"It's been weeks he's been like this. Don't you think it's cruel?" Dr. Henderson looked to her counterpart, who shook his head, a small laugh escaping as he looked back to the tank.
"You women let your emotions get the best of you. We've considered your input several times, Jade, and I just don't agree. A mercy killing... You know as well as I do that live cells are ten times more effective than dead." He cleared his throat then, standing straight, "And I don't know about you, but I have a young son to get home to. Seija does give his mother a hard time."
She didn't seem convinced, but dropped the subject as the other doctor left the room. The heavy green from inside the illuminated tank caught her eyes again, and Jade frowned. She knew they were dangerous. She knew why they did these things, but some... Some like Othelle, and this one... Her father had been right. Maybe this job wasn't for her, but she'd always been so curious.
His voice caught her attention from the tank, and she faltered a bit, swallowing hard.
"Hello..?" Ura turned his head a bit, searching for the sound of whispering he'd caught only moments ago. At least...it seemed like a whisper. An echo. Something reminiscent of a voice... Everything was so faint, now, so cull, but the memories. His eyesight had all but gone, and his hearing... "...hello..?" Once more, weakly. Jade stared across the room, at the glowing green tank, watching the human-esque creature inside, stirring inside a plume of his own poison. It must have been driving him mad, she thought to herself. He couldn't see her, but she knew he could hear. The other doctors knew of this, and used it against him, "...is he here? Did he come?" His hand, covered in leaves and thorns, pressed up against the glass, and his milky eyes stared out through the smoke. He began to ask a name over and over, as Jade took a shaky breath, holding her hand out against his through the glass. She would have spoken back, but she didn't know what to say? That the doctors and scientists like her were all lying to him? Lying to keep him alive as long as they could? That 'Kin' was not coming.
Ura relaxed back away from the glass, then, defeated.
"I'm afraid."
Jade backed away a bit, then looked around the sterilized room, moving to close the door quietly, and make her way back over to the tank, "My name is Jade," She said softly, hoping it was enough for the creature to pick up on, "You've been here, asking the same question for a very long time. You can't go back. You're too sick to go back. And he's not coming. No one is coming. We've been lying to you." He deserved to understand what was going on, and why, and the only way to do that was quickly. Jade circled to the side, shutting the vents on the wall supplying him oxygen, and keyed in a few more things, "I can't imagine what must be going through your head, but it's time to sleep."
He stared at her, and seemed to understand, but cowered when he felt warm, gel-like liquid pooling around his feet. Panic set in. What was going on? "Where is Kin?" He asked, up against the glass once more, "He's coming. He's coming. I'll wait. I'm waiting like you asked."
"...it's time to sleep. You'll see him when you wake."
The liquid came quickly up to his knees, up to his hips, and he stared away from her the entire time, just until it hit his elbows, when he would finally let his head lull back to face her, "When I wake..."
She repeated herself over and over as the tank filled around him, and at the end, she had to look away from his unseeing eyes, crying herself. It was mercy, she swore, putting him out of his misery.
"You women let your emotions get the best of you. We've considered your input several times, Jade, and I just don't agree. A mercy killing... You know as well as I do that live cells are ten times more effective than dead." He cleared his throat then, standing straight, "And I don't know about you, but I have a young son to get home to. Seija does give his mother a hard time."
She didn't seem convinced, but dropped the subject as the other doctor left the room. The heavy green from inside the illuminated tank caught her eyes again, and Jade frowned. She knew they were dangerous. She knew why they did these things, but some... Some like Othelle, and this one... Her father had been right. Maybe this job wasn't for her, but she'd always been so curious.
His voice caught her attention from the tank, and she faltered a bit, swallowing hard.
"Hello..?" Ura turned his head a bit, searching for the sound of whispering he'd caught only moments ago. At least...it seemed like a whisper. An echo. Something reminiscent of a voice... Everything was so faint, now, so cull, but the memories. His eyesight had all but gone, and his hearing... "...hello..?" Once more, weakly. Jade stared across the room, at the glowing green tank, watching the human-esque creature inside, stirring inside a plume of his own poison. It must have been driving him mad, she thought to herself. He couldn't see her, but she knew he could hear. The other doctors knew of this, and used it against him, "...is he here? Did he come?" His hand, covered in leaves and thorns, pressed up against the glass, and his milky eyes stared out through the smoke. He began to ask a name over and over, as Jade took a shaky breath, holding her hand out against his through the glass. She would have spoken back, but she didn't know what to say? That the doctors and scientists like her were all lying to him? Lying to keep him alive as long as they could? That 'Kin' was not coming.
Ura relaxed back away from the glass, then, defeated.
"I'm afraid."
Jade backed away a bit, then looked around the sterilized room, moving to close the door quietly, and make her way back over to the tank, "My name is Jade," She said softly, hoping it was enough for the creature to pick up on, "You've been here, asking the same question for a very long time. You can't go back. You're too sick to go back. And he's not coming. No one is coming. We've been lying to you." He deserved to understand what was going on, and why, and the only way to do that was quickly. Jade circled to the side, shutting the vents on the wall supplying him oxygen, and keyed in a few more things, "I can't imagine what must be going through your head, but it's time to sleep."
He stared at her, and seemed to understand, but cowered when he felt warm, gel-like liquid pooling around his feet. Panic set in. What was going on? "Where is Kin?" He asked, up against the glass once more, "He's coming. He's coming. I'll wait. I'm waiting like you asked."
"...it's time to sleep. You'll see him when you wake."
The liquid came quickly up to his knees, up to his hips, and he stared away from her the entire time, just until it hit his elbows, when he would finally let his head lull back to face her, "When I wake..."
She repeated herself over and over as the tank filled around him, and at the end, she had to look away from his unseeing eyes, crying herself. It was mercy, she swore, putting him out of his misery.
