Surrender (Perfect Humans, Part 6)
Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
It can take a while until you starve. Dying of dehydration happens a lot quicker. But for the best effect, you have to combine these two: Don’t drink, don’t eat. Go into complete strike.
I’ve been refusing any food or water for three days now and already feel really lightheaded. My stomach hurts constantly and I’m freezing. The tongue in my mouth is dry and raspy like sandpaper. I lie on the floor of my cell and stare at the ceiling.
”Have you still not eaten anything?” The woman in the cell next to me asks. She has been trying to get me to eat and drink since I started refusing to do both. Her condescending behavior had stopped and been replaced by worry. Who would have thought.
”I am not eating”, I reply. ”I’d rather die than allow them to get more information about the resistance from me.”
”I don’t understand how you can be that loyal to a bunch of strangers.” The woman sounded agitated. ”They wouldn’t do this for you, why are you doing it for them?”
”But they would do this for me. Why do you think they wouldn’t?”
”It is just not how the world works, child.” Ah, now she’s condescending again.
”Maybe that’s not how the world works for primaries. But we others need to help each other, especially in the resistance. Trust is everything we have left.”
She doesn’t answer anymore. Maybe she is thinking. Maybe I insulted her. My thoughts drift off. It’s hard to keep it together. Everything feels very blurry. Fuzzy. Hmmmm.
The door swings open and almost hits me in the head.
”You need to eat, inmate”, the guard who’s standing in the doorway says, like he does every few hours. I think he sounds concerned. Not sure. So cloudy, everything.
The guard crouches down next to me.
”You are no use to us if you’re dead! I’ll have to take you to the hospital wing. Can you walk?”
”Hmmm I am not even sure if I can stand up”, I answer truthfully. The guard sighs. Then he lifts me up and carries me out of my cell.
”Where are you taking her?” Huh, the woman seems really worried about me. Maybe I should tell her goodbye.
”I’m fine”, I slur and try to wave.
Suddenly, there is a soft bed underneath me. Someone covers me with a blanket. The sharp pain from the IV keeps me from drifting off but only for a moment. Then I fall asleep.
As I awake, I’m disoriented for a few moments, but my head is a lot less cloudy than it was before. I must have slept several hours and it seems the transfusion rehydrated me to an appropriate level. What a shame.
I try to move but notice that my wrists and ankles are attached to the bed frame. No hope to escape.
”Would have been too fucking useful”, I mumble.
Suddenly, the door to my room opens and a woman with raven black hair walks in, holding a writing pad. Her clothes suggest that she’s a nurse.
”Well, what do we have here now?” She says, her eyes fixated on her notes. ”Hunger strike, huh? That doesn’t really work here.”
She looks up and immediately freezes when she sees my face. I guess I look just as shocked as her.
”Eve?” She exclaims. ”What the hell are you doing here?”
”Hi Claire”, is all I manage to say.
”Hi? Are you serious? You break up with me, go completely ghost for three years and then turn up in the medical wing of a high-security prison? You have to be kidding me.”
”I guess ‘I’m sorry’ won’t cut it, would it.”
”Not even in the slightest.” Claire moves next to me. She examines me with her eyes and then shakes her head. ”You look like absolute shit, Eve.”
I laugh.
”Charming as always. I missed that.”
”You missed me?” Claire asks. I bite my lip.
”Leaving you was the dumbest thing I ever did”, I say. ”I was afraid. Afraid because what we had was way too real. I never felt so connected to anyone before.”
”And then you left because you were afraid that I might hurt you”, Claire concludes. ”My god, you can be so stupid.” Carefully, she moves a strand of hair out of my face.
”What are you doing here, anyway?” I ask in an attempt to make the situation less awkward. Claire raises one eyebrow.
”What does it look like? I work here! They couldn’t find a primary to be a prison nurse. It pays a lot more than my last job at the hospital.”
”Yeah, okay, that was kind of obvious”, I admit.
”True”, Claire says. ”But you’ve been severely dehydrated, I forgive you for not being as smart as usual.”
”Thanks a lot.”
”My pleasure. Now, I think we have some work to do.”
”What?”, I ask confused.
”What do you think? Can’t let my ex-girlfriend stay in a prison! I’m going to get you out of here. And then, you’ll take me out for lunch.”
Reference:
How Long Can a Person Survive Without Water?
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picking up from your reply on my comment in Part 1
I'm so glad you're sticking in Steemit. Since there aren't any decent bookstore in our quaint little town (I had to trade my soul for a Murakami ebook just recently), I'm pretty sure I won't get a hold of your books if you decide to publish.
I only have a few followers but I'm resteeming your work anyway.
My upvote doesn't count for much but I'm upvoting it anyway. Its the least I can do for getting to read your work for free.
Please keep them coming. I'm so looking forward to that lunch date.
You might not have many followers and your upvote might not be worth much, but I really appreciate your comment(s) and am very happy you enjoy my writing :)
😊
And then they'll live together till end of their lives.
Please don't end it like this.
I was told that I'd lose a good portion of my followers if the end is that they all die. Guess I have to think of something less realistic.
I'd go with some dying, others swearing same mistakes will never happen again bur they will.
I was fascinated by the phrase:
The phrase will be answered differently by everyone. However, the conscience will still side with the attitude of truth as human nature.
It was the worst experience ever. A lot of people go on hunger strike due to breakup, and even willing to end his life with a trivial thing. All of it is caused by high depression that uses his mind so that someone ends his life or just a hunger for a few days.
@suesa, I think dehydration is more dangerous than starvation for a few days.
I have experienced severe dehydration when I run fasting Ramadan, I am not hungry only I was weak because of lack of drinking water when dawn arrived.
I would like to advise you to write about someone sick from continuing hunger, I would also like to read your fiction about people with malnutrition.
Whenever you think that might be it you somehow change the whole plot again. I really enjoy to read your story from part 1 on and am just so curious now, how those two lovers will get out of prison together :)
That is an example of a bad attitude. Despite its purpose for the salvation of the world.
Because in itself against the world it is difficult. No one cares (response). I think choosing to die from eating is a total mistake.
thank you @suesa
Interesting post
I must confess I have been saving them up so I can read them all at once... done 4,5,6 and have another 3 to go... yay! Really interesting. THanks for sharing this.
The last part (and one short bonus chapter) go online tomorrow :)
I missed this one during my technically-induced offline period. Hehehe. I like how casual and matter-of-fact her ex is about how she's going to break her out. And go out to lunch! LOL
Very good material 👍
Thank you for sharing with us! I hope you enjoy the upvote!