FENN DRAX
Once again, they wheel me in on that damn hospital bed with the little casters, even though I can walk perfectly fine.
I guess they're already assuming I'll be in much worse shape on the way back.
We're heading to the facility's main lab, packed with cutting-edge equipment.
All those horrible machines… the ones that hurt me, with the help of people who operate them and make that pain materialize.
My whole body is tense. I know that's not exactly the smartest response when you're expecting pain, since it only makes everything feel worse. But that's not the only reason I'm wound so tight. I keep wondering whether they actually brought Marlow or if they ignored my request.
I get my answer soon enough.
The moment they roll me into the room, a wave of relief and happiness washes over me.
I spot his tall, slender figure standing against the wall.
His hair is down again, framing his delicate, pale face and giving him an almost angelic look.
My eyes lock onto him instantly, as if he's the only person in the room. And for me, he is.
He's certainly the only human here who's shown me the slightest bit of kindness, and in my world that's about as rare as a priceless jewel.
"Marlow," I say, almost reverently.
"Hello, Fenn," he whispers.
He uses my name. Nobody does that. I've always just been Drax to everyone.
I give him a shy smile like some awkward teenager.
Yeah, as I said, my flirting skills are basically nonexistent.
What I did before had nothing to do with romance.
Back on Calsing Island, I'd get an assignment, go to the designated unit, wake up the beta, we'd leave together, they’d stand against a wall, I’d let my other side take over, touch them, work myself up, and then I’d fuck them.
That was my sex life. Absolutely no romance whatsoever, no dating, hands holding, flowers, and dinners.
I squeeze my eyes shut and push those thoughts away. I don't like thinking about that period of my life. It wasn't enjoyable, and it isn't something I want to remember.
Reed and Wilhelm leave while a different group of staff members pushes my bed toward a specialized station.
Dr. Lee is here too, Lomax's deputy. He's the one who oversees many of the experiments, presenting a softer version of the nightmare doctor, with a fake smile and empty words.
He puts on the appearance of kindness, though it's so carefully rehearsed that it never feels real.
The nurses secure me to a metal table with thick straps reinforced by metal fibers. My jaw clenches automatically because I know exactly why they're doing it. They don't want me struggling. They also place a thick rubber bite block between my teeth so I don't bite through my tongue.
Dr. Lee acts as the surgeon. One of the nurses pulls my loose hospital pants down at the side of my hip. I get a local anesthetic, and they wait a few minutes for it to take effect. During that time, I glance over at Marlow.
His eyes are fixed on me with what looks like concern. The strange thing is I can almost sense it, what he feels. I can't read anyone in the room but him which is kind of puzzling.
Everything about his energy feels like it’s infusing me with courage and strength. I'm grateful for that, but even just for his presence.
Dr. Lee positions a guide against the side of my hip. The insertion of the needle itself doesn't hurt because the local anesthetic works on the surrounding tissue.
On the tomography monitor, layer by layer, my unnaturally dense bone structure appears. A normal biopsy needle would never make it through the thickness nature built into my skeleton. That's why Dr. Lee picks up a diamond trephine drill, which starts spinning with a high-pitched whine.
The moment it touches bone, the sensation is horrifying.
I clench my fists and throw my head back, feeling the muscles in my jaw tremble, but I know this still isn't the worst part.
A stream of chilled saline runs along the rotating bit, carrying away the heat.
One minute passes. I'm shaking. My bones are shaking.
Sweat begins running down my forehead and neck.
I can still feel Marlow watching me. With tremendous effort, I turn my head as far as the restraints allow, and our eyes meet. The awful sound of bone being drilled fills the room.
His face has gone pale as paper. His fists are clenched as though he's sharing my pain. His lips tremble slightly, and I know he's the only person in this room who feels any sympathy for me at all.
I also know they're getting close to the inside of the bone now. The pain keeps building. I can't hold it in anymore, and a long groan tears from my throat.
"He's hurting! Can't you give him something?" Marlow suddenly says.
Dr. Lee answers without even looking at him, still focused on the drill.
"That's not possible. We nearly lost him once already. Mutant physiology isn't the same as human physiology. It has to be local anesthesia only. His body processes most drugs too quickly and neutralizes them. Larger doses break down into harmful metabolites."
The drill is almost through now, and the pain becomes nearly unbearable. A cry rips out of me despite knowing this still isn't the worst part. The marrow extraction is far worse.
Almost three minutes pass before Dr. Lee announces that he's broken through the cortical layer. A sharp cracking sound echoes through the room. Another shout tears from my throat.
"Can I go over there and hold his hand?" Marlow suddenly asks.
Dr. Lee raises an eyebrow but nods.
Marlow immediately moves to my side. My fists are clenched tight in a losing battle against the pain, but then his hand, so much smaller than my own, wraps around my fist, and the exact moment his skin touches mine, a wave of bliss rushes through me!
The pain vanishes, completely.
What the fuck? How is that possible?
But the worst part should still be coming. Dr. Lee removes the drill. A narrow channel leading into the marrow cavity appears on the screen.
"Channel open," he says. "Inserting the cannula."
A long titanium tube slides into the drilled opening. When the tip reaches the marrow, a technician connects the vacuum reservoir. This is always the worst moment. The extraction itself usually causes a deep, devastating pain that tears through me and leaves me wrecked for days afterward.
Dark red marrow begins flowing slowly through the transparent tubing.
Where's the pain?
I'm so shocked that I actually let out a shaky breath. Dr. Lee lifts his head too, clearly surprised. Last time I'd screamed so loudly that several technicians had to leave the room because they couldn't handle listening to it.
"You're not feeling pain?" he asks with obvious scientific curiosity.
I spit the bite block out of my mouth.
"No. When he's touching me, everything stops," I whisper.
My eyes meet Marlow's, and that's when I notice his are slightly wet, as if my suffering had somehow affected him deeply.
"Thank you," I murmur. I can't stop staring at him. It's like he's the essence, the meaning of comfort. Like he's the only person existing in the entire universe.
"Really. Thank you," I whisper again.
His fingers tighten slightly around my hand.
"No problem. If it helps, you can always ask for me."
"I think that's exactly what we'll do," Dr. Lee says as he seals the marrow sample inside a refrigerated container.
He starts dressing the wound in my hip.
"Because I have to admit, everything went much more smoothly than usual. Do you happen to possess any unusual…" He pauses, searching for the right word. "…abilities?"
We all know what he's asking.
Within the ABO community, there are people with unexplained gifts. That's common knowledge, although serious scientific institutions don't really study it. The whole topic sits somewhere between accepted science and urban legend.
A faint blush appears on Marlow's cheeks, and the brief hesitation makes both Dr. Lee and me study him even more carefully.
"Not that I know of," he says, averting his eyes.
But I know he's lying. Now that he's touching me, that realization feels obvious. It's not a complete lie. I'd bet Marlow genuinely didn't know he could take away someone's pain. But something is definitely going on. He's hiding a secret.
Well, I can't blame him. The reason he doesn't want to discuss it in the middle of a laboratory where mutants are experimented on is pretty obvious. It should be obvious to Dr. Lee too, which is probably why he doesn't push further.
"Well, whatever it is, it turned out to be useful. Next time he has a procedure, we'll probably call for you too. It'll save us from wasting painkillers that barely work anyway," Dr. Lee says with one of his carefully crafted smiles. But I have no interest in looking at him. Only at Marlow.
"Alright. You can take him back to his room. Send Wilhelm in."
"Wait. Could Marlow stay with me a little longer, at least until the pain settles down?" I ask, even though the truth is that the pain has already settled. I'm lying just to keep him with me for a little while longer.
"That’s a question for Marlow, not me," Dr. Lee says.
I glance at him. There’s a visible blush on his cheeks, but he nods anyway.
"Of course. If you need me, I’ll stay and help."
"You don’t have to. Who am I, anyway?" I whisper, so quietly it can only be heard by an alpha. No beta in the room can hear it, Dr. Lee included.
Marlow shakes his head.
"I want to help you, if I can."
Reed and Wilhelm return to the room, and I’m glad they weren’t here for any of that. They would’ve had a field day with it.
Dr. Lee does us a favor when he says, "Take Drax back to his room. Marlow will accompany him. He can stay there as long as he wants."