It's that time again. Sorry for the late post. I swear, I'm ass deep in alligators this week! This week's prompt was inspired by the phrase, "What are you growling about now?' which fit so well, lol! Thanks Julie!
Lost Inside Ch. 18
One
time Yuri got into a bottle of liquor. The dizzy not-quite-real sensation and
heavy limbs bombarding him felt very similar to the clear stuff they pumped
into him. The table they made him lie down on bent in funny ways, tilting his
head down. It was up high though, so he could see Benny’s face and hold his
hand.
He
liked that part.
The
rest of it all felt weird. He wanted to close his eyes and rest, but….
“Stay
awake, Yuri.” Benny squeezed his hands.
“We’re
almost there.” The buzzing noise was teeth rattling. Yuri snorted. Teeth
rattling. He could see the little white shapes dancing in his head.
“Dancing
teeth.” Yuri snickered.
“What’s
that?”
“My
teeth are dancing.”
“Okay.”
Benny sat back on the stool and looked over the bed to the doctors standing
around them. “He’s higher than a kite. Is he going to be able to do what you
want?”
“It’ll
be fine. We’ve turned off the drip now that we’ve created an avenue of delivery
for the venom. This port will remain in for the duration of the treatment, like
we discussed. It won’t hurt him.”
“Nope,
doesn’t hurt. Not even a little.” Yuri wiggled his feet.
“Lay
still, Yuri.” Millie said.
“M’kay.”
He sighed. He was bored. And tired. A yawn was struggling to come out. He let
it, huffing at the end.
“The
port is secure. Time for the venom.”
They
were sticking a poison in him. Somehow, knowing it was the Snake-yet-not-yet
Snake guy’s made it not so bad. Plus he might remember.
He
could remember his mate. Yuri reached for Benny. “Hold my hands?”
Benny
leaned forward and laced their fingers together. “It’s gonna be fine.”
Yuri
gasped. Heat flowed into his head like a tiny, hot thread of fire. The hair on
the back of his neck stood up.
“Venom
in. Bashta?”
The
Jaguar had a closer link that most to a protector of the Carthera clans. Though
he was a Jaguar, and not a Tiger, Bashta thought some prayers could help. Yuri
wasn’t sure what stuff he was gonna do, but he didn’t expect the hollow rattle
of wood bracelets.
Then
Bashta began to chant and shuffle around the table. He prayed, in a sing-song
voice, and in a language Yuri couldn’t understand. Then he laid his hands on
Yuri’s head, his chant ending in a sharp ululation.
Under
the sound of the loud cry, Benny growled, staring at the black Jaguar’s hands which
were buried in Yuri’s hair.
A
light, flicking oranges, reds, and black, intertwined in front of his eyes.
Yuri tried to bat at it, but it grew, bigger and bigger. It was all he could
see, but he didn’t smell any fire or hear it crackling.
Roaring
filled the room; great, bellowing sounds of… fury!
A
face came out of the flames, a whole body followed, claws outstretched for him.
Yuri
screamed. He had to get away, but he had to stay for… for….
“What’s
wrong? Why’s he screaming? This wasn’t supposed to hurt him!”
Fear
and rage warred inside Yuri. He flexed his hands and needle sharp claws slid
out. Yuri wouldn’t let that bad man in. He couldn’t.
A
babble of voices came from all around him.
“Look
at the monitors. His brain activity is off the charts.”
“Definite
signs of increased activity in the hippocampus.”
“What’s
wrong with my mate?”
“Bashta,
step back!”
“Tell me what the hell is wrong with my mate!”
“There’s
activity going on between his long and short term memory—a connection through
the hippocampus, if you will.”
Why
wouldn’t they stop talking? Didn’t they see him? They had to get away. Yuri
shoved himself up from the table.
Bodies
piled on top of his, forcing him back down.
Yuri
roared.
“Grab
him! Hold him down.”
Snarling
and growling filled the room as utter chaos descended.
***
Yuri
blinked. His eyelids were so heavy, like elephants sat on them. He was on his
back, his face no longer mashed into the table.
What
was that sound? He was tired, and it woke him up.
Yuri
turned his head, the only part of his body he could seem to move.
“What
are you growling about now?” he asked Benny.
“Yuri!”
Benny flew out of his chair and leaned over the bed. “You’re awake. Thank God.”
“Excuse
me, I’ll go inform the doctor he’s awake.” A small woman stepped around a
curtain and disappeared.
“Where
are we? Why does it stink so much? What happened?” Yuri’s mouth was so dry. He
coughed.
“Here,
have a sip of water.” Benny lifted his head and helped him take a drink. “Right
now, we’re at the human hospital. You had some sort of episode when they
injected the venom or when Bashta began chanting. We don’t know which.”
Yuri
tried to reach up to touch his head, but his hand wouldn’t move. “What’s wrong
with my arms” He craned his neck, trying to see... “Why am I tied down?” Yuri
began to fight the wide straps across his body, holding him to the bed.
“Stop,
Yuri!”
“No!”
Yuri ignored his mate.
“You’re
going to hurt yourself again. Please stop. These were just a precaution. You
kept having seizures. You attacked—” Benny slammed his mouth shut, looking
pained.
“I-I…”
Yuri didn’t want to hurt anyone.
“It’s
okay. Everyone’s fine.” Benny leaned forward and wiped away the tears building
on Yuir’s eyes.
He
had faint pink scratches over his forehead and nose.
“Oh
my god,” Yuri whispered. “I hurt you. I cut you.” He went limp in the bed.
Mates didn’t hurt each other; they couldn’t. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”
TBC
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