Nilbog Hospital, Wednesday Morning
The machine was large. Like a big, bulky, sci-fi electric chair. Topping it was a claw like device that hovered ominously over the still groggy Connor's head. He'd come out of his daze several times, only to be immediately sedated again. This time though, they were ready. No more sedation would be necessary.
A man in a paint and blood spattered lab coat was checking the machine over, occasionally poking Connor with a stuffed hippo. "Does this hurt?" the man asked Connor, poking him with the toy again. There was no answer, but that seemed to satisfy him. "Don't bother trying to break out of the restraints." he cautioned. "They'll hold nicely. I tested them on your Grandmother/Sister. Possibly niece." He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially. "I think we're engaged."
Drusilla stood before him, beaming at the contraption. "This will make Baby Brother all better, yes?" Drusilla asked.
The man, Dr. Eugene Noches' face was split by a manic grin. "Oh Yes!" he cried. "My Monster Maker...excuse me." He went to a work bench, took a roll of duct tape, and put a strip on part of the machine. He then wrote Baby Brother Fixer on it in block letters.
"My Baby Brother Fixer will go deep into his mind, and separate fact from fiction like a media watchdog! I stole it from another Mad Scientist who was calling it a Brain Wave Scanner." he said with a tone of voice that suggested that was a really stupid name.
"And then we'll all be together, happy little family," Drusilla said.
Noches sighed happily. "Bringing families together is my favorite part of the job. Speaking of which I have to see how the multi headed kitten is doing. I'll be right back and then," he turned to Connor. "I vash jure Bran!"
With that he skipped out, calling to someone called the Bambino.
"Wakey, wakey," Drusilla said. "It'll all be back, soon."
"What do you want?" Connor asked automatically. Probably what she wanted last time. He tried to move but the restraints on the chair held him fast.
"Careful," Drusilla said. "Don't want baby brother hurting himself. I want him safe from them."
"What's going on? What is this?" He held still for a moment, gathering his strength. "Them who?"
"No no no," Drusilla said. "It's time to relax. None of this being naughty and fighting your big sister."
"If only it were that simple." Connor muttered. "What is this thing?"
"It'll make you all better," Drusilla said.
"Make me...all...no. No, no, no, that's...that's not a good idea."
"Why could that possibly be a bad idea?" Drusilla said. "You should trust me. I'm awfully trustworthy. They don't like you. Call you horrible names. But once you're all better they'll leave you alone."
"I'm fine now, really. I don't need to get better. And who is they?"
"The Master Race. They're coming to spoil it all. It will be glorious, but they're coming for you. I won't let them find you. Not until you're ready for them. Just lie back and relax," Drusilla said. "You don't know what's best for you."
"I know it's not what I was before." he insisted.
Dru stared right into his eyes. "You've got naughty little thoughts in your head," she said. "Little lies that don't belong."
There wasn't much use in denying that. "I know. They were a gift." Plus it was way not that simple.
"Smoke and mirrors, falsehoods and treachery," Drusilla said. "Infecting you, weakening you. Have to break the shell so the phoenix can be reborn. Have to be strong. Have to stay here where it's safe."
"I really, really like myself better this way." Connor said weakly. All the uncertainty and fear he'd felt after regaining his original memories were creeping back in. Cordelia's and everyone else's assurances seemed to be getting buried. He clung to his memories of hell and bonding with Spike and his father. That helped.
"You are so much more than this," Drusilla said. "I want you to remember. To be who you really are. Baby brother shouldn't be anyone else."
"You don't know who I am."
"I know you better than you know yourself," Drusilla said.
He knew who he was now. Whatever he'd been before wasn't who he was now. No matter how much Drusilla wanted him to be. But the things she said nagged at him.
Behind Drusilla, a Vampire stepped into the doorway, looking very unhappy to do so.
"So relax, baby brother," Drusilla cooed. "And it'll all be better."
The Vampire in the doorway cleared his throat nervously. "Uhm, Houston, we have a problem."
Dru frowned and looked over shoulder. "What?"
"Ther's uh, intruders. And uhm, they're kinda kicking the ass of every monster we throw at them."
Drusilla narrowed her eyes at him.
"I'm just the messenger here!" Suddenly he was staked from behind.
"Well you know what they say." Dr. Noches said philosophically. "Always kills the messenger. Or is it never kill the messenger? No wait I think it's never skin a messenger but kill the cat." He came in, and Dru drifted out, murmuring about the Master Race again. Why was that bugging Connor so much?
Once Drusilla was gone, Dr. Noches turned to Connor. "Now, uh, this is awkward to say but uhm, I've never done this before."
"Brains!" came a shout from outside the room.
"Not now! I'm busy!" he shouted back. "Well I've made monsters obviously but you're my first lobotomy, so to speak. It will probably hurt, quite a bit. I hope so at any rate."
"You're even crazier than-" Connor began, but Noches put a finger to his lips.
"No, no, don't speak. You'll spoil the mood. Plus you'll wear out your voice before the screaming starts, and that's the best part." He went over to a switch on the wall. "Now I'm recording all this, for my research. So for posterity's sake, please. Be honest."
When Noches flipped the switch, Connor's screams echoed through out the building.
Woah, nice acoustics.
A man in a paint and blood spattered lab coat was checking the machine over, occasionally poking Connor with a stuffed hippo. "Does this hurt?" the man asked Connor, poking him with the toy again. There was no answer, but that seemed to satisfy him. "Don't bother trying to break out of the restraints." he cautioned. "They'll hold nicely. I tested them on your Grandmother/Sister. Possibly niece." He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially. "I think we're engaged."
Drusilla stood before him, beaming at the contraption. "This will make Baby Brother all better, yes?" Drusilla asked.
The man, Dr. Eugene Noches' face was split by a manic grin. "Oh Yes!" he cried. "My Monster Maker...excuse me." He went to a work bench, took a roll of duct tape, and put a strip on part of the machine. He then wrote Baby Brother Fixer on it in block letters.
"My Baby Brother Fixer will go deep into his mind, and separate fact from fiction like a media watchdog! I stole it from another Mad Scientist who was calling it a Brain Wave Scanner." he said with a tone of voice that suggested that was a really stupid name.
"And then we'll all be together, happy little family," Drusilla said.
Noches sighed happily. "Bringing families together is my favorite part of the job. Speaking of which I have to see how the multi headed kitten is doing. I'll be right back and then," he turned to Connor. "I vash jure Bran!"
With that he skipped out, calling to someone called the Bambino.
"Wakey, wakey," Drusilla said. "It'll all be back, soon."
"What do you want?" Connor asked automatically. Probably what she wanted last time. He tried to move but the restraints on the chair held him fast.
"Careful," Drusilla said. "Don't want baby brother hurting himself. I want him safe from them."
"What's going on? What is this?" He held still for a moment, gathering his strength. "Them who?"
"No no no," Drusilla said. "It's time to relax. None of this being naughty and fighting your big sister."
"If only it were that simple." Connor muttered. "What is this thing?"
"It'll make you all better," Drusilla said.
"Make me...all...no. No, no, no, that's...that's not a good idea."
"Why could that possibly be a bad idea?" Drusilla said. "You should trust me. I'm awfully trustworthy. They don't like you. Call you horrible names. But once you're all better they'll leave you alone."
"I'm fine now, really. I don't need to get better. And who is they?"
"The Master Race. They're coming to spoil it all. It will be glorious, but they're coming for you. I won't let them find you. Not until you're ready for them. Just lie back and relax," Drusilla said. "You don't know what's best for you."
"I know it's not what I was before." he insisted.
Dru stared right into his eyes. "You've got naughty little thoughts in your head," she said. "Little lies that don't belong."
There wasn't much use in denying that. "I know. They were a gift." Plus it was way not that simple.
"Smoke and mirrors, falsehoods and treachery," Drusilla said. "Infecting you, weakening you. Have to break the shell so the phoenix can be reborn. Have to be strong. Have to stay here where it's safe."
"I really, really like myself better this way." Connor said weakly. All the uncertainty and fear he'd felt after regaining his original memories were creeping back in. Cordelia's and everyone else's assurances seemed to be getting buried. He clung to his memories of hell and bonding with Spike and his father. That helped.
"You are so much more than this," Drusilla said. "I want you to remember. To be who you really are. Baby brother shouldn't be anyone else."
"You don't know who I am."
"I know you better than you know yourself," Drusilla said.
He knew who he was now. Whatever he'd been before wasn't who he was now. No matter how much Drusilla wanted him to be. But the things she said nagged at him.
Behind Drusilla, a Vampire stepped into the doorway, looking very unhappy to do so.
"So relax, baby brother," Drusilla cooed. "And it'll all be better."
The Vampire in the doorway cleared his throat nervously. "Uhm, Houston, we have a problem."
Dru frowned and looked over shoulder. "What?"
"Ther's uh, intruders. And uhm, they're kinda kicking the ass of every monster we throw at them."
Drusilla narrowed her eyes at him.
"I'm just the messenger here!" Suddenly he was staked from behind.
"Well you know what they say." Dr. Noches said philosophically. "Always kills the messenger. Or is it never kill the messenger? No wait I think it's never skin a messenger but kill the cat." He came in, and Dru drifted out, murmuring about the Master Race again. Why was that bugging Connor so much?
Once Drusilla was gone, Dr. Noches turned to Connor. "Now, uh, this is awkward to say but uhm, I've never done this before."
"Brains!" came a shout from outside the room.
"Not now! I'm busy!" he shouted back. "Well I've made monsters obviously but you're my first lobotomy, so to speak. It will probably hurt, quite a bit. I hope so at any rate."
"You're even crazier than-" Connor began, but Noches put a finger to his lips.
"No, no, don't speak. You'll spoil the mood. Plus you'll wear out your voice before the screaming starts, and that's the best part." He went over to a switch on the wall. "Now I'm recording all this, for my research. So for posterity's sake, please. Be honest."
When Noches flipped the switch, Connor's screams echoed through out the building.
Woah, nice acoustics.