Sweet Eternal Torment Ch. 03-04

When they knocked Catsy had gotten dressed. She let them in. The idea of summoning members of staff was loathsome but she found she was concerned enough about Scott to resort to it. The men in white checked his vitals while she looked on. When they realised she was still there watching them, she was dragged out and the door slammed in her face. The lock clicked from the inside.

A few moments later, the white-coated men came out and just vanished without a word. They offered her no explanation about how he was, what they'd done or what happened. Mentally, she huffed.

Inside, Scott was sat on the bed. He wore a frown, but otherwise appeared fine. Judging by the way he was holding a cotton bud to his arm, she guessed the doctors had given him an injection.

'Scott?'

That brought her a glance, 'I should have told you -- I take longer to wake up when the temperature is lower. Don't ever call them when I'm out like that again.' She closed the door and said nothing at first. Rather than going to him she looked out of her bay window.

'You were okay then. Did they give you adrenaline?'

'Of sorts,' he said dismissively. 'You were worried.' --Matter of fact. Scott swivelled on the bed so he could see her but her back was to him.

'I didn't know what else to do.'

Scott smiled a little to himself. Getting up, he threw the cotton bud in the waste bin beside Catsy's bed. 'Look, I need to get going. I usually help out teaching classes Thursday afternoons. But I've been thinking... they want to give us the largest shared accommodation in the complex. Will you go and check it out?' He asked while he dressed.

Catsy turned to him. Suspicion was in the tilt of her brow and the way she stood as if to face-off with him. 'I'm hoping it'll change your mind about our living arrangements.' He saw her chin come up a fraction. She was going to be stubborn about this. 'Catsy, now we're together it's more dangerous for you to be out of my reach. Just give it some thought.' Scott rubbed her back and kissed her shoulder before he went.

It left her feeling oddly bereft.

Chapter Four

What Scott found when he reached his own quarters did nothing for the frustrated fire of an anger he had already been trying to dampen. He'd been on his way to find the only Doctor in the Centre he'd known he could trust over the years. Dr Irving was the saving grace of TLT. It wasn't clear why he'd come to work for such a corrupt multi-national company in the first place. Scott hadn't felt he'd had any right to ask when his understanding of the world and the people who lived out in it was so skewed. He'd been too thankful that Irving was around to question the man's motives.

But that would have the wait.

The woman he'd seen looking at him with such unguarded curiosity in the cafeteria was stood waiting for him outside his door. When she felt his eyes on her she looked up and smiled at him.

Catsy got the keys from head office. She'd never been in the east wing before. Most of the paired couples lived there as well as the oldest of their kind. In her circle, they'd been called Primaries. Very few were left around with their sanity intact. The ones that were confined themselves to their rooms and never ventured farther than their own wing. The idea that she could be living with them was a little frightening. The stories about them had run rife for years.

The carpet in the east wing halls was different; plusher. There were scenic paintings lining the walls. She could have sworn she'd never been in this wing before but the paintings and purple patterned carpet tolled a bell somewhere. She put it down to a simple case of déjà vu and stopped in front of a dark wood door with the number 1010 emblazoned in silver above the peephole. The name plates on the wall beside it were blank. This was it. She unlocked the door and swung it inward.

She'd never imagined that some of them lived like this. There were polished hard wood floors throughout. It had its own kitchenette and furniture. --Not just a desk and chair like she had at home, but a three-piece set of soft leather sofas and a television with a glass coffee table. It was a real apartment.

Catsy couldn't help but picture a life here with Scott. She wanted it, damn him. Perhaps she was fighting for no reason? She'd been afraid she'd lose herself and her freedom being with him. So far, yes, there had been changes but they weren't bad. She liked the closeness they had. --The attention; the feeling of being needed and wanted by someone. Thinking about it now, she didn't know if she could keep away from him if she tried. She didn't want to.

By the time she'd looked through the three other rooms and come to the bedroom, with its raised dais and four-poster bed, she was decided.

She left the apartment happy and resigned. She knew he'd be so happy when she admitted defeat and agreed to move in with him. She pocketed the keys and turned to leave but an oil painting further up the hallway caught her eye. It was of an open field covered with colourful flowers in the shade of trees. By the time she got to the painting she was certain she'd been here before. She thought she'd dreamed that painting. Behind where she stood in front of it was an apartment door. The name listed next to it was 'Matthew Harrison'. Was it relation of Dr Harrison...?

'You could only be Miss Vere. --Naughton's mate?' A man the same height as Scott was standing in the doorway next door with his arms crossed over his chest. He wore glasses.

Catsy found him to be a bit intimidating. She looked between him and the name on the door once more before finding her voice, 'y-yes. My name is Catsy.' He appeared to be sizing her up. His eyes scanned her face as if it wasn't the most awkward silence she'd ever endured. After a moment he straightened and put out his hand to shake hers. She blinked blankly down at it. --Looked back up to frown at him. The man moved forward as she tried to step back and took her hand from her side to shake it regardless.

Catsy had been braced for pain -- had been just about to scream -- but though his touch zapped at first, it was hardly painful at all. He smiled at her confusion.

'--Theo Jacques. I'm a multi-compat. I'm compatible with mostly everyone. I'm also the oldest guy in here. I get used as the Centre's slut when they get desperate for a breeder.' There was laughter in his voice but the idea that TLT would use one of them in such a way brought another frown to Catsy's face. Theo shrugged and gave a lop-sided smile in response.

'Sorry, I had no idea multi-compatibles existed...'

'It's kept under wraps for obvious reasons.' He relinquished her hand.

'I grew up with rumours about Primaries. People say you have special powers, but you seem pretty... normal.'

He laughed at that. He stepped out of the doorway and shut the door. The inside of his quarters was darkened but before it closed, the sliver of light shining in from the hallway revealed a woman sleeping in his bed. Theo had found his matched partner as well, it seemed.

'No more 'powers' than your boyfriend, I assure you. He isn't much younger than I am but TLT had learnt plenty of new tricks in the intervening time.'

This sparked Catsy's curiosity. 'I wasn't aware Scott had any.' At this, Theo's eyes slid away from her. He was looking distinctly trapped.

'Tell me.'

'Trust me, I'm not against you knowing -- I feel you have a right to. But it is not my place.' Catsy thought he wouldn't tell her, then; 'I'll only say this -- have you noticed that sometimes he seems to know things he shouldn't? Considering who you are though, you would have blocked him for the most part without even trying.' Theo tipped his head to her. 'I'll be getting back to my room, but it was nice to meet you Catsy. We'd be happy to have you move into east wing.'

He took her hand and shook it again. It made her jump. She wasn't used to touching people so frequently. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice Theo going back into his apartment. Since he'd drawn attention to it, there were a few instances she could think of when Scott had said or acted a little... thoughtful. --Changes in his mood or thinking without any justifiable reason. And in her room this morning he had even mentioned something she'd just been thinking. She didn't know why it hadn't been obvious to her at the time.

Was it really possible that he had been reading her mind?

Scott fully intended to walk past the woman and find Irving whether she'd been standing outside his room or breaking into it. He hadn't expected her hand to shoot out as he passed and grab him by the arm. The pain burned. He flinched and tugged his arm out of her grasp. The pain had been mild; he'd felt worse. She couldn't be one of the lowest specimens.

'Scott? I'm Della. It's been a while since I've seen you in the Caff. It was good to see you again. Catsy has worked wonders on you.'

'--Naughton.'

'Sorry?'

'What are you doing here?' It occurred to him that perhaps instead of bothering to question her, he should just go ahead and leave. He shook his head without waiting for her to respond and continued down the hallway.

'I heard the call alarm earlier. They were headed in this direction. They injected you didn't they?' This stopped him. The look on her face was beyond innocent despite the words that fell from her mouth, 'soon the urge is going to get to be too much. Not even you will be able to control it. When it takes you over you will force yourself on her and you will get her pregnant. If you don't want that to happen perhaps you should expend your lust on me? --Save her from being just another victim. I'm in room 407.'

Scott walked away, ignoring her. He had no time to waste if anything could be done about what he'd been given. If there was -- only Irving would be able to help him. --Help save Catsy from him.