Newer fucked up Infected RP pt1
Posting some of me and Dani's infected logs
Rescue, they were finally leaving that piece of shit New Orleans. Nick had never been so glad in his life to see the scenery disappear when the planes cargo bay doors closed. The four of them just panting and trying to catch their breath from that mad dash across the bridge. He wasn't in horrible condition, not in the sense that a doctor couldn't fix him right up. He smirked at them. "I guess my pessimism isn't always right huh?" He said before looking around, there was immediately a problem that lept into his brain. Why were there no windows in this cargo hold. And why was it devoid of anything else. Not even benches to sit on, it was more like they were cattle. Why would the government be treating survivors like cattle. "I don't like the feeling of this...Something is not right." He muttered trying to find a door into the rest of the plane and found none to be had.
As if on cue he looked up at the air vents hearing a low hissing noise, When his vision started to haze over he wavered. "Gas...f..fucking trap of all god damn...thin.." He fell over in a heap, his smoking making him more susceptible to the brain numbing agents pumped into the air.
"Whoahey, Nick!" came the alarmed twang of Ellis' voice as he rushed over to the gambler to catch him before he hit the floor. The knock-out gas hadn't hit him full force quite yet, but he was starting to cough and his vision was getting hazy. Coach and Rochelle had already passed out as well, half-way through moving to help Ellis before they collapsed. The mechanic's limbs were heavy and he swayed. "Th-the fuck..." he said numbly, before he fell as well.
A hidden door against the cabin of the plane opened and men in gas masks with guns came in. One prodding Ellis with his riffle and nudging him hard enough for the hazed mechanic to fall over. "These four will do, The white coats will like having a few new guinea pigs to play with. That last batch of carriers didn't last very long."
When Nick woke up again it was to the sound of appraising voices and at first he was flattered they seemed to be talking so nicely of him. That was about the time the cold realization hit him. He was stripped and face down on a table. Opening his eyes half way he noticed there were other people being examined and having blood drawn. The person to his left was an unfamiliar Caucasian girl, but to his right was Ellis and he frowned a bit. "Ell.." He whispered trying to wake him up. He was only half listening to the men talk about what to do with each individual.
"We need to isolate the gene that keeps them from becoming infected..." one voice said, his tone clipped and business-like, as though he wasn't talking about human beings. "Perhaps then we will be able to draw from that and create a vaccine that will make non-carriers immune as well."
Ellis groaned, blinking his eyes open for a moment before hissing lowly as a stab of blinding light hit him. He squeezed his eyes shut again with a pained groan, but the figures standing around him seemed not to take notice of his mutterings.
"These two are fine specimens," another voice said. "They're strong and quite healthy, even after surviving what they have. I will report back to the higher ups, and hopefully we will begin testing tonight." The group dispersed, and Ellis groaned again. "N-Nick...?" he asked in a shaky voice.
"Right here kid...not like I can go anywhere." He said with a sigh not liking how they were being talked about like lab rats or monkeys. "You alright? Did they hurt you any?" He frowned heavily and started feeling around seeing if there was a way loose.
"Can't... really tell..." Ellis said numbly. "Can't feel nuthin'..." He tried to lift his hand, but whether it was because of some paralytic drug being pumped into his veins through the IV in his arm, or because of some physical restraint, or both, he couldn't really tell... "Whattabout you?"
"Strapped down and cold, but otherwise I think I'm ok.." He said looking around. "There has to be like 10 other people in here and from what little I can see their only keeping those of light skin in here..wow their assholes and their racist." He sighed out. "I'm sorry kid.."
"Damn." Ellis cursed, trying again to carefully ease his eyes open. It didn't hurt nearly as much this time, but the light above him was still blazingly bright. "S'that mean..." He groaned as his head swam in a rocking ocean. "...S'that mean... Coach an' Rochelle ain't here?"
"seems that way." He wanted to ruffle the kids hair and tell him they'd be ok but he couldn't see it going that way anymore. "somehow I feel like this is my fault." He said letting a long breath out and staring at the floor which was mostly all he could for now.
There was a low hiss from the Southerner's table. "Don' go sayin' that..." he said. "Ain't your fault CEDA gone an' gassed us and is holdin' us here."
"Yah well I was never sunshines and lollipops about everything. My bad karma could have brought this on us." He looked back over at him shaking his head. "at least your here."
"It ain't karma, now sh'up 'bout it!" Ellis said in a strained voice. He wasn't normally so snappy, but given the circumstances...
Ellis let out a low sigh. "Sorry..." he said quietly. "I'm real glad you're here, too... Jus' wish I could turn my fuckin' head. This light is annoyin'."
He wanted to make some remark about the boys hat being gone, but it died on his lips. That could just depress him further and he didn't want that. "Just close your eyes for now.."
The two didn't have long to wait, orderlies came in and started wheeling tables out of the room, momentarily seperating them. Nick struggled inhis bonds to see where they were taking Ellis but he couldn't see him after a few moments. "You damn bastards don't you take him away where I can't see!" He kicked at the table best he could and the scientists were more than a little intrigued. And he did not like hearing the mutterings of 'could be of use.' 'mental wear down' 'break the spirit break the body'.
"Nick?" Ellis tried to look up as they were moved away from each other. "Nick! No, come back!" He tried to move, but his body was dead weight. What little movements he managed were subdued by the nurses and orderlies around him as he was wheeled into a room by himself, and another bothersomely bright light was switched on in his face.
"Get off me, dammit!" Ellis hissed, flexing his fingers in frustration. "NICK!"
The Con man shut up his screaming when he was taken into a room alone. He was flipped onto his back and found out then he couldn't barely move anything even when he wasn't restrained. It all felt like he was slogging through the swamp again. "You'll pay for this..not now but later I promise." He sneered before being given a shot of something that made his arm seize in pain. "Fuck" He nearly screamed it felt like they were sawing through his skin but it was just the medicine coursing through him. Though it didn't have the effects the men wanted, in fact just pain happened.
Even if he couldn't see Nick, Ellis could certainly hear his screams of pain. It sent unpleasant chills up his spine, and the Southerner's usually good-natured sort of face contorted into a snarl. "Th' hell are you sick fucks doin' in this place?!" he demanded. "This ain't right! This ain't right at--Mnhngh!" He was silenced by a gag being shoved into his mouth and straped around his head. Clenching down furiously onto the rubber bite plate with his teeth, Ellis fought and struggled as best as he could. He felt the jab of a needle, and another moment later unconciousness overtook him yet again...
Nick wasn't so lucky he'd only been spared more from his other arm when his body had decided to black him out. It couldn't take the pain. Again when the two woke up they were together thankfully. This time in chairs facing one another. "Wish they'd just kill us and get it over with, I've never seen the point in drawn out torture when there's no useful information to be had." He frowned a bit at them being alone. So close he could almost touch the other man but not quite. "You alright?"
Ellis made a groaning sound. "No..." he said. "Can feel shit again... My heads killin' me..." He lifted his head to look at Nick, moving as though it was a great effort to do so. "Whattabout you?" he said, looking at the conman with tired eyes. His hands twitched and he found them bound.
"Well accept for the lingering burning sensation in my one arm...dandy..I mean we're only naked and in some kind of lab...it's the perfect way to spend my vacation after the apocolypse." He said dryly but without it's usual bite. He just wanted loose and free it was the only thing on his mind right then.
The mechanic scoffed, turning his head slowly to glance around. "Wonder why they got us here..." He tried to pull at the cuffs on his wrists in futility. "Man, if I could only get free..."
"They'll get whats coming to them kid I promise you that" He said in a dark tone his eyes narrowed at nothing in particular. Which turned into a full on glare when the Doctor came in looking over his tray of goodies.
"It seems you two are close to one another, We will use this to...liberate you form your will. Slowly of course, nothing good is ever done quickly. So which one of you will go first?" He was holding up a scalple in one hand and some other kind of nasty looking tool in the other. Nick paled a bit and looked at Ellis, fuck they were going to make them choose who got cut on. He growled a bit angrily.
"Fuck if I'll let you touch him with those things, Sick fucking bastards!"
"Nick," Ellis said in a stern tone of voice, looking at him. "Don't... Give 'em that." He shifted his baby-blue gaze to the doctor and glared. "It's what he wants."
Nick balled his fists and nodded he knew Ellis was right, he was just damned angry at all of it. He could usually hold his temper fairly well but this really wasn't the kind of situtation that allowed him to. Instead he just kept his eyes fixed on the boy. The doctor shrugging. "Since they boy is so smart we shall let him go first." He smirked at the tensing in the older of the two mens faces at that. "This will be fun I think, oh not for you two no..but for me? Great fun."
The expression on Ellis' face hardened. He spat at the doctor's feet, unable to help himself. A pair of orderlies with facemasks on came in and unlocked Ellis' wrists before hauling him to his feet.
The Doctor circled him like a vulture smirking a bit as he looked over the boys body. "Very nice specimine we have here boys." He heard the masked men chuckle. "I can certainly see why a man such as your friend would be...all over this." He made a tsking noise. "Only one thing marring this beautiful body, I've never liked Ink myself." He put his scaple to the top of the tattoo. "Shall we remove it?~" His tone was almost sweet as if he wasn't suggesting cutting the skin off.
Flinching his arm, Ellis shied from the blade of the scalpel, face still stony and resolved despite the jeering remarks. "What sorta good s'this gonna do?" he asked calmly, refusing to react strongly like he knew was wanted of him. "Thought you guys was tryin' to find a cure for Infection." He gestured lightly with his head to the tribal tattoo on his shoulder. "Ink sure as hell ain't it."
"We
"We're trying to find out what makes you all immune. Which means looking at all aspects of a human life. Including will and persaverance. Perhaps even love in this case. We shall see how long you two cling to these notions before you turn. And a cure my dear boy? No we're trying to make the virus better, a perfect weapon."
"Weapon...?" Ellis's expression blanched for a moment, before it dawned on him and he lunged at the doctor with a growl. "You bastard!" he hissed as he was restrained by the orderlies. "Y'all went an' released this shit on purpose, didn'tchya?" He growled again, voice raising. "YOU'RE THE REASON MY MOMMA AN' FRIENDS ARE DEAD, AREN'T YOU?"
The doctor only had to lean back an inch before the boy was restrained again. "We released a few patients in selected cities to monitor how fast it spread, the number of immune, the survival rate of the initial released. I believe patient 0 and 1 are still alive their monitors have not switched off yet."
"Yea?" Ellis' lip was curled back in a snarl. "Betchya yer all real proud of your lil' ant farm... You have any idea how many people y'all have killed?"
"Oh anyone of use or importance is in a safe underground city we built for this project. Weed out the gutter trash and figure out an effective way of keeping out enemies in check." He said before cutting the tattoo off without any warning or mercy. Nick hadn't said a word since it started his eyes shut tight as he tried to control his rage.
Ellis cried out as the steel bit into his skin, slicing through the flesh and loosening it from the rest of his arm. "Fff-fuck!" He hissed in pain, doing his best to bite back a whimper. "Fuck you!" he snapped in retaliation.
"aren't you two lucky? Your not gutter trash your both very useful." He put the tissue aside in a tray to use later for something and then motioned havign them men strap the bleeding boy down letting it sting and burn openly. Nick finally opened his eyes when they pulled him off the table for his turn. He just glared hard at the doctor as he held up the tool that looked like a boot spur affixed to a handle. "You are not a talker are you? Hmmn well we'll draw noise out of you yet." He pressed the tool to the side of his face the spurs digging in as he rolled it upwards along his face tearing it open and causing the older man to make a few involuntary noises of pure pain before he was able to bite it back and endure it.
Ellis winced visibly. He was not the squeamish type, but it was difficult to see someone he care for put through pain. His own painful, bleeding arm was completely ignorable when he heard the gambler's cries. "S-stop!" he demanding, voice breaking.
*demanded
The doctor raised a brow and removed the tool from it's gorey bleeding track on the conmans face and then grabbed another impliment this one was more like a serated blade. "Hmmmn Wonder Vhat you Vill do if I do this...." He said slowly as he made one hard slash at the mans chest cutting him just deep enough to bleed but it ripped a painful near scream out of the older man having not expected it.
"You sonnovabitch!" Ellis hissed, jerking against the chair and the restraints desperately. "GO TO HELL!"
The doctor just chuckled watching the struggling boy and glanced back at the panting man in pain. "Hmmn coterize their wounds for now and throw them in cell five I think I will have to ready more proper tools for our next session." With that a gas masked man turned to one each and moved over burning the wounds closed. Which got another set of pained grunts from Nick. Though he felt slightly numb from the pain in his face. Still drugged they were walked to a cell and shoved inside. It wasn't much warmer than the lab had been and there was only one blanket on the small cot bed. Nick couldn't even make it that far he slumped onto his knees when they were let go.
The mechanic barely uttered a sound this time around, his eyes fixed instead on the doctor with a firey sort of intensity while his wounds were burned shut. He barely relented on his stubborn silence and stoicism until after they were thrown in their cell and the door was shut. The moment it was thrown shut and the lock clicked into place, Ellis scrambled over to Nick.
"Nick... NickNickNick!" he urged, lightly slapping at his cheek. "Lookit me, man."
He looked up at him in a dazed sort of manner but nodded. "yeah kid..I'm looking.." He sounded so distant though the tired graveled tones only coming up because the boy was beckoning him so hard. He felt ill and the pain his body was still throbbing and burning. "I'm sorry, they cut you up..I'd have bashed there faces in if I could have.."
"I know, I know..." Ellis assured him in a quiet voice. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to the conman's forehead. "It don't matter none fer me... I got real angry when they touched ya, though."
"I tried not to give him the satisfaction of knowing it hurt me to hear them hurt you." He looked around and motioned to the bed. "up there for now kid. Floors cold and i'm not feeling so hot." He said quietly one hand coming up to his face to try and touch the mangled burned flesh flinching away from it when the pain flared up again.
"I tried..." Ellis said with a small break to his voice. "I really tried... Couldn't keep my fuckin' mouth shut." He gathered Nick up in his arms and helped to carry him to the bed. The mattress was thin and barely covered up the hard frame underneath. But Ellis didn't care as he tucked the thin blanket around Nick. "There..."
Nick shook his head some. "Get under here with me, Laying on our sides we'll fit and I'll be damned if you freeze because of me. And you did good..I only sorry my pain tolerance isn't as good as yours."
Deciding not to argue, Ellis slipped under the blanket next to Nick, wincing visibly as the burn on his shoulder was agitated. "Nah... You did a helluva lot better'n me."
Nick smiled a little and put his arm around him carefully resting his head on the pillow. "We're really fucked aren't we?" He said this time there wasn't really pessimism in his voice it was more like resignation. What the fuck could they even do in a situation like this.
"We'll be alright," Ellis said, attempting to push that chipper optimism he was known for into his voice. Surprisingly, it worked, but only minimally. He tried to streangthen it with a smile. "We'll figure somethin' out..."
"Yeah you know me and plans I'll think of something eventually." He said smiling a touch. "Always surprised how much that smile of yours brightens a room. Makes this place feel like the god damned four seasons."
"That's a pretty bold statement," Ellis said. "'Cuz this place certainly ain't th' Four Seasons..." He nuzzled at Nick's face gently. "Go ahead an' rest... You can dream about it."
He made sure he was laying in a way that wouldn't hurt either of them but still kept Ellis against him for comfort. The way he figured it, despite the optimism. They'd likely die in this place. Or worse stay alive after dying. Whichever was worse he didn't know. He didn't want to think about what else they could do to try and break their spirits. He closed his eyes and tried like Ellis had suggested to think of somewhere better.
Hooking his arms protectively around Nick, Ellis held him close as he tried to lapse into sleep. It was proving difficult, however, as the images of being tied down to exam tables, of glittering scalpels and smirking doctors kept flashing across his mind. Once or twice, he grumbled fitfully in the back of his throat.
"Can't sleep, man," he said softly.
"Me either kid.." He said sighting out and looked up at him. "Ell if they come at us asking who gets it, let me go. I'm older and you've got a lot of head of you even if they..." He frowned heavily.
"Don't be talkin' like that!" Ellis said sternly. "We're gonna be fine, an' we're gonna make it outta here all fine an' dandy. You'll see... Then we'll find Coach an' Rochelle an' find us a proper home."
He sighed out slightly defeated by the boys stubborness. If he wanted to live in a fantasy world where everything would be ok, it was ok. It meant at least one of them would keep in good spirits longer. "Alright I won't breathe a word about the subject again"
"Good..." He settled back against Nick. "It'll happen, we jus' gotta keep our minds on it."
He let a small breath out before reaching up to tilt the boys face down some. Moving upwards so he could catch a kiss from him. A pleasant thing to try and offset the ugliness of the day
It was a small comfort, but Ellis treated it like the biggest relief in the world. Humming softly, he kissed the conman back, fingers reaching to run through his dark hair and making sure to stay mindful of the puncture wounds at the side of his face. "That helped..." Ellis said with a smile, leaning closer to Nick's ear. "I love you."
Nick kept his hand on the side of the boys head as he smiled hearing the words. Light eyes closing some. "love you too overalls." He sighed out some. "One or both of us needs to sleep..."
"You sleep... I'm gonna keep tryin'." He pulled the thin blanket up a little more. "You think on were we're gonna live after all this, okay? Think someplace real nice..." Hopefully the good thoughts would help him to sleep.
He thought on it for a moment then slid up a little on the bed pulling the boys head onto the unhurt side of his chest. Fingers petting through his hair softly. "Oh I can see it already kid. Nice big house...front and back yard...the works. Nice quiet place for a change.."
Ellis relented from his more watchful position and let Nick pull him down. "Yea...?" he said. "Sounds mighty fine to me... S'there a dog? Please tell me there's a dog..."
Nick smiled despite himself knowing he was just weaving lies but he wanted Ellis to believe it, wanted the kid to have something to hold him together. "Yup three big dogs all yours." He kept petting his hair gently. "And a nice garage to work in again too. "
Ellis couldn't help a small smile himself at that thought. "Bet I'd finally get around t' buildin' a car like I always wanted," he said, voice settling some the more their little dream was weaved. The soothing hands in his hair helped, too. Finally, Ellis yawned. "Betchya... Betchya we'd have a pool, too," he said. "An' nothin' like one-a-them above ground ones... A real fancy thing set into th' ground."
"Yup I'd make sure you had every luxury..make enough of a boon to retire in style." He said quietly letting the boy fall asleep to the plesant thoughts. "And we'll be safe from illnesses and everything."
"Good..." His voice was trailing off tiredly. In another moment, Ellis was asleep. Perhaps not the deepest, most restful sleep he'd ever had, but it was sleep. The good thoughts thankfully transcended to dreams, and images of happy homes and sun-drenched backyards floated across his mind.
Nick let a breath out and closed his eyes, Feeling the boy relaxed against him allowed him to lapse into an uncomfortable sleep. His dreams were not good at all. Filled with screaming and blood and monsters. Though after a while he realized the screaming wasn't in his dreams and his eyes jerked open. He was laying on the floor of a large room with observation windows all around. He could see the doctor past one of them, next to him tied down was the boy. He frowned and didn't like this one bit. He felt somewhat like one of those rabbits about to be run ou in front of a bunch of greyhounds. He swore he'd never bet on dogs ever again after this.
Ellis himself was tied down to his own table, currently spasming in pain as the doctors clad in white were circled around him, one injected some sort of liquid into his IV that was currently making him scream like he was. "F-FUCK, THIS SHIT BURNS!" he hissed. "CUT IT OUT! CUT IT OUT!"
Nick was on his feet even though he felt drugged still a little and punched at the window. "Leave him the fuck alone you sick fucks!" He noticed it was thick glass the kind that a bullet wouldn't have even put a dent in. He growled and kicked the wall unable to do anything but watch for the moment.
"Shouldn't you be more worried about your own situation Mr. Diageo?" The doctor this time was a woman, go figure it was a sick twisted bitch doing this to them this time. She pushed a button and a door in the room opened leading into a dark room. Nick frowned at that until he heard the growling, the warning noises of a witch and he backed away from the door. but they were aggitating her from somewhere inside likely there wasn't a damn thing he could do when she came tearing out of that tiny room at him. Sans the clawed hands but she still barrled him to the ground none the less. It all he could do to hold her head back form biting him while she beat the crap out of him with her arms. "FUCK GET HER OFF, FUCK!" He hadn't thought he was that traumatized by being attacked even with this one that he couldn't be hurt by was freaking him out his pulse racing as he tried to get the snapping jaws and screaming creature away from him.
The pain in his arm subsided slowly, and the whitecoats around Ellis stepped back so his view of the next room over was utterly unblocked. From his vantage point it was near impossible to discern the Witch's handicap with her arms flailing everywhere. All he saw was Nick being pinned down and mauled ruthlessly. Wrenching against his bonds, Ellis cried out helplessly. "NICK! NO, MAN! SOMEONE KILL THAT BITCH B'FORE IT KILLS HIM!"
The female doctor just pushed her glasses up and smirked at him. "Oh but we've decided he's of no use to us. Isn't this a much more constructive way to die?" She said wanting the boy to fully believe that the man was going to die in front of him. "At least our dear mary there will have a nice meaty meal."
A growl erupted in Ellis' throat, more savage and rage-filled than anything he had uttered yet. "This ain't right!" he hissed, yanking more forcefully at the straps holding his arms down. "You fuckin' crazy-ass psychos! I'll fuckin' KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!"
She leaned over almost into his range with a smirk on her face. "Oh will you now? All for one man? The other doctors assesment of your emmotions being your weakness was right. You don't care about yourself but if someone you love is hurt or killed you become much more animated. Do you love him hmm? I thought boys from the south weren't like that." She mocked him.
With a snarling grimmace, Ellis spat right up into the woman's smirking face. "Fuck you!" he growled. "Ain't none'a your business!"
She laughed a bit and raised the seat so he could see into the room. "Mary is amputated boy, your lover is only in danger of having a heart attack not being clawed to death. "
Ellis' eyes widened at that realization. That meant the odds were a good deal better. He wrenched at his bonds again. "NICK! Nick, fight 'er off! She ain't got claws!"
The conman heard him and something cleared in his panicked brain. He punched her hard. and then again effectively beating her until the tables were turned. His knuckles bloodied from hitting it so many times.
The doctor chuckled. "Well he turned that around didn't he, lets see how the little pretties I put in you two while you were unconcious work now." She took a remote out and pushed a button. The gambler let out a scream of pain falling over onto his side and gripping at his neck. "It's so much easier to control you when you've got these inside your spines."
The momentary thrill of victory dropped right out of the bottom of Ellis' stomach as he watched Nick fall over and start spasming like a fish out of water. "Cut that out!" Ellis said, infuriated. "You're hurtin' him!"
"Of course I'm hurting him you backwater simpleton. That's the point isn't it?" she said before pushing the button again turning it off. "Hmmn " She pushed him over to one of the doors and opened it. Disengaging the locks on his restraints shoved him unceremoniously into the room. "Go on, I'll be compassionet for a few moments." She said in a less intimidating tone.
Ellis fought to catch himself before he slammed face-first onto the cold, hard tile of the exam room floor. He stumbled, landing on his hands and knees with a pained grunt, which he promptly ignored in favor of making a mad dash to Nick, pulling the older man into his arms. "Nick... Nick..." he managed in a cracking voice.
The conman couldn't get his brain together. He tried opening his eyes, Ellis was distorted and swirled at the edges in his vision. And he squeezed his eyes shout again. "y..your all blurry...." He groaned a little feeling aches in places he'd never felt aches before. "They let you in here...?"
"Yea..." He buried his face into Nick's hair and sniffed, shaking a little to hold back tears. "I'mhereI'mhere, you jus' get your head back, okay? You're safe... I'm here..."
Nick shook his head looking over at the witch on the ground. "She's not dead kid...still dangerous.." He breathed out heavily groaning as he sat up. "Should move..to the other side of the room so she'll go passive when she comes to..." He was trying damned hard to not show the wear down from the whole thing. He wasn't sure it was reaching his face though. It was mostly grim determination, he didn't want to be so weak in front of the younger man.
"Alright, alright..." He nodded to appease Nick, helping him unsteadily to his feet before starting to shuffle slowly over to the opposite wall of the room. "I gotchya..."
The doctor pushed a button on the wall a slot opening up and quite suddenly the boy was wrenched from his supporting position. Something that for all apperances appeared to be just like a smokers tongue had wrapped aorund him and was jerking him backwards with great force. Though it was ment to trigger trauma not actually kill, but it looked convincingly enough like a tongue and in the blackness of the pannel it came from were simulated lit up eyes and the recordings of the noises.
"The hell--!" Ellis yelped as he was ripped away from Nick yet again, falling backwards as the tongue yanked him along the floor. He tried desperately to gain some traction with his feet, but the slick tile was little use. "Help! Help, Nick!"
Nick got up from being dropped and grit his teeth as he hurried after him. The boy couldn't be yanked through the wall but it was far enough away that a minuet turned into agonizing eternity. Nick finally got to him and realized it wasn't a real tongue. Growling at their trickery he reached into the hole and yanked the cable out of it's socket detaching him. Kneeling he started untangling him from the entanglement. "fucking sick ...assholes." He growled out and got him loose pulling him into a hug. "Your ok kid..wasn't a real smoker your ok."
Ellis trembled in Nick's arms. This was starting to be too much for him... The constant assault to his body and mind, and Ellis was whimpering openly. "N-Nick..." he simpered, curling into his chest. "I wanna go home..."
Nick curled around him protectively. Not mentioning how the sight in one of his eyes was waining something bad from the electrocution. He kissed the top of his head. "I'm right here Elle...we'll go home I promise..I promise you.."
"P-promissse..." Ellis echoed. It wasn't a proper response, especially in the sense it sounded so... Mechanical. Like he was just repeting what Nick said on impulse. "Promise... Promisepromisepromise..." He ducked his head and leaned into the comforting warmth of the conman's body more.
He didn't like the way the boy was talking. He wrapped his arms around him. "Ellis don't go cracking on me now...I need you Ell.." He pressed a kiss into his head cradling him against his body.
Ellis' head lifted slowly, and he stared at Nick with watery eyes. His gaze seemed out of focus for an agonizing moment before he genuined stared that the gambler. "...K-kay..."
"Good boy...I love you just rememeber that..." He kissed him softly and held him closer. "Don't leave me ok..I don't think I could handle this alone."
Tucking his head beneath Nick's chin, Ellis nodded numbly. "Okay..." The little affections seemed to help him more than anything, and another moment or two and his shaking had stopped for the most part.
He sighed out some noting when he heard the sound of thick boots approaching them. He just wrapped himself around the boy even more. "Back to our happy cell huh? Bout fucking time."
"No actually, I've decided on a ..different type of therapy for you both. Take them." The large men seperated the two forcefully the angry gambler trying to kick and fight his way out of their grasps.
Ellis let out a yelp of surprise and alarm as soon as he was pulled away from the warm comfort and protection of Nick's arms. "Nick--!" he whimpered, the forced sepperation doing his nerves and mind no good at all.
Nick growled out and tried to fight until one of the guards used a remote similar to the one the doctor had. His fighting stopped when his body seized up in pain strong enough to knock him out.
"NICK!" Ellis lunged against the hands holding him, which only tightened their grip to keep him in place. His eyes went wide as he saw Nick go down from the electric shock that was triggered by that control. "No! Nonono, NICK!" He grunted as one of the men holding him roughly shoved his fist into his stomach. Ellis crumpled in a haze of pain as he was dragged off.
Rescue, they were finally leaving that piece of shit New Orleans. Nick had never been so glad in his life to see the scenery disappear when the planes cargo bay doors closed. The four of them just panting and trying to catch their breath from that mad dash across the bridge. He wasn't in horrible condition, not in the sense that a doctor couldn't fix him right up. He smirked at them. "I guess my pessimism isn't always right huh?" He said before looking around, there was immediately a problem that lept into his brain. Why were there no windows in this cargo hold. And why was it devoid of anything else. Not even benches to sit on, it was more like they were cattle. Why would the government be treating survivors like cattle. "I don't like the feeling of this...Something is not right." He muttered trying to find a door into the rest of the plane and found none to be had.
As if on cue he looked up at the air vents hearing a low hissing noise, When his vision started to haze over he wavered. "Gas...f..fucking trap of all god damn...thin.." He fell over in a heap, his smoking making him more susceptible to the brain numbing agents pumped into the air.
"Whoahey, Nick!" came the alarmed twang of Ellis' voice as he rushed over to the gambler to catch him before he hit the floor. The knock-out gas hadn't hit him full force quite yet, but he was starting to cough and his vision was getting hazy. Coach and Rochelle had already passed out as well, half-way through moving to help Ellis before they collapsed. The mechanic's limbs were heavy and he swayed. "Th-the fuck..." he said numbly, before he fell as well.
A hidden door against the cabin of the plane opened and men in gas masks with guns came in. One prodding Ellis with his riffle and nudging him hard enough for the hazed mechanic to fall over. "These four will do, The white coats will like having a few new guinea pigs to play with. That last batch of carriers didn't last very long."
When Nick woke up again it was to the sound of appraising voices and at first he was flattered they seemed to be talking so nicely of him. That was about the time the cold realization hit him. He was stripped and face down on a table. Opening his eyes half way he noticed there were other people being examined and having blood drawn. The person to his left was an unfamiliar Caucasian girl, but to his right was Ellis and he frowned a bit. "Ell.." He whispered trying to wake him up. He was only half listening to the men talk about what to do with each individual.
"We need to isolate the gene that keeps them from becoming infected..." one voice said, his tone clipped and business-like, as though he wasn't talking about human beings. "Perhaps then we will be able to draw from that and create a vaccine that will make non-carriers immune as well."
Ellis groaned, blinking his eyes open for a moment before hissing lowly as a stab of blinding light hit him. He squeezed his eyes shut again with a pained groan, but the figures standing around him seemed not to take notice of his mutterings.
"These two are fine specimens," another voice said. "They're strong and quite healthy, even after surviving what they have. I will report back to the higher ups, and hopefully we will begin testing tonight." The group dispersed, and Ellis groaned again. "N-Nick...?" he asked in a shaky voice.
"Right here kid...not like I can go anywhere." He said with a sigh not liking how they were being talked about like lab rats or monkeys. "You alright? Did they hurt you any?" He frowned heavily and started feeling around seeing if there was a way loose.
"Can't... really tell..." Ellis said numbly. "Can't feel nuthin'..." He tried to lift his hand, but whether it was because of some paralytic drug being pumped into his veins through the IV in his arm, or because of some physical restraint, or both, he couldn't really tell... "Whattabout you?"
"Strapped down and cold, but otherwise I think I'm ok.." He said looking around. "There has to be like 10 other people in here and from what little I can see their only keeping those of light skin in here..wow their assholes and their racist." He sighed out. "I'm sorry kid.."
"Damn." Ellis cursed, trying again to carefully ease his eyes open. It didn't hurt nearly as much this time, but the light above him was still blazingly bright. "S'that mean..." He groaned as his head swam in a rocking ocean. "...S'that mean... Coach an' Rochelle ain't here?"
"seems that way." He wanted to ruffle the kids hair and tell him they'd be ok but he couldn't see it going that way anymore. "somehow I feel like this is my fault." He said letting a long breath out and staring at the floor which was mostly all he could for now.
There was a low hiss from the Southerner's table. "Don' go sayin' that..." he said. "Ain't your fault CEDA gone an' gassed us and is holdin' us here."
"Yah well I was never sunshines and lollipops about everything. My bad karma could have brought this on us." He looked back over at him shaking his head. "at least your here."
"It ain't karma, now sh'up 'bout it!" Ellis said in a strained voice. He wasn't normally so snappy, but given the circumstances...
Ellis let out a low sigh. "Sorry..." he said quietly. "I'm real glad you're here, too... Jus' wish I could turn my fuckin' head. This light is annoyin'."
He wanted to make some remark about the boys hat being gone, but it died on his lips. That could just depress him further and he didn't want that. "Just close your eyes for now.."
The two didn't have long to wait, orderlies came in and started wheeling tables out of the room, momentarily seperating them. Nick struggled inhis bonds to see where they were taking Ellis but he couldn't see him after a few moments. "You damn bastards don't you take him away where I can't see!" He kicked at the table best he could and the scientists were more than a little intrigued. And he did not like hearing the mutterings of 'could be of use.' 'mental wear down' 'break the spirit break the body'.
"Nick?" Ellis tried to look up as they were moved away from each other. "Nick! No, come back!" He tried to move, but his body was dead weight. What little movements he managed were subdued by the nurses and orderlies around him as he was wheeled into a room by himself, and another bothersomely bright light was switched on in his face.
"Get off me, dammit!" Ellis hissed, flexing his fingers in frustration. "NICK!"
The Con man shut up his screaming when he was taken into a room alone. He was flipped onto his back and found out then he couldn't barely move anything even when he wasn't restrained. It all felt like he was slogging through the swamp again. "You'll pay for this..not now but later I promise." He sneered before being given a shot of something that made his arm seize in pain. "Fuck" He nearly screamed it felt like they were sawing through his skin but it was just the medicine coursing through him. Though it didn't have the effects the men wanted, in fact just pain happened.
Even if he couldn't see Nick, Ellis could certainly hear his screams of pain. It sent unpleasant chills up his spine, and the Southerner's usually good-natured sort of face contorted into a snarl. "Th' hell are you sick fucks doin' in this place?!" he demanded. "This ain't right! This ain't right at--Mnhngh!" He was silenced by a gag being shoved into his mouth and straped around his head. Clenching down furiously onto the rubber bite plate with his teeth, Ellis fought and struggled as best as he could. He felt the jab of a needle, and another moment later unconciousness overtook him yet again...
Nick wasn't so lucky he'd only been spared more from his other arm when his body had decided to black him out. It couldn't take the pain. Again when the two woke up they were together thankfully. This time in chairs facing one another. "Wish they'd just kill us and get it over with, I've never seen the point in drawn out torture when there's no useful information to be had." He frowned a bit at them being alone. So close he could almost touch the other man but not quite. "You alright?"
Ellis made a groaning sound. "No..." he said. "Can feel shit again... My heads killin' me..." He lifted his head to look at Nick, moving as though it was a great effort to do so. "Whattabout you?" he said, looking at the conman with tired eyes. His hands twitched and he found them bound.
"Well accept for the lingering burning sensation in my one arm...dandy..I mean we're only naked and in some kind of lab...it's the perfect way to spend my vacation after the apocolypse." He said dryly but without it's usual bite. He just wanted loose and free it was the only thing on his mind right then.
The mechanic scoffed, turning his head slowly to glance around. "Wonder why they got us here..." He tried to pull at the cuffs on his wrists in futility. "Man, if I could only get free..."
"They'll get whats coming to them kid I promise you that" He said in a dark tone his eyes narrowed at nothing in particular. Which turned into a full on glare when the Doctor came in looking over his tray of goodies.
"It seems you two are close to one another, We will use this to...liberate you form your will. Slowly of course, nothing good is ever done quickly. So which one of you will go first?" He was holding up a scalple in one hand and some other kind of nasty looking tool in the other. Nick paled a bit and looked at Ellis, fuck they were going to make them choose who got cut on. He growled a bit angrily.
"Fuck if I'll let you touch him with those things, Sick fucking bastards!"
"Nick," Ellis said in a stern tone of voice, looking at him. "Don't... Give 'em that." He shifted his baby-blue gaze to the doctor and glared. "It's what he wants."
Nick balled his fists and nodded he knew Ellis was right, he was just damned angry at all of it. He could usually hold his temper fairly well but this really wasn't the kind of situtation that allowed him to. Instead he just kept his eyes fixed on the boy. The doctor shrugging. "Since they boy is so smart we shall let him go first." He smirked at the tensing in the older of the two mens faces at that. "This will be fun I think, oh not for you two no..but for me? Great fun."
The expression on Ellis' face hardened. He spat at the doctor's feet, unable to help himself. A pair of orderlies with facemasks on came in and unlocked Ellis' wrists before hauling him to his feet.
The Doctor circled him like a vulture smirking a bit as he looked over the boys body. "Very nice specimine we have here boys." He heard the masked men chuckle. "I can certainly see why a man such as your friend would be...all over this." He made a tsking noise. "Only one thing marring this beautiful body, I've never liked Ink myself." He put his scaple to the top of the tattoo. "Shall we remove it?~" His tone was almost sweet as if he wasn't suggesting cutting the skin off.
Flinching his arm, Ellis shied from the blade of the scalpel, face still stony and resolved despite the jeering remarks. "What sorta good s'this gonna do?" he asked calmly, refusing to react strongly like he knew was wanted of him. "Thought you guys was tryin' to find a cure for Infection." He gestured lightly with his head to the tribal tattoo on his shoulder. "Ink sure as hell ain't it."
"We
"We're trying to find out what makes you all immune. Which means looking at all aspects of a human life. Including will and persaverance. Perhaps even love in this case. We shall see how long you two cling to these notions before you turn. And a cure my dear boy? No we're trying to make the virus better, a perfect weapon."
"Weapon...?" Ellis's expression blanched for a moment, before it dawned on him and he lunged at the doctor with a growl. "You bastard!" he hissed as he was restrained by the orderlies. "Y'all went an' released this shit on purpose, didn'tchya?" He growled again, voice raising. "YOU'RE THE REASON MY MOMMA AN' FRIENDS ARE DEAD, AREN'T YOU?"
The doctor only had to lean back an inch before the boy was restrained again. "We released a few patients in selected cities to monitor how fast it spread, the number of immune, the survival rate of the initial released. I believe patient 0 and 1 are still alive their monitors have not switched off yet."
"Yea?" Ellis' lip was curled back in a snarl. "Betchya yer all real proud of your lil' ant farm... You have any idea how many people y'all have killed?"
"Oh anyone of use or importance is in a safe underground city we built for this project. Weed out the gutter trash and figure out an effective way of keeping out enemies in check." He said before cutting the tattoo off without any warning or mercy. Nick hadn't said a word since it started his eyes shut tight as he tried to control his rage.
Ellis cried out as the steel bit into his skin, slicing through the flesh and loosening it from the rest of his arm. "Fff-fuck!" He hissed in pain, doing his best to bite back a whimper. "Fuck you!" he snapped in retaliation.
"aren't you two lucky? Your not gutter trash your both very useful." He put the tissue aside in a tray to use later for something and then motioned havign them men strap the bleeding boy down letting it sting and burn openly. Nick finally opened his eyes when they pulled him off the table for his turn. He just glared hard at the doctor as he held up the tool that looked like a boot spur affixed to a handle. "You are not a talker are you? Hmmn well we'll draw noise out of you yet." He pressed the tool to the side of his face the spurs digging in as he rolled it upwards along his face tearing it open and causing the older man to make a few involuntary noises of pure pain before he was able to bite it back and endure it.
Ellis winced visibly. He was not the squeamish type, but it was difficult to see someone he care for put through pain. His own painful, bleeding arm was completely ignorable when he heard the gambler's cries. "S-stop!" he demanding, voice breaking.
*demanded
The doctor raised a brow and removed the tool from it's gorey bleeding track on the conmans face and then grabbed another impliment this one was more like a serated blade. "Hmmmn Wonder Vhat you Vill do if I do this...." He said slowly as he made one hard slash at the mans chest cutting him just deep enough to bleed but it ripped a painful near scream out of the older man having not expected it.
"You sonnovabitch!" Ellis hissed, jerking against the chair and the restraints desperately. "GO TO HELL!"
The doctor just chuckled watching the struggling boy and glanced back at the panting man in pain. "Hmmn coterize their wounds for now and throw them in cell five I think I will have to ready more proper tools for our next session." With that a gas masked man turned to one each and moved over burning the wounds closed. Which got another set of pained grunts from Nick. Though he felt slightly numb from the pain in his face. Still drugged they were walked to a cell and shoved inside. It wasn't much warmer than the lab had been and there was only one blanket on the small cot bed. Nick couldn't even make it that far he slumped onto his knees when they were let go.
The mechanic barely uttered a sound this time around, his eyes fixed instead on the doctor with a firey sort of intensity while his wounds were burned shut. He barely relented on his stubborn silence and stoicism until after they were thrown in their cell and the door was shut. The moment it was thrown shut and the lock clicked into place, Ellis scrambled over to Nick.
"Nick... NickNickNick!" he urged, lightly slapping at his cheek. "Lookit me, man."
He looked up at him in a dazed sort of manner but nodded. "yeah kid..I'm looking.." He sounded so distant though the tired graveled tones only coming up because the boy was beckoning him so hard. He felt ill and the pain his body was still throbbing and burning. "I'm sorry, they cut you up..I'd have bashed there faces in if I could have.."
"I know, I know..." Ellis assured him in a quiet voice. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to the conman's forehead. "It don't matter none fer me... I got real angry when they touched ya, though."
"I tried not to give him the satisfaction of knowing it hurt me to hear them hurt you." He looked around and motioned to the bed. "up there for now kid. Floors cold and i'm not feeling so hot." He said quietly one hand coming up to his face to try and touch the mangled burned flesh flinching away from it when the pain flared up again.
"I tried..." Ellis said with a small break to his voice. "I really tried... Couldn't keep my fuckin' mouth shut." He gathered Nick up in his arms and helped to carry him to the bed. The mattress was thin and barely covered up the hard frame underneath. But Ellis didn't care as he tucked the thin blanket around Nick. "There..."
Nick shook his head some. "Get under here with me, Laying on our sides we'll fit and I'll be damned if you freeze because of me. And you did good..I only sorry my pain tolerance isn't as good as yours."
Deciding not to argue, Ellis slipped under the blanket next to Nick, wincing visibly as the burn on his shoulder was agitated. "Nah... You did a helluva lot better'n me."
Nick smiled a little and put his arm around him carefully resting his head on the pillow. "We're really fucked aren't we?" He said this time there wasn't really pessimism in his voice it was more like resignation. What the fuck could they even do in a situation like this.
"We'll be alright," Ellis said, attempting to push that chipper optimism he was known for into his voice. Surprisingly, it worked, but only minimally. He tried to streangthen it with a smile. "We'll figure somethin' out..."
"Yeah you know me and plans I'll think of something eventually." He said smiling a touch. "Always surprised how much that smile of yours brightens a room. Makes this place feel like the god damned four seasons."
"That's a pretty bold statement," Ellis said. "'Cuz this place certainly ain't th' Four Seasons..." He nuzzled at Nick's face gently. "Go ahead an' rest... You can dream about it."
He made sure he was laying in a way that wouldn't hurt either of them but still kept Ellis against him for comfort. The way he figured it, despite the optimism. They'd likely die in this place. Or worse stay alive after dying. Whichever was worse he didn't know. He didn't want to think about what else they could do to try and break their spirits. He closed his eyes and tried like Ellis had suggested to think of somewhere better.
Hooking his arms protectively around Nick, Ellis held him close as he tried to lapse into sleep. It was proving difficult, however, as the images of being tied down to exam tables, of glittering scalpels and smirking doctors kept flashing across his mind. Once or twice, he grumbled fitfully in the back of his throat.
"Can't sleep, man," he said softly.
"Me either kid.." He said sighting out and looked up at him. "Ell if they come at us asking who gets it, let me go. I'm older and you've got a lot of head of you even if they..." He frowned heavily.
"Don't be talkin' like that!" Ellis said sternly. "We're gonna be fine, an' we're gonna make it outta here all fine an' dandy. You'll see... Then we'll find Coach an' Rochelle an' find us a proper home."
He sighed out slightly defeated by the boys stubborness. If he wanted to live in a fantasy world where everything would be ok, it was ok. It meant at least one of them would keep in good spirits longer. "Alright I won't breathe a word about the subject again"
"Good..." He settled back against Nick. "It'll happen, we jus' gotta keep our minds on it."
He let a small breath out before reaching up to tilt the boys face down some. Moving upwards so he could catch a kiss from him. A pleasant thing to try and offset the ugliness of the day
It was a small comfort, but Ellis treated it like the biggest relief in the world. Humming softly, he kissed the conman back, fingers reaching to run through his dark hair and making sure to stay mindful of the puncture wounds at the side of his face. "That helped..." Ellis said with a smile, leaning closer to Nick's ear. "I love you."
Nick kept his hand on the side of the boys head as he smiled hearing the words. Light eyes closing some. "love you too overalls." He sighed out some. "One or both of us needs to sleep..."
"You sleep... I'm gonna keep tryin'." He pulled the thin blanket up a little more. "You think on were we're gonna live after all this, okay? Think someplace real nice..." Hopefully the good thoughts would help him to sleep.
He thought on it for a moment then slid up a little on the bed pulling the boys head onto the unhurt side of his chest. Fingers petting through his hair softly. "Oh I can see it already kid. Nice big house...front and back yard...the works. Nice quiet place for a change.."
Ellis relented from his more watchful position and let Nick pull him down. "Yea...?" he said. "Sounds mighty fine to me... S'there a dog? Please tell me there's a dog..."
Nick smiled despite himself knowing he was just weaving lies but he wanted Ellis to believe it, wanted the kid to have something to hold him together. "Yup three big dogs all yours." He kept petting his hair gently. "And a nice garage to work in again too. "
Ellis couldn't help a small smile himself at that thought. "Bet I'd finally get around t' buildin' a car like I always wanted," he said, voice settling some the more their little dream was weaved. The soothing hands in his hair helped, too. Finally, Ellis yawned. "Betchya... Betchya we'd have a pool, too," he said. "An' nothin' like one-a-them above ground ones... A real fancy thing set into th' ground."
"Yup I'd make sure you had every luxury..make enough of a boon to retire in style." He said quietly letting the boy fall asleep to the plesant thoughts. "And we'll be safe from illnesses and everything."
"Good..." His voice was trailing off tiredly. In another moment, Ellis was asleep. Perhaps not the deepest, most restful sleep he'd ever had, but it was sleep. The good thoughts thankfully transcended to dreams, and images of happy homes and sun-drenched backyards floated across his mind.
Nick let a breath out and closed his eyes, Feeling the boy relaxed against him allowed him to lapse into an uncomfortable sleep. His dreams were not good at all. Filled with screaming and blood and monsters. Though after a while he realized the screaming wasn't in his dreams and his eyes jerked open. He was laying on the floor of a large room with observation windows all around. He could see the doctor past one of them, next to him tied down was the boy. He frowned and didn't like this one bit. He felt somewhat like one of those rabbits about to be run ou in front of a bunch of greyhounds. He swore he'd never bet on dogs ever again after this.
Ellis himself was tied down to his own table, currently spasming in pain as the doctors clad in white were circled around him, one injected some sort of liquid into his IV that was currently making him scream like he was. "F-FUCK, THIS SHIT BURNS!" he hissed. "CUT IT OUT! CUT IT OUT!"
Nick was on his feet even though he felt drugged still a little and punched at the window. "Leave him the fuck alone you sick fucks!" He noticed it was thick glass the kind that a bullet wouldn't have even put a dent in. He growled and kicked the wall unable to do anything but watch for the moment.
"Shouldn't you be more worried about your own situation Mr. Diageo?" The doctor this time was a woman, go figure it was a sick twisted bitch doing this to them this time. She pushed a button and a door in the room opened leading into a dark room. Nick frowned at that until he heard the growling, the warning noises of a witch and he backed away from the door. but they were aggitating her from somewhere inside likely there wasn't a damn thing he could do when she came tearing out of that tiny room at him. Sans the clawed hands but she still barrled him to the ground none the less. It all he could do to hold her head back form biting him while she beat the crap out of him with her arms. "FUCK GET HER OFF, FUCK!" He hadn't thought he was that traumatized by being attacked even with this one that he couldn't be hurt by was freaking him out his pulse racing as he tried to get the snapping jaws and screaming creature away from him.
The pain in his arm subsided slowly, and the whitecoats around Ellis stepped back so his view of the next room over was utterly unblocked. From his vantage point it was near impossible to discern the Witch's handicap with her arms flailing everywhere. All he saw was Nick being pinned down and mauled ruthlessly. Wrenching against his bonds, Ellis cried out helplessly. "NICK! NO, MAN! SOMEONE KILL THAT BITCH B'FORE IT KILLS HIM!"
The female doctor just pushed her glasses up and smirked at him. "Oh but we've decided he's of no use to us. Isn't this a much more constructive way to die?" She said wanting the boy to fully believe that the man was going to die in front of him. "At least our dear mary there will have a nice meaty meal."
A growl erupted in Ellis' throat, more savage and rage-filled than anything he had uttered yet. "This ain't right!" he hissed, yanking more forcefully at the straps holding his arms down. "You fuckin' crazy-ass psychos! I'll fuckin' KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!"
She leaned over almost into his range with a smirk on her face. "Oh will you now? All for one man? The other doctors assesment of your emmotions being your weakness was right. You don't care about yourself but if someone you love is hurt or killed you become much more animated. Do you love him hmm? I thought boys from the south weren't like that." She mocked him.
With a snarling grimmace, Ellis spat right up into the woman's smirking face. "Fuck you!" he growled. "Ain't none'a your business!"
She laughed a bit and raised the seat so he could see into the room. "Mary is amputated boy, your lover is only in danger of having a heart attack not being clawed to death. "
Ellis' eyes widened at that realization. That meant the odds were a good deal better. He wrenched at his bonds again. "NICK! Nick, fight 'er off! She ain't got claws!"
The conman heard him and something cleared in his panicked brain. He punched her hard. and then again effectively beating her until the tables were turned. His knuckles bloodied from hitting it so many times.
The doctor chuckled. "Well he turned that around didn't he, lets see how the little pretties I put in you two while you were unconcious work now." She took a remote out and pushed a button. The gambler let out a scream of pain falling over onto his side and gripping at his neck. "It's so much easier to control you when you've got these inside your spines."
The momentary thrill of victory dropped right out of the bottom of Ellis' stomach as he watched Nick fall over and start spasming like a fish out of water. "Cut that out!" Ellis said, infuriated. "You're hurtin' him!"
"Of course I'm hurting him you backwater simpleton. That's the point isn't it?" she said before pushing the button again turning it off. "Hmmn " She pushed him over to one of the doors and opened it. Disengaging the locks on his restraints shoved him unceremoniously into the room. "Go on, I'll be compassionet for a few moments." She said in a less intimidating tone.
Ellis fought to catch himself before he slammed face-first onto the cold, hard tile of the exam room floor. He stumbled, landing on his hands and knees with a pained grunt, which he promptly ignored in favor of making a mad dash to Nick, pulling the older man into his arms. "Nick... Nick..." he managed in a cracking voice.
The conman couldn't get his brain together. He tried opening his eyes, Ellis was distorted and swirled at the edges in his vision. And he squeezed his eyes shout again. "y..your all blurry...." He groaned a little feeling aches in places he'd never felt aches before. "They let you in here...?"
"Yea..." He buried his face into Nick's hair and sniffed, shaking a little to hold back tears. "I'mhereI'mhere, you jus' get your head back, okay? You're safe... I'm here..."
Nick shook his head looking over at the witch on the ground. "She's not dead kid...still dangerous.." He breathed out heavily groaning as he sat up. "Should move..to the other side of the room so she'll go passive when she comes to..." He was trying damned hard to not show the wear down from the whole thing. He wasn't sure it was reaching his face though. It was mostly grim determination, he didn't want to be so weak in front of the younger man.
"Alright, alright..." He nodded to appease Nick, helping him unsteadily to his feet before starting to shuffle slowly over to the opposite wall of the room. "I gotchya..."
The doctor pushed a button on the wall a slot opening up and quite suddenly the boy was wrenched from his supporting position. Something that for all apperances appeared to be just like a smokers tongue had wrapped aorund him and was jerking him backwards with great force. Though it was ment to trigger trauma not actually kill, but it looked convincingly enough like a tongue and in the blackness of the pannel it came from were simulated lit up eyes and the recordings of the noises.
"The hell--!" Ellis yelped as he was ripped away from Nick yet again, falling backwards as the tongue yanked him along the floor. He tried desperately to gain some traction with his feet, but the slick tile was little use. "Help! Help, Nick!"
Nick got up from being dropped and grit his teeth as he hurried after him. The boy couldn't be yanked through the wall but it was far enough away that a minuet turned into agonizing eternity. Nick finally got to him and realized it wasn't a real tongue. Growling at their trickery he reached into the hole and yanked the cable out of it's socket detaching him. Kneeling he started untangling him from the entanglement. "fucking sick ...assholes." He growled out and got him loose pulling him into a hug. "Your ok kid..wasn't a real smoker your ok."
Ellis trembled in Nick's arms. This was starting to be too much for him... The constant assault to his body and mind, and Ellis was whimpering openly. "N-Nick..." he simpered, curling into his chest. "I wanna go home..."
Nick curled around him protectively. Not mentioning how the sight in one of his eyes was waining something bad from the electrocution. He kissed the top of his head. "I'm right here Elle...we'll go home I promise..I promise you.."
"P-promissse..." Ellis echoed. It wasn't a proper response, especially in the sense it sounded so... Mechanical. Like he was just repeting what Nick said on impulse. "Promise... Promisepromisepromise..." He ducked his head and leaned into the comforting warmth of the conman's body more.
He didn't like the way the boy was talking. He wrapped his arms around him. "Ellis don't go cracking on me now...I need you Ell.." He pressed a kiss into his head cradling him against his body.
Ellis' head lifted slowly, and he stared at Nick with watery eyes. His gaze seemed out of focus for an agonizing moment before he genuined stared that the gambler. "...K-kay..."
"Good boy...I love you just rememeber that..." He kissed him softly and held him closer. "Don't leave me ok..I don't think I could handle this alone."
Tucking his head beneath Nick's chin, Ellis nodded numbly. "Okay..." The little affections seemed to help him more than anything, and another moment or two and his shaking had stopped for the most part.
He sighed out some noting when he heard the sound of thick boots approaching them. He just wrapped himself around the boy even more. "Back to our happy cell huh? Bout fucking time."
"No actually, I've decided on a ..different type of therapy for you both. Take them." The large men seperated the two forcefully the angry gambler trying to kick and fight his way out of their grasps.
Ellis let out a yelp of surprise and alarm as soon as he was pulled away from the warm comfort and protection of Nick's arms. "Nick--!" he whimpered, the forced sepperation doing his nerves and mind no good at all.
Nick growled out and tried to fight until one of the guards used a remote similar to the one the doctor had. His fighting stopped when his body seized up in pain strong enough to knock him out.
"NICK!" Ellis lunged against the hands holding him, which only tightened their grip to keep him in place. His eyes went wide as he saw Nick go down from the electric shock that was triggered by that control. "No! Nonono, NICK!" He grunted as one of the men holding him roughly shoved his fist into his stomach. Ellis crumpled in a haze of pain as he was dragged off.