Moore walked to the door and locked it against intrusion. He removed the M.C.5 vial from his pocket and once more loaded a syringe. He looked down at the sleeping patient on the bed, a tiny smile barely noticeable on his face. 'Fate must have been smiling on me today, Chris Larabee,' he thought as he injected the drug into the blonds arm. 'You and your friends will make perfect subjects in a game I want to play,' he said as he watched his patient open glazed green eyes. "That's it, Chris, open your eyes," he said with a smile.
Chris Larabee looked into the face of the stranger standing above him. His mind still confused by the anaesthetic and the unknown drug Moore had given him. He licked his dry lips and tried to formulate a response. "W...what happened?" he finally groaned.
"You've been ill," Moore said.
"Ill?" the tired voice asked.
"Hmm, hmm. Your so called friends brought you here," Moore said, planting the seed he would use later.
Chris fought to remember what had happened to put him in this place. "Where am I?" he asked.
"You're in my private hospital. Your friends brought you here and left you. Said they had to be somewhere else," Moore said.
"Left me? Vin? Buck?" Larabee asked.
"That's right. They all left you. They said they'd be back when you were ready to travel. I think they mentioned fishing or something like that."
"They wouldn't do that," Larabee hissed tiredly.
"I'm sorry but they did. I'm going to give you an injection for pain now and it'll probably make you sleep," Moore said as he walked to the cabinet and removed another vial of medication. This one was another one he'd experimented with and he found it opened his subject's mind to suggestions even while it put them into a type of half sleep, half awake alertness.
"Don't want anything," Larabee said as he watched the stranger fill a syringe and place it into his IV line. "I said I don't want anything," he repeated as he reached for the man's hand.
"I know what's best for you, Chris," Moore said as he pressed on the blond's abdomen, just above the new incision, eliciting a small cry of pain from Larabee. "Now just lay there and let this take affect. You'll feel much better if you do as I say."
"Why're you doin' this?" Larabee asked in a slurred voice as he felt reality slipping away.
"Because I can," Moore said as he watched his newest subject succumb to the drug he'd just administered. "That's better, Chris, now there's a few more things you need to know, but I think that's enough for today. Sleep and dream for now because it won't be long before those dreams become your own nightmare reality," he said as he walked back to the door, unlocked and then opened it. "Nathan, can you and your friends help me move Chris into the next room?"
"How's he doing, Doc?" Wilmington asked worriedly.
"He's still sleeping but that's the best thing for him right now," Moore explained as his gaze was caught and held by a young man with long hair and the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. 'This one could be dangerous,' he thought. "You two can carry him into that room," Moore said, pointing to Sanchez and Wilmington. "The rest of you wait out here."
"I wanna see him," Tanner said.
Moore was about to refuse, but thought better of it when Tanner's eyes turned icy. "I'll let you know when we've got him settled," he said. "The rest of you will have to wait as he really does need his rest. Nathan, I need you to help with the IV pole. This is gonna be hard on Chris so let's get it done as fast as possible."
Jackson, Sanchez, and Wilmington followed the doctor into the exam room. Jackson knew what he'd look like but the pale, still figure on the bed was a shock to the other two men.
"Nathan, is he alright?" Wilmington asked quietly.
"He will be, Buck," Jackson said as he peeled back the covers on the bed to reveal a large white bandage that didn't quite cover the antibacterial scrub Moore used.
"Now, gentlemen, we need to do this carefully." Moore said and then smiled at the men. "It would make this easier if I knew your names."
"I'm Josiah Sanchez. He's Buck Wilmington."
"Alright, Josiah, you take his shoulders and chest area. Buck, you take his legs. Nathan, you've got the IV line. I'm going to hold him by the waist and keep him straight. Ready?" he asked as each man took up position and lifted the blond from the narrow bed. Carefully, ignoring the weak cries of pain from Larabee they lifted him and carried him into the next room.
The new room still had the atmosphere of a hospital, but the bed was a little larger with controls to raise and lower the head and foot. They gently placed Larabee on the mattress and carefully covered him with a thin sheet and a blanket. Jackson placed the IV on the overhead pole.
Moore stepped forward and checked that the line was running properly before raising the head of the bed.
"How long before he wakes up, Doc?" Wilmington asked as he flicked back a stray lock of blond hair.
"It may be some time, Buck. >From what Nathan said he hasn't been sleeping very well and that alone will keep him under. I'd say he should be coming out of it early tomorrow morning. Now if you gentlemen don't mind I have a few things to do until then. Nathan, you can tell that young man he can visit Chris for a little while, but he's not to disturb him. The best thing for the patient right now is sleep." Moore explained.
"I'll tell him," Jackson said. "He'll probably insist on sitting with Chris for awhile."
"That's fine as long as he lets him rest. Now if the rest of you gentlemen would like to get some sleep I can have Daisy make up the beds in the guest rooms. I'm afraid you'll all have to double up though."
"Thanks, Doc, that'd be great. It's been a long night and I think we could all use some rest," Jackson said as he ordered the other men out of the room.
Moore looked down at his subject and grinned. 'Let the games begin,' he thought.
Vin Tanner opened the door just in time to catch the grin on the doctor's face. A shudder ran down his spine at the unnerving way the man was staring at his friend. He hurried up to the bed and slipped past the doctor in an effort to get the man away from Larabee.
"Vin, isn't it?" Moore asked as he moved out of the younger man's way.
"That's right," Tanner said, his steady gaze raking over the older man. "How is he?"
"He's going to be just fine as long as there are no complications," Moore said, thinking about the plans he had for the newcomers.
"What kind of complications?" Tanner asked worriedly.
"Son, there are all kinds of complications when someone goes through surgery. I'm not saying Chris will have any but I wanted you aware of the possibility. This isn't a modern hospital with all the equipment needed for emergencies, but I do the best I can with what I have."
"So why'd you do the surgery if you think that way?"
"Because Chris was on the verge of a ruptured appendix and he wouldn't have made it to the next town. Look, Son, I haven't lost a patient I've operated on yet and I don't plan on starting now. Let him sleep and he should be fine. I'll be back in a little while to check on him. Call Nathan if he needs anything before I return," Moore said as he left the room.
Tanner watched the older man as he closed the door. He looked back at the man on the bed and wondered just how safe he was here. The doctor's smiling face when he entered did nothing to reassure Vin Tanner, instead it made him nervous to the point where he wanted to grab his friend and get him outta there. 'Come on, Vin, get a hold of yourself. The doc did the surgery and even Nathan says he did a good job,' Tanner thought as he reached out and touched the blond's hand.
Moore locked the door to his office and sat at his desk. He flicked on the monitor on his computer, smiled as it illuminated and showed the young man seated at the side of his newest subject. He picked up a small tape recorder and began speaking into it as he continued to watch the two men. "July 30th. Control subject is a man in his late thirties or early forties named Christopher Larabee. Subject is normally healthy but came to me suffering from an acute appendicitis attack. I effectively removed the appendix and have started to inject subject with C.M.5. Because of his weakened condition the drug should be even more effective in letting me control what the subject sees and believes. The drug must be administered four times a day for the first week and subject will appear to be sleeping. The control Subject was accompanied by six men. One of them has had extensive training in the medical field and I will have to be careful what I do around him. Of the other five there is a young man named Tanner who could be a problem and I may have to deal with him before too long. Tanner insisted on sitting with subject and I am watching them now. Tanner's face is deceptively calm but I get the feeling that he is a dangerous man to cross," Moore said as he clicked off the recording device. He unlocked the top door of his desk and placed the tape recorder inside, making sure he locked it up afterwards.
Six hours later the door opened and Wilmington entered the room to find the younger man slowly lean back in his chair. "Vin?"
"Hi, Buck," Tanner said as he looked at the older man through tired eyes.
"Has he woke up yet?" the ladies man asked as he stepped up to the bed, relieved to see the steady rise and fall of his friend's chest.
"Not really. He's moaned a couple of times. Thought he was waking up a little while ago, but no such luck," the sharpshooter explained as he rubbed his lower back.
"Why don't you get some sleep, Vin? I'll sit with Chris for awhile."
Tanner recognized the similar need to be close to Chris Larabee mirrored in Wilmington's eyes. "Alright, Buck," he said as he suddenly yawned.
"If you gentlemen will excuse me I'd like to examine my patient," Moore said from the open doorway.
"You gonna wake him up, Doc?" Wilmington asked.
"No, I told you I want him to sleep as much as possible. I'll let you know when you can come back in," Moore said, walking them to the door and closing it behind them.
Tanner turned to Wilmington, a worried frown on his face.
"What's wrong, Pard?" the moustached man asked.
"I don't know, Buck, there's just something about the doctor I don't trust."
"He seems fine to me, Vin, and Nathan says he did a first rate job with Chris. Maybe you're just tired and that's what's clouding your judgement."
"I hope you're right, Buck, 'cause Chris's life may depend on it," Tanner said as he stretched his arms above his head before walking away.
"It's time for your next injection, Chris," Moore said, slowly swabbing an area on Larabee's shoulder before injecting the compound. He watched as Larabee moved around on the bed as the drug intruded on his dreams and slowly turned them into nightmares. He smiled as the man's face once more relaxed before he began speaking softly. "Chris, can you hear me?"
"Hmm," Larabee's voice was soft and sleep filled.
"I need you to listen to me. Your life and the lives of your friends depend on you doing what I tell you. Do you understand?"
"I...I think so," Larabee answered, his voice growing slurred as the drug took a stronger hold.
"Good, it's important that you respond only to my voice."
"Your voice," the blond said weakly.
"That's right my voice. I'm the only one you can trust," Moore continued in the same steady, even tone.
"Only trust you," Larabee answered, his voice barely audible as he sank deeper into the dreams conjured up by the drug.
"That's right. Now go back to sleep and remember what I said," the doctor ordered as he changed the IV bag over his subject's head.
"Sleep. So t...tired."
Moore watched his patient's chest rise and fall. 'You should be a great subject, Chris. I can feel the strength emanating from your body. I may have to watch that long haired Texan though. He could be dangerous,' he thought, touching the bottle in his pocket. 'You and your friends may give me the answer to just how far this drug has come since Viet Nam.'
A knock at the door made him jump but he quickly recovered. "Come in," he called.
"Hope I'm not disturbing you. I just wanted to see how Chris is doing, Doc," Jackson explained as he entered the room.
"He's still sleeping, Nathan, but that's to be expected."
Nathan moved to the opposite side of the bed and frowned as he noticed the flushed cheeks and sweaty brow of his friend. "Is he running a fever?" he asked.
"Yes, it's low grade, but I'm keeping an eye on it."
"How high is it?" Jackson asked as he stroked the blond's forehead.
"Just slightly over one hundred and two."
Nathan's head snapped up and his eyes met those of the older man. "That seems a little more than low grade."
"Not really, Nathan. I've had patients with much higher temperatures after surgery. He's only one day post op," Moore explained calmly.
"You are watching him closely?"
"Of course, Nathan, I've seen this before. He'll be fine," Moore said calmly.
"You mind if I sit with him for awhile?"
"Not at all. Just make sure the others let him sleep. He's been through a lot in the past couple of days and he needs to sleep in order to get his strength back. I have a couple of things to do in my office. If Chris needs anything just send Daisy for me. If not I'll check back in a little while."
"Ok," Jackson said, pulling a chair closer to the bed. He walked to the sink and filled a basin with cool water. He searched the cabinets till he found a cloth and walked back to the bed. Dipping the cloth into the water he began bathing the fever flushed face.
Even unconscious, Chris leaned towards the cooling cloth. His dreams were filled with fire as he ran through the burning streets of Beirut. The cooling touch of the cloth was the only thing keeping him from screaming out as fire blazed all around him.
Nathan felt the slight movement as his friend turned his head. "Chris, can you hear me?"
The voice penetrated Larabee's mind and he tried to answer. He was unable to do so as he heard a steady voice telling him... "Respond only to my voice."
"Nathan?"
"Thought you were gonna get some rest, Vin?"
"Couldn't sleep," the younger man said.
"You didn't try very hard. You left here all of half an hour ago," Jackson scolded him.
"You know I can't sleep when I'm worried about Chris, Nathan."
"You don't say?" Nathan grinned as he watched the expressive blue eyes.
Tanner couldn't resist the laugh that made it past his lips. "You know how it is, Nathan. I have to make sure he's gonna be alright, then I'll get some sleep. Why don't you go get something to eat? I'll sit with him for awhile."
"Alright, Vin. Just keep wiping him down," Jackson told him as he passed the cloth.
Tanner's eyes shot open and his gaze fell on the man in the bed. "Why?"
"He's got a fever, Vin."
"How bad?"
"Dr. Moore says it a hundred and two."
"Godammit, Nathan, that's pretty high isn't it?"
"Vin, it's a little high, but that's probably because of the surgery he had yesterday."
"How come you don't sound very confident, Nate?"
Jackson turned away from the younger man before he could read the worry in his eyes.
"Nathan?"
"Look, Vin, if we were in a regular hospital they'd be treating Chris for this fever. Dr. Moore doesn't have everything he needs here to do that."
"Do you trust him?"
Jackson thought about the doctor who was treating Chris Larabee. There was something about the man he didn't like, but he couldn't put his hands on what it was. He met the sharpshooter's gaze and answered honestly. "I don't know, Vin, that's why I was going to make sure one of us was always with Chris. That way we'll know what the doctor is doing."
"You gonna tell the others?"
"I'll talk to them. Look, Vin, there may not be anything wrong with Dr. Moore but I feel better knowing we're watching Chris's back."
Tanner picked up the cloth and smiled at the medic. "I hear ya, Nate, there's no way I'll let anything happen to Chris."
"I'll send one of the others in shortly so you can get some rest."
"I'm fine, Nate."
"As long as you do as I tell you we'll both be fine," Jackson said, smiling as he left the room.
Vin slid the soft cloth gently across the blond's bare chest. "Hey, Cowboy, you plannin' on sleepin' all day? You know I can't handle hospitals, Chris, and something tells me this place is worse. The quicker you wake up the quicker we get outta here."
The soft Texan drawl broke through the drug induced nightmares, but Chris Larabee was unable to answer. His mind wondered through nightmare streets while his ears tried to concentrate on the softly spoken words of his friend. 'Vin, help me,' he thought as he watched a man with long hair and unfocused blue eyes fall to the ground in front of him. He struggled to breath as the smoke from the street fire invaded his nostrils, choking off the air his body craved.
Tanner dipped the cloth in the water once again, this time concentrating on the fevered brow. "Come on, Larabee, you're not gonna let something like a little attack of appendicitis and a little surgery get the better of you, are you?" he lapsed into silence as his words caught in his throat.
Moore watched the screen and listened to Tanner speaking to the unconscious man. He picked up the tiny microphone and began speaking quietly. "Injected Control subject with second dose of C.M.5 . Control Subject is running a fever, but that's normal with this drug. Subject Jackson is worried about Control Subject's temperature. I will have to make sure to watch him. Subject Tanner is very suspicious and I have decided he will be the Control Subject's first test. Control Subject hasn't responded to the other subject's voices and he appears to be fully susceptible to the compound."
Moore turned off the tape recorder and watched as Buck Wilmington replaced Vin Tanner at Chris Larabee's bed. He watched as the newcomer changed the water in the basin and started bathing the blond haired man. He picked up his tape recorder again and switched it on. "Control Subject seems to have a special relationship with these men. Of the three subjects that have spent time with him all show an uncanny air of brotherhood for the Control Subject. Will be interesting to see just how long it takes to make the Control Subject do as I order him too."
Moore clicked off the tape recorder and placed it back in the locked drawer. He smiled as he watched the man on the screen continue to care for Larabee. "Sleep well, Chris, things are going to change for you over the next week. It will be a test to see how far I can push you before you can't take anymore." Moore said as he sipped the glass of wine on his desk. A smile spread over his face as he watched the handsome moustached man bathe the pale form on the bed. He looked at his watch and marked the time in the book. "Three more hours till the next injection. Chris,' he thought.
"Hey, Stud, 'bout time for you to be waking up. Can't be layin' around this little piece of Eden any longer. I mean I could probably work on Daisy, but you know me I like to play the field. Come on now, wake up so we can get back to civilization and I can keep my date with Annie. You remember her, Pard? The one with the beautiful blues eyes and the huge Bre... Melons," Wilmington laughed. He once more dipped the cloth in the water and wiped at the damp blond locks.
Placing the wet cloth back in the basin he stood and walked to the door. He opened it and almost walked into Clayton Moore. "How's our patient, Mr. Wilmington?"
"He's still sleeping, Doc, and that's got me worried. This ain't like Chris. He's usually awake an hour or two after surgery growling at the doctors to let him up. Dr. Midland's always complaining about him and Vin."
"Well, Mr. Wilmington. I need to examine Chris so if you'll just step outside for a couple of minutes I'll be done as quickly as possible," Moore told him.
Buck met the doctor's eyes. "I'll be right back, Doc," he said, hurrying off to get Nathan Jackson. The medic told them all he wanted to be notified whenever the doctor was with Chris.
Moore turned his attention to his patient, quickly swabbing his shoulder and inserting the needle into his arm. He pulled the syringe out and swabbed the area one last time. "We don't have much time, Chris. Open your eyes," Moore ordered.
Larabee's eyes slowly opened, but remained glassy and unfocused. He was confused and in pain as he tried to meet the gaze of the man standing over him. "W...who are you?" he asked weakly.
"I'm the only friend you have, Chris."
"O...only friend. N...no V...Vin, Buck, N...Nathan, J..." Larabee groaned as a hand clamped down on his abdomen. "D...don't, h...hurts," he cried.
"I am your only friend and you will do as I say."
"O...only as y...you say. J...just s...stop, please! S...stop," the blond gasped.
Moore eased up on the incision, watching as the injured man's face contorted in pain. "You have no friends. You have only me."
"N...no friends. O...only you," Larabee repeated softly.
"That's right. There's no one here but you and me. Mine is the only voice you can hear. The only voice you will heed. Do you understand?"
"I u...understand," Chris gasped as Moore released his side.
"That's good, Chris. Now go back to sleep."
"S...sleep," Larabee whispered painfully. "V...Vin,' the final word came out as a longing gasp as he surrendered to the drug and Moore's orders.
"Vin can't help you," Moore whispered in the blond's right ear. "Neither can the rest of them. The men here killed your friends and you will have to do the same to them."
Moore heard approaching footsteps and looked towards the door as it opened and the dark skinned medic walked in. "Hello, Nathan," he said as he lifted Larabee's wrist and began taking his pulse. As expected the pulse was faster than normal.
"How's Chris?" Jackson asked as he stepped up to the bed and placed his hand on the injured man's forehead. "Feels like his temperature is higher," Jackson said worriedly.
"Why don't you check it for me. The thermometer is in the dish on the table," Moore said as he pretended to check the IV line.
The medic walked to the counter and took the instrument from the glass dish. Slowly shaking it he wished he had the newer digital thermometers he was used to.
"Chris, can you hear me?" Jackson asked as he checked Larabee's pupils. When there was no answer from the injured man he slowly pried the mouth open and slipped the instrument under the man's tongue. "I'm worried, Dr. Moore," Jackson stated.
"There's nothing to worry about yet, Nathan. Chris wasn't eating or sleeping before you came here so he was already weak. His body is just resting up. Give it another day or so and he'll probably be awake and from what Vin says he'll be complaining about being stuck in bed."
Jackson met the older man's eyes and wondered why there didn't seem to be any warmth in them. 'God, Chris, we should've gone on,' he thought as a shiver ran down his spine. He took the thermometer from his friend's mouth and looked at the numbers.
"Well?"
"It's one hundred and three. That's up a degree from the last time I took it."
"Let's take a look at the incision. Make sure there's nothing happening there that shouldn't be happening," Moore said as he rolled the thin blanket from the patient's body.
The white bandage taped securely over the wound had a small drop of blood showing through it. "Nathan, pull over the cart with the fresh bandages and saline on it. We'll clean and flush the wound. Hopefully that'll help take care of the fever," Moore said as he gently pulled the tape from the incision.
Jackson noticed the wound was a little pink, but there didn't seem to be anything serious going on. 'Why the hell are you burning up, Chris?' he silently asked. He pulled the cart up next to the doctor and watched as the older man took a syringe and filled it with saline.
The older man's hands worked quickly and he soon had the incision cleaned of all traces of blood. He soaked some gauze in saline and pressed it into the seeping wound, then covered it with a dry dressing. "There that should help."
The medic nodded and began cleaning up the soiled dressings. "I think it's time to get Chris back to the city. I really think he needs the equipment of a modern hospital," Jackson said.
"He's not in any shape for a long drive, Nathan," Moore said, keeping the nervous tension from his voice. 'There's no way I'm letting you take Chris Larabee away from here. It's time I finished the experiments I started with Jerry Parker,' he thought.
"I'll call our boss and have him send a medivac chopper out here."
"I told you there are no phones here."
"I'll have Josiah drive back to the town we passed through. He can phone Travis from there," Jackson commented.
"If that's what you feel you have to do, Nathan, but you should know you're taking his life in your hands and I will not be a party to it," Moore said as he turned away from the bed. 'Good thing Daisy knows so much about cars,' he thought.
"He's been here nearly three days doc and he doesn't seem to be getting any better. I know you're doing all you can to help him, but it's not working. I'll talk to Josiah about it."
Moore finished checking the IV and knew he'd have to find a way to keep these men here. He couldn't chance them taking his main subject away from him. "Are you going to stay with him, Nathan?"
"I told Buck to get some rest. Vin'll be back in an hour or so and he'll take over."
Moore's eyebrows furrowed as he turned away from Jackson. "Where'd Mr. Tanner go?"
"He said he wanted to take a look around the mountain. Vin's a man who loves nature and I don't think he finds enough of that in Billings," Jackson explained.
"Alright, Nathan, if he needs anything at all or if he wakes up have Daisy come get me," Moore said as he headed for the door. The doctor made his way to his office and locked the door behind him once again. He poured his glass of wine, turned on the monitor, and pulled out the tape recorder.
"Three days post op and control subject is still being kept unconscious. He is now only answering to my voice although he still seems to have some control over his thoughts. He called out to Vin Tanner before surrendering to the drugs' effects. Subject Jackson wants to remove Control Subject via Medivac. I cannot allow this to happen. This is the last chance I may get to prove that the C. M. 5 compound actually works. I cannot allow the same disaster to happen with Control Subject Larabee as happened to Control Subject Parker. This is my chance for retribution. In order to facilitate my plans Control Subject needs to be injected with C. M. 5 for four more days before I can implement phase two. I must make sure these men have no contact with the outside world until the test is over," Moore pushed the stop button on his recorder and watched the medic care for his friend.
"Don't you worry none, Chris. Won't be long and we'll have you back in Dr. Midland's care," Jackson spoke aloud as he sponged down the man's body. He stopped when he noticed the red marks on his shoulder. "What the hell are these from, Chris?" he asked as he inspected the tiny puncture marks. 'What the hell is Moore giving you?'
Moore rushed from his office as soon as he noticed Jackson stop at the site of the injections. 'I knew he was dangerous,' the doctor thought angrily.
Jackson looked up from his inspection, expecting to see one of his friends but was surprised when Moore walked into the room. "Is something wrong, Nathan?" he asked as he walked to the medicine cabinet and took down a tiny vial.
"What have you been giving him?" Jackson snapped.
"What are you talking about?"
"These marks on his shoulder. What are they from?"
"Nathan, how long have you been a Paramedic?"
"Long enough," Jackson answered angrily.
"Have you ever watched a patient being given injections after surgery? This is called Heparin."
"Heparin?" Jackson frowned. "That's to prevent blood clots, right?"
"That's right. In case you haven't noticed Chris is not moving around very much. I've been giving him Heparin since we operated. If you look on his chart you'll see the notations," Moore said as this time he actually drew Heparin from the vial. "Would you care to check this before I administer it?"
Jackson took the vial and read the label. He breathed a sigh of relief at the logical explanation, but still remained suspicious. "Sorry, its just that he's a friend and we don't know very much about you."
Moore smiled at the younger man as he stood next to Larabee's right shoulder. Swabbing the area he injected the Heparin. "Nathan, if you ever have any questions about what I'm doing to Chris, just ask and I'll answer them for you."
"Thanks, Doc," Jackson said and resumed the task of sponging the fevered man's body.
"You're welcome, Nathan. I don't think I've thanked you and your friends for keeping a constant vigilance on my patient. It gives me a chance to continue some research I've been doing."
"That's something we do for each other, Doc. We're a close group and Chris here is our leader you might say," Jackson replied quietly.
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