Homecoming by Jude Austin

Author:Jude Austin [Austin, Jude]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-03-27T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

As the footsteps approached his cage, Tau stayed completely motionless. He'd behaved as well as he knew how to since his failed escape attempt, eating everything Dan gave him without hesitation or complaint, not daring to speak or even look at the human. The last thing he wanted was for Dan to decide he'd be better off punishing him after all.

Maybe he'd already done that. Maybe he'd put something in the food. Drinking water hadn't done anything for the pain in his throat, which was getting steadily worse. He'd forced down half his lunch yesterday, but hadn't been able to manage dinner and breakfast today was out of the question. He'd even risked breaking out again the previous night, when Dan had been asleep, searching for something that might help his throat, not even knowing what he was looking for. He'd found one or two things he'd brought back and hidden in his cage – mostly behind him or underneath him – but nothing that would stop his throat from feeling like it was being scraped over and over with sandpaper.

Force feeding. Dan's threat from that first day hung over him. Tau had no idea what it would feel like – GenTech had been far more likely to withhold food than force it on him – but the comparison to rape didn't do much to alleviate his fears. All he wanted to do was curl up in a tight ball and sleep and sleep and sleep until all the pain and fear and strange wild feelings in his head had gone away. He had his new plan, of course – that was why he'd sneaked out again in the first place – but a large part of him was still hoping it wouldn't come to that.

The footsteps drew to a halt as Dan stopped and looked down at Tau's tray with its untouched food, and folded his arms.

"Seriously? You're pullin' this hunger strike shit on me now?"

Was the force feeding about to start? Tau wanted to protest that it wasn't necessary, that he'd eat if the human would only give him a little time, but no matter how loudly he screamed the words in his head, he couldn't get them out of his mouth. He felt very light, as though he was floating above the deck rather than sitting on it.

"My throat hurts," he managed at last.

"Hurt you to talk?"

Tau shook his head. Talking was fine, although his voice sounded odd in his ears, but swallowing was out of the question.

"Well, we ain't too far from the lab now."

Fear shot through Tau and he stared at Dan. "How far?"

Dan snorted. "Put it this way; that there—" he indicated the tray— "is the last meal you're gettin' here. Next one'll be from your owners. They're waitin' for you."

Should he do it now? Tau shuffled back a little. He was certain Dan hadn't found out about his plan – that would have earned him a beating and probably a few jabs with that prod to be sure – but if he tried now, and failed…no.

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