Chapter Twenty Three

Jacob stared first at Lucas, then  at both Kaelen and Kayla's motionless bodies.  They were in a pool of blood that somehow didn't touch his mother. Lucas started to jump up again but Jacob held him back.  "You’re in no condition to be doing anything right now. Get the fucking medics in here now!"

Lucas stared unable to see as he tried to breathe past the pain in his chest.  He felt Jacob's hand on his shoulder, he even nodded as he spoke calmly to him.  His world was crashing to a halt as he stared at Kayla and Kae's bodies on the floor.

Dr. Lik Soong gazed baffled from his notes on his handheld to Kayla .  "That poison should have killed her almost instantly."  He checked her vitals again as if he expected them to flat line at any moment.  With a shake of his head he cursed the fact that he said those words out loud.

Lucas glared at him; this was the fourth time he'd said that and to Lucas's ears it sounded like the doctor wanted Kayla to drop dead on the recovery table.

Lucas looked at Jacob then back to the doctor who tried to ignore the death rays that were sent his way, "She needs a blood transfusion but the only person on Ah'Taria that could give her one is...." his voice trailed off because he didn't want to compounded his mistakes.

"What are you saying, doctor?" Jacob spat the words out, his facade had cracked under the recent strains.  His fawn eyes looked muddy as he glared.

"I'm saying..." the doctor glanced from Jacob to Lucas "I'm saying..." he began again as he cringed away from the cold eyes that gazed at him.  He cleared his throat and tried to continue, "I've reached out to Nah'Bye, blood and provisions are being sent."  He broke out in a cold sweat, "her blood though..."

Lucas stared impatiently as he waited for him to continue, "Her blood?"  He snapped tired of waiting on the doctor.

"When we ran her blood through the system it had dormant markers that the system failed to identify."  He ended quickly. His voice quivered.  He wiped more sweat off his brow.

Lucas scowled, "What in Hades does that mean!”  Lucas grabbed Medic Lik Soong by the nape of his neck his midnight blue eyes started to lighten. "Explain what that means."

Dr. Soong gazed to the floor, “The medical counsel told me not to say anything.” Jacob and Lucas followed the doctor’s gaze and saw he was now standing in a pool of his on waste.

Lucas pushed the man back in disgust and said coldly, "Consider yourself relieved of your duties! I advise you to rethink your position with the Alliance. Now get out of my sight."  With that he turned on his heel and walked toward another medic that he hoped would be better able to answer him than former head medic Dr. Soong.

Arrogantly he called to Dr. Lesley Hyung, "Dr. Hyung you've been promoted.”.  

Jacob cut Lucas off in an attempt not to scare the new head medic. "Now can you please inform us of what this dormant marker is that, your former colleague, Mr. Soong was speaking of?"

Medic  Lesley Hyung’s eyes flickered, and sent a scathing look toward Lik Soong, before they came to rest on Lucas and Jacob.  She glanced down at her hand held.

Confidently she glanced toward Kayla and proceeded to bluff, "Paramour Ward's blood has markers that we believe were genetically engineered.  Tests are being run on them as we speak so that we can have more details. We believe this mutation is why the leachy berries in the coffee didn't kill her"  She smiled.

Jacob and Lucas stared at her dumbfounded.

"Are you saying she was created in a lab?" asked Jacob looking a little skeptical.

Medic Hyung shifted her weight she stared back down at the handheld,then raised her head calmly, "I don’t know anything more. We are running tests.  I will have more information for you once we receive all information from Nah'Bye and finish running a full analysis." With a smile she said, "But no I don't believe she was created in a laboratory."

Jacob smiled back, "Your heart’s practically beating out of your chest. Do you care to speculate a bit more? Clearly there’s something you’re not..."  Before he could finish she scurried away from him.

Lucas rolled his eyes at Jacob, "This isn't the time to try to get laid."  He sighed and turned back to Kayla, "I want answers.  Do all Nah'Byian have this marker or is it special to her?  Is that why her blood draws me?"  Lucas ran a hand through his hair in frustration, "Is she aware she's an anomaly." He sat down and continued to stare at her face as if she'd open her eyes and answer all his questions.

Jacob patted him on the back before turning to exit the room.  “I was working on that before she took off. Rest assured I’ll find out.”  

-----

Kayla looked around the empty room staring at what appeared to be a projector screen in front of her wondering how she'd come to be here.  The last thing she remembered was drinking coffee with Celeste and Acadia and having problems breathing.

"Welcome!"

Turning Kayla jumped back in surprise as she stared an older man in his mid to late 60s.  He was handsome with wavy gray hair and kind hazel green eyes.  Smiling he pointed toward two seats that weren't there a moment ago.

"Have a seat so we can enjoy the movie."

"Movie?" asked Kayla as she sat down in one of the white chairs.

The old man chuckled at her confusion before sitting next to her.

The lights dimmed and Kayla watched on puzzled as images flickered in front of her.  She'd been to the cine with her brother so she knew what a movie was. She just didn't understand why she was here watching one.  As she watched her puzzlement ebbed away as she became enthralled with what was on the screen.

The woman's legs and arms were tied in what looked like a very uncomfortable kneeling position on a table. The man behind her was holding her breast as he relentlessly rammed himself into her over and over.  Tears of pleasurable pain ran down her face at  the onslaught of his deep thrusts.  Her legs shook and she sobbed against the ball gag in her mouth.  Sweat dripped from her body as she was brought to another peak.

The man seemed to be enjoying the woman's agony at being used as he leaned over and wetly kissed the nape of her neck.  As she twisted and gyrated against the metal shackles trying to get away from his thrusting, he ran moist kisses down to her shoulder.  She squealed as he grabbed her hips to push himself even deeper. Tears ran down the woman's cheeks. He chuckled into her ear then sank his teeth sank into her neck, never ceasing his savage thrusts into her from behind.  His balls whacked against herwhile he drank greedily from her.

Her muffled cries and moans drove him to be more aggressive; his grip became even more bruising and tight as he drove into her.  She moaned and tried to twist away. Kayla could only imagine him deep into the poor woman’s  stomach.  

Finally after what seemed like an eternity he finished and let out a guttural groan before collapsing onto her back.  He released the cuffs that bound her wrists to the table followed by the cuffs that kept her on her knees.The woman sagged in relief and  fell heavily on the tabletop unable to do anymore with his weight on her.  

He started to kiss the back of her neck removing the gag before gripping her face and turning her head toward him.  He looked deep in her eyes and gave her a bruising kiss.The woman seemed to struggle against him as she attempted to turn her head and he laid a resounding thwack on her bottom as a warning.  Obediently she let him turn her over as he continued kissing her deeply.

Kayla gasped as she stared at the screen and realized the two people she watched were none other than herself and Lucas.  As her brow wrinkled in confusion she watched as Lucas looked her deeply in the eyes and whispered a word to her that left her world trembling.  

"Forget."

Applause came from beside her and  she remembered she was no longer alone.  She looked at the older man,  frowned and pointed before she asked, "What is this?"

The old man chuckled, "What do you think it is?"

Kayla stared from him to the screen as her mouth fell open. She was going to reply when  she felt a crushing pain in her chest.  Gasping she tried to speak again but only blood poured from her mouth.

"Don't worry, my little Mia, everything will be ok."  His eyes sparkled in amusement.  With those words the room went dark.

-----

Excruciating pain flooded through Kayla's body as she opened her eyes.  There were tubes and monitors all around her.  Lifting her hand weakly she pulled the mask covering her face down.  Her movements set off alarms that had several people running into the room.

"Paramour Ward can you hear me?” asked someone while they shined a light into her eyes.

Kayla frowned and waved the light away as she moaned, "Why do people insist on shining lights into my eyes?"

Dr. Lesley Hyung smiled a little as she stared at the girl the prince came to visit every day.  But the next words the girl spoke made her wince as she thought of the new issues that were sure to rise.

"Where is my brother?" asked Kayla weakly.  She noticed all conversation stopped at this question and sad eyes turned to her.  As she looked around at their faces, Kayla’s eyes widened and she  screamed, "Where's Kaelen?"

With her heart feeling as though it was being ripped out of her chest Kayla’s world tilted. She embraced the darkness that pulled her under.