Starring:
Date: September 23rd, 2009
Summary:
Max returns to Human Resources to give Molly a bit of good news.
"Save Yourself"
Building 26 - Human Resources
Without any warning, the door to the prisoners' shared cell is unlocked and swung open. Max is pushed through the opening none-too-gently by one of the ubiquitous uniformed guards, with two more flanking. The prisoner is strapped to a plastic tilt-table on wheels that's very similar to those used to transport dangerous patients in asylums. He's bound with plastic cuffs at his wrists and ankles that are connected by a thick, clear chain down his middle. His final accoutrement is a heavy collar, also plastic. Not a scrap of metal in sight.
When the tilt-table stops next to the empty slab that had formerly housed him, one of the flanking guards lifts a long, clear pole and locks it in place against Max's collar. He's quickly transferred to the slab, where he straps himself down. Still, the third guard tugs at the heavy belt to ensure that it's snug before all three depart, taking the pole and table with them. The cuffs and collar remain in place.
"Well," Max rumbles. "That was interesting." Considering the circumstances, his voice is unreasonably pleasant and calm. With the exception of his new jewelry, he appears none the worse for wear after his absence.
After Molly's Houdini attempt, the strap holding her down has been extra tight. There's no wiggle room, no room for much of anything, really. Though still heavily sedated, the blonde girl has been drifting in and out of consciousness. This is one of those times when she's mostly awake. Mostly. "Hmmm?" she asks at the added noise of Max coming back into their room of capture. Head lolling a bit to the side - one of the few things that she can move - she sees Max is back. That's a good thing.
Jamie, awake too, as much as she can be with the increased dose of sedatives anyway, is lying staring up to the ceiling. She can't even really move much at all, but she asks Max as she hears his voice, "You ok?"
Max, on the other hand, has not has a tube forcibly inserted up his nose upon his return. In fact, he seems positively coherent. For the first time in days, his eyes are clear and he no longer seems weighted down by anger. He's filled with a renewed sense of purpose that shows in the careful, dignified way he holds himself. His chain rattles dully as he turns his head toward Molly and fixes her with an appraising stare. "It's me," he murmurs. "I'm fine. Is everyone okay in here?"
In her sort of dreamlike state, Molly nods. It could be considered a nod. "I think so…" Her voice goes up as if it were a question, though she does mean it as a statement. "Is everyone here alright?" That time she meant to be a bit louder, but it didn't really work that way, either. "What happened?"
There's another plastic-on-plastic rattle as Max stretches against both chains and cuffs. It's not the purposeful attempt to escape that he's previously showed, though. It's the act of a man trying to limber his muscles with a limited amount of room at his disposal. Apparently satisfied, he sniffs in a breath through his unobstructed nostrils and exhales it slowly, savoring the sensation.
"I'm getting you out of here," he replies evenly to Molly's query. "Just like I promised. Someone will be coming for you soon. I want you to go with them, okay?"
Plastic on plastic isn't quite as jarring as the metal. Or even the leather straps that are keeping them all down. The idea of getting out of here is a powerful one, though. It's not enough to completely sober her up from the sedatives, it's enough to get her thinking a little more clearly. "But…but….everyone…" There's more than just her here.
Jamie blinks at Max's words, and says, "What about the rest of us?" She's still very still, not really able to move much at all and not moving even the tiny bit she's able to so not to risk sending the world spinning.
Sophie says, muzzily, 'Don't worry, hon. If you can get out, do it.'
"Don't frownyface at me," Max replies just the tiniest bit reproachfully. He wets his cracked lips with the tip of his tongue, spreading out what little saliva he has to call his own in a vain attempt to keep his mouth moist. Air whistles between his teeth as he draws in another long, considering breath. "She's right. Molly, I want you to go when you have the chance. I'll get everyone else out as soon as I can, but they'll just have to hold tight for now."
Despite the mutterings of Sophie, Molly is more of the opinion of Jamie. What about everyone else? How can she get out of there when everyone else is still trapped? She's lived with a lot of survivor's guilt in her short life and any more might be too much. "I'll frownyface if I want to frownyface," she replies in a pout. It doesn't look like that expression will change much any time soon. "Can't just…leave everyone."
Jezabel has been in and out of it for the last little bit, only now grasping enough of a hold on coherency to start making sense of the words that are being said by her fellow captives. "We talking escape now?" she questions, her voice has a bit of a hazy sound to it, the words are mumbled, but they are strung together in a coherent sentence. "If one of us can get out there, maybe we can get help…" she suggests. "Frownyface??"
Jamie bites her lip again, but she doesn't say anything more, for a few moments. Then, suddenly, as her sedated mind makes a connection, says, "You said you know Company right? Find them. Saved me last time."
Sophie frowns in some confusion, "What company?" then she does add, "If you get out, you can get someone.. to help the rest." And, either way, at least one would be out, and that's good.
"Shhh. Don't listen to them, Molly. Listen to me," Max urges her. His eyes take on a hard, steely cast as he glares balefully at the rest of the rapidly waking prisoners. "They're going to take you to a safe place," he continues. "No tube in your nose. No table for a bed. I bet you'll even be able to see Nico again."
"Was already at the Company…" That was before, though. Things apparently had changed there. But, she didn't know. And she didn't need the Company, she needed Matt. And Nico, of course, was a low blow to Molly. Her beloved Chinchilla pet that she already misses. Hopefully Grandma Suresh has been keeping good care of her. "But…" She's already said her buts, she's not sure what else to do. "What about you?"
Jezabel listens to the conversation. "Company? What's that?" she questions, her voice still coming out in a muddled fashion. "If you can get out, then go, maybe you can get help," she states, though she's not addressing anyone, since she doesn't know who's escaping, or not escaping.
Jamie answers Sophie and Jezabel in her drugged way, "They help people like us." She obviously doesn't know the side of them that Max and Molly know, though. She just stays quiet now.
Max smiles a rare, genuine smile. "You're a brave little trooper, Ms. Walker. Don't worry about me. I have my own room now. I'll be safe and comfortable, too." Instinctively, he reaches out to ruffle her hair, but he's brought up short by both the strap around his chest and his specialized plastic restraints. "I wish you could stay with me, but you need to go. Now let's try and get some rest. It's late."
Whether Molly would argue more or agree with Max, finally, they will never know. Sometime between the last thing she said and maybe even before she heard what Max did, the young girl slipped back off into another fitful sleep.