Rats.
I don't know what the helmet and the visor were, but what I saw and heard was truly lifelike. I soon realized it was something I understood to be called virtual reality, but to me no virtual was involved. They were all over me, crawling, sniffing. nibbling. It was reality. I could actually feel their cold noses, their tiny teeth, their slimy tails, and their little claw feet.
They didn't just run aver my body. They gathered and began to explore every part of me, going up the leggings of the coveralls and over my thighs, between my legs, under my panties, then under my shirt, pushing themselves under my breasts, sniveling around my nipples and climbing up my throat to my mouth, pushing between my lips, shoving their heads into my mouth. They were at my ears as well, worming their way into my head. Their fur was wet, their tails long and slimy, the tiny nails in their claws painful.
I could even smell them, smell this putrid, stale odor that they picked up from wallowing through piles of garbage and dead animals. Waves of revulsion traveled up and down my entire body to add to the nausea I was experiencing from the scorpion sting.
And I could do nothing to drive them off. Because of how tightly I was strapped onto the cot. I could barely wiggle, not that it would have helped, of course, since they weren't actually on me.
It was no good closing my eyes. The images were projected through my lids, and in these images, the rats were at the lids, forcing them open. I screamed and screamed.
And then suddenly, as quickly as they had come, they were gone. I don't know how long, they were there, but they were gone and there was just darkness, the relief of total darkness.
Moments later Dr. Foreman's voice began softly,
"Phoebe, my poor Phoebe. I'm here to help you. You believe that now, don't you?"
All I could do now was whisper and I was afraid she wouldn't hear me.
"Yes," I said, my throat straining with the effort. "I do. I believe it."
"That's good. Phoebe. We need trust between us. It's what I have been telling you ever since you were brought here. You can trust me and I can trust you now, can't I?"
"Yes, Doctor, yes,"
"That's good, Phoebe, so goad."
Her voice was so soothing. I was actually afraid she would stop talking.
"I was so worried about you, worried about your bad behavior,"
"I'm sorry, Dr. Foreman. sorry."
"Sure you are. Phoebe. You never mean to hurt anyone. You're a good girl. Let's get back to our little talk, okay? You were going to tell me about Gia and Posy. Remember?"
"Yes, yes."
"What exactly did Gia say about Posy. Phoebe?"
"She said she was your daughter and that you couldn't stop her from lying and breaking rules and inventing imaginary people, and she was an
embarrassment to you so you locked her up in the basement," I rattled off.
"I see. Anything else?"
"That she was adopted."
"Adopted. Yes, that makes sense. This is very good. Phoebe. This is a real breakthrough. You and I are going to depend upon each other a great deal more now. Would you like that?"
"Oh. yes, Dr. Foreman, yes."
"We can't have you ever being insubordinate again. Phoebe."
"I won't be. I promise. I know promises are not considered important anymore. but I do. I really do."
"I believe you. Phoebe, but as you've seen already, only action means anything."
"I feel so sick, Dr. Foreman. I'm so sick. I'm nauseous and I threw up. I was really stung by that scorpion. I'm not lying."