that are superior to humans. They have no problems piercing their soft skin. The weapons that the predators on Earth were armed with came in a variety of shapes and sizes. All so, I had learnt that this particular human lived in the wild and was exposed to those predators.

They strapped me down. I felt sick. I didn't want them to touch me. I hated doctors. I just hated them. The way they know a lot about you and their ability to hurt, even though they were trying to help. I swear, even if those doctors were human I would have acted the exact same way as I was now. After screaming and yelling for an eternity they finish what they had to do, at least almost.

My voice was hoarse from all the yelling and screaming, my head felt as if it was going to explode. You ever tried to scream, yell and cry for five hours straight? I was exhausted. My head felt hot and my lungs were worn out.

Against my will, I felt my brain close down. My eye-lids became too heavy to keep open. They kept closing. I felt my self-surrender to a deep sleep.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

The human was resting. I felt sorry for her. The way she had acted. She just wanted to be left alone. I waited for her to wake up. I soon realized that even though she was asleep. She may not be aware of what was happening around her. But I was!

Sure, she was asleep. But her body could sense that something was touching her or if someone was talking she could hear. But her brain would not be aware of what is happening to her. Her mind was not aware enough to intercept that.

"When would she be ready?" A Hork-Bajir voice asked.

"I don't know, but there is enough strain to her body as it is. You have to tell the Visser that we cannot rush. What we do can kill her." A human voice replied.

"You try saying that to the Visser." Sneered the Hork-Bajir.

"That Visser is not very understanding, is he?" The human said sympathetically.

"No, I don't think so."

"Well, don't talk to him. Just forget about him. Answer him if he calls for you. No point bothering him."

"You think it will work?"

"If this doesn't work, nothing else will."

The human was silent. Then I felt someone take off the bandages placed at her abdomen. The human-I guessed- started to clean the wound again.

"This little Dapsen gave them all that trouble?" Laughed the Hork-Bajir, "Was it she making all that Harashthin?"

"She did make a big racket," The human agreed, "Somehow, I'm not very surprised."

"But she is not an Adult human is she?" The Hork-Bajir said. He seemed to be well educated. It was rare for a Hork-Bajir to talk English in full sentences. The Yeerk inside him would not have that kind of knowledge. I think we were in the Yeerk's mother ship. At least we were not in the Blade ship. Still, this was not a very good comfort.

I felt (it's not exactly like feeling; it was like feeling something a long way off. Like it was happening but not to me) a pinpricked of pain as the human inserted a needle-of a syringe, I supposed- into her arm. He had located it on the bottom side of her wrist. Where it was easy to see her veins. I could only guess that he wanted a large amount of the substance into the human as fast as possible. I knew that this area had a lot of veins and arteries near to the surface of the skin.

He then removed the needle and he and the Hork-Bajir controller left.

I felt the human stir and she waked up.

< Good, they're gone. > She said.

< They were here a bit earlier. > I told her.

< Whatever… Hey…Em? What's your name? > She asked.

< My name is Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill., but you can just call me Ax.>

< My friends call me Devils. > She said suddenly. After being quite for a while. I had a feeling that she didn't want someone to call her that.

I tried to move my hand but realized that I was still strapped down, great. I hate being helpless. I looked around and to my disgust I saw that the dressing I was on was still stained with my blood.

I wanted out of here. I felt tired and I felt hot. You know, as if I had a high temperature. And my head felt as if someone had threw a bomb in it.

I slowly started to try to struggle out of the straps. My hands were somewhere above me, my legs were strapped as well. Each leg or arm strapped with metal-I think- each separately strapped.

I was no longer wet but I felt cold. Despite being cold I was hot, in fact I was shivering uncontrollably. You know when you have a fever? When you touch your face if feels hot and when you touch your hands they're stone cold? Also, you feel cold internally.

< Are you all right? > The Andalite, Ax, said.

< Yeah, em, just cold. > I lied.

< That's not all. > He said.

What did he care? What did it matter to him anyway? I decided to totally ignore him, the jerk almost certainly got the message, he didn't ask me anything again. I was reviled.

My eyes caught a blur of movement behind me and I jerked in surprise. I tried to sit up straight but remembered that I was bound to the table. My sudden jerk had brought a searing pain in my abdomen.

"Take it easy." Laughed a voice.

A human controller, a dork about fifteen-years old stood over me. He walked over and started talking to me. I disregarded him.

"You really gave those idiots a scare. I mean, the way you were yelling at them. And the way you screamed? They thought they were killing you. Maybe you didn't realize it, but you managed to drive the Visser nuts! If it wasn't for the council's orders on not killing you, I think he would have killed you right then and there. Not a lot of people get away with annoying the Visser like that!"

The Yeerk Council didn't want me killed? That was something interesting; maybe the dork above me wouldn't mine telling me more. I lunged at my chance.

"They don't want to kill me?" I said laughing hoarsely, "Pulleez! That's the first thing the would want to do!"

He took the bait; worm, hook and all. Plus about ten feet of the fishing line.

"Oh, no! They want to keep you alive, you're too," He snorted to himself, "Valuable"

"I doubt it, what do they want from me?" Still acting like Miss. Stupid.

"Want? What they want?" He leaned close to me, and his voice was lowered to a whisper. You have to admire that guy; he actually thought that would have scared me, good grief. "They want you. Every single part of you." He left the room laughing.

All right, second that thought, he did make me a little nerves.

I fell silent after that. I felt thirst. Almost dehydrated. Must be all that screaming. I saw a doctor entering the room I was being held in. He looked at me.

"You finished trying to deafen our ears?" He teased.

If I wasn't bound right then I swear I would have squeezed every last bit of life in him. Sadly…

"So? How are you feeling?" He asked loudly.

Terrible thank you, and oh, don't mention it. The pleasure is all mine.

"Your sulking won't help," He said, "In fact, it'll lead you in to trouble."

I'm not sulking I'm ignoring you. Can't you see the difference?

"Oh well." He turned around and started to mess around with the equipment he had.

I couldn't see what he was doing. But I had a felling that I wouldn't like it. You know the feeling you get when the doctor turns around and starts doing something only you couldn't see what? And you just know it's not something you're going to like? And there is nothing you can do about it, and then you get this sick feeling in your gut? Well, that's what I got. Only it was ten times stronger. Who knew what those morons had in mind?

He turned around and I almost fainted. In his hand, was this big syringe? I don't know about you, but I had this thing against people sticking things in me; especially if those things happen to have needles.

It was about then was I aware to the fact that they had cut away almost all my clothes. Almost. I still had my jeans on but my blouse was tattered. My blouse, which had been about waist length, was now reduced to elbow length.

He walked over to me and examined my abdomen then he looked at my left arm. My heart started thudding. I so wanted to kick the hand that was closing the distance between the needle and me.

In his left hand he unbound my left arm. He moved it down to its natural position and bound it again. I realized that the syringe was empty. He planned to draw in blood. He took a cotton full of some kind of alkaline and swabbed at my arm. It felt… Cold. Very cold against my hot skin. I bet he knew about my fever the minute he touched me. Why he wanted the blood was a reason unknown to me. It was very unlikely for him to tell me.

I felt a sharp pain as the needle went in. I felt a sudden pressure as he drew blood. Sure, it didn't hurt that much. But the whole Dracula thing made me uneasy. I mean, who exactly likes those bloodsucking Vampire bats?

When he finished he turned around to a counsel and started fidgeting around. When he finished fidgeting he brought some kind of device, I don't know what was it called. He turned my head around and I didn't resist him, I felt too tiered. He inserted one end of it in my left ear and I felt a cold metal touch the inside of my ear. It made me dizzy. He kept it there for some time and then removed it.

"Hmmm, when did this start? Your shivering. I mean?" He asked me.

"I don't know," I mumbled, "When I woke up."

He unbound both my arms and legs. He held me in an upright position and handed me a paper cup. When seeing that I was not going to manage drinking it without spilling the content he took the cup and lined it to my lips, I sipped at it. It was warm, I hated warm water, and it also tasted funny, but that was normal, when you're sick, water never tastes the same as when you were not. I didn't stop drinking it. When I finished. I weakly leaned against him. And pulled in ragged breaths.

He gently laid me down on the table, this time he didn't bound me to it. My shivering came again. Almost as tremors that raced through my body.

He covered me with a blanket and instantly, my muscles relaxed. But the shivering continued. I fell in to a deep sleep again.

Maybe if I hadn't I'd have noticed the way that Yeerk was stroking my hair.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

It was strange. Why did this Yeerk care for the human? Was he even a Yeerk?

"You wouldn't understand, would you?" The human said, "Not all Yeerks are that bad. We are sentient, just like you. We do have emotions different than yours. But we aren't as emotional as you humans. You think that all we want is a body to cripple and despair, right? A body to use for our own evil use. Right?"

Why was he saying this? What was the point? She was asleep.

"If only you understood." He chucked, "Cassie did."

What the?

"Aftran is like me too. Only the Andalites took her. I hope they found a way to keep her alive. She meant very much to me."

The human sighed, "They wouldn't have mercy on you. If only I could help."

He left her and went out of the room.

The Human, Devils woke up. She opened her eyes and looked around. She fiddled with her free hands and swung her legs at the side of the table. She pushed off the table and stood shakily on her feet. Devils straitened up and immediately lost balance, she gave out a sharp cry.

I felt the world grow dark around me. The world spun inside my head.

I stumbled and misjudged the distance between my hip and the table.

BONK!

Ouch!

I slammed into the table, my vision kept closing in. I blinked my eyes rapidly, trying to get my eyes to focus. It didn't help at all. I tried to grab the edge of the table, but misjudged that too. I found myself grabbing the air. I hit the ground hard.

"What are you doing?" A voice asked in exasperation.

"Trying to get the hell out of here?" I suggested, I laughed crazily. My voice cracking as I did.

My head still felt hot and I really felt nauseous. If someone so much as jarred me I swear I was going to throw up. Must be all that seawater I swallowed.

He came to me and grabbed me roughly; he was that idiot who had been trying to get the oxygen mask on me. I could see the teeth marks on his fingers; he was lucky that my fangs hadn't found their way towards his fingers. If they had… He wouldn't have any fingers on his hand.

My stomach lurched but for some strange reason, I swallowed down the contents. The back of my throat was now scotched with my stomach acid and I felt even more nauseous.

The idiot guy started jeering at me and poking his fingers at my side. Trying to get me to jerk away from him. I was concentrating very hard on not throwing up. He was not helping at all.

"Leave me alone." I croaked. My throat felt dry and even more scorched, swallowing was a pain.

He just laughed at me and started to harass me.

"Leave me alone." I was on the verge of crying. What I said sounded pathetic. But I really wasn't feeling well. I was starting to see green dots, and hearing what he was saying was becoming more and more difficult.

"What are you doing?" Asked a voice. It was that controller that unbound me. Please chase this idiot away please… Please…

"You are not permitted to be here, out!" He snarled.

After that other guy left. The Controller that had unbound me started to walk to me.

"All you all right?" Strange question, for a Yeerk to ask.

I was gasping. I felt like throwing up but couldn't quite do it.

"Oh, damn!" He cursed. He probably realized that I was on the verge of leaving a mess for him to clean up.

I felt a pressure build up on my chest. I kept on swallowing every two seconds. I felt more and more nauseous. Every thing was building up.

The human controller placed a hand on my back. I wished he didn't do that, because it didn't help. His hand felt hot against my back.

"Don't double over, it doesn't help." He told me.

He helped me in a better position. But I didn't fell all right.

I squeezed my eyes shot and groaned.

"Here let me help you, open your mouth." He instructed.

"Why?" I gasped.

"Just open it."

"Wh-Why? Do. Why do-" He stuck his finger my mouth as I spoke and half stabbed at the back of my throat.

My eyes watered. He yanked his finger out of my mouth just in time.

My stomach had immediately lurched when he touched the back of my throat. I threw up.

Now, the back of my throat scorched even more.

The controller handed me a coupe of water and I drank it. He helped me. To the table and said that I should rest. I closed my eyes but didn't sleep. I heard him mutter to himself and to the counsel he was at. At one point he left the room.

I dozed off for a wile then woke up to hear him storming in the room. A pair of Hork-Bajir behind him.

"Who had been in the room before me? You two were supposed to guard the room!"

"But-"

At that point he started to talk to the Hork-Bajir in some other language.

When they went he came to me.

"Do you remember anyone messing around after I came in?"

"No, I don't know. I was asleep. Except that idiot…But he came in as I got up. Why?"

He sighed, "Someone managed to come in and poison you. I have to check if there is anymore in you."

"And how are you going to do that?" I asked suspiciously.

Another doctor came in. "What happened?" He spoke with authority. I guess he was head doc.

"The human was poisoned, it seems that we have a leak in our security."

"Isn't it always this way?" The Head duck asked. "Your work here is done. You can go."

That was not a question, or a statement. It had order written all over it. He resented someone being this bossy.

He left and the head doctor glared at me. Like it was my fault that I got poisoned.

He took a sample of my blood and then said, "Why are you unbound?"

That's none of your business mister. I'd watch myself If I were you. He came to me and bound me again. The bounds actually came from the table. The table I was on was metal. A ring of metal just grew out of it and he started to lock me in!

< Shifter table. > The alien muttered.

< How can metal shift like that? > I asked him.

< Live metal, its used in space ships and other things. > He said.

< Oh, swell. >

Great, live metal, what else did those creeps manage to discover? Dead liquid?

After that more doctors came in, what did they want now? They crowded round me and started to check-up. I generally ignored them.

When they finished. The head duck stayed and looked at me. He smiled this cold smile. A Hork-Bajir came in. He talked to the head duck.

"Yes, Tell the Visser that she is ready. He can have fun with her."

They looked at me and both laughed.

I felt like crying.

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