Reset

Jason looked at her then peeked in through the window. “It’s a man.” He reached for the door and it slid open.

They rushed inside.

Clearly, to Nora, things were happening different with the man.

Small red dots of lights blinked on the top of the box contraption. The naked man was suspended by a ring clamp that wrapped around his waist. There was a respirator tube in his mouth and his eyes were closed as the fluid slowly lowered.

“Is he dead?” Jason asked.

“I don’t…” Nora shook her head and stopped. Her eyes lifted. “Heming.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Heming. The name under the red lights. Heming. Do you think that’s his name or the name of the machine?”

Jason shrugged, “Do you remember having a breathing tube?”

“No. Then again, I didn’t grasp anything until I was face first on the floor in a puddle.”

“Choking,” Jason said. “Yeah. Me, too.”

Nora stood a few feet from the encasement, her eyes shifting from that to the monitor on the wall. The gel like fluid drained completely from the man and the red lights turned blue. A hissing noise was released and the encasement filled with a steam. So much so the man could not be seen.

The lights turned green, the vapor disappeared and then it did, the man’s eyes were open. The tube ejected from his mouth and the clamp released him.

He became aware.

That was evident.

In a panic, he swiped his hands frantically up and down his arms, shifted left to right and as the door began to open, he grew impatient, shoving it and slipping through.

He didn’t fall face first to the floor in a puddle of goo. However, with rubbery legs, he lunged forward, nearly losing his balance. He was a man in his forties, maybe older. It was hard to tell. His hair was thin and gray, balding on top. He seemed oblivious to the fact he was naked his awakening was more mentally traumatic. At least it seemed that way to Nora. Physically he seemed fine.

His temper flared and angrily he blasted, “What did you people do to me? Where am I?”

“Sir…” Jason spoke softly.

He grabbed for Jason, yanking and holding on to his shirt. “What did you do? Oh my God. My wife. My family.”

“We did nothing.” Jason fought the man’s grip. “We are in the same boat as you.”

“Boat? We’re on a boat?” he asked.

“No.” Jason shook his head. “Figure of speech. I  …”

“I’ve got to get out of here.” He took a single steps and the monitor came on catching his attention as well as Jason and Nora’s.

The image wasn’t quite as bad as Nora recalled, he same man in a lab coat, speaking to the camera. “Good morning. By now you have awakened. Please, for your health, as quickly as possible, relieve your bladder and wash any remaining residue from your skin and hair. You will find we have provided you with clothing. At this point, you are wondering what is going on, All those questions will be answered when you…”

It was the same message Nora received with only a few more words.

“When?” the man asked, his body began to shiver and his voice trembled. “When will it be answered?” He stared hard at Jason.

“I don’t know. I really don’t know. My message cut off right after he said to shower.”

“Well, she knows,” the man pointed at Nora.

“I don’t.” Nora answered helpless.

“Really?” He asked with sarcasm, his voice increasingly trembling as much as his body. “I find that hard to believe. You were there. I know that face.” He reached out. “You were the last person I remember seeing.”

Then the man collapsed to the floor.

FIVE – Malcolm

“Do you think this is why they said to wash?” Nora asked Jason in a near state of panic, staring above Number Twelve as he lay naked and motionless on the floor.

“More than likely,” Jason reached for the man. “He’s breathing.” He then hoisted him to his feet, bracing the man’s back to his chest as he dragged Twelve toward the bathroom. “Get the water. Turn it on.”

“He’s out. How are you going…?”

“I’ll hold him up. Go on hurry.”

She did as requested, reaching into the shower stall, turning on the water and testing it.

Jason was struggling, Nora could see that, but he held tight to the man as he stepped into the shower. He placed his back flush on the wall as a means of support. “Aim the water on him, please.”

Nora did. She adjusted the flow to hit the man. “He’s not waking.”

“Give him a few seconds he will.”

She stepped back, then noticed the man’s fingers moved and his arm swayed some. She hurriedly grabbed a towel from the shelf and as she did she heard it.

Another voice.

“Anyone?” a male yelled. “Hello!”

It seemed that Jason didn’t hear, if he did, he didn’t acknowledge.

“Oh, shit,” Nora looked behind her.

“What is it?”

“Someone is calling out.”

“Go. Go. I got this.”

Nora nodded stepped back at the same time Number Twelve cocked his head. She spun from the bathroom and raced out of Room Twelve.