"Are we ready?"
I was now totally strapped down, and I had bite blocks in my mouth that would be removed after I theoretically passed out.
Aster was at my left knee, Banks was at my right, and Cole was at my right elbow. All of them had serious faces on and were no longer joking and poking fun at each other like they had been doing while they were setting up.
My heart was racing in my chest. Fuck, I was so scared.
I caught a glimpse of my new eyes, sitting in glass dishes with liquid in them, and it was almost enough to call it off right then and there.
But I swallowed my words and pushed on. I had come this far. I had to go all the way.
"Let's do this."
"I'm ready."
"Twenty-five minutes?"
"We got this." You give the order." I shut my eyes, trying to focus on calming my pounding heart down. I could almost taste my fear in my throat it was so strong.
"Just remember, Z, you will not die." I nodded as much as I can, but there's a leather strap going across my forehead too.
"Ready." Said Aster one last time. "Go."
I inhaled deeply as I felt their blades immediately cutting into my legs and arms as soon as the word falls from Aster's lips. It made my toes curl and my teeth clench.
It fucking hurt, but I keep my eyes closed and kept breathing.
That only worked for a few more seconds though.
I felt my back arching off the table as much as it can when Aster's fingers start tearing the muscle away from my kneecaps, and Cole's fingers started digging out my elbow. I could feel my heart hammering in my chest and hear it in my ears.
I forced my back down onto the table, and kept my eyes squeezed shut.
Pass out.
I tried to scream when I finally felt my kneecaps being torn out, but my bite block kept words from coming out. Only muffled noises of pain were allowed to escape.
"Both kneecaps are out, moving onto the feet." My legs didn't feel right; I could flex my thigh muscles but couldn't move the lower halves around.
My eyes shot open suddenly. Wait, the feet? I don't think they said anything about my feet.
My vision blurred when I felt something slipping out of my elbow. I heard something fall on the floor.
"Leave it, keep going." I heard Aster's muffled voice.
Pass out. My eyes fluttered, my surgeon's movements blurred around me.
Something cold and hard is going into my arm, and I tried to move away instinctively at the horrible pressure that comes from Cole pushing what I assumed to be my new elbow into place.
I roared as loud as I could when he braced himself and pushed even harder, until there's a loud clicking noise and he finally eased off.
But I can still feel something sawing into my ankles.
And it hurt.
My body doesn't even know how to process all the pain I'm in.
My eyes weren't staying open anymore, and I could feel sweat dripping down my face. My heart was racing in my chest, panicked and trying to keep me alive.
Aster said I wouldn't die, but was he sure?
"Is he still awake?" I heard Banks asking, and I felt more pressure at my feet. Was this how they were making me taller? Just attaching more leg? That felt too simple. I groaned in response and heard a muttered curse from Cole.
"Let's hope he goes soon. As soon as you're done with that elbow, I'm doing the lungs."
"I'm done." Cole said seconds later, after a lot of stabbing and tugging. I assumed he was sewing me back up. But I wasn't opening my eyes, not for anything.
I was trying so hard to slip into unconsciousness.
But it was escaping me.
I felt numb in some places, but I could still feel the blade Aster was running down my chest.
I screamed again, but this time managed to push the bite blocker out.
"FUCK!" I screamed into the air with the last breath I can as Aster literally ripped my lungs out.
I blacked out.
"Lungs are in…"
"...I'll… tongue… take one ear… halfway mark already… have…hands."
I was going in and out.
I wish I would just go out.
I could feel tugging at my chest, and I groaned.
"God damn it, Z, I'm fixing to hit you over the head. You're fighting it too much."
No. No, I'm not. I wanted nothing more than to slip into a coma right now.
I couldn't respond. I could feel blood under me. It felt like there was an entire puddle of it.
I gagged when I felt something metal going down my throat, and my eyes shot open at the pain of my tongue being sliced off.
I could feel blood running out of my mouth, and tears streaming down my face.
My hearing is gone now. I wanted to scream but I can't because of how much blood is in my throat.
What did I do to deserve this? Is this power really worth it?
Pass.
Out.
Please.
"Do it. Hit him over the head. He cannot be awake for the eyes." Just fucking do it.
And then blackness.