Destruction - The Oasis Project Book 2 (Complete)

Eleven - Linkin

Glancing over to the chairs I was curled up in last time I was here, when I had attacked Nazem, I almost felt guilty. Now, Doctor Connor and I sat at one of the plastic tables, closest to where the kitchen was along the back wall. He had invited me into the kitchen, let me go through the fridges and cupboards to find whatever sounded good.

After a bowl of rice krispies followed three cups of applesauce, I was feeling better, stronger. I was on my fourth one when we heard voices. I tensed and gripped tighter onto the spoon and Doctor Connor chuckled. "Relax, you're okay. It's probably someone to get an evening snack," he said as if that was a common occurrence. I didn't even know what time it was.

My eyes stayed locked on the door as I watched Emma walk in with a man who seemed about five years older than her. He had darker skin, almond-shaped eyes, and black hair which was almost longer than mine. "Two!" Emma called out excitedly as she sprinted away from her friend and over to me.

I tensed just in time to be assaulted by her hug as she squeezed me tightly, "Thank you so much, I was just telling Mato how amazing you were, how you stood up to Nazem!" She was practically shouting in my ear as she pulled away and sat beside me. It was then she noticed Doctor Connor and blushed, her cheeks almost matching how red her hair was. "Sorry Doctor Connor, am I interrupting?"

"No, not at all," he said as he stood up and I frowned. "I was just about to say I had to go, other work to take care of." He admitted and glanced to Mato who hung back uncomfortable, "Eight, come, meet our newest recruit, Two." Doctor Connor waved him over.

Mato slowly walked over and smiled, waving awkwardly, "Nice to meet you, I'm Eight - Mato." He properly introduced himself.

I smiled weakly as I stared at the man. It was the way he stood, his arms crossed so tightly across his chest that his muscles, seemed bigger. Mato was a big man, over six-feet tall, muscular, but also slightly lanky. In a strange way, he reminded me on Thierry, if Thierry was to lose 50lbs of muscle.

My heart suddenly became very heavy and my chest tightened. Shaking my head, I pushed away the half-eaten applesauce and was quickly standing. Doctor Connor reached a hand out to steady me, "Two, what's wrong?" he asked in concern.

Pushing his hand back, I shook my head and rubbed my forehead with more force than was necessary. Every time I blinked, I could see Thierry, his face, laughing, hand reaching out for me. It was tearing my heart apart. "Two?" Emma echoed as I stumbled a few steps away, unable to go in a straight line with my eyes closed.

"Linkin," Doctor Connor spoke back up, letting me put some space between me in them. It was obvious he was concerned, but without me saying what was wrong, he didn't know how to help.

Emma rushed forward behind me, gripping onto my elbow to help steady me. "It's okay, Linkin," her voice suddenly became almost hypnotizing to the point where the memory of Thierry almost drifted away. "Stop running," I could only focus on her. My pace slowed to a stop and she turned me to face her. "That's it, see, you're okay. Now take a deep breath in." I inhaled. "And out." I let out a slow breath. "Good, now tell me what's wrong." It wasn't a question.

My eyes closed and I let out another calm breath. "Thierry."

"Who's Thierry?" My body tensed again and my eyes slowly opened to look at her. "It's okay, you can tell me," her voice soothed my soul making it almost believable that it truly was okay.

Still, I fought her, I wasn't ready to talk about it. "No!" Doctor Connor called out too late.

Emma's hand gently touched mine and my whole body tensed. It started off as a tingling feeling, like tiny shocks running just under my skin. I started to twitch and jerk like the beginning of a seizure. "Linkin, Linkin, what's wrong? Breathe!" Her voice lost the calming edge and became slightly more panicked.

My hand went to my one sleeve and I started to push it up, "What is it?" Emma continued to ask, helping me pull my sleeve up, the shocks started to feel like knives.

With her warm hand on my arm, there was only so much I could do. "Emma, get away from her!" Doctor Connor called out, sprinting over, Mato following behind though he didn't know why.

My legs gave out and I collapsed to the ground as I started to scream. I gripped my head and curled up on the ground as flashes of Thierry appeared in my brain. The first time we met, him showing up to the doctor's office after Ira called him, the dead rose he mailed me. I couldn't hear anything over my screaming and I could feel my skin rippling as the tattoos shifted.

I couldn't feel Emma's warm touch anymore, but the pain didn't stop. It increased, feeling like my inside were being crushed as I stuck a knife into an electrical socket. I continued to seize on the ground, "What's wrong with her?" Emma was crying out, terrified.

"I think she's in a feedback loop from your ability," Doctor Connor also sounded panicked, but was trying to hold it together a bit more. "Mato, grab her wrist."

From my seizing, I felt the IV being ripped out from my arm, "What?" he questioned.

"Touch her skin, now!"

It was soft, hesitant, but the second it made contact, my entire body relaxed. I was breathing heavily as I glanced at my tattoos, shifting again to a face I didn't recognize and a map. I quickly jerked away from Mato as he started to cringe and I shifted back along the floor. "He's dead," I whispered and looked at Doctor Connor in fear. I eventually closed my eyes and curled up once again as I started to rock back and forward on the ground, "He's dead, he's dead, he's dead, he's dead," I whispered over and over again as a reminder. It was the first thing I learned here, Thierry wasn't coming looking for me because he was dead. I saw the picture they took of the body. One bullet to the head, one to the chest.

"I'm so sorry," Emma whispered, I didn't know who to.

"Two, I need you to calm down," Doctor Connor said gently as I continued to rock. "Linkin-"

"You murdered him!" I screamed, swinging my leg out to kick him across the face before I jumped to my feet. The food gave me energy, strength, something I assumed Doctor Connor was now regretting as I sprinted back to the only place I knew - my room.