Life's Cruel Verity? - Jackie's Place: Part 1
My name is Jill Tiny
chapter 34
by
copier
· original author:
dr.manhattan
Glaring up at Buffy, Jackie paid witness to pouty red lips curled into an apologetic smile looking back. The rubbery flesh of the gigantic blond's inner fingers and palm wrapped itself around Jackie's torso with a firm, yet comfortable grip, its owner making certain to avoid brushing against her little friend's more sensitive areas. Jackie knew why she had to travel through the lab in such a degrading manner; she had forced more than a few lab technicians to explain the various safety reasons. However, such logic did little in the way of easing the rambunctious brunet's distaste for such treatment. She had to admit that Buffy's grasp, which held her steady just above the giantess' chest region, was quite pleasant, though. In fact, Jackie doubted that she was the first tiny to be handled by the much larger girl.
"We're looking for Section A, right?", Chad asked, "Gee, you'd think it would have been the first door".
Jackie turned her upper half to face her other partner, "No, that would be way too simple for these guys. Hell, you practically need a PhD to work the vending machines in this place".
"So that's why I couldn't get that Snickers Bar out", Chad chuckled.
The three teens wandered down the daunting hallway, carefully scanning the panel laden walls for the appropriate identification. They'd been walking for nearly five minutes, and the designated entryway continued to elude them.
"You still mad at me, Jackie?", Buffy questioned her tiny charge optimistically.
"I'm fine".
"You know I wouldn't be carrying you if I didn't have to, right?", Buffy assured.
"I said I'm fine".
Buffy pestered on, "You don't sound fine".
"Jesus, Buffy! Why don't you just-"
"Hey!", Chad called out, "I think this is it".
By the time the two girls looked up, the wall was already splitting. The trio filed into the newly available room. The large square area was mostly vacant, with only a few tables with Plexiglas cages, each about one foot by one foot in perimeter, occupying space. Two sets of echoing footsteps filled the air as Buffy and Chad strode to the room's center, carrying Jackie in tow.
"So which cage are we supposed to get the sample from?", Buffy queried.
"207. It's over there", Jackie announced, pointing to a cage aligned to the left wall, "I can't believe they sent us to the middle of nowhere just to get a blood sample from some lab rat".
The group moved in on cage 207, easily identifiable by the digital screen attached attached to its outer wall. As they approached, they first noticed the pair of black gloves extending into the cage. Then they saw the syringe placed within the confines of the plastic prison. And then....
Then they froze where they stood.
The black-haired man, standing at an even five-inches, in the cage held at least twenty years on the three kids staring at him. He wore a white toga, not unlike the ones Jackie had seen Nathan and Sally wearing during her first "visit" to the complex. The expression on his chiseled face consisted of a unique combination of fear and anger.
"Jackie...", Chad trailed off.
Buffy said nothing, instead staring down sympathetically at the little girl in her hand in an attempt to gauge her reaction.
"I've seen him before", Jackie's voice was distant, "He teaches literature courses to the juniors and seniors, I think".
For a moment, no one did anything. Silence dominated the scene as the tiny man glared at the teens peering back at him.
"Maybe I can talk to him", Jackie disrupted the awkward episode, "He might cooperate if he knows we aren't going to hurt him".
With an agreeing nod, Buffy bent down and carefully set Jackie onto the table before the puny man's cell. Jackie crouched, laying her elbows on her knees, and kindly motioned for the smaller man to come closer. The man obliged her.
"Hello sir", Jackie's tone took an uncharacteristically friendly quality, "My name is Jackie, and these are my friends Chad and Buffy". Jackie pointed to her two giant lab partners, who each waved in an uncomfortable motion. The man didn't follow her direction.
"What do you want?", the man asked harshly.
"Well, um", Jackie hesitated, "You see, sir, we would like to, uh, take a sample of your blood".
"And why do you want a sample of my blood, Jackie?", the man skeptically questioned.
"It's not really us who want it, I guess", Jackie answered, "We were ordered by this guy back at the lab...".
"So you really DO work here", the man said with disgust, "I think I'm done talking to you now".
"But sir", Jackie tried to protest, "It won't hurt much if you ju-".
"Ye poor miserable crittur! There ain't no more that ye can do! I forgive ye, with all my soul".
The man's outburst confused Jackie at first. Those words sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place them. Then, like a proverbial ton of bricks, it hit her.
That line was from Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Jackie stood up. Her chin tilted downward, shifting her gaze past the five-inch man and to her white sneakers. She probably would have stared shamefully at her feet for a while, had it not been for the shrieks emanating from the cage. Raising her face, Jackie saw the man being lifted by a black hand of rubber. The thumb pinned the man against a flat wall of fingers as the appendage hovered inches from the floor. As another hand began to slip into the other awaiting glove, Jackie trailed its arm back to its owner. Buffy was meeting Jackie's gaze once it found her.
"We have to do this, Jackie", Buffy stated in a serious tone, "Whether he gives us permission or not. Don't worry, I'll be gentle".
The shocked brunet could only shoot an incredulous look back at the gargantuan girl.
"Come on, Jackie", Chad laid his open palm on the table as he spoke, "Let's head back to the lab and mess around with the particle accelerator or something. Just let Buffy handle this".
The reassuring smile on the blond boy's face lured Jackie into a first step toward the palm. However, Jackie stopped herself, and peaked over her shoulder one last time. She wondered if she could really turn her back on this situation.
"We're looking for Section A, right?", Chad asked, "Gee, you'd think it would have been the first door".
Jackie turned her upper half to face her other partner, "No, that would be way too simple for these guys. Hell, you practically need a PhD to work the vending machines in this place".
"So that's why I couldn't get that Snickers Bar out", Chad chuckled.
The three teens wandered down the daunting hallway, carefully scanning the panel laden walls for the appropriate identification. They'd been walking for nearly five minutes, and the designated entryway continued to elude them.
"You still mad at me, Jackie?", Buffy questioned her tiny charge optimistically.
"I'm fine".
"You know I wouldn't be carrying you if I didn't have to, right?", Buffy assured.
"I said I'm fine".
Buffy pestered on, "You don't sound fine".
"Jesus, Buffy! Why don't you just-"
"Hey!", Chad called out, "I think this is it".
By the time the two girls looked up, the wall was already splitting. The trio filed into the newly available room. The large square area was mostly vacant, with only a few tables with Plexiglas cages, each about one foot by one foot in perimeter, occupying space. Two sets of echoing footsteps filled the air as Buffy and Chad strode to the room's center, carrying Jackie in tow.
"So which cage are we supposed to get the sample from?", Buffy queried.
"207. It's over there", Jackie announced, pointing to a cage aligned to the left wall, "I can't believe they sent us to the middle of nowhere just to get a blood sample from some lab rat".
The group moved in on cage 207, easily identifiable by the digital screen attached attached to its outer wall. As they approached, they first noticed the pair of black gloves extending into the cage. Then they saw the syringe placed within the confines of the plastic prison. And then....
Then they froze where they stood.
The black-haired man, standing at an even five-inches, in the cage held at least twenty years on the three kids staring at him. He wore a white toga, not unlike the ones Jackie had seen Nathan and Sally wearing during her first "visit" to the complex. The expression on his chiseled face consisted of a unique combination of fear and anger.
"Jackie...", Chad trailed off.
Buffy said nothing, instead staring down sympathetically at the little girl in her hand in an attempt to gauge her reaction.
"I've seen him before", Jackie's voice was distant, "He teaches literature courses to the juniors and seniors, I think".
For a moment, no one did anything. Silence dominated the scene as the tiny man glared at the teens peering back at him.
"Maybe I can talk to him", Jackie disrupted the awkward episode, "He might cooperate if he knows we aren't going to hurt him".
With an agreeing nod, Buffy bent down and carefully set Jackie onto the table before the puny man's cell. Jackie crouched, laying her elbows on her knees, and kindly motioned for the smaller man to come closer. The man obliged her.
"Hello sir", Jackie's tone took an uncharacteristically friendly quality, "My name is Jackie, and these are my friends Chad and Buffy". Jackie pointed to her two giant lab partners, who each waved in an uncomfortable motion. The man didn't follow her direction.
"What do you want?", the man asked harshly.
"Well, um", Jackie hesitated, "You see, sir, we would like to, uh, take a sample of your blood".
"And why do you want a sample of my blood, Jackie?", the man skeptically questioned.
"It's not really us who want it, I guess", Jackie answered, "We were ordered by this guy back at the lab...".
"So you really DO work here", the man said with disgust, "I think I'm done talking to you now".
"But sir", Jackie tried to protest, "It won't hurt much if you ju-".
"Ye poor miserable crittur! There ain't no more that ye can do! I forgive ye, with all my soul".
The man's outburst confused Jackie at first. Those words sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place them. Then, like a proverbial ton of bricks, it hit her.
That line was from Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Jackie stood up. Her chin tilted downward, shifting her gaze past the five-inch man and to her white sneakers. She probably would have stared shamefully at her feet for a while, had it not been for the shrieks emanating from the cage. Raising her face, Jackie saw the man being lifted by a black hand of rubber. The thumb pinned the man against a flat wall of fingers as the appendage hovered inches from the floor. As another hand began to slip into the other awaiting glove, Jackie trailed its arm back to its owner. Buffy was meeting Jackie's gaze once it found her.
"We have to do this, Jackie", Buffy stated in a serious tone, "Whether he gives us permission or not. Don't worry, I'll be gentle".
The shocked brunet could only shoot an incredulous look back at the gargantuan girl.
"Come on, Jackie", Chad laid his open palm on the table as he spoke, "Let's head back to the lab and mess around with the particle accelerator or something. Just let Buffy handle this".
The reassuring smile on the blond boy's face lured Jackie into a first step toward the palm. However, Jackie stopped herself, and peaked over her shoulder one last time. She wondered if she could really turn her back on this situation.
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August 15
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