Damage Control - Part 4

I guess it was there, in those fleeting moments, that I finally gave in and stopped fighting. What little that remained, fading with the sound of my Owner's heels.

I knew then, what was to be done. It was so simple.  I relaxed the rest of the day in my pod, drifting along with the time that passed by.  Once affirmed, it became all I was.

I returned the following day. And the next. And the day after that. Each morning stirring  a little earlier; and returning a little later. Eventually only returning home to sleep.

Now and then, shreds of my old self would flit in and out of my awareness. Old friends and recognizable faces sometimes sparking feelings of importance, or familiarity, but rarely ever forming into anything palpable. Every aspect of what I knew distilled into the most basic of  emotional responses.

Even when one of my Sisters found me, I could only hope she would find the same pleasure in the pod that inevitably awaited her.

As the days passed, it did not occur to me that I would be missed. Very little actually occurred to me anymore. Like a leaf on the breeze, I was subject to the whim of the moment. 

It was in one such moment, that I awoke to find myself securely fastened to the bed, with Mistress standing at it's side. I could hear a number of voices from outside the room as well.

"Ah. You are awake. This is good." Her tone was tired, and her eyes lacked their usual mischievious sparkle. "I was hoping to speak with you before you got on with your day. Busy busy." I simply nodded, unable to discern what was going on about me.

"Do you know what you are doing today?" her eyebrow slowing drifting upwards to add emphasis.

"I uh." I paused, not sure how to answer. "Standing in my pod?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed in mock surprise. "That's correct. Your pod." The sing song lilt would normally have sent shivers down my spine. "And since you like them so much, I decided to get you one of your very own for here at home."

The commotion; The dragging noises and banging from outside the room; it was all starting to make sense. As I peered towards the door at Sethra's words, it slowly creaked open. A young lady in glasses peered in, taking care not to disturb.

"Lady Sethra?" Her voice was soft, like an unsure breeze. "The power supply has been routed through the main. It's not the most elegant solution, but it should suffice."

"Excellent." Her tone lost it's edge for a moment. "And the time constraints we discussed? These have been addressed?"

"Certainly. The occupant.." she paused, trying to keep her eyes from sliding towards me. "The occupant can safely remain in the pod for a period of six months. Redundant systems allow for up to a seven day failure of direct power. To be honest, I am still not sure this will work to your satisfaction." her shoulders slumped forward as she trailed off.

"Your lack of confidence does your ability little justice Doctor." Sethra smiled as the girls cheeks reddened. The first and last smile I would see of the day. "In fact, I would gather this would be an ideal way of testing the capabilites of the system. Please route the controls through my central, and have one of your assistants prepare it for first use. No sense dragging this out. We've already taken up far too much of your time this morning."

As the Doctor nodded and left, Sethra's gaze fell upon me like a sledge.

"Sweetie." Her face was a cocktail of patience and disappointment. "Sweetie, Dear. You have been a very bad doll. Very. Naughty. Indeed." She tapped my forehead with her index finger as she enunciated each word.

As she did so, my eyes welled up. I sobbed at the thought of disappointing her and harder for not knowing how or why.

"Shhh." She leaned in and brushed a tear away in an attempt to quiet me. "It will be better soon. You can't see it now, but you will."

She leaned in, hugged me gently, and began untying my wrists. I just laid there, in a daze, half sobbing and doing my best to cooperate.

The Doctor soon arrived at my bed side, her assistants and supplies trailing behind. A winding, white, sterile comet, and I was ground zero.

The look of disdain on their faces, was enough to renew my weeping.

"Stop your whining. This shouldn't hurt." She laughed lightly when I followed the order, my whimpers subsiding for the time being.

"Simply remarkable. Dantelion certainly knows his neuro-chems. I'll give him that much." she mused to herself as she swabbed my arm.

"Please hold still." She shook her head and snickered again as my arm went limp.

It was all I could do to watch as she slid the syringe into my vein and slowly injected it's contents. It was not long before I could feel it's effects.

With every beat of my heart, my senses became more dulled, a growing gray void that swallowed everything in time with it's rhythm.