She looked at him as she cursed her younger self for her gullibility and stupidity.
"You often tried to kill me..." It wasn't a question but a statement of fact. "…and then looked guilty afterward," she said slowly, mockingly. They were not sure who she was mocking at this point. She just stood there. It looked like she was revisiting painful memories. She placed her hand on her chest and clenched tightly. Then she spat out another mouthful of blood.
"you know I never believed in fate but now I might," she said looking at the GMNs. GMN-4 didn't like the sound of that. He wanted to walk toward her but the head doctor held him back. She was in a precarious state of mind
" Let her vent," the head doctor said. He felt she needed to get most of it out. This was the most he had seen her talk.
"You all had the misfortune of meeting me." she continued. The head doctor pushed him forward. This was going beyond venting.
He raced for her but before he could hold her, she was no longer standing there. "try that again and I might do something you'll all regret" she said looking at him and then at the rest of the GMNs.
"don't do anything stupid," GMN-4 said in a pacifying voice. She seemed faster than before and given the situation the possibility was scary. She scoffed.
"I spent my life being smart. Where did it get me?" she replied then turned to look at her father and smiled. GMN-4 made for her again but she flung him back across the room. He crashed into the people they're making them all fall. She turned to her father.
"I thought superstitious people were stupid turns out I'm the stupid one. Like you always say, I do have a sad fate. Now I understand." She said like it was too late for this profound wisdom she found. "I'm tired," she said wearily. The pain she had been ignoring was getting unbearable. She had known her body system wasn't alright the moment she woke up but she ignored it.
"No!" they all shouted and rushed forward but it was too late.
During her monologue, she carefully made her way to the largest window. Before they could stop her she jumped. Determined to end all these, she closed her eyes and gave into the pain that seemed to overwhelm her and the feeling of floating on clouds. Dealing with all these wasn't necessary if there was an easier way out.
GMN-4 just dived out the window after her. Nobody was able to stop him. Nobody thought either of them could do something so stupid.
The GMNs were dumbfounded and confused. GMN 3, 2, and 7 rushed out of the room probably trying to get down before them to catch her.
Andrew rushed to the window screaming 'No!' and attempted to jump out too but GMN-5 tossed him back. He clutched his head and cried. He never wanted this! He never wanted any of this!
Williams fainted on the spot. 5, 9, and 6 looked out of the window with the head doctor ignoring the chaos behind them. They didn't know what to do at this point.
GMN-4 dove for the stupid girl that was busy free-falling. He never thought he would ever use that term for her. He caught up with her using one hand to grab unto her, he used his back to crash into one of the lower floors. He used his body to shield her. She was already unconscious. He shouldn't have let her tirade continue for that long.
GMN-9 was the first to arrive there. He helped them but he refused to let her go. He cursed himself for making this stupid mistake. He shouldn't have let this go on for too long but he didn't know what to do.
The rest of the GMNs converged there. GMN-3 pushed past them and dragged her away from GMN-4.
"something is wrong! Grab Stone!" he yelled at no one in particular and took off. How could this girl be this stupid? She knew she was not feeling fine and she jumped out of the window. She should have known that if she had crashed to the ground in the state she was in, there might be no coming back.
He didn't even know which of them was crazier. The fool that jumped first or the fool that jumped after her. However, he was grateful to the fool that jumped after her or things might be beyond remedy. He just hoped it wasn't already.
He lay her on the bed she exited, just as 2 and 4 entered one carrying the head doctor and the other Dr. Stone. The rest were behind them.
"her heartbeat is faint and her pulse is weak," GMN-3 said. The head doctor checked for himself. He dished out orders to the staff just entering. Andrew wanted to move closer but the GMNs blocked. If not that he may be needed they would have killed him on the spot.
"This girl really wanted to die and probably still wants to" the head doctor murmured then turned to Andrew. "congratulations Dr. Stone. You have successfully pushed your daughter to commit suicide. I hope you are happy"
"no! I didn't mean to" Andrew shouted and GMN-5 hit him
"so now you can talk. Where was your tongue when she needed answers!?" GMN-6 shouted. She was going to rip this man apart. She had felt anguish and anger at being used but seeing GMN-1 like that cut way deeper. The fact that her parents were responsible for her pain was unbearable. It was one thing to hurt the children of others and it was another to willfully hurt your child.
In a different situation, the GMNs would seek vengeance on the person's child so they would understand how it feels but in this situation, 1 was at the forefront having an overdose of every evil thing her parents could bestow. She was angry about what they did but now she was more enraged on GMN-1's behalf. She was the most strong-willed person she knew. Any past that could drive her to commit suicide was not worth having let alone remembering. She was right, she was better off not knowing.
GMN-5 replayed what happened in her mind and felt more and more enraged. Watching your parent show preference for a sibling was painful enough let alone sacrificing you for another child. Who knew the bitter memories she had that drove her insane to the point of committing suicide?
GMN-4 just stood arms folded and stared at the person on the bed. He felt blank, empty. He didn't know what to do right now. He looked at the medical crew and 3 that were trying so hard to resuscitate her but she looked dead to the world. She was gradually fading away and willingly too.
He saw GMN-3 rub his hand over his face in frustration and stumbled around helpless and confused.
"I don't know, I don't know!" GMN-3 said frustrated
The head doctor rubbed both hands over his face.
"I can't understand a single thing right now," the doctor said exasperated
This was the language none of them wanted to understand right now. They wanted her awake and healthy but she looked pale and lifeless. She wasn't even fighting to stay alive. Her heart rate and pulse were steadily dropping.
GMN-6 turned to Dr. Stone.
"you know what is going on…help her! please!!! please!!! do something!!" she grabbed the man by his clothes. GMN-7 tried to pry her off the man. From the way she held and shook him, he might die. "No. He can do something. He can help her!"
Dr. Stone shook his head. He knew what he was seeing. They had pushed her too far, he pushed her too far. Over the edge. He looked at her and looked at the monitors. There was no how she could survive this.
In truth, he never really hated his daughter, he just loved his wife too much. Annabelle was his greatest obsession in ways not even his career could compete. He turned a blind eye to whatever she did even when she was hurting their flesh and blood. When she began hurting him, he began hurting her. He knew Annabelle never wanted a child and sometimes he felt their relationship would be better if she wasn't around.
"she wanted me to watch her die" Dr. Stone muttered to himself but they heard him.
GMN-4 turned around slowly. The rest just unconsciously stepped back. His eyes were cold but not red but it was obvious he was teetering on the edge. He walked and stood in front of Dr. Stone arms still folded and said four words that seem to freeze the world.
"Say it again, I dare you"
Nobody wanted to find out what would happen if 1…
It wasn't just what he said but also how he said it. He was not going to let her die even if she wanted to. There were unresolved issues and there was no way she was dying and leaving them in this.
"I can't do anything. It…it would…it would take a miracle" Dr. Andrew said
GMN-4 walked past him and tapped him twice on the shoulder and said
"start"
Dr. Stone better be a miracle worker…
"We don't know what to do," the head doctor said, looking towards the rest of them.
"she's not responding to anything. Her brain waves are erratic and there are extracellular activities…" GMN-3 began
"Those are not just ordinary cellular activities. The cells are being modified. It's like the whole process over again." Dr. Andrew said. They looked from him to GMN-1 who was lying very still.
"it doesn't look as bad as you sound. I mean it was worse when we brought her" GMN-5 said
"you don't understand that's why you all are so calm!"Dr. Andrew shouted. GMN-6 grabbed him by his collar and lifted him off the floor.
"start speaking English doctor" she demanded
"It's changing her genetic composition" the doctor shouted
"changing!" everyone in the room shouted even all the medical staff. Dr. Andrew stifled a cough.
"not only changing her, but it will also kill her!" Dr. Andrew said.
In shock, GMN-6 dropped the poor doctor who hit the floor with a thud but he continued.
"We just bought her more time by stopping the poison." Dr. Andrew said. "she went too far. Her body may not be able to take it" he said in a subdued voice.
GMN-4 picked the doctor up and threw him across the room but GMN-3 was fast enough to catch him and crashed to the wall reducing it to a pile of blocks.
"no! No! 4 calm down!" GMN-7 tried to stop him. The rest looked on stupefied. GMN-4 advanced towards the place they fell but the head doctor blocked him. He stopped but his gaze was far away. It was like he wasn't there.
GMN-3 was careful to protect the doctor. He was not on board with destroying the doctor just yet. He might be the only one with vast knowledge of this. He stood up with the doctor and dusted himself and the doctor. He took a look at GMN-4 and knew hell was about to break loose. He looked at GMN-2 who appeared frozen in a spot.
"he did this" he turned away. His internal struggle was evident.
"I know but we can't kill him yet," the head doctor said,
"I am tired of that f**king excuse!!!" GMN-4 roared
"it's no use now. She'll need to survive this for me to help her" Dr. Andrew said
"what can we do?" the head doctor asked
"If she fights she has a slim chance of surviving, if not it will permeate every cell and the modification will be way too much for her system to handle, it will shut down and she will die," Dr. Andrew said
"so she just needs to fight? Done! she will." GMN-6 said turning towards GMN-1. she sounded so confident but it was a plea. A plea to her friend to fight but it seemed like this particular plea was falling on deaf ears.
"she doesn't look like she is fighting anything" GMN-5 commented.
GMN-3 got closer and so did the rest of them. They seem to be watching, waiting, and holding on to their last bit of hope.
GMN-3 looked at the head doctor who got closer. He checked the heart rate monitor and then listened for a pulse. He then touched her forehead and touched his.
"She usually has a lower body temperature," GMN-3 said. The head doctor nodded
"give me a recent CT scan. Get the defibrillator on standby. Her heart rate has dropped below 30" he said to 3 but they all heard it. Dr. Andrew stiffened for some seconds.
"why the hell didn't you say anything earlier!"GMN-3 shouted without paying attention to his surrounding.
"if it drops below 20, we'll use the defibrillator," the head doctor said
"we can't wait that long. It might be too late" GMN-3 said collecting the clipboard from one of the staff.
"she doesn't show signs of crisis," the head doctor said
"she won't show because she's not fighting it! It's just going to modify her cells until it becomes too much and poof! She's out like a light!" Dr. Andrew said.
GMN-3 turned swiftly and grabbed the man.
"How can you stand here and say that!!! she's lying there because of you! Because you didn't do your job as a father!"
Everywhere was dead silent. No one had ever seen GMN-3 lose his cool. Right now he was grasping at the edge of his sanity.
"give me an oxygen mask. We need a clear! 3 we need you here as well as Dr. Stone" the head doctor said trying to separate the doctor from death grip. If this girl dies on his table he was the one that was going to kill someone.
Suddenly they heard that chaotic beeping sound they never wanted to hear...
"what the hell" the head doctor swore and left the both of them.
"we're losing her!!" someone shouted and the whole room panicked.
The head doctor, GMN-3 even Dr. Andrew Stone moved towards the patient. The rest of the GMNs had their hearts in their hand. They all looked pale and they were almost transparent.
"no heart rate!" they could hear someone saying
"is the ECG connected properly," someone asked
"CPR!" the head doctor shouted
"yes sir" Someone replied
"AED!" the head doctor rattled out orders like a military commander but the patient wasn't responding.
This seemed to frustrate GMN-3 the more. he grabbed her by the shoulder and shook her. He really shouldn't be doing that.
"don't you dare die on me!!!" but there was no response. GMN-6 who stood at the foot of the bed moved closer.
"wake up!" she said like the person she was talking to was hearing her. When she got no response she screamed louder. "wake up! Wake up!! Damn it opens your eyes!!!" when she still got no response, she went back to pleading. "wake up, please. Please!"
That piercing shrill sound stunned everyone.
The other GMNs couldn't believe this. They were numb. GMN-4 didn't know how he found himself beside her bed. He touched her. He had known she had a lower body temperature but she was very cold and lifeless. He tried to move her, to wake her but she didn't respond. He bent down, gathered her in his arms as best as he could then bent his head to her shoulder.
The movement sent the two drops of tears that had been contained behind GMN-1's eyelids sliding down. GMN-4 squeezed her to himself tightly like he wanted to merge the both of them into one.
Just then Williams came barrelling in. He looked around and saw his sister being crushed by someone and everyone was pale and motionless. He moved forward. He shook his sister that was still being held by the one he previously labeled the beast. He shook her again but there was no response from either of them. He walked to the other side and saw the tear marks, she never cried. He looked at the pale, sad faces of the staff. He could see the pity in their eyes. The GMNs looked like they were frozen in time. That was when he understood what happened.
"Noooooo!!!" he screamed
His scream seemed to wake other GMNs from their trance.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
they all lost consciousness falling to the ground like a domino effect. The medical staff were confused and stood there gawking.
Williams continued to scream and shake his sister, trying to wake her up but there was still no response from either of them.
He turned to his father who was still numb and motionless even though he half expected this.
"you Monster!" he said walking aggressively towards him. "are you happy now? You've accomplished all you set out to do. Are you happy now!!?? tell me!!!" he said throwing a punch at his father who didn't block or dodge. It didn't seem to satisfy Williams. He grabbed his head. Grief was driving him insane. " do you think standing there and taking my blows will change anything!!?? you killed her!! you and your wife killed your only daughter. I wish you died! I wish you both died in some freak accident with no trace! Scratch that!" he said throwing another punch. "I wish you were never born! I wish you both were never born!!" he punched again and again till he was bodily pulled off his father but he struggled.
"I hope you rot in hell!!!" he screamed as someone gave him a sedative.
The head doctor looked around at the children sprawled around the floor and the bloodied Dr. Andrew on the floor. They all lost something today. A friend, partner, sister, potential lover, and daughter. She may not have been a daughter to Andrew Stone but she was a daughter to him for the brief time he had to know her before and here. He signaled for the medical crew to get to work.
Picking up the GMNs was not an easy task seeing that some were heavy. Extricating the one that was wrapped around her was a difficult task but they managed.
There was nothing more to do. He looked at the pale figure still lying on the bed. Life had been very unfair to her. She never experienced the joy and freedom of being a normal kid or just a kid. The constant struggle to live up to expectations with no lasting rewards.
The room was now empty and he was left with the lifeless body of the child he always had high hopes for. He sat beside her on the bed. He could not just bring himself to place the sheets over her face or sign her death certificate even though she had been disconnected from life support, the EKG, and other machines. She was beautiful even in death. he thought as he stood up and finally drew the sheet over her face. There was nothing he could do now.
"life was tough, kid. I hope death treats you better" he said Solemnly. it was like a farewell prayer.
He walked to the door and switched off the light. He'd have her moved for burial later. He turned to close the door and swallowed his tongue. He stumbled into the room and hit the light switch like a lunatic and then vomited his tongue back out.
Standing at the far end of the room close to the window was the dead patient.
The old doctor rubbed his eyes to make sure he didn't have something in them but it still wasn't enough. He walked to the bed she had been lying on and touched it even though he could see it was empty. He turned to look at the girl with jaws wide open.
"wh…a…wha…wha…" the head doctor couldn't form a coherent word
She made no move, didn't make the slightest movement. She was so still, aloof, near and yet far away. The head doctor grabbed her to make sure she was real and laughed when he could touch her.
How was this even possible? Right now he didn't care. He couldn't fully express the joy he was feeling at that moment. He turned her to have a better look and stared speechless.
He looked into the pair of emotionless green eyes staring vaguely at him and knew this was the wrong side up.