EXPERIMENT X

@ k1ssmysass

"I have a twin brother." He'd come after her; she was sure of it. He and Kraemer would get her back.

-

"You have to. Doctor's orders. And anyway, it's far too late to assign you to a room with the others. I don't know if you've been admitted to the squadron, anyway."

@ rust and stardust

"At least you have someone. You should be back there soon, mmkay?" He offered as means of comfort.

---

Jasmin's eyes squinted, and she nestled herself into the hardness of the cot, her flimsy blanket just warm enough to grasp some z's. She dozed off, and was out until mid-morning the next day.

@ k1ssmysass

When the car finally came to a stop, the girl let herself out and stood with her hands in her pockets, waiting for the man to show her where to go.

-

Bateman made his rounds, checking on the few patients he had and then ducking into the girl from last night's room. She was still alive, he first observed, which could only be a good sign.

@ rust and stardust

"Can I trust you not to be cuffed? 'Cause it'd be suicide to try and run now." He scratched the back of his head, gesturing with a sweep of his arm for her to follow.

This camp was dreary and run-down. Why'd he been sent to the ghetto like this?

---

She lifted her heavy head as he came in. Her eyes flew around for some indication of the time, but found none.

"Hello." She enunciated clearly, albeit a little bit groggy. "D' you come with food or news, or is this a social visit?" She flashed a head of straight, white teeth - besides a strongly chipped front tooth.

@ k1ssmysass

The girl nodded, following the man when he motioned for her to. Being cuffed was uncomfortable and humiliating, and running would be incredibly stupid.

-

"Just a check-up. The nurses will bring food." He took a step forward to get a better look at her. "How are you feeling?"

@ rust and stardust

Everybody looked less and less friendly as they moved forward. "Hey, did I ever tell you my name?" He asked, perplexed.

--

She lifted her head. Her complexion was pallid, but a flush in her cheeks made her appear more healthy. "Okay. C'mon, take a seat. Sore, though." She forced herself into an upright position.

@ k1ssmysass

"No." She didn't bother telling him she didn't care to learn it, figuring being rude wouldn't get her very far.

-

"Yeah, people tend to be sore after they get their asses beat." He sat down and looked at her eyes with a flashlight, murmuring his approval.

@ rust and stardust

He didn't seem thrown off besides his pinched expression. "Giles. I know, I know. It's a family name." He smirked.

---
"If you'd been there, you'd see I didn't get my ass beat horribly bad," She chirped, flinching as he shone the light into her glassy eyes. She snorted, not bothering to retort something witty about how much damage she'd left on the men.

But it didn't seem so important. All she wanted was to see them crumble.

"So what's your story, doctor?" She flicked her brows mischeviously.

@ k1ssmysass

"Nice to meet you, Giles. Not really, but whatever. I'm Aspen." What a namw. Giles.

-

"Let me guess. I should've seen the other guy, right?" He'd hward that one all the time. "I don't really have a story. I'm the squadron doctor and emegency medic, and all I really do is fix what's broken."

@ rust and stardust

A gun went off, and almost instinctively, Giles slammed his body into Aspen's, arms wrapping around her to lessen the impact of her fall. "Twist your wrists. Those fuckin' cuffs are old as dirt. They should snap. Stay down!" He growled, opening fire. Bullets whizzed by them, pelting the ground.

And that was when he realized he was meant to die. This was Pike's way of ridding of disposables.

---

"Nah." Jasmin wrinkled her nose. "But you should've! Fucking misogynistic idiots didn' even know what hit them." She turned her whole body so she faced him. "Everyone has a story. Come on."

@ rust and stardust

A gun went off, and almost instinctively, Giles slammed his body into Aspen's, arms wrapping around her to lessen the impact of her fall. "Twist your wrists," 'Aspen. Suits her.' He thought, unpocketing his gun. "Those fuckin' cuffs are old as dirt. They should snap. Stay down!" He growled, opening fire. Bullets whizzed by them, pelting the ground.

And that was when he realized he was meant to die. This was Pike's way of ridding of disposables.

---

"Nah." Jasmin wrinkled her nose. "But you should've! Fucking misogynistic idiots didn' even know what hit them." She turned her whole body so she faced him. "Everyone has a story. Come on."

@ k1ssmysass

Gunfire erupted, and she hit the ground when Giles slammed into her; she almost thought he'd been shot, but he was yelling orders at her now. She twisted her wrists every which way until the rusty cuffs snapped, and inched lowly along the ground in the direction of the buildig.

-

"I was supposed to be a medic for another squadron, but the car I was riding in wrecked, and I was the only one to make it out. Jackson and his people were the first there, so I ended up working for them, instead."

@ rust and stardust

"Aspen, this was a set-up! Get back to the car! Go!" He shouted, jaw taut, veins popping out of his face. He launched the keys at her, knowing well she'd make it back before him.

This wasn't... how he was meant to go. "Fuck dammit." He yelled, taking down two of the armed men.

---

Jasmin froze, unsure how to react. A nod felt insufficient. An "I'm sorry" felt cliche. She leaned forward, snaking her arms around him. At first, the move almost appeared hostile.

She hadn't hugged someone in years..

@ k1ssmysass

Confused, the brunette caught the keys and crawled back to the car, jumping inside, locking it, and ducking down. It was a mystery to her how a man could be ambushed by his own side. Part of her wanted to get in the drivers' seat and go.

-

The man flinched, ready to swing, until he realized the gesture was the beginning of a hug. He awkwardly allowed her to envelop him in her arms for a few moments before pulling away. "I'm fine. I barely knew them."

@ rust and stardust

Foot steps pounded into the area, and the car door swung open. He put the truck into drive after taking back the keys and pulled out, kicking up heaps of dirt.

--
"So? You watched 'em die." Her skin crawled with the contact, and her injured arm stung and ached. She itched her chin, feeling something under her skin. Nerves. Anxiety.

Butterflies?

@ k1ssmysass

"Want to tell me what just happened, Giles?" The girl asked after a few minutes, eyes narrowed.

-

"i've watched a lot of people die. It never gets easier, mind you." Even if they were the enemy. He'd seen a lot of both, had even treated a few wounded enemy soldiers, and a death was a death.

@ rust and stardust

His face turned into something angry. "They knew we were coming, Aspen. We were sent here to die. Don't you fucking get it? I can't go back!" He slammed his palm into the steering wheel, teeth gnashed together.

--

Jasmin rubbed her hand over her face to try and clear her pinched, stressed expression. "I can't see how it could. But I won't die, so don' worry. I'll be here to bug you for a long time." As she grew more alert, the little tiny triggers were coming back.

The door opened after a knock sounded, and a meek boy around Jasmin's age stepped in with a blood pressure cuff. She figured he was being trained.

"H - hey. Uhm, I'm here to check her blood pressure-" The boy flushed at the sight of Jasmin, all scowling and savagely pretty. But when he approached her, she pressed herself into the wall, fight or flight building.

"Don't touch me! You think you can just touch me without permission? What are you, one of them? A pervert?" She demanded, scooching so she was half-covered by Bateman, chest heaving.

The boy looked beyond stricken.

@ k1ssmysass

The brunette raised her eyebrows. "Maybe you were sent here to die, but they'd shoot at me regardless. If you're on the run, then make sure to drop me off at my own base, because I'm not a nomad type of girl." And she didn't care to run off with him.

-

"Calm down, Jasmin. No, he's not one of them. That's my trainee, and he's trying to take your blood pressure. He's nice. A good kid. Put out your arm." The boy wasn't sure what to do, so Scott took the cuff from him and wrapped it around the girl's arm.
"Go on, kiddo."

@ rust and stardust

He bobbed his head and pulled over, resting his head in his hands. "Here...you drive. Lead the way." He opened the car door and staggered out.

---

"What?" Jasmin inquired, vision and mind-fog clearing. She tentatively offered her arm, mouth slightly agape, wide eyes watching the boy with something that looked like an apology in her eyes.

With the boy scared shitless and pale, he merely smiled wanly. "Uh, it's... wow, it's okay. I guess - I guess I'll have to deal with all sorts of people." He gawked at her a little longer before looking to Bateman for help on what to do next.

@ k1ssmysass

[starting back to where there wasn't any gunfire]

The girl let herself out of the car once it was completely stopped, wrapping her arms around her torso to try to warm herself against the biting wind.

-

The man pointed to the pump beside him and instructed him to do as they'd pracriced, holding her arm steady without applying much pressure. "Go on. She won't bite."