#passing out

He presses against the wall, feeling the pressure exacerbate the wounds and fractured bones.

He bats at the hands that reach for him again, letting out a broken yell as he flails out with a kick. It connects, and he hears someone hiss.

"OK, enough," someone says, and a large hand closes over his mouth.

Whumpee can't help it, he can't. He opens wide and closes his teeth around the hand. Terror makes him bite down as hard as he can.

A ragged shout, and the hand is yanked back.

"Fuck!"

All the other hands draw back as well. He can see the people standing around him now. Towering over him, dressed in tac gear. One of them is glowering at him, nursing a gloved hand.

Whumpee's heart is beating so hard he feels it rattle his underfed frame.

He's going to die. He's going to die.

His vision is going black. He can feel his eyes rolling up in his head. He's listing to the side.

"Oh dear, there he goes." Someone puts out a hand as if to stop him, then thinks better of it.

Whumpee is fading. But with all that's left of him, he wishes-- wishes like a child who still believes in such things-- he wishes this is it. He hopes he doesn't come back. He wants this to be over.

He's on the floor now, looking at the toe of a boot just inches from his face.

Whatever they have planned for him, it will be bad. So bad.

He wants to be gone. Just... gone.

Whumpee gets his wish.

"And... he's out."

Team Member A presses a finger to his neck. "Still alive. Just unconscious."

Team Member B, has stripped the glove off his hand and is looking at the bruise that's formed a half-ring in the skin.

"Shit, do you think I'm going to get rabies?"

Team Member C glances at it. "The kid didn't even break the skin. You're fine." And then, "I radioed Medic, he's coming down."

They look at the brutalised, emaciated body on the floor in front of them. Team Member A crouches and touches him lightly, resting his fingertips over a sharp hipbone. "Have you ever seen someone freak out so bad they knock themselves out?"

Team Member B shakes his head. "I almost smacked him when he bit me. I near sprained something holding myself back."

Team Member C sighs. "Glad you did. It might very well have killed him. I mean, look at him."

Medic pokes his head in the door. "So what's up, Team Member C said-- Oh. Oh wow."

He steps in fully, and joins the rest of the team in ringing the downed body. It barely looks human.

"Okay," he says, and takes a breath. For a moment he's silent. And then again, very quietly. "Okay."

Team Member B, raises his bruised hand into Medic's field of view. "Hey doc, could you look at this? The fucker bit me, it kinda hurts..."

Medic tears his eyes from the unconscious prisoner, to the barely bruised hand. "Are you serious right now?"

Edit: If you liked this, check out the next recovery chapter! >> Endurance (There’s a puppy!)

Edit 2: I have accidentally produced a third chapter: Accelerated Healing Factor. No idea how it happened; I am not ready to be a mom!