You Could Have Given Me a Warning

(5) Experiment #0052

After we put target #0062 into his cell, the three of us went to our boss' office to go debrief the situation. I started to get really nervous because I felt... awful. There were just so many issues right now and my head was clouded with annoying thoughts.

"Alright, so do you have my patient?" our boss asked when Gemma and I sat down. Damien went on the other side of the desk to sit next to his mom, which I guess is kind of sweet? But like she's crazy so it's also kind of weird.

"Yes, he's exactly where the other guy was," I said, looking down, fiddling with my fingers.

"Lina, where did your professionalism go?" our boss said, snapping her fingers to get my attention. I looked up and felt my face turning red.

"Sorry, ma'am I am just like super tired, I just need to get used to these new responsibilities you're giving me," I rambled, adding a fake smile that she probably knew was fake. I was internally (and maybe externally) freaking out. Gemma, being the amazing friend that she is, saved me.

"So the new patient is scheduled for his experiment tomorrow, correct?" Gemma asked our boss. She looked over at Gemma and nodded and then started typing on her laptop, which I guess was brand new because I'd never seen it before.

"Damien, how do I get to my calendar?" she asked him. He reached over to help her and I tapped Gemma on the shoulder. She looked at me and I mouthed 'Thank you.'

"Oh! Thanks. So you two are needed for patient #0052's experiment," she said, reading off of her laptop.

"John Gusman?" Damien said, "Isn't that the guy from the Denny's?"

"Yeah," Gemma said, "That's in room G2 correct?"

"G3," our boss said, "And it starts in an hour. So do what you'd like in the meantime, but be there on time. You are dismissed."

I bolted out of there and Gemma followed behind at a normal pace. Damien stayed inside, probably to chat with his mom.

"Do you want to go to the cafeteria?" Gemma said when she caught up with me.

"Sure. I am dying for a bagel right now," I said and we started heading that way. The room we called the "cafeteria" looked more like a lounge, but we called it this because there was a sign on the door that said cafeteria and it became a huge joke within headquarters.

When we got there, I grabbed a bagel from the basket and sat on a couch. Gemma got some orange juice and a piece of bread.

"Are you gonna toast that?" I asked, pointing at the bread.

"No," Gemma said. I looked at her dumbfounded.

"Okay... enjoy your bread," I said pettily and took a bite out of my bagel.

"Why are you judging me? You didn't toast or put anything on that bagel," she said and then took a loud sip from her orange juice.

"Touche," I said. I felt so out of it; we weren't usually this tired. Our boss had been giving us fewer and fewer breaks ever since that day in the fire experiment. It's like all she wants us to do is work because we're "understaffed." I am very against her taking people, but if she's going to take them, can she at least recruit them?

Woah, I can't believe I just thought that.

"What's happening to us?" I said, trying to distract myself from my own head.

"I don't know. I feel so... empty." Gemma replied.

"Are you sure that's not because all you're eating is a piece of bread?" I giggled.

"Shut up," she said and took another loud sip from her orange juice.

"Dude, stop drinking so loud. There are other people in here," I whispered.

"Why are you suddenly whispering?" she said. I didn't know how to respond to that question, so I got up and grabbed another bagel.

"I'm going to go put this in our sleeping quarters," I whispered.

"Are you seriously smuggling a bagel right now? Can't you just keep it in your bag? We have to get to Experimentation soon," she rambled. Her second question kind of contradicted the first question, but whatever.

"Fine..." I said and put the bagel in my bag. Ever since the shape-shifting incident, our boss has advised that we keep a bag on us so we could always have weapons on hand just in case something happened again.

Gemma got up and threw her cup away. Then, we left the cafeteria and went to Experimentation. Outside of the room, there were hazmat suits hanging on the doorknob.

"Do we put these on?" I asked, picking one up.

"I guess," Gemma said and grabbed the other one. As we were putting them on, something crossed my mind.

"Why didn't we have these on the first time? That was a fire test, this one's just telekinesis," I asked.

"It's almost like they knew the other one would fail," Gemma said. That made my heart stop. I gulped very dramatically and opened the door. We went inside and found patient #0052 laying on a metal label.

"Hey guys!" the doctor said way too enthusiastically. She had on a lab coat and one of those doctor masks.

"Hi..." I said.

"For this test, we're just going to put this cap on his head," she said, gesturing towards the red metal bowl-shaped cap, "and see if he can move that pencil right over there."

"Where's your hazmat suit?" Gemma asked.

"Oh, I don't need one. You're what he's aiming for when he lifts the pencil," she said and pointed at the pencil.

"We need a hazmat suit to protect us from a pencil?" I asked.

"It could explode and we don't want that to cut you. Don't worry, if it looks like he's about to stab you, I'll knock him out. Let's begin. Put on those helmets and stand on the red X's." she said.

"I thought we were agents, not test subjects," I muttered as I put on the helmet. Then, I walked to the right red X. Gemma stood on the left of me and we were standing directly in front of the patient. The doctor sat the patient up and put the cap on his head. He immediately woke up screaming. That startled Gemma and I. The doctor gently pointed to the pencil and whispered something in his ear. He lifted his hand and the pencil started floating. I looked at Gemma, whose eyes got really big in fear. Then, Gemma started floating as well. She started squirming around in the air and I stared at her.

"Oh my God, help me! Help me down!" she said as I grabbed her arm and started pulling her down. The patient then pointed his hand towards me and slammed my head against the ceiling and I knocked out.