Ashley’s hands and feet were soo cold and no matter how many times she blew on them, they stayed chilled to the bone. The dress she wore was no real dress but a blue hospital gown that reached to her knees. The floor felt like steel, the walls the same shade of grey and the lights on the ceiling were blindingly bright.

It’s not real. It’s not real. She repeated the words in her mind and her lips moved along with them. But each time she blinked she was still in the box. Still cold and alone and terrified.

“There is no scarring,” a voice said beyond the big metal door. A small hatch had been opened, higher than Ashley could reach and from behind it a pair of eyes peered down at her. “Per the paramedic’s records, she was severely burned. Over 80% of her body.”

“Third-degree?”

“Fourth.”

“What of the family?”

“The adult female, dead at the scene. Adult male, DOA. No other relatives are listed on file.”

“And the police records?”

“Per protocol, the child is now listed as DOA. The paramedics have been handled and we shouldn’t encounter any interference.”

“What about a replacement body?”

“Had a proximate female, in age and eight, in the morgue, but it’ll need treatment. We’ve requested Beta Clean-up to handle it after they’re done with the paramedics.”

“Perfect. I’d like to get her into the examination room. Has she shown any signs of mental trauma?”

“Appears not. Psych believes the experience was blocked, but they’re only speculating. Per protocol, we have priority.”

The small slot shut closed and the door opened. A sucking sound surrounded it as it swung in silently. A man and a woman stepped in, pulling a bed on wheels. Ashley slunk away to the back of the room, pressing herself against the steel walls as if they couldn’t see her.

Two nurses stepped up and gripped her arms.

“Let me go!” Ashley cried, but their grips were tight. They dragged her with ease.

“It’ll be alright,” the woman nurse said. “Be a good girl now.” Though she smiled, the woman’s eyes were like ice and Ashley shivered. Pressed to the bed, straps were drawn across her body.

The nurses wheeled her out of the room, past the two men dressed in long lab coats. They followed the bed as the hallway lights flashed past.

“What is the goal for this session?”

“The usual. Reproduce the original reaction. We need confirmation first before we can begin testing.”

Each set of doors they reached required a card swipe before the nurses and doctors could pass through. But after the last set, they entered a room. A large light hung above, lower than any of the others. Tools lined every surface of this new room, each one gleaming and shining. The smell of alcohol burned her nose.

“Do you have the report from the house fire?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Was there an accelerant used?”

“No. Wiring issue. The family was asleep. Report says no additional accelerants, so we won’t need anything but heat to reproduce the effects.”

The bright light directly above her turned on and Ashley closed her eyes. She sniffed back a whimper. It’s not real. It’s not real.

“Let’s start with the left arm.” A pen dragged across her skin dotting out an area. “From wrist to mid-bicep should be enough. Do we have baseline samples?”

“Yes. They were taken while she was sedated. I can take more during the procedure if you like?”

“I think that would be prudent. Five-minute intervals should due fine. For now, let’s get started.”

One of the doctors reached for the table beside the bed. He placed the pen down and picked up a tool, a metal bottle attached to a small straw-like pipe. Ashley frowned until he pulled down a set of thick goggles.

“Look away,” the second doctor said. The other doctor put his hand over Ashley’s eyes as a spark lit the end of the metal tube. Heat radiated from the torch.

“It would be interesting to see if organ damage is repairable. But that will have to wait. For the record, we are starting at the lowest setting at a distance of approximately three inches for the initial burn.”

With her head turned, she couldn’t see, but the heat increased with each passing second. Discomfort soon vanished and in its place, pain coaxed a scream from her throat. 

AN: Thank you for reading! I'm terribly sorry for the delay, I might have been a little sidetracked by NaNoWriMo prep and life. BUT things should be back on schedule andhopefully, in the coming weeks, I will have a huge surprise for my serial readers that I think you might like.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, feedback, and/or critiques if you have them.