Monday, April 12th, 50XX
Kiera slips into Elliot's bedroom in the early morning, looking around. It looks the same as when he left it, but it feels weird now because his not living here and it feels like he should be here.
Wandering around, she brushes her hand across everything. His massive comic book collection on the shelf, his small collection of trophies and awards which are mostly from high school, but there is two Military ones.
But they are just for attendance and Welcome to the Military Special Ops Taskforce mainly. She has the same ones. They give things like that out, but it's clearly a pity move to just keep some people feeling appreciated and wanted so they don't drop out, go AWOL feeling like this isn't worth it.
They don't mean anything to her, her own awards. In the regular Military branches, she and Elliot amongst some of the others here, especially Vincent and Allie would never able to cut it.
Special Ops Team is specialized, takes people who have serious trauma, as well as actually taking former criminals provided they have been reformed for a certain amount of time or the people with serious trauma have been well enough for a certain amount of time and in exchange for them engaging so they can do some good, the perks are very rewarding.
There is the same ones such as healthcare and education paid for which is normal, boarding and moving expenses. But mental health resources, medication and other things are paid for in addition, there is always a mental health team on base and there is just more chilling locations set up on base in every section for when people need a break and more.
After everything that has happened, why is General Peterson keeping her around? They should just be sending her to a detention centre and washing their hands of her or even jail, but they're not.
Maybe he actually thinks keeping he here in Special Ops is the safer, more restrictive option because it actually is honestly. No one's ever escaped off the base before, Elliot and Kaylee... got lucky. Although she was shot so they weren't entirely lucky. There is a minor flaw there the Military is now going to rectify so no one ever escapes again.
And no one is going to harm Kiera here, beat her up as violence towards others isn't allowed and there is plenty of food, and other resources here wildly avaible unlike Jail or a Detention Centre where that and violence is a big problem.
She keeps walking around Elliot's room. Why would he have left with this Kaylee Vaughn? She's his and this Kade's mother. And this Johnathan Bailey is their Dad.
She didn't know either of parents and didn't know she had a younger brother. She was dumped on the steps of a orphanage in a basket estimated to have been 2-3 days old in Canada around midnight. She doesn't know what to do or feel now.
Is she supposed to love Kade? She doesnt know him, and she won't love Kaylee or Johnathan either. Kaylee dumped her and Kade, and it sounds Johnathan had every opportunity to fight for them, but he didn't. He knew her and Kade existed.
She reaches Elliot's cupboard and opens, curious to poke around in there when there is a bright green flash which blinds her temporarily and calls her to fall, hitting her head on a shelf which knocks her out briefly, clothing falling down with her.
Her head aches and there is a distant talking, it hurts to open her eyes, a bright white light. She can hear beeping.
Her eyes flutter seeing what looks like an operating theater, and there is pressure on her skull, someone standing above her, threading some threw it in a small straight line.
But does it actually hurt? No. She can't feel it, just a pulling sensation. She wants to fall them to stop, she's awake, but she can't speak, realizing there is also a breathing tube down her throat.
She tries to move her arms, but can't, and they are also tired down surprisingly. The restraints aren't the reason she can't move at all.
There is minor bruising on her chest. She tries to get their attention with her eyes when the surgeon above her stops and briefly bends down to her height.
"Hello?" He says unsure. She manages to flutter her eyelids, but not move her eyes. There is a few nursing assistants with her and an anesthesiologist.
"Is she awake?" The surgeon asks unsure. They all stop what they are doing and look closely. It feels kind of hard to breathe.
"Kiera, my name is Dr Malcom. I don't know if you are awake, but we're going to give you some more stuff, okay? You're in great hands. You're safe." Says the surgeon while more medication is pushed. "Her eyes are open and fluttering a little." Says the anesthesiologist.
She feels weird and can't keep her eyes open, feeling them close on her and then it's nothing.
"She woke up I'm afraid during the procedure. We didn't give her enough, miscaulating her weight. I am really sorry. I am aware such accidents shouldn't happen."
"Just do better next time, Dr Malcom. You're forgiven."
"Thank you, General. So, our conclusion is she just have hit her head on something sharp, it tore through her skin. We don't know what though, looks to have maybe been metal. There will just be the scar. Skull images we're clear.
There is nothing more we can do now and when she wakes up, you can take her out of here in a few hours. But Maxis does need to keep a watch an eye on her for about 24 hours.
Recommendation is he sleeps near her at nighttime as well. If not directly next to her, at-least the same room."
"Thank you, Doctor."
Kiera sits up, though groggy having heard every word of their now conversation. The Doctor leaves the room and General Peterson remains behind.
"Hey, Kiera."
"Where's Elliot?"
"In Canada we think. There is indication he and Kaylee crossed the boarder illegally."
"What?"
"Sorry. That's not what you we're asking... What's the last thing you remember?"
"Can you get Maxis? I want Maxis."
"Okay, take it easy. Stay here, I'll fetch him for you."
"I know his your son."
"Oh..."
And General Peterson quickly leaves the room.
Elliot with Kaylee has gone to Canada? Why? Has he gone to RING? Is he going after them or joining them? Either way she can't let him do that.
They're dangerous, they kidnapped her. He has been with the Military for years, if they find out, they'll kill him. She can't let that happen!
She throws her blankets off and leaves the room, hurrying down the hall, not thinking. She needs to get to an exit and also find a change of clothes. Hurrying along the corridor, a voice calls out, ordering her to come back and into the room she had just passed.
"Kiera, in here please."
She heads back, poking her head in. "You're doing a terrible job at escaping."
It's Thea. She's on her way like Vincent to becoming a General in the future. They're both in the running for such a position while everyone else on the team is pretty content with who and what they are.
"What do you want, Thea?"
Thea finishes the last drop of her coffee, standing up from her seat. It's a small cafeteria. "Listen, things have been pretty shit for you lately. Infact, for a few years proably.
But I cannot allow you to leave in good faith. Because I care about you and what happens to you even though you may not believe me.
And there is a second reason, I'm a employee of the U.S Military, Kiera and I stand with their messages.
I would hate to become your enemy because I dragged you back to your room, but also, I don't want to have to hurt you. I won't do it on purpose, but if you struggle and fight me, it will hurt.
Are you going to return to your room willingly?"
"Thea."
"Yes?"
"As far as I am concerned, everyone go fuck themselves right now. So-"
"Go fuck myself? Gotcha. I'm sorry you're pain has made you bitter, Kiera."
"I second that." Says another voice. Kiera turns around to see Allie and Vincent leaning against the door frame. It was Allie who said that.
"Like either of you are the perfect example of godly." Kiera snaps. Allie clutches her hands together and looks to the side a bit.
"I know. We're far from it and I don't want to be that annoying bitch who says if you try and get better, it will get better when the truth is sometimes it doesn't and it's not that you didn't try hard enough.
But if it goes on for a long time, you will eventually hit breaking point and everything you've worked towards will come crashing down."
"What's she's trying to say, Kiera Bailey is the reason I have not sent you to jail or for deportation because as you know you are great at your job, but I'd also be sending you back to what was your life when you we're younger. One I have no doubt you weren't happy in and if you went back to that now, you wouldn't know how to cope as it hasn't been your life for a few years now.
But staying here, if you act out, but also get really sick because the trauma you've been through overwhelms you and you don't utulize the counselling services that are avaible, you will meet the exclusionary criteria from the Special Op's Taskforce and you won't be able to stay here.
I'll have no choice, but to send you off base to one of the outpatient/day patient centres or even impatient hospitals that are better equipped to help you.
You could re-enlist in a few years, but you would have to have been stable for a few years, and be able to prove it. Getting in once is easier than getting in a second time.
We take ex-cons provided their crimes overall weren't violent, they're clearly reformed. But also people with mental health conditions provided it's extremly stabalized and/or just extremely talented and skilled individuals, but every one of the people in those categories have to also utulize the services here.
So, Kiera. How do you want your story to end?"
"Please promise me you will find Elliot. I'm worried the idiot is walking into the Human Trafficking company that snatched me off the streets.
They're in Canada, why else would he go there? With Kaylee Vaughn no less however the heck she got onto our base. I never told him about RING.
RING took me for her. She wanted me, paid them to. She's my mother..."
"We're working on it to figure it out. And we still don't know how she got onto our base undetected. If he has a prior affilitation with her, that's unusual as I keep close tabs on everyone and I went to university with Kaylee, but I don't know her well.
She was the definition of the quiet kid who sat in the back. But unlike the sterotype, she wore alot of white and pink, did her makeup and so fourth."
"Alot of the things you do borderline on weirdly stalkerish and illegal."
"I am aware."
"So, how? If you're going to send me back to my room, and continue to order me around, I'd just like some transparency for once in my life."
"My Dad is how."
"Who is he? I haven't met him."
"The president."
"Oh, shit." Thea says eyes widened. "Okay, that's enough. All of you." He responds, looking at everyone in the room.
"Kiera." Says a voice, Maxis having just entered the room. Kiera turns around.
"You wanted to see me. You weren't in your room..."
"She was thinking she could escape from Fort Knox." Says Thea.
"Thea." The General warns her. How she sometimes says things boarders on unkind sometimes, just doing it to get payback. Special Op's isn't Fort Knox.
The souls here who enlist don't have to tell their colleagues what their story is, but some do. Thea is an ex-con. She isn't violent, but sometimes still drops a few nasty words. She was part of a group that pulled off some heists, but on a large scale.
Worse than when Elliot was younger with what was RING in the early days. Him, Dion, Gavin, Jerry and Lance who we're breaking into houses and robbing a few gas stations or a supermarket warehouse to survive. Thea's crimes we're Casino level and so on.
"Okay, um, I promise we'll find Elliot, Kiera. Do you want to come home with me? I can take you back to our quarters. You hungry? It is lunchtime, I can cook Pasta, your favorite. And we could watch something, snuggled up on the couch?"
"Okay." She says, walking over to Maxis.
"Great." He smiles, leading her outside to go back home. "Well, you lot. I'll be in my office as I actually have some calls to make. Trying to track down Kaylee's drivers license, if she has one, any information we have on her and also ring Canada and so who I can get in contact with.
If you need me? No, you don't. At this time, you report to Thea or Vincent. Don't blow this responsibility." And General Peterson turns and leaves. Allie smiles looking at both of them and they all stand up and hug each other, cheering. Adam and Derrick the twins enter the room passing the General and join in, seeing everyone squeal with excitement.
Maxis unlocks the door, entering the living quarters with Kiera when she instantly takes off running up the stairs. "Kiera? Kiera! Hey! Come back!" And he runs after her, she's heading back to Elliot's room.
He enters to find her rummaging through his cupboard he found her passed out in having fallen. "Kiera, this is Elliot's room and we shouldn't be in here."
When Kiera pulls out something covered in a now bloodied t-shirt. "This is what I hit my head on."
He bends down to her level, getting on his knees. He gently takes it, hands shaking and pulls the t-shirt off of it, letting it drop.
Inside is a green looking clock. It's small, but heavy and has some sharp edges. It's also covered in some blood, Kiera's blood.
"Was it overly hidden before, Kiera?"
"I think?"
"What even is this? Other than a clock I mean." He turns a dial and it does nothing. It's not one that shows the time, but it is numbered. "Weird clock. Well, I'll call evidence and get this bagged up. Not sure how this relates to everything that's happened, but if he hid it on what seems to be on purpose, well... maybe evidence can make some sense of it that I'm missing when Kiera and Maxis get a weird look in their faces all of a sudden.
"Do you feel sick?" Maxis asks trying to vomit. Kiera nods her head despretly, clutching her mouth. Elliot let's the clock fall from his hand and our pair violently vomit blood and rose petals.
Both rose petals a light green/dark green color. Mixed. They collapse against eachother, feeling sick and dizzy.
"What is happening to us?" She asks worried.
"I don't know, but it's not good." Maxis groans back, clutching his stomach and shakily pulls out his walkie talkie, pressing down the button.
"I need someone to our home now. Evidence and medical."
"I'm sorry?" Says Vincent coming over the channel.
"We both just vomited rose petals."
"Someone will be sent to you both. Just try and stay where you are, don't get up and walk if you feel sick, feverish or dizzy." General Peterson interrupts coming on the channel.
Just as Maxis and Kiera fall back, both hitting the floor unconscious together, their hands entwined as they lay there, eyes closes. Maxis walkie talking now lying away from them.
"Maxis? Kiera? Hello?" Says Allie on the channel.
"Shit!" Vincent curses.
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