**"The test"** Chapter 1
Jack looked at the white walls of the laboratory nervously. It was his first time in that place, a place that looked more like a clinic with a strange industrial air. Everything had been organized by Dr. Ruiz, a man he barely knew, but with whom his father had worked for years. His father completely trusted Ruiz, but Jack couldn't stop feeling that feeling of unease.
Dr. Ruiz entered the room with a cold smile, as if he did not share the same reality as the young man. He had a stethoscope around his neck and a tablet in his hand.
“Ready for the test, Jack?” he asked while adjusting the mask that would cover the boy's nose and mouth. “This won't hurt you, but I need you to follow all my instructions”.
Jack nodded, trying to remain calm. He got on the treadmill, adjusting the electrodes that had been placed on his chest. It was a stress test, something he thought would be simple. What he didn't understand was the need for that strange mask connected to a tank.
“What gas is this?” Jack asked as he felt the mask begin to release a strong smell, something that made him shiver.
“Just a mild stimulant. It will help you maximize your performance. Nothing to worry about”, the doctor responded without looking away from the tablet.
At first, the test started normally. The tape moved slowly, but soon began to speed up. Sweat dripped down Jack’s face as the gas continued to flow. His head was spinning, and the pace of his breathing quickened. He felt his muscles tense, but the most alarming thing was his heart. It pulsed with brutal force, as if it were about to explode. Every breath I took with that mask intensified the sensation.
“Are you OK?”, the doctor asked in a distant voice, observing the data on the screen. “Let's increase the speed a little more”.
Jack tried to respond, but the oxygen was escaping him. Something wasn't right. His vision was blurring, and the smell of the gas he was inhaling was beginning to make him dizzy. He couldn't help but notice a strange, almost disturbing euphoria mixed with the panic growing in his chest.
"Doctor... I can't breathe well," Jack stammered between gasps, but Ruiz didn't respond. The boy's heart raced in a way he had never experienced before. Every beat seemed like an explosion. He wanted to stop, but his legs kept running, out of control. The lights in the lab began to seem too bright, and a loud ringing echoed in his ears.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the tape stopped.Before Jack could remove his mask, Dr. Ruiz guided him to a stretcher. He was shaking and could barely stand. The gas continued to fill his lungs, and when the doctor turned the tank back on so he could breathe more poppers, the feeling of unreality enveloped him completely.
"Now, relax," Ruiz said, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "We're going to do an echocardiogram on you".
Images of Jack's heart appeared on a nearby screen. The muscle was throbbing hard, faster than normal. The valves looked more dilated, and the heart chambers pumped as if they were under extreme pressure.
The doctor frowned as he adjusted the ultrasound, watching as Jack's heart looked like it was about to collapse. However, it did not stop the gas flow or the analysis. Jack, on the verge of fainting, heard the distant echo of his own heartbeat like a drum inside his skull. He wanted to protest, but he barely had the strength to move his lips.
Every time he inhaled, the euphoria returned, taking him to a dark and terrifying place from which he could not escape. The last thought that crossed his mind before he lost consciousness was a question: What was Dr. Ruiz really looking for?
