The Facility (3)

_{Part 1
Part 2}

 After all of the tests, and more questions that Minako knew she wasn't coherent enough to answer, she was presented with a bowl of some yellow-brown mush to eat. It tasted better than it looked, and when she had finished, she ignored the lack of bed or blanket and curled up in her corner to sleep. She dreamt of the little girl, standing above her as she lay in her concrete box.

     After a few moments of the girl standing over her silently, Minako unfurled herself and stared up into the girl's grey-green eyes. She hadn't had the chance to see her eye colour in the midst of the earlier situation, and there was something unnatural about the way the colour seemed to swirl around her pupil.

     “If you’re here,” Minako said, not moving from her position on the floor, “this is either a dream inside a dream, or you're here to tell me all this crazy stuff is real.”

     The girl still said nothing. Minako sighed and pulled herself to her feet. She hopped up onto the table and looked to the corner of the ceiling. “I can't even escape this place in my sleep.”

     “That's because this isn't a dream, either.” The girl approached her once again, her intense gaze meeting Minako's and seemingly staring into her soul.

     “Okay, then. I’m willing to accept anything at this point. What is this,” Minako waved her hands at the room, “then?”

     “I’m able to communicate with your unconscious mind.” That penetrating stare didn't falter.

     Minako dropped her hand to her side and held her gaze with a questioning one of her own. “You can do that? What are you?”

     “Not human.” The girl gave a tiny amused smile. “But you know that. They told you and you believed them.”

     “And I’m here because I’m like you?”

    “No.” The girl frowned and finally turned her eyes away. “You’re definitely human.”

     “Because they told me that–”

     “They’re guessing,” she interrupted harshly. Minako flinched at the tone and she softened it “They’re wrong.”

     “Then how is this happening? Why did I come for you?”

     The girl tilted her head. “You know why you came here. There’s no hidden meaning. You saw me and you wanted to save me.”

     “But I said that I came for you. More than once.”

     “You said that because I asked you to.”

     “You didn’t. We haven’t spoken until right now ...” Minako jumped off the table and started to pace. “Or have I met you before?”

     The girl paused for a moment before responding hesitantly. “I spoke into your subconscious. It was a little like what I'm doing now.”

     “Okay ...” Minako stopped pacing and took a deep breath. “Why?”

     “Your eyes told me you wanted to help. I gave you that chance.”

     “But I didn’t help. And now everything’s messed up.”

     The girl grabbed Minako’s hand. “You will. You’re on the path to freeing me.”

     Minako looked down at the small hand inside hers. It was a sweet gesture, exposing her frailty in amongst her confidence in what she was saying. “The ones who have us are paranoid about your people coming to save you ...” Minako trailed off, waiting for a reaction, but the girl gave none. “Are they coming to save you?”

     The girl's playful innocence was lost as she looked down sadly. “No, they wouldn’t dare. But if they knew the extent of my power, they would definitely come.”

     “Your power ... So, I’m using your power, right? You connected with me and made me able to heal like this?”

     The girl shook her head. “I didn't know what would happen, but I gave you a burst of my power. You grew it into your own gift.” The smile spread across her features once again. “It's a rare gift, you should be proud.”
 
  “So ... You can’t heal?” Minako crouched beside her and ran her hand over the girl's shoulder and up her neck to her chin. “Are you still hurt?” She trailed her fingers lightly along the delicate skin, tracing beneath the frown that had returned.

     “I'm hurt, and you can't see it in this place, but I'm being fixed. You saved me from the worst of it, anyway. And when you pulled yourself out …” She gripped Minako's hand and held it at her cheek. “I was scared for you. I thought maybe you'd died because of me, just because you wanted to help.”

     “But I can’t help you now. I’m trapped. If you couldn’t escape, how will I?” Minako pulled her hand away and leant back against the metal legs of the table.

     “You can still save me, Minako. You will save me.”

     “How do you know that?”

     “I can see it in your eyes. You’re scared, but you’re determined. And your power will help you. It’s more than just healing. Learn how to use it and you’ll help both of us.” The girl stepped backwards. “I have to go now, but we'll see each other again.”

     Minako held her hand out. “There’s something else ...”

     The girl took Minako's hand and gave a grin. “My name? You can call me Ronnie.”

     The duplicate room faded away and Minako opened her eyes to see the wall of the corner she was curled up in. “I will save you, Ronnie. I'll save both of us,” she whispered.


--------------------

Minako’s eyes followed the scalpel as she tossed it between her hands. There was only one way to find out how her power worked, and that was the same way the scientists were trying: to test it and watch closely. She’d been sitting in her corner for twenty minutes since she woke from her dream-chat with Ronnie, trying to work up the courage to make an incision bigger than a prick.

    The healing process was too fast to see in such a small area, but Minako had never in her life had the urge to cause purposeful harm to herself – regardless of whether it would heal instantly or not. They would come to do more tests on her soon, though. She couldn’t wait.

    Minako grit her teeth and made the incision on the back of her hand, closing her eyes as she did so. When she opened them again, she hissed out a curse at herself. The cut was healed, and she was never going to learn anything by being squeamish about blood. She focused on the blade as she ran it through her skin once more, amazed at how the healing followed the metal before the blood could even trickle away. She took a deep breath as she dug the sharp metal in again, leaving it there. The skin healed around it. She dropped the handle in shock and the instrument stuck there, upright in her skin.

    When the door crashed open suddenly, she started, hitting her head on the wall behind her. She yanked the scalpel out of her hand when she saw a man in a lab coat enter the room.

He moved towards more timidly than his grand entrance had indicated, and he crouched down in front of her. His gaze lingered at the scalpel she was holding for a second before whispering, “I’m here to help. Come on, we’ve got to hurry if we want to get you out of here.” He held out his hand, and Minako didn’t even hesitate before taking it.