Blakesley
Blakesley watched the moniters and came to a descion. Taylor would be dug up today. Ewan could go maybe another day, he thought. The scientist leaned forward slightly to speak into an intercom. "Prepare to unearth the alien subject."
"Yes sir. Any orders on the human?"
"Not as yet."
"I'll go set some men to that right away, sir."
Blakesley got up and headed down to cell 21. He wanted to be there when they opened the coffin.
Taylor
Taylor rolled his head to the side, trying to make himself fall asleep again. After all, it was all he had to do.
He guessed that eventually... one time he wouldn't wake up again.
Blakesley
The soldiers started digging down, carefully avoiding the tube which was still feeding oxygen to Taylor, down in the earth. Blakesley paced the room, waiting for them to reach the coffin.
A shove thumped on something harder then earth.
Taylor
Taylor let out an exclamation, muffled by the gag.
Someone was there.
He folded his arms across himself, wondering what was going on.
Blakesley
"Careful," Blakesley said sharply. The soldiers nodded and scraped away the last of the earth. Then they started to bring it up.
"Easy, easy. Up a bit on your end there!"
Blakesley watched with a critical eye, and wondered how much closer this had pushed Taylor towards breaking point.
Taylor
Taylor closed his eyes, his body shivering as he felt the coffin swaying.
Please don't let him be there. Please don't let him take me somewhere again...
Blakesley
The coffin settled onto a table and Blakesley moved over to it. One of the soldiers got a crowbar and levered the lid off it.
Blakesley peered inside, not flinching at the smell that arose. It was only to be expected when Taylor had not had access to any bathroom facilities. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Taylor."
Taylor
Taylor gulped as his eyes fluttered, straining against the light.
He felt too drained to move, and hardly registered Blakesley's voice. A tear ran down his right cheek.
Blakesley
Blakesley frowned slightly. "Take him out, clean him off. Carefully, mind you. Then take him down to the infirmary for a check up."
"Sir?"
"You have your orders, soldier," Blakesley said coldly.
They shrugged and started to do as Blakesley had commanded.
"Tell me, Taylor. How is it to breathe fresh air again?"
Taylor
Taylor squinted a little, not registering quite what he was seeing. His power probably played a major part in him being able to hear Blakesley's words.
He waited until a soldier removed the gag from his mouth, and excersized his jaw a little.
"Good," his voice croaked eventually, his eyes to the ground - away from the light.
Blakesley
"That's good. And if you don't want to go back down there...actually, that would get boring. SO let's say I'll do something even worse, hmmm?" Blakesley smiled slightly, then stepped back. "Do go and take him to the infirmary. They're used to coping with this type of thing."
Two of the soldiers looped Taylor's arms over their shoulders and started walking.
Blakesley followed at a distance.
Taylor
Taylor groaned, closing his eyes as he hung his head.
He couldn't even stand or lean on anyone, let alone fight back.
Every now and then, on the way to the infirmary, he tired opening his eyes again.
Blakesley
When they reached there, the soldiers lifted Taylor onto a bed. An efficent nurse came up.
"Name?"
"Taylor Hanson, and he's one of mine," Blakesley interjected smoothly.
"Ah. What treatment is allowable?"
"I want him back in full health as soon as possible."
"Well, we better get started. Cath!" The nurse got some of her colleagues together and they stripped Taylor efficently before starting to sponge the filth off him, talking briskly to each other.
"What's Billy doing these days?"
"Well, he just started a new job..."
"Oh, really? Where?"
"In an office, I can't remember the name..."
Taylor
Taylor breathed deeply, trying to mentally gather himself together. Physically could wait, and he already knew it wouldn't happen anytime soon.
Right... he was Taylor Hanson... Being held by a scientist called Blakesley because he was an alien... The first Dathrian they had.
He tried to open his eyes again, but since he was facing the ceiling he had to quickly close them again.
Blakesley
One of the nurses inserted an IV drip into Taylor's arm and then they all moved back as Blakesley stepped forward again.
"I want him secured. Blindfolded, arms and legs immobile," Blakesley said silkily. "Go get me item 86, and item 78."
The soldier he addressed saluted and clicked his heels together. "Yes sir!" He left at a trot.
Taylor
Another tear fell from Taylor's eyes as he heard what Blakesley ordered. What would happen to him now?
"Please..." he barely managed to whisper.
But he couldn't add anything.
Blakesley
The soldier arrived again as the nurses were dressing Taylor in new clothes. He was carrying two black somethings in his hands. "Sir!"
"Yes, well, now put them on him."
"Yes, sir!" The soldier walked over to the bed. "Hood or bag first, sir?"
"Sleeping sack first, if you would." Blakesley moved in to watch.
"Just mind the IV line," one of the nurses demurred.
Taylor
"Please..." Taylor began again, another tear falling, "don't do this..."
His body was still shaking, but only from fear. He didn't know what they were talking about, but he'd bet it wasn't anything good.
Blakesley
They ignored him as two more soldiers moved in to help the first one. They lifted Taylor's legs and slid the sack in, then sat him up and unrolled the rest of it under his back. Then they zipped it up, laying his arms across his chest. It was a black sleeping sack, made out of rubber.
Blakelsey tilted his head slightly as the soldiers did as the nurses requested and moved the IV line so it wasn't snagged on anything.
The first soldier got the hood out and started to slide it over Taylor's head.
Taylor
"No... no..." Taylor shook his head with a whimper, before the hood fell into place.
He gulped, the tears flowing freely. What was happening to him?
Blakesley
"Yo're well on the way to being broken," Blakesley noted. "I could suggest you do it faster, but it's so much more amusing this way."
"Sir? Do you need us anymore?" A soldier asked respectfully.
"I want a guard here 24 hours. That is all."
"Yes sir. I'll organise it." The soldier saluted.
Taylor
Taylor tried to move his right arm, but his fingers twitched and that was all.
It was more than highly unsettling to have the hood on when he could barely move.
He took in a shaky breath, feeling the lump in his throat growing.
Blakesley
"If his condition starts to decline, call me," Blakesley said to the nurses.
"Yes, doctor." They nodded. "We know what to do."
"Good, good." Blakesley nodded slightly. He walked over to Taylor and ran the thin edge of a knife down his face. "Sleep well, Taylor."
Taylor
Taylor sulked like a child as he felt the blade run down his face, knowing that if Blakesley wanted to do anything to him he couldn't stop him.
He squeezed his eyes shut, trying hard not to shake.
Blakesley
"I know youre afraid. You don't have to pretend you aren't," Blakesley said to Taylor. "I need to go check on Natalia..."
Taylor
Taylor tried to agree, but couldn't form the words.
He took a deep, shaky breath, then tried to relax slightly. Didn't work.
The mention of Natalia made him wonder where she and Ewan were, and not for the first time, wonder how many days had passed.
Blakesley
"I'll be seeing you later," Blakesley promised, and then swept out of the room.
"Ok, we need to feed him something light..."
"Soup?"
"Consomme, if we can get some."
The nurses started to work to bring Taylor back to health.