Work Text:
Verity is strapped to a large white table in the middle of a lab, wriggling and pulling with all her might, trying to break free. The lights overhead were starting to give her a migraine, but that insatiable pain was put on the back burner in lieu of escape.
I can't stay. I can't let this happen!
But all fighting the restraints did was start to bruise her skin underneath as it tightened around her flesh, not budging in the slightest.
That was until a middle-aged man entered the room wearing a white lab coat and scrubs, his voice cutting through Verity's desperate movements.
“Patient 73, what have we told you about all this struggling? You're going to hurt yourself.”
Verity growled at the scientist. “Can't be worse than what you're doing!”
“We are doing this for the sake of science.” He paused, putting on his gloves and surgical mask. “What you are doing is needless harm to yourself.”
“You're going to cut me open - that's the definition of harm!”
The scientist rolled over a table of instruments, picking up a syringe. “Good job demonstrating your vocabulary. Can you quit whining now?”
Verity screeched when the man put the needle up to her stomach. “DON'T TOUCH ME!”
The scientist stabbed the needle into Verity's stomach, the girl wincing in pain. “Shut up!”
Whatever was injected into the young woman made her stomach start to feel numb and the pain of the stab lessened. While that took effect, more people started to filter in until there were five scientists present.
“This is our test subject?”
“Yes.” He injected another needle and Verity started to feel drowsy, her eyes becoming half-lidded.
After everyone else had prepared for the operation, the first man pinched Verity's stomach. She felt nothing, her brain barely registering the sight of him reaching for her.
“She's completely numb. We can start now.”
The sights Verity saw next would have scarred her for life had she made it to the end. They cut her open, poking, prodding and examining her organs.
She couldn't feel the pain but felt as her body grew weak from blood loss as the effects of the dissection started to kick in.
“Interesting. She has two hearts and a larger stomach.”
“Just look at how her organs are arranged to account for the extra space taken up. Fascinating.”
Verity's eyes finally closed as her heartbeats grew weak.
“Doctor- her hearts are stopping!”
“Let her die. We already saw how her heart and lungs work.”
“But-”
“Her parents can make another one! It doesn't matter.”
Verity's hearts stopped one after the other as her skin became pale as a sheet and her breathing ceased.