The heat from the shot was burning her from the inside. It gnawed at her consciousness until all thought dissolved and only the agony of the raging fire remained. Fifth writhed in the restraints. Her skin felt too tight, and surging cramps raged in her belly. Pained wheezing escaped her mouth, her vision blurring as a migraine started.
"Focus, Fifth. Imagine your hand as a claw. Just like you saw in the pictures yesterday."
Doctor Shou's voice scoured her ears, and she blinked, trying to focus on her tormentor. Her right hand trembled from the strain of her clenching it tightly. She could see the memory of the claw picture in her mind, but no matter how she tried, she couldn't make her hand become like the picture.
"You're not concentrating, Fifth. I see. You must want to be a bad girl again today," cooed Doctor Shou menacingly.
Fifth flinched and mouthed, "I am concentrating! Please, don't hurt me again! I'm sorry!"
Doctor Shou's eyes narrowed. Without a word, she went to the instrument tray and came back with a scalpel. Wary of the doctor's intent, Fifth's gaze became frantic.
Her mouth opened and closed as she mouthed her apologies again, hoping to appease the doctor.
"You act like focusing is so hard to do. It's really not. You just like to be defiant. I'm not in the mood to tolerate your foolishness."
Doctor Shou raised her hand and slammed the scalpel into Fifth's right wrist. Fifth's soundless scream was the only testament to her pain. She panted and then hyperventilated when Doctor Shou rammed another syringe of purple medicine into her arm.
"Focus, damn you!" snarled Doctor Shou.
A tearing jolt of sensation ricocheted through Fifth's right hand and arm. Her arm and hand spasmed while her nerves screamed their hurt. She was closing to blacking out to escape this hell.
"No, my dear. No sleeping," ordered Doctor Shou as she slapped Fifth hard enough to split her lip and deny her the refuge of unconsciousness.
Would this torment never end? Fifth despaired of ever finding freedom from her jailers. A tear slid down her cheek while the interns laughed and mocked her suffering. She hated them all. She wished they would burn. She would gladly rejoice at their demise. They were all evil to the core and didn't deserve to live. She glared at them.
"Now, now. No glaring, unless you want to be educated like yesterday," warned Doctor Shou.
Fifth shook her head in denial. Anything but that! She wanted to escape this hellish torment but there was nowhere to go. A fresh wave of fire and heat surged through her nerves, stiffening her body to the point she thought it would break. Her soul screamed its anguish in the void of her mind. Suddenly, the pain eased a little, and her breathing began to calm. A soothing warmth filled her, and grateful tears slid down her cheeks.
Were the powers that be finally answering her prayers? She smiled, her mind feeling lightheaded from the temporary relief. Her joy was short-lived.
Doctor Shou sighed dramatically, her fingers caressing Fifth's right arm. Fifth trembled. What horrible thing was the doctor going to do now? The answer wasn't too long in coming.