Chapter Four #4
“They did. Once they realized what I could do, though, they started using me instead of hurting me. Well, they still hurt me, especially in the beginning when I refused to help them.”
Franklin shook his head. “I don’t even know what your ability is. I’ve seen some crazy shit since I moved in with the tribe, though. I don’t think anything you can say would surprise me.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that, but I understand what you’re saying. I’ve seen things while I was in the labs, too.”
“Including my brother.”
Reed looked away. “Including your brother, yes.”
“Tell me.”
Reed could tell that Franklin was testing him.
Reed could say no and keep his secrets to himself the way he wanted, but what would Franklin think about that?
He already didn’t trust Reed. That wouldn’t make it any easier, and even though Reed knew they didn’t have a future, he wanted Franklin to trust him.
He needed to if he wanted to make it out of that lab.
Besides, what would it change? Reed already knew that Franklin didn’t want him.
Knowing the full story wasn’t going to change that.
He looked down at the blueprints on the table.
He traced a hallway with his finger, remembering the time he’d spent there.
It had been six months since he’d seen the inside of the lab, and he hoped he never would again.
At the same time, he couldn’t forget that so many people were still imprisoned in there.
“I used to be a lab technician,” he said.
“Initially, I started in another facility. That one was completely normal, and I was doing the job I trained for. Everything was going well, and I was doing a good job, which is why I got the attention of someone higher up. When they told me that they’d been watching me and that they were impressed by my work ethic and capabilities, I was pleased.
Everyone wants their work to be recognized, right?
And it’s not like I’m a doctor or anything like that.
I’m not saying that my work wasn’t important, but it definitely wasn’t as important as helping people.
I think that person knew that was what I wanted to do, and they offered me a job in another facility.
They said that there, they were working to help more people.
I’d be helping people, which was what I wanted. ”
In hindsight, Reed could see that he’d been na?ve. It had been so easy for the person who’d recruited him to get him to say yes after a few compliments. He felt like an idiot every time he thought about it, as he should. He’d been an idiot.
“So I moved to the new facility,” he continued.
“Initially, I was just doing the same thing I’d been doing at the old facility.
I think they wanted to see what I would do first. The first time they expected me to work with a patient, as they called the prisoners, I freaked out.
Two guards grabbed me, and I was threatened.
They made sure I knew what would happen if I told anyone about what I’d seen or if I stopped working there.
I desperately wanted to, and I might have, but I also realized that the prisoners wouldn’t be getting any help.
I knew I wouldn’t be able to do much for them, but I figured that even the little I could do would help.
Initially, it was mostly being gentle when I was collecting samples and things like that, but it wasn’t enough.
I wanted to do more, so I started sneaking food and water when I could.
Some of the prisoners still hated me, and I wanted to do more, but I couldn’t.
I knew that if I tried telling anyone, I would be killed, just like I probably would if I left.
I could’ve gone into hiding, but I had no idea how to do that. ”
“You managed to survive for the past six months,” Franklin pointed out. He didn’t sound unkind, but he was right.
“I didn’t know what I was doing back then.
To be fair, I still don’t. I was a coward.
As long as I stayed, I was relatively safe.
They threatened me, but they wouldn’t hurt me.
They did once I became a mutant. I guess I felt like I had no reason to stay since they were hurting me anyway, so when I got the opportunity, I ran. ”
Franklin nodded. “You did the right thing.”
“Did I? I’m not sure your brother feels that way.”
“Garrett has always been a sweet kid. Knowing him, he’d want you to be safe.”
“Maybe.” Reed wasn’t sure he would ever find out, but he would try. He would do everything in his power to free Garrett. The kid, as Franklin called him, hadn’t done anything to deserve what was happening to him. Hell, Reed didn’t think that anyone deserved any of that.
“Anyway,” he continued. “I did everything I could to make life a bit easier and more comfortable for the prisoners. I was careful with them when I collected samples, held their hands when I could, and fed them. When one of the prisoners got seriously ill after an experiment, I stayed with her. I knew she was going to die if I didn’t help, so I ignored my superior’s orders and snuck back in.
Since she was so sick, she wasn’t in her cage, but rather, in one of the labs.
I guess the scientists wanted to monitor how she was doing.
They were gleeful about finding out more about the progression of whatever they were doing to her. ”
Reed stopped talking. He wasn’t sure he could say anything else.
“That’s when you became a mutant?” Franklin asked.
“It is. I guess one of the guards heard me in there. He came in, tried to drag me out, and threatened me, and I fought back. We hit a table, and something fell off. I remember the sound of glass breaking, the guard swearing, and pain in my head when he pushed me. I still have no idea what happened exactly, but when I woke up, I was in one of the infirmary beds. I was told that the guard had died. I didn’t.
Instead, I became a mutant. I’m able to manipulate people’s metabolism. ”
Franklin frowned. “What does that mean?”
“I can speed up their mutations or age them. I can do that until their body dies of old age. I can do the reverse, too, but it’s much harder.
I can make people lose a lot of weight very quickly.
I can slow down their metabolism until even the salads make them gain weight.
I can force them to shift again and again.
When the scientists found out about all of this, they used me. ”
And Reed wasn’t sure he could ever forgive himself for not fighting harder.