"Well? I'm waiting for your answer."
"The video is wrong. Something or someone must have changed it!"
"So you're calling me a liar? Is that it?" Mistress was clearly affronted by my assertion.
"No! I never said that! I--"
"Subject 0153, I'm going to stop you right there," her curt interjection chilled me. "This video has been reviewed extensively six times over the course of three days to confirm its validity. I was skeptical at first too and ordered a thorough review. However, much to my immense disappointment, there was no evidence of tampering or any digital anomaly to prove that this is false. My head of IT confirmed it and oversaw the whole process. This video was then reviewed by two other independent sources and both reached the same conclusion."
It's still wrong! Everything is wrong!
"Mistress, please, I'm not lying, I swear! What could I possibly have to gain from making something like that up? You have to believe me!"
"I thought I could, but it seems that my trust has been misplaced. I must say, that was quite the convincing story you fed me."
A story?! Why does my word mean so little?
"If it was such a convincing story then how come you had to threaten me to get it? I didn't even want to talk about it in the first place!" My voice cracked at the outburst of emotions. The fervent anger inside of me was combined with a growing resentment towards Mistress in a deadly mix of animosity I was trying to quell. It would do me absolutely no service to raise hell at this moment. "They also threatened me to keep quiet, but I was more afraid of what you might do to Pvt. Winters and Dahlia to get the information, than what they would do to me if they found out I had told you what happened. I knew that no matter what I said, if I had stayed silent or not, I'd be the one to end up screwed! You made me tell you! You made me! You..." my voice completely broke as I looked down at the ground, livid with rage, not wanting to dignify her with tears I had fought so hard to keep.
Three approaching clicks of her heels made me look up just in time to see a flash of crimson cross my view.
"Mistress, please, with all due respect, if I may?" Dahlia piped up, stepping in front of me.
"Stay out of this, Captain. This is between her and me."
"No, Mistress, I can't do that! The second I heard my name was involved, it became about me too. I'll take whatever punishment you see fit, but I can't stay silent about this!" Mistress didn't answer, she just narrowed her eyes at Dahlia. "I don't exactly know what's going on, but I think I can take a guess as to who this might have to do with. Isn't there the possibility that Keira --," Mistress cleared her throat abruptly with an emphasis of obvious contempt, "-- um, Subject 0153, here might be telling the truth? How do you explain her precipitated change in behavior?" Mistress walked behind her desk to open the drawers. Her eyes rolled from time to time, annoyed at having to listen to Dahlia try and defend me. "The four-day long episode of dissociation? Not to mention the way she tenses and looks utterly terrified whenever Kristia is around?"
The gash under my eye was thumping. I was pressing the palm of my hand against it to stem the bleeding. A runaway drop of red sneaked its way down my forearm and puddled below me.
Mistress tossed a rag in front of me. "Don't get blood on my floor. Clean up your mess, 0153." She reclaimed her space in front of the desk while holding a familiar-looking black box, then turned to Dahlia. "That all could've come about from previous trauma. Look, regardless of her behavior, the evidence is clear. I'm not going to sit here and be made a fool of. She lied to me and must pay the price. Betrayal is the worst crime of all, and one that must be punished. My word is final!"
Price? What more do I have to endure?
"Mistress --"
"Captain, you are trying my patience," Mistress warned.
"Mistress, at least let her recover for the fight on Sunday! What good would she be if she's unable to move? What reliable data would you be able to gather then?" Dahlia argued everything in one breath before Mistress could cut her off again.
Mistress stopped briefly to process Dahlia's fast-spoken dispute. She let out a displeased sigh, "Fine. You're right." Mistress then strutted over to me with the black box in her hands. She shoved the box into Dahlia's hands with a smirk, "Here, I'll let you do the honors this time." She turned to me, her hands reached for my face. I recoiled away from her, falling on my coccyx. My right hand, which was holding the bloody rag to my face, was up in a defensive manner, while I was using my left hand for balance. Mistress stalked forward. Dahlia had taken the lid off the black box and was now frozen in place holding the damned collar in one hand. Her eyes were wide in a mix of surprise and pity.
Not this again!
I turned to stand, but Mistress grabbed my ponytail, sinking her knee into my back, and making it difficult to breathe properly. She snatched my right arm and twisted it painfully behind my back, wrist locking it and causing me to yelp. "You're not getting out of this, Subject 0153. The collar is going back on, and this time, it's staying for good. From now on, I'll be personally monitoring your every movement, and will know your location at all times. Set one foot out of place, and I will not hesitate to shock you." Not like she ever did in the past. "Is that clear?"
"Y-yes, Mistress!" I squeaked out in a strained breath.
"Now, consider your training privileges rescinded," she pulled my ponytail out of the way. "Captain, hurry up and secure the collar before I have you forbidden from interacting with 0153."
"Yes, ma'am!" Dahlia rushed over, kneeling down to lock the collar around my neck, handing the leash to Mistress, then stepping back.
"You know, 0153, you're lucky that the Captain talked some sense into me. I do have to have you able to fight. There are some things that I need to try out anyways. Speaking of which," Mistress took her knee off my back. I was able to finally suck in as much air as I could. Her hold on my twisted arm still held strong. She pulled up on it, sending a wave of pain shooting from my wrist and shoulder, and forcing me to stand. She turned me around, holding the leash and tugging at it to get my full attention. "There are a couple of improvements I've made since the last time you wore the collar. However, all you need to know is that it can now produce even higher discharges, meaning that one shock at its highest setting and you'll black out almost instantly due to the overwhelming sensation on your nerves. Just in case you don't believe me, just know that the test subjects described unimaginable pain that lingered for hours after regaining consciousness. I must warn you though, a common side effect from that level of electricity forcing your muscles to contract so powerfully resulted in various subjects with broken bones. So, if I were you, I'd listen very carefully and follow any instructions given, or do you need a demonstration?"
I whimpered and shook my head several times, shutting my eyes tightly and bracing for a possible shock. "No, Mistress," I added, just in case. My words came out sounding more fearful than I anticipated.
A pleased hum resounded. She shoved me backwards until I hit Dahlia, who prevented me from falling. "Take her to solitary confinement until Sunday. You know the process, I don't want any more trouble from either of you."
"Mistress, I'm going to go out on a limb and stick my neck out for Subject 0153. I don't see any reason for her to be lying about whatever it is that she is being accused of. I implore you to give her one more chance. Give me some time to investigate by myself and prove to you that she is being truthful. If my investigation does not yield any results, then," Dahlia turned to face me, "I'm so sorry, Keira," she whispered just loud enough for me to hear, "you can go back to your original research, plus you will have me as your new test subject. I promise I won't fight back."
"No! You can't -" Dahlia raised her hand to stop me from talking.
Mistress raised both eyebrows and tilted her head down and to the side in disbelief. "That's a rather bold statement you're proposing, Captain. You do understand the implications of your actions if things don't turn out how you want them to, right?"
"Yes, I understand, Mistress. However, if my investigation yields that Subject 0153 was telling the truth, then what are you going to do to the accused party?"
"That's a matter for me to figure out. Anyway, I'll give you a week, Captain. Take 0153 to get that cut looked at, then straight to solitary. Understood?" Dahlia assented with a quick nod and a verbal 'yes, ma'am.' "Now, get her out of my sight."
Dahlia didn't hesitate in turning around and hastily escorting me out of Mistress's office. Both of her hands were on each of my shoulders as she herded me into an examination room, then swiftly shut the door behind her and whipped me around.
"What did you do, Keira?! I've never seen Mistress react in such a way before! What's up with that video? What is she talking about you supposedly lying to her? And who exactly are they? What's going on?!" Dahlia fired off the questions with such haste that I unconsciously gasped in air once she finished.
Dahlia's eyes had been darting from me to the door in expectant arrival. I disgorged as much information as I could before the door swung open.
A cold sweat washed over me. I jumped away from Dahlia and landed on the opposite side of the room, knocking down the doctor's stool in the process. I hadn't noticed that I had also ripped part of the medical exam table paper until my back crashed against the wall and I heard the crinkling of the paper crumpled in my fist.
"Oh my! Did you miss me, precious girl?" The shrill voice invading the room pealed deep in my eardrums.
I gulped down my breaths trying to stay as silent and still as possible. I did not pay attention to Cleary creeping into the room, my gaze was fixated on the door. If Cleary was here, that can only mean that Kristia is behind!
Dahlia looked at us both, but didn't comment. She knows to stay quiet and not rat me out. At least that's what I'm hoping common sense entails in this situation.
After the initial shock of my actions, Dahlia recomposed and stood by the door while Cleary stepped further into the room.
"C'mere, Keira. Sit on the table," Cleary patted the space in front of her as she pulled more paper to cover what I had broken off. Had she actually called me by my name? "I've been told to look at your cut. Looks like someone's been rather naughty. Tsk. Tsk."
I squeezed down on the paper in one hand and the rag in the other. The uncertainty of Kristia's presence on the other side of that door is more than enough to keep me quiet. Compliance is the wisest choice. "Yes, ma'am," I whispered as I walked, with my head down and my shoulders up, towards the table.
Cleary absentmindedly raised her hand to cover her yawn, making me flinch and crouch down with my arms covering my head.
"Jeez! What's up with you today? Why are you so jumpy?" She laughed as she bent down to grab the dangling leash. She put her hand on my shoulder and I hit my head against the metal base of the exam table when I cowered back.
"What is wrong with you? Come on, I don't have time to deal with this now," she pulled up on the leash. The collar tightened until I was standing to let the pressure off. I stared at the floor with my elbows pressed tightly to my sides.
With the leash wrapped around her right hand, she grabbed both of my biceps making me gasp loudly. I was trembling in place. Before I could react any further, she lifted me onto the table.
"I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me! I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me! I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me!" I chanted. My eyes were clenched and my voice was beginning to falter.
"What are you going on about now? Hurt you? Now, why would I do that? I'm a nurse. My job is to help patients. That's all I've ever done for you, always tending to your wounds, giving you the appropriate medications, etcetera, etcetera. You have nothing to worry about, pretty girl," she patted my head, making me flinch once more. "Now, let me take a look at that gash." She tugged upwards on the leash, then grabbed my chin, "Keep your head up and don't move." It took a great deal of effort to remain still as the mephitic smell of cigarette smoke mixed with coffee wafted from her mouth and singed my nostril hairs, making my eyes water slightly from the stench.
I kept my head in the position she set it. My eyes remained closed. I did not want to provoke her in any way.
"I'm going to take off your glasses. Don't jump back now, you might hit your head against the wall," she sounded gentle and caring. There was no edge in her voice, instead it was replaced by a foreign softness. A softness that reminded me of a mother soothing her scared child. What is she getting at? This acting is so out of character for her! I bet it's all because Dahlia is here and is not part of her 'little group.'
She took my glasses off slowly while I remained fixed in my spot. Then, I heard her snap on gloves and felt her presence closer to me. It was unsettling having her in such close proximity. According to her breathing, I knew she was moving from side to side, but had not touched my face yet. She backed away and rummaged through the cabinets, then was back again at my side.
"I'm going to wash out your wound with sterile saline to assess how deep it is. Although, it looks pretty deep already. It might need stitches. I'm going to touch you now, okay?" She waited until I gave her another slight nod to proceed.
It was baffling how she was behaving. Whatever her motives are, I'll take them. I'm not going to question this once in a lifetime supposedly sympathetic version of her. She isn't convincing anyone, especially not me, but at least she isn't making my life miserable at the moment and that's all that matters.
"Yep, just as I thought. Mistress cut you deep. Whatever happened between the two of you will leave you with a scar, so I'll be using surgical glue instead. It'll be less painful for you, and will heal a hell of a lot better than stitches. Maybe, if you're lucky, the scar will be almost imperceptible. Wouldn't want to ruin such a pretty face." Her hands caressed my face so delicately that I shivered unintentionally at the pleasant touch. "Hold still, this might sting a little," she spoke softly. "All done, precious girl. Now, don't go touching that cut. Let it heal." She brushed her gloved thumb gingerly over my cheek. "You're so tense. You can open your eyes, you know. I told you I'm not going to hurt you." No, no. You're not fooling me into a false sense of comfort. There's nothing in the world you can do that will ever make me feel at ease. "Well, have it your way. While you're here, I'mma give you a quick look over to see how your other wounds are healing."
I let Cleary touch, poke, and prod whatever she deemed needed to be inspected. Again, it was surprising that she went straight to business and didn't inflict any pain. Not once did she press down on a bruise or make any scathing remark regarding any of my lesions. Extraordinarily, she went about her assessment without a single comment save for saying that 'things were almost fully healed' and that 'the skin overlying the healed burns would remain more sensitive to the touch than the surrounding areas for months.'
If only this version of Cleary was the only one that existed...
After she finished giving me a once over, I sneaked a peak to see her arranging a couple of vials to finish with a blood draw before leaving. She gathered all the samples, labeled them, then grabbed the leash and turned to Dahlia. "Here. You don't ever let leashed pets roam free."
...and the bitch is back. What a surprise. Whoop-de-doo.
"Why did she come here? Aren't there any other doctors or nurses in this facility?" I hissed at Dahlia once I heard Cleary's footsteps disappear into the distance.
Dahlia seemed unsure. "Come on, we've gotta go."
"Why don't you want to answer the question?"
"We don't have time for this. Let's go before Mistress wonders why we took so long."
Dahlia pulled on the leash, not wanting to face me, so I pulled back. "No! Just answer the question! Mistress doesn't want to see me. She made that much clear. Besides, you're just taking me to solitary for two days, so there's no need to rush."
"We have to get you processed to put you in solitary, so yes, there are others waiting for us. I don't want to get rough with you, but if I have to I will for your own good. Believe me when I tell you that I'm looking out for you. Now, get off the table and let's go," Dahlia insisted with a stronger tug as she also grabbed my wrist, pulling me to the ground.
I pulled back even harder and broke free from her grip. "Others? Don't change the subject, please just answer my question and I'll shut up."
"You never make things easy, Keira," Dahlia sighed heavily while rolling her eyes.
"I shouldn't even be here in the first place, but that's besides the point. Go on."
"Smart-ass," Dahlia chuckled. "Okay, fine. I didn't want to tell you because I know you're going to get bent out of shape at the term, but around here we call it 'zookeeping'."
I opened my mouth to argue but she cut me off by tilting her head and raising her eyebrows in an I-told-you-so manner. I didn't have a choice but to roll my eyes, put my hands up in mock surrender and exhaled with an annoyed inflection as I sealed my lips so that she'd continue enlightening me with the glorious going-ons in this wonderfully blessed secret base. 'Zookeeping', tch, of course they'd make things as demeaning as humanly possible.
"So yeah, it's called 'zookeeping' because the powers that be, ie Mistress being one of them, want to emphasize the same team of people being responsible for one captive. By doing things this way, the 'keepers' will get to know how the prisoner usually behaves and responds, their quirks, what makes them tick, everything. In a sense, it's a way of 'building a relationship' and making things easier on everyone."
"Bullshit," I grunted under my breath.
"I know, it's fucked up. In your case, though, you're one of the rare few to have four 'keepers'." Yay! Lucky me. No wait, nevermind, I am lucky in that regard. I can't imagine being stuck with Kristia all this time. "As to why you still have Cleary, well if Mistress doesn't order and give clearance for another nurse, then she's the one to see you by default because you were taken specifically as Mistress's experimental subject. As head nurse, Cleary is in charge of overseeing other subjects, but her priority is Mistress's. So, if anything happens to you that means that Cleary has to drop everything else and put her work on hold to tend to you, meaning a longer workday for her."
"Then why not have other nurses take care of Cleary's stuff so that she doesn't have to bitch all the time?"
"Because Cleary likes to micromanage and doesn't want other people interfering with her work."
"Well, that sounds like a her problem. It's nobody's fault, especially not mine, that she doesn't know how to delegate tasks or yield control."
"You're right, but she's excellent at what she does and getting results. That's why Mistress appointed her second in command, although they argue quite frequently because Cleary wants full control of things, but Mistress won't give it to her. Cleary has been known to take things a little too far and many of her earlier subjects perished too quickly for producing more long-term data. Mistress had to restrict her because too many resources were being used to get Cleary new prisoners so quickly. Admittedly, she had a record for the most obedient and fastest broken captives, though. The government sure loved that, so she definitely has their backing."
Dahlia finished the conversation and I didn't even want to comment. Resigned, I just sighed, "let's go." She opened the door for me, and I followed her trying to wrap my brain around this new information and what it might imply for me in the future.
We were now back in the elevator going down to a new floor, B9.
"Hey, Dahlia?" I looked up at her, tugging on the leash.
"Yes?"
"Is it really necessary for you to be holding on to this thing? I am more than capable of following you, you know."
"I know, Keira. I know. It's just protocol. You heard what Cleary said in the exam room. If you're caught walking around with a leash and no guard holding on to it, that means that it's a free-for-all for anyone who wants to mess with you. So in a way, Cleary was protecting you."
I snorted loudly, "please, don't make me laugh. That woman has nothing but her self interest in mind. I'm sure she did it out of spite or something."
"Yeah, you're probably right," Dahlia chuckled. "Just bear with it for a few more days. I'll try to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible so that you don't have to wear the collar anymore."
"I hope so. I really don't want to think about what would happen if you're unable to prove that the video was messed with."
"Don't dwell on that right now. Just stay focused so that you can win the match on Sunday," Dahlia was trying to reassure me when the elevator dinged. "We're here. C'mon let's get this over with. I'll warn you, it's not going to be a pleasant experience."
"Nothing here ever is," I reminded her. Dahlia gave me a penitent look but didn't say anything, she just stepped out of the elevator.
We walked down the eerily quiet and deserted corridor [use imagery to explain this better]. The white concrete walls were bare. The only distinctive features present in the entire hallway were the blinding light fixtures overhead, the black domes housing the security cameras, and the large white double doors at the end with another keycard scanner beside it.
"I guess they took 'solitary confinement' in the literal sense here," I joked sarcastically. Another pitiful look and a bite from her lower lip was the only response I got from Dahlia. "Don't look so miserable. I don't blame you for this. In any case, I owe you some thanks. If you hadn't suggested this, who knows how much worse Mistress would have taken her frustrations out on me. At least this way, I'm relatively safe for the next two days. So, thank you. And also, thank you for standing up for me. Nobody's ever done that before. It meant a lot. Truly."
A small glimmer flitted across her emerald eyes as a warm but tiny smile formed on her lips. "I guess you can say that is a small part of my atonement for what I did to you before," she patted my head. "Just make sure to keep your wits about you while you're in solitary. It's very easy to lose your sense of self in there."
"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."
Dahlia flashed her badge over the scanner waiting for the beep and the sound of the locks demagnetizing.
"Well, well, well. It's about time," Mia whined. She had her legs on either side of the chair's back and was cleaning under her fingernails with the tip of her knife. "I was just about to declare you M.I.A. and send out a search party." Mia stood from the chair, turned it around and set it back against the wall. "I was getting bored waiting here with Nivia. She's the resident chatterbox, you know, a real joker this one," Mia pointed at Nivia with her knife before sheathing it.
Nivia either didn't care for the insult or paid Mia no mind because she just stood to face us.
Before Nivia could speak, Mia interjected again, "Mistress texted us that a certain someone here was to be admitted into solitary. It's been a while since I've had to process anyone for this and, honestly, I'm hungry, so this had better be quick." She approached me with a rather weary look on her face. I stood my ground, staring up at her with the most emotionless expression I could muster. "For your sake, make this a pleasant experience and just do what you're told." She held up her communication device so that I could read what was written on it. "Mistress gave us permission to use the shock collar at will. Know that I won't hesitate to use it, so just be a good girl and obey, got it?"
"Yes, ma'am." I wasn't planning on acting out anyway. I have been making an effort to remain as calm as possible against any triggering event. Dahlia also said that I wasn't going to like this either, so I just want to get this over with.
"All right, subject 0153 –" Nivia started.
"Cut the formalities, Nivia. I know what Mistress said, but she's not here, and as I said, I want to get out of here quickly." Nivia was now looking annoyed at Mia interrupting her every time she was going to speak. Mia turned to me with the same bored expression, "Keira, get on the platform and strip. I'll give you 5 seconds to get over here and start or I'll shock you."
I didn't argue with Mia as I rushed to step over to the platform. Dahlia let go of the leash as she followed behind.
"But Mistress said to call her –"
"Nivia, I swear," Mia turned to Nivia and sighed exasperatedly, "stop acting like a goodie two shoes robot. Nobody can be so prim and proper all the time. Loosen up a bit. Act like a normal human, not the perfect military brat you were brought up to be. That's not normal," Mia rolled her eyes and set them on me. I had already taken off my shoes and socks, and was about to take off my shirt.
The three of them were making a triangle around me. I didn't like the fact that I stood before them like an object on display. I've already been naked in their presence a thousand times, but a thousand and one times later, it still wasn't any less uncomfortable.
"Hurry," Mia warned.
Yeah, okay. You don't have to tell me twice. I swallowed my shame and took everything off. Nivia took my clothes and dumped them in a basket.
"Now, put your hands behind your head, then squat and cough," Mia commanded.
"What? Why?" Unwrapping my arms to take away the only layer of protection that they were serving to perform such an action was uncalled for.
The quick prick on my neck and sudden muscle spasm that accompanied the small shock that Mia gave me, made me yelp in surprise.
"I didn't say you could question my commands. That was a warning. The next shock will be three times worse if you don't comply."
"Mia, you didn't have to shock her for that. She's not acting out. It was an honest question," Dahlia piped up.
"Wow, Captain, you sure have gone soft. What has this girl done to you? The Dahlia I knew wouldn't have taken any backtalk from the prisoners."
"I haven't, Lieutenant. I just know when to punish or not to get the easiest outcome. Mind your manners when addressing your superiors," Dahlia huffed.
"We'll see about that soon enough, Captain," Mia muttered.
"What was that?" Dahlia had a warning tone.
"Nothing, just telling little Keira here," she pushed down on my shoulder, "to squat and cough."
"Subject– uh, Keira, please, it's just protocol. Put your hands behind your head while you're squatting. We have to see that you're not sneaking anything in," Nivia interjected, trying to dissipate the growing tension between Dahlia and Mia.
A humiliating squat and cough later and they were satisfied. I launched to my feet and stuck my hands back to cover myself.
"Okay, now walk yourself over to the exam table," Mia ordered.
All three of them sauntered over to the glove box on the wall and took out a pair of blue gloves. A shiver covered me in goosebumps. I am naked and they need gloves. I bet I know what they're going to do next and I don't want any part of it. Why make me squat and cough if they're going to do this too?
I stepped behind the bed and looked around the room. Save for a floor lamp, there was absolutely nothing I could use to prevent what was coming next.
I closed one hand over the lamp's tube while maneuvering my other hand to unplug it from the wall socket. I looked from one door to the other at the opposite side of the room. It's no good, they both need a keycard to exit. It's three against one, there is no possible way of getting out of this.
Defeated at the thought of a pointless physical altercation, I let go of the lamp.
"Wise choice," Mia chuckled. Shit! I tensed at the sudden realization. I didn't think she'd see me. I tried to be discreet. She took two steps my way. Her hand was on her hip, palming something I couldn't make out.
Nivia was making her way to the other side of the bed, ready to spring into action. Dahlia, on the other hand, was behind Mia looking worried and mouthing at me to calm down.
"Mia, wait!" I put both hands in front of me. She didn't even give me a chance to say anything else! The paralyzing shock sent me collapsing to the floor. Before I could even voluntarily contract my muscles and inhale, Mia had picked me up and slammed my chest down onto the examination bed. She was twisting one arm behind my back while pushing down on my neck.
"I told you that I wasn't going to hesitate to use the collar, Keira. Why would you even think about fighting back?"
"I didn't even do anything!" I grunted under the pressure of her weight.
"Yeah, right. I saw you go for the lamp," she sounded smug.
"I didn't know it was such a crime to have a thought!" I protested angrily at her ridiculous actions.
All of a sudden, I feel Mia take her weight off me only for another powerful shock to leave me gasping on the exam bed. Maybe it was because I already had half of my body bent over the table that I didn't fall to the ground, but now I could see the exam bed's paper turning translucent at the tears that dotted its surface.
Mia's weight was on me again. Her hands retook their previous positions on my neck and arm, except this time the hand that was holding down my arm was also pulling the leash back taut.
"Don't you ever talk back to me again," she whispered in my ear as her lips brushed my earlobe while pulling back on the leash. Her voice was cold and mean. "You wouldn't want me to call Kri–"
"Mia!" Dahlia was furious. "What the hell are you doing? What's with the gratuitous shocking? She didn't fight!"
"I agree, Mia. That was uncalled for. She desisted in the end," Nivia interposed. "How about letting go of the leash? I can see the veins bulging on her neck and her breathing is labored. Back off a bit, and let the girl breathe."
The constriction around my neck let up, letting me suck in some much needed oxygen.
"Give me the remote, Mia. You're too trigger happy," the sternness in Dahlia's voice was something that I had heard only once before when she forced me to beg for food.
"No."
"Give me. The remote. That's an order."
"I don't have to give you anything. Mistress gave us permission to use it however we wanted so I acted well within my authority. If you have a problem with it, take it up with Mistress not me."
I couldn't see Dahlia behind me, but the long pause she took to answer Mia was a clear indication that she didn't know how to counter Mia's statement. "Fine, then," Dahlia scoffed. "At least don't shock her for every little thing! Too much of it and it will lose its effectiveness as a compliance tool."
"Ah, but you see, that's where you're wrong, Captain. It's my prerogative to use it as often as I wish to." Mia let my neck go. I could see her use her hands for gesturing out of the corner of my eye. "Shocking someone won't ever lose its effectiveness, especially if you can vary the intensity. For example."
The third shock had me flat on the ground with my head thrown back. Every muscle from the top of my head down to my toes was contracting beyond my control. My jaw was wired shut and my lungs burned. Tears ran down the side of my face. Why wasn't she stopping?
The copious tears prevented me from seeing anything around me. I could only make out a few shadows moving here and there. However, there was a scuffle ensuing beside me, evident from the sounds of swearing and shouts. With one loud thud, followed by the collision of metal and plastic, and finally a slam, the electricity paralyzing me subsided.
Beside me now was Dahlia sitting me up. She had both of her hands on either side of my face, forcing me to focus squarely on her. Her reddish eyebrows collided into a peak at the center of her forehead. Her distant voice was slowly traveling towards my eardrums. The edges of my vision were gradually coming into focus. She was chanting in a rhythmic tempo. I was slow to catch on and follow her instructions, but she didn't waver. "In one, two, three, four, five. Out one, two, three, four, five." Her words began to form coherent thoughts in my head. "In one, two, three, four, five. Out one, two, three, four, five." She wanted me to breathe! "In one, two, three, four, five. Out one, two, three, four, five."
Thoughts became actions. Actions became reality. Here I was, finally breathing slow and steady, mastering my body. Dahlia's worried expression had now softened in relief.
"Shh. You're okay. You're okay. Keep breathing." One of her hands was brushing back my hair, while she used the thumb of the other to wipe my face. The patch of red from the back of her knuckles caught my attention. I reached out for her wrist and turned her hand over. Confusion marked my expression. "Oh yeah, that," she spoke up, embarrassment laced her tone. She briefly looked behind me then back at me again.
At Dahlia's glance, I craned my neck to see a most wonderful scene taking place before me. Nivia was holding down a handcuffed, sitting Mia. There was blood running from Mia's nose, down her chin and staining her black shirt. The tongue behind her lips seemed to try and search for something. She gave me a haughty sneer of anger while adjusting her jaw. Her teeth were tinged red. She leaned forward but Nivia pulled her back, so she just spit out the accumulated blood from the position she was in.
Mia's beetle-browed scowl made me uncomfortable but I found myself unable to break from it. The palm of my hands were starting to hurt, and that's when I realized that my fingernails were embedding themselves into my skin. My fists were shaking. My breathing must have started to become erratic once more because Dahlia jumped to block my view of Mia and make me follow her instructions on breathing once more.
After I had regained control of my senses anew, Dahlia helped me to my feet. She turned to Nivia and Mia, "How–"
"Damn! This girl must have sucked you off good because she has you–" Faster than I could register, Dahlia jabbed at Mia's face. [[sound?]] The punch left Mia reeling, spitting teeth.
"You should learn when to shut up, Lieutenant. I think a couple of teeth less should help you in that regard." I couldn't see Dahlia's face, but there was an obvious sense of excitement and triumph underlying her words.
To see Mia's folded frame on the floor filled me with joy. Karma, bitch! I'm counting this one as a personal win for everything she has done to me. I don't care if that makes me a bad person, but I couldn't shake the feeling of justice in this situation. My feelings should be more than justified. Right?
I could feel the edges of my lips warp into a smirk. A smirk I did not care to hide. A smirk I wanted my abuser to see. If this was going to be my only small victory against her, I wanted to savor every moment of it.
Nivia's face was riddled with confusion and conflict. Her eyes jumped from Dahlia to Mia, unsure of how to proceed. She was clearly torn on deciding if she should help Mia stand or if Dahlia would keep delivering some much needed justice from my part. After a nod from Dahlia, Nivia got Mia to her feet.
When Mia saw the smirk I was holding, she let out a small growl before trying to lunge at me. Thankfully, Nivia and Dahlia held back the rabid beast. After setting Mia down on a stool, Dahlia diverted her attention to me. My smirk had now evolved into a smug grin. I knew I shouldn't be acting this way, but I couldn't stop it. It had become involuntary.
When Dahlia saw my expression, a flash of disappointment was briefly evident. At least, that's what it looked like to me. I could've imagined it, but still, it was enough for a small pang of guilt to riddle within me.
A sympathetic smile adorned her full lips as she directed me back to sit on the exam table.
She let out a heavy sigh. It came across as full of guilt. While rubbing her forehead with her index finger and her thumb, she didn't look at me at first when she spoke. "There are two more things we have to do before getting you into a cell. These are steps that I cannot skip because we are being monitored during the entire process. If they see that we skip a step, an alarm will sound. If we don't comply, other people will come to do it for us." My eyebrows formed a straight line and my eyes narrowed. My lips were now pressed together waiting for her to say what I've been dreading to hear. Another heavy sigh, "I, uh, um, I have to..." She was now gesturing with her hands, putting two fingers together and thrusting upwards. and thrusting upwards.
I snatched the hand that was gesturing, "Stop beating around the bush, for fuck's sake, and just say what it is you have to do!" I just wanted to get over the overly embarrassing and uncomfortable situation. If she was going to do it, she might as well have gall to say it straight to my face.
She cleared her throat, red painted her cheeks and ear tips. I must admit that it was rather amusing to see her look so sheepish when I was the one who was naked and had to undergo this fucking ridiculous procedure. She looked away with her other hand on the back of her neck, an indecipherable mumble was the only sound that came out of her.
"Speak up, Dahlia. I still don't have supersonic hearing," I decided to adopt a bored inflection. At this point, I just wanted to make her as uncomfortable as possible, but internally I was laughing my ass off. I found it quite hilarious that someone who was so confident and didn't care to make me feel so awkward in the past was now feeling the same herself. My feelings were not of spite, instead they were more in a good-natured kind of banter. In my opinion, the Dahlia that stood before me was a complete opposite of the one I met before I was branded. This Dahlia showed remorse and had gone out of her way to rectify her actions. I still haven't completely forgiven her, but at least she is trying to be a better person.
She mumbled a little louder this time, still not wanting to make eye contact. Growing annoyed, I pulled back the hand that I had been holding, making her stumble forward, and gripped her chin so that our faces were leveled. Trying to maintain the straightest face I could, I spoke in the most annoyed and bored tone, "This is the last time I'm going to ask. What do you have to do? And please, try to speak up this time, I'm the one who should be blushing, not you." She tried to pull back but I didn't let her, her eyes were bulging in disbelief. "Speak!"
"A cavity search! Front and back!" I let her chin and hand go, satisfied at her finally admitting to the answer, but mortified at the thought of confirming what I already suspected and would be subjected to. "Fuck, Keira!" She swallowed visibly. "Where did this attitude come from?"
"Ah, things are starting to make sense now." Mia's voice cut through our engagement. "I have to admit, it was rather hot having to witness that."
Dahlia glared at Mia and I just hid my face, humiliated at realizing how all of this came across and how easily it could be misconstrued.
"I want to see more of this side of Keira." No, no, no. "She is a feisty little kitten." Barf! Just stop talking and making me cringe.
"Do you want to lose a couple of more teeth, Lieutenant?"
"Fine, fine. I get it. I'll shut up now. Hey, Nivia," Mia turned slightly, "how about you take me somewhere else and we'll let these two love birds have some privacy?" Mia snorted. Oh no, she didn't just go there!
Dahlia advanced towards Mia, her fist already itching to strike. Without giving it a second thought, I was off the table and within striking distance of Mia. Nivia saw me before Dahlia did and she preemptively pulled Mia back. Regardless of Nivia's actions, I swung at Mia's gut, but Dahlia caught me before I made contact. "Don't!" Dahlia pulled me back and held me against the exam table. "If you strike any personnel, there is nothing I can do for you! Just calm down. I know Mia is irritating, but still, you can't hit her!"
"Come here, Keira! Finish what you started! Let her go, Dahlia! I want to see if this kitty has claws!" Mia kept egging me on. Good god! I'm about to knock a bitch out! Fucking stupid pet names.
I thrashed under Dahlia trying to squirm my way out from under her weight. My only goal right now was to prove Mia right. I had scratched her once before, but this time I'll be sure to make any marks last. After all, she should have a small taste of the pain I've gone through.
"Keira, ugh! Stop it!" Dahlia was hopelessly trying to get me to cease my raging rampage. I had one objective, and that was to get to Mia at all cost. While trying to free myself from Dahlia, I twisted my body and the back of my elbow connected with something hard, yet pliable. A sickening crunch preluded Dahlia's head whipping back and the sound of the alarm.
I was blind with rage. All I know is that Dahlia was no longer holding me down. My vision had zeroed in on Mia's taunting grin. I was lunging at her again and this time Dahlia wasn't going to stop me.
Nivia stepped in front of Mia and held a hand at my chest to prevent me from reaching the handcuffed and bleeding bitch that had started all of this.
"Step back, Keira! You don't want to do this!" Nivia was raising her voice to levels I hadn't heard before. Her mild temperament was cracking.
"The hell I don't! Let me at her!" My response was almost drowned out by the alarm. Mia was lucky that she had half a buzz cut because the tips of my fingers barely grazed the short half that wasn't.
With a loud grunt, Nivia pushed me back making me almost lose my footing. As I went to lunge back at Mia, an incapacitating shock dropped me. Nivia held Mia in a hugging sort of hold while several pairs of boots quickly came to surround me. I was still on the ground, incapable of moving my limbs.
A sharp jab punctured my butt cheek. Not again. I was lifted by people I couldn't see. Things were starting to get hazy and it hurt to even move my neck. The people holding on to me were instructed to put me on the exam table. As I was turned around, the last thing I saw before the world vanished was someone tending to Dahlia, who was sitting on the floor with her hands clasped around her nose and mouth with blood pouring out from between her fingers. My heart shattered knowing it had been my fault she was this way.