An Unfair Deal

"Were you able to get the chocolate shake?"

Soren changed the topic so fast that agent Issac took a moment to process the shift. He pulled out his phone and checked his text messages and started to write out a message.

"Yes. I'll have it brought down here. Do you want your food brought here?"

"No." Soren turned to look at the doctor, "For best results, it's ideal to draw blood right after his body has processed the injection."

Soren reached down and grabbed Ethan's arm and pulled him up. Ethan was conscious enough to stand on his own two feet, though walking was another question. While Soren helped him make it to a chair the doctor and nurse were gathering everything together that they would need.

"The doctor needs to take some blood so you need to sit still."

"No more needles, boss."

"Arm."

Ethan's eyes teared up as he rested his arm on the arm of the chair. He looked away, not wanting to see the needle, and found himself looking into Soren's smiling face.

"I don't think that this was part of our agreement."

"It is, it's just in the empty spaces around where you agreed to serve me if I got you out. You didn't say no to anything or add any stipulations, which means that I'm free to interpret it however I see fit.

"Don't worry, though, I won't purposely do anything to kill you."

"There are a lot of things worse than death…"

"Are any of those worse than what you just went through?"

Ethan bit his lip and did not try to hold back the tears. It was about then that the receptionist came in with the chocolate milkshake. When she handed it to Soren he gave it to Ethan and patted his head.

"You're doing good."

Ethan wanted to protest the way Soren was treating him, but the memory of how helpless he had been against Soren's beating kept him quiet and he drank his chocolate shake. He could not decide if the chocolate shake was worth the abuse.

Once they had drawn as much blood as they could the two medical professionals left the room. Neither of them could handle staying in the same room as Soren any longer.

"Why don't we head to my office."

"Oh, is your partner there?"

Agent Issac frowned, "No, he's following a lead."

"That's too bad, I really liked him."

The grin on Soren's face said that he enjoyed messing with agent Gill more than he liked him. Soren helped Ethan stand and they started to leave.

"Wait, don't you want your backpack?"

"Hmm? Oh, that old thing? Nah, you can just toss it."

Agent Issac's lips twitched as if he were fighting a smile then he suddenly started laughing. That little bastard, we had the cure the whole time. Agent Issac took the spare clothes out and dumped the remaining contents of the backpack into the biohazard bin.

He put the clothes back in the backpack and handed it to Soren.

"You'll need a clean change of clothes soon, otherwise you'll start smelling."

Soren took the backpack with a smile.

"Forget agent Gill, I like you. If you ever get tired of working for the government let me know."

They made their way back to the elevator and up to the third floor. Agent Issac's office was just as barren and sterile as the third floor hall.

"You should hang something on the wall. The lack of personality in here is depressing."

"It's not necessary to decorate my office. I spend more time out in the field anyway, so it would just be a waste."

"As boring as you are I'm sure your personal space looks like this."

Agent Gill picked up the fast food bag and tossed it to Soren who in turn handed it to Ethan.

"For you."

"For me? All of it?"

Ethan took the bag and opened it. His face lit up at the sight of all the food; a mix of breakfast sandwiches, fries, and hash browns.

"This is your reward for doing so well."

"You're not going to eat anything?"

Soren looked at agent Issac and shook his head.

"Not really my taste. I only ordered it for Ethan."

Ethan suddenly started to cough, nearly choking on his food.

"Y-you planned to do that to me before we even got here?"

"Of course. It got my point across and got the doctors something to work with to create a vaccine."

"I'm not sure it was worth it."

Ethan let out a quiet sob and resumed eating. Whether or not he felt it was fair, what was done was done and could not be changed.

"I can have them get you something."

"I promise that you'll regret asking."

"We'll see. I'm supposed to be watching over you and if you starve I'm not doing my job."

"Ok, ok. There is a little butcher shop on the east side of town. I usually get two pounds of chicken liver and pigs blood if it's available."

Agent Issac was in the middle of taking out his phone when he stopped and looked over at Soren. At the same time Ethan started to cough again, he had heard the order as well.

"We don't really have anything to cook it."

"That's fine. A little time in the microwave is enough."

Soren leaned back in his seat, hands steepled in front of him with a smirk on his face.

"Are you… being serious."

Agent Issac hesitated. He was not certain if this was just Soren messing with him or being serious.

"Completely serious, agent Issac. I told you that you'd regret asking."

Agent Issac shook his head and proceeded to give the receptionist the order. He got a line of question marks in reply and had to make certain she knew it was an order.

"Have you found my father's personal lab?"

"No. While we're certain he has one, we have not been able to locate it."

"Hmm, very well. Take me home and I'll show you the lab. I would like to take Fry with us."

"Who?"

"Ah, um, Freya Castle. Both our parents had terrible naming sense."

Soren waved his hand around while trying to remember her name. He had called her Fry for nearly three years.

"I should be able to arrange that."

"How is she doing?"

"She's a little disoriented and annoyed that she's stuck here. I think that she remembers seeing you because she frowns every time we mention your name, but she claims she doesn't remember what happened."

"That sounds like Fry. She cuss you out yet?"

"No, but I only saw her once. She is almost as bad as you with how she harasses the agents watching her.

"When were you wanting to head out to your home?"

Never. I never planned on going back. He had taken a chance by coming back to Culton to hideout. His thoughts had been that the city had already been searched. The chances were slim that his father would look there again.

"The sooner the better. There might be some information about him there."

The main reason he was going back had very little to do with his father. Like with everything else, he would keep that matter to himself.