Ethan couldn’t help but watch as Hunter reviewed their work on one of the computers. He marched over to him and stopped short of the screen.
“You know Godrik said to take a break, right?” he asked with a playful grin. Hunter returned the smile before answering. “I know but there’s so much work to do.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Ethan ran a tired hand through his messy hair. “Do you think we’ll be able to bond the two strands?”
Hunter seemed to contemplate his answer, playfully tugging at the asymmetrical zipper of his blue hooded sweater. It was something he did when he was nervous but Ethan had no idea why he would be like that around him. “I think if we do this right, then yeah, we’ll succeed.”
The boy glimmered at Ethan with a wide grin, showing off his perfectly white teeth. Just then, Ethan had a feeling of déjà vu that startled him. Hunter frowned, unsure of what was happening. Without explanation, Ethan hastily left the lab and ran into the nearest bathroom.
He placed both hands on either side of the sink and took a deep breath. He literally felt like he was going mad. As he stared at himself in the mirror, the images began to hit him yet again, one after another and the worst part was that he didn’t know why it was happening. He tried to shake his head in an effort to push the pictures out but was unsuccessful.
The images were made up of everything that happened in his dreams but now the pictures flickered with static, vibrating in intensity. Sharp needles and tubes going into his arms made him want to scratch them off again. He resisted, curling his fingers around the basin, as the pictures changed to the feeling of being held down on a cold table. He wanted to scream or cry out; anything to make it stop. His head felt like it was swelling, his thoughts itching to get out. That’s when the final image appeared and Ethan could only gasp.
It was Hunter. He was in a cell, tied up with strange wires, his lips trembling in fear as he gasped at Ethan with tear filled eyes. “Help me.”
As suddenly as it appeared, the image was gone and Ethan found himself on the floor, hugging his knees, rocking back and forth, breathing rapidly. Ethan had never experienced a panic attack before but it was as if he was being swallowed by fear, unable to breathe, unable to move. He felt like he was going to die from the waves of bitter agony, as they washed over him again and again. His mind was clawing its way to the edges of his body, paralyzing his limbs. Trapped in his mind, Ethan ignored the shouts and distressed calls coming from Hunter. He was so out of it that he hadn’t been aware of Godrik taking him upstairs to the 33rd floor.
Godrik told Hunter to go home which he did, albeit reluctantly. Something was obviously wrong with Ethan but as the doctor told him, there was nothing he could do to help. He gave one last hopeful glance at Ethan before getting in the elevator.
“Ethan?” No response. “Hey, look at me. Come on kid, you’re scaring me.” He waited patiently, scanning the boy’s body for injuries. He had no idea what was going on but the worry on his face would not leave anytime soon. Something was very wrong with Ethan and his silence was doing nothing for Godrik’s nerves.
The boy was staring blankly at the wall in front of him, his eyes devoid of movement. Godrik was about to call for help when a whisper left Ethan’s lips. It was too low for Godrik to hear so he asked Ethan to repeat it. “He was there.” Godrik knitted his eyebrows in confusion. “Who was where?”
“Right next to me. He was so scared and he kept begging for me to help him… but I couldn’t.”
“Ethan-”
“And then it was over. He was gone.” Ethan turned and finally locked eyes with Godrik. The doctor was shocked to see the wetness on his face. Ethan had been crying.
“He was gone.”
Godrik stood up and shuffled to a cabinet, retrieving his key in the process. He searched through a few shelves and finally grabbed a small clear vial. He took a syringe from the drawer and returned to Ethan’s side. “It’s okay Ethan. It’s over now,” he whispered in a soothing voice.
He gently pushed Ethan’s sleeve up, thankful that the boy was not resisting him, and injected a drug that would send him into a peaceful sleep.
The drug took effect quickly as Ethan’s eyes began to droop and his breathing slowed. He tilted his head up to see Godrik one last time before the grogginess overpowered him, causing him to slump over on the chair.
Godrik observed Ethan pitifully. He had a job and a duty but it was clearly taking a toll on the boy. He sighed and for the first time in a long time, he wished for things to be different.
*****
Ethan woke up slowly, the sunlight invading his eyes and his senses. A loud groan escaped his lips as the pounding in his head failed to subside. He felt like someone had beaten him up. He tried to get up but his body was devoid of any energy. Ethan turned his head to read the clock and sighed when he realized he had over slept and missed work. He was about to call Godrik when he noticed a note on his night stand.
You weren’t feeling well, so I brought you home. Take the day off and rest up. I’ll check in with you later.
- Godrik
That was strange, he thought. Ethan didn’t remember getting home. He didn’t even remember falling asleep. He tried to think back to the previous day but he was having a hard time recalling the events.
Finally, he forced himself out of bed and into the shower, attempting coax some life back into his ailing body. The hot water worked like a charm, easing the tension from his tired limbs. Ethan began to feel like himself again.
He slipped back into his sleeping attire since work was clearly not happening and sauntered into the kitchen. He stared at the food in his refrigerator for a few moments before picking up a carton of soy milk and some cut up fruit. He still wasn’t at one hundred percent yet, so he chose to avoid richer foods.
He sat down at his kitchen table and ate silently, occasionally peering outside the window at the bustling city around him. He watched pedestrians walk along the busy sidewalks as the trains rushed by, filled with commuters on their way to work. From his living room, he could see the North building across the Sector, shining in the mid-morning sunlight. He continued to think about what might have happened but was still coming up short. He felt embarrassed and wondered if he had fainted again. That would not be good. He had started making progress with Hunter, the last thing he needed was to make an idiot out of himself. He rolled his eyes as he finished his meal.
Once he cleaned his dirty dishes, Ethan quickly found himself bored. He realized other than working there really wasn’t much else that he did with his time. He decided to open the current files they were studying to see if there was something he could do from home.
He sat down in front of the large computer screen and swiped his wrist to activate the device. He flipped through various articles and notes before opening the file on the snapper DNA. He reviewed his findings and was about to add to his notes when he was alerted to a visitor.
He told the home system to open the door as he got up from his chair. When he padded to the front door, he was surprised to see Godrik there, holding a small container of food. “Hey, how are you feeling?” the doctor asked, stepping into the residence. Ethan shrugged, meeting his visitor in the kitchen.
“I’m okay. Not entirely sure what happened though.” Godrik set the item he was carrying down on the counter and turned toward Ethan. “You passed out. You seemed a bit under the weather,” Godrik explained. That was odd because Ethan didn’t remember feeling sick.
“Really? Was Hunter there?” Ethan asked. Godrik found the question peculiar but answered it anyway. “Yes. He’s the one who found you.” Ethan’s insides grumbled at the thought. Hunter must take him for a total loser. Twice now he’s passed out in front of him and the word embarrassed didn’t even begin to cover how he was feeling.
“He must think I’m an idiot,” Ethan mumbled. Godrik chose to ignore the remark and handed over the container of food that he brought. “This is some carrot cinnamon soup. I
t’s my favorite when I’m not feeling great.” Ethan smiled, opening the package and inhaling the sweet and savory aroma. It smelled amazing and the rumble in his stomach soon became one of hunger. “Thank you,” he said appreciatively.
Godrik nodded and danced on his toes a bit. It seemed as if he wanted to say more but didn’t. “I should go. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” The older man shuffled to the door. “I’m good, thanks Godrik.”
As he watched his boss leave, Ethan thought about his life and how he was finally lucky enough to not only love what he did but also who he worked with. He was learning so much from Godrik and he felt like an important part of a team. It may seem trivial to some but to Ethan, feeling like he was valuable meant more to him than all the luxuries in the world.
*****
Ethan woke up feeling better than ever. He was anxious to get back to work and as he chose his outfit for the day, he thought back to Godrik stopping by with the soup. Such a small act but it meant so much to him. The recollection made him smiled. He quickly got dressed and was out the door in no time.
He was a bit nervous to see Hunter since their last meeting had Ethan on the floor… passed out… again. He didn’t know why but it was suddenly very important to him that Hunter like him. He strode to Godrik’s office with trepidation, unsure of what the boy’s reaction would be.
“Hey.” Ethan was startled and turned around to find Hunter smiling at him. “You feel better?” the green-eyed boy asked. “Yeah, thanks.” They walked side by side to the office, occasionally stealing glances. “I’m sorry,” Ethan blurted suddenly. Hunter regarded him quizzically.
“Sorry for what?”
“For passing out, yet again,” Ethan retorted with a nervous laugh. The brows on Hunter’s face knitted together in confusion. “You didn’t pass out Ethan. You had a panic attack.” Ethan stopped walking.
“What?”
“You don’t remember?” Ethan shook his head. “We were down in the lab and you suddenly ran to the bathroom. Godrik found you shaking in a corner. We brought you up to his office and then I guess he took you home.” That wasn’t what Godrik had told him at all. A panic attack? What could have caused that? Ethan was at a loss. He didn’t understand why Godrik would lie to him. Maybe he didn’t want Ethan to feel embarrassed? That had to be it.
“But you are feeling better, right?” Ethan stared at him. “Yeah. I’m fine. Totally fine.” Hunter relaxed his shoulders. “Good.” Hunter was worried about him? Something inside of him danced at the possibility that he cared but Ethan didn’t want to get his hopes up.
They stepped into Godrik’s office and watched as the older man gathered some papers on his desk. “Great. You’re both here,” he greeted. The pair waited for further instruction from their boss.
“Would you mind waiting outside Hunter?” Godrik asked.
“Sure,” Hunter replied warily as he stepped out of the office.
Ethan studied his boss. Something seemed off but Ethan couldn’t pinpoint the source of his apprehensions. Per usual, Godrik had a syringe filled with liquid, ready to inject Ethan. He sat down on the chair opposite the doctor and pulled up his sleeve.
“Do you give Hunter his injections too?” Ethan asked. He wondered why he never saw the other boy being injected or even discussing injections of any kind. Godrik seemed thrown off by the inquiry. He hesitated before he finally said, “No. I’m sure someone on the tenth floor takes care of it for him.” He left it at that and began preparing the vitamins. Ethan was about to say something but chose to stay silent.
Dr. Stevens thought about why he was doing this and told himself that it was necessary. He never thought he would actually care for the boy but in that moment, his job was more important than his protective feelings for Ethan. He injected Ethan’s arm and watched as the boy recoiled his hand as soon as it was over.
“You might feel some side effects-”
Ethan’s eyes rolled back into his head and the boy promptly passed out, falling out of the chair and hitting the floor hard. “Damn.” Godrik ran over to him and tried to get him to sit up but Ethan’s limp body protested any such movement. He laid him back down and began slapping his face, attempting to coax some movement from him.
“Ethan?” Nothing.
He slapped him again and watched as Ethan’s body broke out in spasms. “No, no, no, come on Ethan! Wake up!!”
Godrik could feel the boy’s body temperature rising as sweat began to fall from his forehead. “Not again! Please not again!” He stood up and ran over to the cabinet in search of something that could counter act the reaction. Maybe he should have waited to inject him since he was still fragile from his panic attack? Or maybe he gave Ethan too high of a dosage? That had to be it. He berated himself until he found what he was searching for. He turned around and sighed loudly when he realized Ethan’s body had stopped moving.
He bent down to check on him when suddenly Ethan’s eyes opened. He radiated panic, unsure of his surroundings. Then Dr. Stevens noticed the unnatural brightness in the boy’s eyes that gave him a stark chill. Ethan’s frightened demeanor quickly changed into something more menacing. Godrik rose to his feet and began to slowly back away.
Ethan stood up methodically, never once taking his glowing eyes off the doctor. He had a wicked smirk on his face as he stalked closer to Godrik, deliberately taking his time. The doctor’s breath sped up as his heart raced. This certainly had never happened before.
He stepped backward, eventually reaching the wall. He had no idea what was happening to Ethan but he knew it was bad. “Ethan-” Before the doctor could finish the name, Ethan had a hand around his throat, pushing him forcefully against the wall. Godrik’s airway was effectively cut off as the boy tightened his grip. Ethan had a curious expression on his face, tilting his head as if he was trying to figure the doctor out.
Godrik struggled to speak, clawing at the hand currently on his neck. “Ethan… Please,” he strained to say. Godrik’s eyes began to water, his face red from exertion. Just when he thought that Ethan might loosen his grip, the boy pulled him off the wall only to slam him back into it and then push the doctor’s body up several feet in the air. Godrik knew that should not be possible. He weighed at least fifty pounds more than the young boy and while Ethan was fit, he was not nearly that strong.
Godrik feared that he would be killed or at the very least be rendered unconscious. The latter began to happen when his vision grew fuzzy. His eyelids drooped and suddenly he was falling to the ground, landing on his stomach. He blinked his eyes open and looked at Ethan. The boy’s expression was wide with the realization of what he had done.
“Doctor? I…I don’t… understand,” Ethan stammered. He inspected his hands disbelievingly. “What did I do?” he asked, voice laced with regret. Godrik stumbled to his feet, pushing his weight onto the desk. Ethan stepped back immediately, not wanting to do any further damage. With a hand around his own throat, the doctor surveyed his injuries.
“I’m alright Ethan. You had a bad reaction to your injection,” he explained hoarsely. “Bad reaction? My hands were around your throat!” Ethan exclaimed louder than he meant to causing the doctor to wince. Godrik waved him off regardless. “I’m fine. Everything’s fine. Let’s go.”
They walked down to the elevator like nothing had happened but even Hunter seemed to notice that something was off. Ethan wanted to believe the doctor. He wanted to pretend, but deep down he knew everything was far from fine.
CHAPTER 6
E than walked brusquely through the afternoon crowds on the street, determined to get back to his apartment as soon as possible. He was so embarrassed for attacking Godrik but at the same time he realized that maybe the doctor had been lying to him. He was enjoying his job so much. He felt like he was doing important work. So why did he have this suspicion that something else was happening to him? Something that Godrik was doing to him.
Was he part of some experiment too? He knew that Dr. Stevens excelle
d in genetic mutation but was that really what he was doing to Ethan? Was he testing out new technologies without his consent? All he wanted, all he needed were answers. So many questions swirled through Ethan’s head as he stepped into his building. He was so focused on himself that he didn’t notice someone speaking to him.
“Ethan?” He finally stopped and looked the person addressing him.
“Oh, hi Hendrick.” His mentor studied him with cautious eyes like he knew something was wrong.
“You seem distracted, is everything okay?” he asked. That was the question of the century. Was everything okay? No, it wasn’t. But what could he honestly say to Hendrick? “Yes. Everything’s fine.” Ethan attempted to brush past his mentor but the larger man stopped him.
“If something’s wrong, you can talk to me. That’s why I’m here.” Ethan thought it over, unsure of whom he could trust. He had been wrong to confide in Godrik. Would Hendrick be the same?
When Ethan didn’t answer him, the older boy led him to the elevators and pushed the button for Ethan’s floor. He remained silent throughout the ride and even as they ventured to his front door, he didn’t say a word. “Whatever it is, you can tell me,” Hendrick said. As the door slid open, Ethan turned to his mentor. “Okay.”
They made their way inside to the couch in the living room. Hendrick sat down and waited for the younger boy to speak. Ethan was hesitating, unsure of where to start. Hendrick was about to say something when Ethan beat him to it.
“What do you know about Godrik?” he asked. Hendrick seemed to think the question over. “What do you mean?” Ethan sighed. He knew the words weren’t coming out right but he tried again.
“I mean, what do you know about him? About his work?” Hendrick realized what Ethan was asking. He knew that level 1 research was sometimes troublesome. A lot of it dealt with moral dilemmas and questions of right and wrong.
Awaken_Ethan Drake Chronicles Page 7