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The unblinking eye of the camera watched him as he paced. Eckhart had somebody observing them. He turned to Emma. "I don't like this."
She glanced up from where she was sitting across the small room. "What's this even mean?" she asked. "We're certain only one night has gone by, right? Which leaves only... Why would Eckhart give an enemy the ability to heal?"
"No reason. Unless he wants it for himself," Brennan speculated. "Making me merely a lab rat."
"We need to find a way out of here," Emma said, hoping their cell wasn't also bugged. "If he's testing the effectiveness of... whatever this is... then--"
"I know," Brennan cut her off. It wasn't looking too good for him.
She got up and moved close to him, stopping his pacing. She leaned into his ear. "I want you to fight back," she said quietly, disguising her comment in a hug. "Don't hold back on my account. Don't let them hurt you."
"Emma..." He trailed off as their door was opened. The same guard stood there. Brennan gave Emma's hand a quick squeeze before following him out.
And the door slid shut behind them.
-----
"Remove your clothes and lie down," Brennan was instructed after his hands were once again freed.
He obeyed, but all the while he devoted his attention to memorizing the room. It was the same lab he'd been taken to before. If escape was possible, he'd need to do it while his restraints were off.
Taking out the main doctor and Jordan would be easy. His guard would be more of a challenge. It was probably best to attack him first, use the element of surprise. After that, he'd need to free Emma. The route back had already been learned.
The door lock would require a handprint. He could take Jordan hostage until he got past it. There were maps on the walls he could use to find the way back to the parking garage. He'd need to hot-wire one of the vehicles the old-fashioned way, but it was doable.
Once outside, they'd ditch the car and make a call to Adam. The Helix could pick him and Emma up and return them to Sanctuary.
He finished undressing and obediently laid down on one of the tables. He'd wait until the next session to act. He needed the time to make sure he knew the plan. And Eckhart needed to think he was cooperating.
He was lying on his back this time, and he couldn't help feeling very exposed once his wrists and ankles were secured. A scan was run, then he was provided with a sheet. The main doctor left.
"Well?" Brennan asked Jordan who was now the only one with him. The young man gave him a curious look. "What did the scan have to say?"
"This will hurt a bit," Jordan said before pricking him and taking several vials of his blood. He moved to a counter and began to label them. "According to your scan, your body is adapting well to the Messiah Strand. Rejection should no longer be a problem."
"What is that?" Brennan asked as Jordan returned to his side.
"You don't need to know that information." Jordan began feeling Brennan's abdomen. "Let me know if there's any pain."
There surprisingly wasn't any discomfort as Jordan pressed against skin that had so recently been badly bruised. He slowly worked his way up Brennan's chest. It was tempting to lie and say that it hurt, but Brennan wasn't eager to find out what would happen if they discovered he wasn't telling the truth.
"When do you plan on feeding me?" he asked next. He was more than a little hungry.
"Your metabolism will adjust," Jordan stated.
That caused Brennan to frown. "What about Emma?"
The pressure Jordan was using suddenly became much firmer. "She'll be looked after," he replied stiffly. "You care deeply for her?"
Brennan wasn't certain how to reply to that. He got the impression Jordan wasn't fond of her at all. "She's family," he said carefully.
Jordan's hands had stopped moving and were just resting on Brennan's chest now. Seeming to notice this, he quickly removed them and snapped off his gloves. "You seem fine."
"Good." Brennan watched him suspiciously. "What now?"
"You'll receive the next injection." He paused. "You shouldn't react as strongly this time," he added softly, almost an apology.
Brennan caught his eyes. "Next injection? Why, what for?"
"If we'd forced you to go through the entire process in one shot, it would have killed you. We're going to continue gradually as we continue testing."
If whatever they were doing to him wasn't complete, that gave him a good chance of Adam being able to reverse it. He just needed to be rescued first. "What is the next part of the tests?"
"Do you want something for the pain?" Jordan offered, looking away.
"Yes." Brennan knew now it wasn't for the pain he was currently in, but for what was to come. He shouldn't have refused the last time.
He was at the counter a moment before returning. Jordan made no move release his binds, rather he simply extended his hand to Brennan, two pills in his palm. Brennan opened his mouth, and Jordan dropped the pills onto his tongue, then he supported Brennan's head with one hand and held a cup of water to his lips with other so that he could wash them down.
After he succeeded in swallowing them, Jordan wiped the spilt water from Brennan's chin. He left his thumb on Brennan's face a while longer than was necessary, making him uncomfortable. He couldn't decide if Jordan was just becoming attached to his lab rat and wanted him as a pet, or if the youth was interested in him for entirely different reasons.
Brennan tried to take it as a good sign either way. Jordan was beginning to take an interest in him, and he wanted him to feel involved.
-----
The door was opened once more and Emma looked up. A man stood there, but not the one who'd taken Brennan.
"Come with me."
She slowly rose. "Where's Brennan?"
"As far as I know, your companion is in one of the labs," he told her.
"What are they doing to him?" She didn't want him to be hurt again.
The man glared at her. "You'll come with me now if you want to be fed."
Her first thought was to decline. She couldn't eat without Brennan.
When she made no move, the man turned to leave. "Suite yourself."
"Wait." Emma hesitantly followed him. It would do her no good to go hungry, and she couldn't escape if she allowed herself to become weak. Instead, she'd keep up her strength, planning for it to be needed when the chance arose to run.
-----
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