darkness will rise from the deep

[colorofthesky]

Who: Zack and Hojo
Where: A lab...in Midgar.
When: The end of Crisis Core.
Rating: R...for repulsive horribleness.
Summary: [Terribad AU] Zack is picked up by the army and shipped off to one of Hojo's labs. Naturally, the scientist is delighted.

[ It's hard to breathe.

Blinking slowly at the lights above, that's the first thing he notices when he comes to. His chest hurts -- no, scratch that, everything hurts -- and he can taste blood in the back of his throat.

He looks down, and for a moment, he just stares, uncomprehending. He's on an operating table of all things, his clothes and equipment stripped, his vitals blipping weakly on a nearby monitor. He's restrained too, which...is honestly probably overkill. Just trying to lift his arm off the table is a strain -- he couldn't break anything now if he tried.

Confused, he stares at the oxygen mask steaming over his face and shakes his head. What happened? He thought he was going to die, not receive medical care...

And then it dawns on him.

Panicking a little, he starts tugging uselessly on the restraints.

What had happened to Cloud? ]

Comments

[makesmonsters]

Now, now, settle down...

[ A familiar voice speaks with an impatient edge; clearly the speaker is not pleased - and even worse, Zack's movements are only increasing his displeasure.

Following the voice, however, there is the dull thud of a piece of metal being dropped into a bin and the gentle click of a pair of forceps being manipulated. And then, the speaker moves within Zack's sight, leaning over him a little. It is Professor Hojo, smiling the sort of smile he wears when he is considering just how to dissect someone he particularly dislikes. ... perhaps luckily for Zack, he is not the one Hojo wants to dissect at present, but that doesn't stop Hojo from being short with him. ]

You have already bled more than enough for one day - it wouldn't do to exacerbate things by moving or getting... excited.

[ He pauses to push his glasses up his nose with the back of his wrist, treating Zack to a wonderful and calming view of of a gloved hand, stained with blood and clutching a pair of equally bloody forceps. ]

[colorofthesky]

[ That voice...

Zack's eyes widen, shock (and maybe horror) flashing across his face as his gaze locks on Hojo. No, no, this is an even worse outcome than dying alone on a hilltop outside Midgar.

He jerks again, weakly, on the restraints, the blips on the monitor increasing -- his heartrate is going up. ]

Don't... [ he takes a breath with difficulty ] touch me.

[ He's been a test subject once, and though he doesn't know exactly what was done to him, he would rather bleed out than endure it again. ]

[makesmonsters]

What did I just tell you?

[ He sighs. ]

Must I put you to sleep while I remove the rest of the bullets? You have quite the collection in your abdomen, after all. It is a wonder you aren't dead already - or, perhaps... simply a testament to my skills at reconstructing you before.

[colorofthesky]

[ He doesn't care what Hojo just told him. Or about the claim the scientist 'reconstructed' him during that four-year sojourn in Nibelheim.

He just wants to get out.

Pulling again, Zack tries to throw his weight against the side of the table to tilt it -- and fails. A pained, almost pitiful sound escapes him as he flops back; the sharp motion twisted his shoulder and aggravated his wounds.

This just isn't his day. ]

[makesmonsters]

[ Hojo makes a disapproving noise. ]

Hold still, boy. This is your last warning, though I would have though the pain you must be feeling when you move would be caution enough.

[colorofthesky]

[ If there's one thing Hojo's right about, it's how much everything hurts. His entire body feels like it's on fire, besides which, it's been an emotionally trying day.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he tries to breathe, his heart pounding in his chest. He's not getting anywhere, and as much as he wants to try, he really doesn't have the strength.

He'll be quiet now, for a little while at least. ]

[makesmonsters]

That's better.

[ Hojo cares little for Zack's emotions, except that he does wish Zack would calm his heart rate just a little to reduce the blood. Hojo has done what he can to stem the flow with medicines and spells, but he needs to get the bullets out and everything cleaned before the real healing work can be done.

Hojo barks something at an assistant about a transfusion pack but otherwise keeps his attention on Zack and the boy's injuries. If Zack pays attention, he'll feel pinches and tears here and there, but really mostly he will see Hojo pulling metal slugs out of his body - bullets lodged in flesh and bone - and hear the doctor mutter unkind things about the army and what a pain chipped bones are and lead poisoning is the least of his worries at this rate.

Really, he's surprised Zack is even conscious, but adrenaline and mako and Jenova do do wonders for a body and a mind as strong and sure as this boy's. ]

[colorofthesky]

[ It's a difficult thing to be calm when you know you're in the clutches of a man who not only experimented on you, but left you in a test tube for years.

He watches, as much as he can bear to, and he flinches every time a bullet lodged in a particularly nasty spot comes out. It's not as bad as it could be -- Hojo is, at the very least, good at what he does...but it honestly baffles him why the scientist is going through so much trouble to save him, especially when his body is effectively ruined.

His heartrate stabilizing, Zack just stares, bleary-eyed with fatigue. By the time Hojo is actually done, he looks like he's about to nod off. ]

...why...?

[makesmonsters]

Because I am hardly going to stand by and watch such a fine specimen go to waste.

[ Hojo rolls his eyes, as he turns away to rinse the blood off his gloves and dampen gauze with antiseptic. Before he begins to clean, however, he picks up a thick piece of leather or -- something tough, anyway. ]

Open your mouth.

[ The last thing he wants is yet one more injury in the form of Zack biting is tongue off in pain. Ordinarily he might administer anesthetic to ensure that Zack remains relaxed, but the boy has precious little blood to spare, and Hojo does not wish to thin it out any more while his useless assistants are acquiring the right blood type for use on Zack. ]

[colorofthesky]

[ It's not a comforting answer, not in the least, but it's...almost a compliment? Sort of?

There's a sinking feeling in his stomach, regardless, and as tired as he is, he can't really argue the point.

Taking the material between his teeth without a fuss, he waits for the next round. ]

[makesmonsters]

[ And this round is, for better or worse, much more painful than the last, as Hojo painstakingly cleans out any remaining debris and otherwise debrides the former SOLDIER's wounds. Then, one by one, he begins to stitch the larger or deeper injuries closed, carefully repairing everything as best he can. He pauses here and there to direct concentrated magic to chipped bones or lacerated vital organs and muscles, but magic can only do so much, and Hojo is attempting to minimize scarring and other permanent damage.

It is a slow process, and Hojo pauses only to ensure that one of the techs properly begins a transfusion for Zack to restore some of the lost blood. Otherwise, he works diligently, ignoring Zack's reactions unless they interfere. ]

[colorofthesky]

[ He doesn't scream.

There are a few moments where he really, really wants to -- where the pain of having his insides scoured and disinfected almost makes him want to roll over and die.

He's a resilient one, though, if his survival is any indicator. There are times he can't help but tense or move a little in response to the pain, but for the most part, he's still. Clutching the material between his teeth as if for dear life, soft, pained noises do escape him as Hojo works.

This is truly torturous, and all he really wants to do now is rest and be left alone. ]

[makesmonsters]

[ And eventually Hojo is done, stepping back a little to admire his work - and examine it with a critical eye. Signaling to a tech for something or other, he shortly thereafter comes to stand over Zack's head, looking down at him. ]

We're all done. ... I suppose you should consider yourself lucky that you didn't wake up until after I'd already removed all the bullets from your back. I can only imagine how horrendously uncooperative you would have been then. In any case, do sleep well. You have a lot of healing to do, and I have no immersion tanks to spare for longer than a few hours for a thorough decontamination process, which I'm sure you will enjoy.

[ He smiles unpleasantly as one of his assistants finally administers something to Zack to help him sleep. ] Sweet dreams... I will see you again soon.

[colorofthesky]

[ He hurts.

He has for a long time now, of course, but when the sharp, agonizing pains accompanying the surgery finally cease, he almost passes out with relief. It's over, at least for now, and he spits out whatever was in his mouth.

Blinking up at Hojo, dread settles in the pit of his stomach. He's been captured (again), and there's no way out.

Squeezing his eyes shut, a few tears slide down his cheek. This is the last thing he ever wanted to happen -- the only possibility he feared.

He feels the needle prick his arm, and he doesn't care. Oblivion is preferable, and sleep comes as a welcome escape. ]