Rehab (Work in Progress)

Conscienceness came to him , flashing on much like the blinding lights that pierced through his eyelids into his groggy mind. His head rolled around while his eyes squinted. A sharp pain, much like a migrain etched its way into his skull He groaned. Where was he? He attempted to move and found he could not move his arm. He mumbled something incoherently, lobbing his head and looking down to see his body was tied down with twine to a rolling computer chair. He fought it weakly, barely even able to make a fist.1

"Oh! You're awake. I was starting to worry..." The voice was feminine and sounded surprised and perky. Very perky, as if some big present had just arrived before her, and it was exactly what she wanted.2

He glanced around as his eyes finally adjusted, trying and failing to find the woman who had just spoke.3

"Where... am I?"4

He tried to put his thoughts together. He struggled to remember the last thing to happen before this and where he had heard her voice before, but the everything was blurred, all of it. He couldn't remember any precise memory of recent time... Too many drugs.
Drugs. That's it. He remembered he was shooting up, but not where. Not when. 5

He could hear the sound of fingers tapping on metal coming from behind him, and he assumed it was her.6

"I'm sorry. I can't give you that information."7

"What do you want with me! Who are you?!" He demanded.8

The sound of a chair screeching against the floor echoed in the small room. It was followed by heels moving to him from behind. His chair turned around slowly, so now he could see who was holding him hostage. Her lips curled into a smile, and she brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face.9

"This? Oh, we'll tell you later after some water. We need your mind to be clear, so you fully understand what is happening. Who knows. You might figure it out."10

He screamed, hollering at her, unable to keep it together as she stood up and lefthim alone in the room and bolted the large, stainless steel door shut behind her. He whipped his head around, trying to find something--anything that could give away what was happening. But all he could tell was he was in a fairly large, windowless, white-tiled room. Long bright lights hung above him, and the only way out seemed to be the door that the woman had used to trap him here. Anger filled him, and he bursted. "Let me out of here!" He screamed and thrashed around until as a result of his weakened state, he passed out again.
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It was dark when he woke up the second time. He wasn't groggy like earlier, and he didn't bother to make any sounds. An itch began in his arms and slowly starting to consume his body, but he had more important things to think about a hit right now. He wanted to find out what was happening.
He didn't have many enemies. Most people seemed to naturally like him. No... that wasn't true anymore. He remembered that recently he had been getting in all kinds of trouble with fighting and stealing. He couldn't remember. Everything was blurred together anymore. He had been using drugs for years. He didn't think it was too bad... at first, but then the addiction settled in, crawled in his skin, pulled him deeper into this world of pills, lines, and blades. Sweat started to trickle down the back of his neck. He licked his lips, and swallowed. His mouth felt dry, as if someone had shoved cottonballs in his mouth to absorb up all his spit. It was like the more he tried not to think about it, the more it ate away at him and drove him mad.12

Fire exploded. It raced through his body, burning him as if he had been drenched in gasoline. 13

"Oh God! Someone help! I'm on fire! Help!"14

He was certain that this was the end, no one would put out the fire.No one would save him. Nothing could possibly stop this agony. He started to scream.15

Though the pain he could see the woman return carrying a small bucket. She knelt at his side and took a sponge from the bucket, ringed it and pressed it to his forehead. The fire seemed to weaken a bit as water trailed down his neck, darkening his shirt.16

"Shhh... Calm down. Hey, hey! Edwin. Calm down. You're not on fire--Look."17

He furrowed his brow, struggling with the task. Finally, he looked down and all he could see was his pale, rail-thin arms in the darkness. She was right.18

"Why does it burn...?"19

He thought about it for a moment, and perhaps it was the pain, but the answer came easily.20

"My blood... Why is my blood so hot?"21

He rolled his head back, straining his neck, and clench his jaw. It was unbearable.22

"It's a withdrawal symptom."23

He scowled and raised his voice.24

"I am not addicted to anything!"25

She kept her head and voice low as she scrubbed at his neck lightly.26

"Your body says otherwise."27

He was going to snarl at her when his blood seemed to freeze, and the cold was so much worse than the fire. His sweat was like little trails of ice, sliding over him, freezing his insides, soffocating him from within.28

"No, no! You're torturing me! Quit! Let me go!"29

He couldn't take this. This had to been Hell. There was no way that this kind of pain could be real. No earthly thing could possibly cause this anguish. He struggled in his seat30

"I can't do that, Edwin. This is what we call a non medicated detoxification."31

She dropped the sponge into the bucket and left the room with the bucket, then returned with a comforter and a glass of water. She wrapped it around him and began to stroke the top of his head. She gave him water at intervals.32

"Why...? A detox... ...Am I really that bad?"33

She didn't speak as she continued to run her fingers through his hair, combing it somewhat.34

At last, the pain seemed to become something distant, something manageable and he felt somewhat better. He heard a sniffle and lifted his head to look up at her.35

"Why... are you crying?"36

Something about that--About her crying, hurt him deep inside. He had to have known her outside of here.... But where?37

She shook her head and smiled.38

"Don't worry."39

What was it about her? How could it be she was so familiar, yet his mind was drawing a blank?40

"Were we ever..." He gulped. Why was he nervous? How could he not remember someone who made him feel vulnerable? This was so frustrating.41

She moved, kneeling in front of him.42

"Were we ever a thing?" she asked for him.43

It wasn't his exact question, but she had the general idea.44

He licked his lips and nodded feverishly.45

"I'm sorry. I can't answer that."46

"Why?" He cried out. This was infuriating. Why did he have to be in the dark? 47

"I have to go," she said hurriedly, rushing to her feet.48

"Please! Anything! Give me a hint!" he pleaded49

She sighed heavily and bent down, holding his chin between her thumb and pointer finger as she whispered into his ear; "I loved you."50

It stabbed at him. Those words... He remembered hearing her saying them. So many times... A thousand of them.. When? How long ago was that? If only he knew her name...51

He watched her go and was left in this blackness, this void of confusion, without any escape or explanation.52

...Who was she?53

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Not long after the woman left, Edwin heard the door creak open and he peeked up to see the silhouette of another, taller female walking in. Her arm raised and glided over a small patch of the wall; a few clicks were heard and then a slight buzz was made before the lights flashed back on, startling him. He squinted at the new woman. Her skin was a darker shade, and her hair was long and curly.55

"Edwin Seth Taylor, correct?"56

"Who're you?"57

"I'm sorry. That's private."58

"God damn it! How come who-knows-how-many people on the otherside of that damn door know my name, but I can't know anything about who they are and where I am?! If this is suppose to help me, why do you all insist on driving me fucking insane?!"59

The girl shrugged carelessly.60

"Please don't use the Lord's name in vain. And if you want a name, I suppose you could call me Anne. It's not my real name, but it'll work."61

Edwin scowled. This is ridiculous.62

"Who is the other girl?"63

Anne snickered lightly.64

"If I can't tell you who I am, why would you think I could tell you who she is?"65

He snarled and Anne tilted her head and narrowed her eyes.66

"Jeez. Can't take a joke, can you?"67

"Doesn't really look like I'm in a very laughable situation, does it?"68

"Touche... We'll refer to the other woman as Eve."69

Anne held her chin between her thumb and pointer finger, appearing to be thinking.70

"I suppose we can call the lanky man you'll see tomorrow Warren. And you can make any name you want to name the people who come and go."71

She smiled, but it was hard for Edwin to feel cheered up by hearing that there were others that were going to keep him prisoner. His hope for escape seemed to dim greatly. Now it was a matter of how long he was going to be stuck.72

"So what are you doing here?" Edwin asked, his head drooping.73

"Well, it's been at least nine full hours since you've last ate, and I'm the one who gets to feed you."74

Her faux perkiness was starting to annoy him already.75

"I want Eve."76

Anne tut lightly as she shook her head.77

"I'm sorry, but that's not possible."78

Edwin glared, and Anne giggled.79

"It's not Eve's job. Honestly, you weren't even suppose to meet Eve yet. I feed you, Warren stands guard when you bathe, and whoever is in charge to take you to the bathroom. Eve is in charge of your recovery. Not the detox."80

"But I get to see her again, right?! I want Eve! I want her now, dammit!" He began to fight the ropes again as panic caught him. He had to see her again. He couldn't bear to go through all this pain without her. She was so comforting. He prefered her greatly to this "Anne".81

Anne didn't acknowledge his fit and instead responded to a knock at the door. She was handed a tray of food, and then the door was shut tight again. She placed the food on the table that Eve was at earlier and pushed Edwin over to it. She scooped up some of the oatmeal looking stuff with a spoon then held it in the air for Edwin to get. Edwin locked his jaw and tightened his lips, refusing to eat.82

"You need to eat."83

Edwin lashed out, "No! Not until Eve comes back!"84

Anne hissed loudly.85

"This is exactly why she wasn't suppose to see you! I am not going to play games with you, Edwin. The sooner you eat this, the sooner you will see Eve. If you don't eat this, keep in mind; I am not as kind as Eve is. I will do what needs to be done, and nothing short of that!"86

Edwin recoiled into his seat.87

"I just want to see her."88

Anne sighed and put the spoon down.89

"I know," she whispered quietly, "and you will. Just eat this, please?"90

Edwin nodded slowly and accepted the food in silence.91

After she finished feeding him, she stood up and gather the tray together.92

"Warren will be in shortly to prepare your sleeping arrangements. And if you would please, don't give him as much crap. It'll get better. I promise."93

Edwin didn't respond.