The Franklin Series: Forgotten| On hold

Two

The doctor pulled the suction's from her temples, "How are you feeling?"

Johanna growled. He knew she couldn't respond. Her medication was so strong that she was barely able to think.

He pulled the buzzer and his labourers rushed in to return her to her usual spot on the ground.

He wiped off his hands on his pants and tidied his workspace, "I will see you tomorrow morning."

The door closed and she heard the click of the lock. She stared at the chair that she had just been seated in. Her determination to move her muscles building. She could picture what she wanted to do in her head. It was the only clear image she had seen in years.

She winced when her arms reached for the metal bars of the elaborate chair. It was ice cold on her palms. She groaned as she lifted her body to a kneeling position. She rested her head on her hands. The bars she clung too were the only thing keeping her upright.

She took a deep breath. She choked on the dust that funnelled into her lungs. She leaned back and put her wait on the front of her feet. Her muscles hadn't moved so much in so many years. Her joints were so stiff they could have made creaking noises. She reached up with one hand and pushed her legs to stretch until she was standing.

The cords ran freely from the door to the alarm. With one pull anyone could disable them. It was never considered a possibility until today. By the time they realized what she had done it would be too late. A sound escaped her mouth. She brought her hand to her lips. It was meant to be a laugh. It had been so long it came out as a wheezing sound instead.

She hooked her finger over the wires and let her body go limp. The snapping sound they made when they disconnected made her heart float. The drugs blocked any show of emotion. Her smile was still lost and her excitement remained internal. But it was more than she had felt in years.

She bit her lip and pulled them loose from the staples that confined their movement. Then she corralled them in the corner away from the eyes of visitors.

The wait for morning would be excruciating.