USER: Is this cleverly crafted or confusing? : It only amounted to one, and it would always be one and never two --and through his jaundice-soaked corneas, all he could see was nausea. Suddenly, he was overcome by a violent heave, a primal urge rising in his liver. Bile stained his teeth, and the following retches were acidic, lashing the roof of his mouth with fury. It could never stop: his body rejected the substance over and over; he was hanging by a thread of sanity. "Not again. Please no-" Liam clenched his teeth, the crucial moment upon him; he had to keep the substance down, or the consequences would be dire. His eyes scanned the horizon with desperation before his lids slid closed, and he was wracked with shivers of resistance. Then, as the urge to be sick overcame him, a voice pierced through his fog of despair, a lifeline amidst his struggle. "Can you hear me?" the rough, concerned tone asked as Liam writhed against the concrete, groaning in agony. "Don't try to answer that, just blink twice. Take it slow." As he fought to drag his eyelids upward, the pain, like a coiling wire, constricted his blood flow in brutal retaliation. "Make it stop-No I-" he choked out , his voice puncturing the air. If he expelled the violating drug from his intestines, his efforts would to amount to zero. Square one. The next moment , the substance began its rise, emanating a negative battery melting into a metal cylinder as his throat tightened. He was at the end of a long night,his vision raw...

USER: I thought the language was economical despite being descriptive?

USER: Is this cleverly crafted or confusing? :One time It only amounted to one, and it would always be one and never two --and through his jaundice-soaked corneas, all he could see was nausea. Suddenly, he was overcome by a violent heave, a primal urge rising in his liver. Bile stained his teeth, and the following retches were acidic, lashing the roof of his mouth with fury. It could never stop: his body rejected the substance over and over; he was hanging by a thread of sanity. "Not again. Please no-" Liam clenched his teeth, the crucial moment upon him; he had to keep the substance down, or the consequences would be dire. His eyes scanned the horizon with desperation before his lids slid closed, and he was wracked with shivers of resistance. Then, as the urge to be sick overcame him, a voice pierced through his fog of despair, a lifeline amidst his struggle. "Can you hear me?" the rough, concerned tone asked as Liam writhed against the concrete, groaning in agony. "Don't try to answer that, just blink twice. Take it slow." As he fought to drag his eyelids upward, the pain, like a coiling wire, constricted his blood flow in brutal retaliation. "Make it stop-No I-" he choked out , his voice puncturing the air. If he expelled the violating drug from his intestines, his efforts would to amount to zero. Square one. The next moment , the substance began its rise, emanating a negative battery melting into a metal cylinder as his throat tightened. He was at the end of a long night,his vision raw from never resting his eyes, the blood vessels all but ruptured and torn. The ingested substance had been a sinister mistake , and if he threw up twice, the contraband would be purged from his system; he battled to hold it inside. All he had could never be enough, he countered, what ever could? Even his attempts to obey the voice , coming from somewhere above him, seemed in vain. As Liam writhed in the dying sunlight, his skin erupted in feverish bumps, a crawling sensation exploring the surface of his skin. A sensation of violation jolted down his spine as he screamed through his clenched teeth in helplessness . The nausea rose again, claiming his entire being, his heart continuing to pulse, counting away the seconds till he submitted. "Help me--No. No," he pled through his locking jaw as he fought another potent wave. The instinctive reaction of his body gripped every fiber as he felt his fight ending. He sank his teeth into his gag, screaming against the material bound across his tongue, taunting his strength and resilience. Then, in one dreaded motion, the inevitable rise built within him, futile to resistance. His pupils dilated with horror as his gag soon became saturated with the vile substance, leaving a bitter sting as he struggled against it; the retches that followed heaving through his chest. Liam collapsed into the unforgiving embrace of the concrete, his ravaged body welcoming the end with resignation. "Shit," he lamented in terror, the heat in his own voice spreading across his flesh like untamed fire . "Twice... now it's too late." As he twisted his gaze away from the glistening pool of spilt contraband , he diverted the evident failure. And in a mixture of pure shock and trauma, his eyelids slid closed with exhaustion, his body embracing closure of his fight. After his ongoing efforts and endless torment, he failed to hold down the implanted substance, and it was over. But the voice persisted, causing Liam to force his eyes open, gritting his teeth in determination. "No, I'm still here Liam; you just had an intense vomiting episode--hang tight," the voice reassured. Liam shook his head in disbelief, protesting, the fear tugging at his psyche like a fishing line as he cursed at his uselessness in the matter. "No, you can't help--" As Liam fought to refocus his gaze, a pair of deep hazel eyes locked onto his own with concern. "Hey, breathe . I've got you. It's me, Ry' . Hold on while I get rid of this-" Liam flinched as his gag was torn from his mouth, and he gasped for fresh air, the invasive atmosphere embalming him with perspiration. "Oh, God, I threw up the contraband--those bastards will kill me like a dog. Or worse-" Liam's eyes enlarged with realization as he spoke, running a hand through his gritted hair. . "I'll be, well you saw right? ..." Liam's voice was filled with sickened resignation, his resolve seeping from his pores and evaporating into the arid atmosphere. Ryan clamped his hand down over Liam's kneecap in a firm gesture of shared solidarity. "I saw everything they did to you, yeah. And I'm still here alright?. Not about to abandon you now..." Liam, reaching up and gripping Ryan's arm firmly, smiled against the warm twilight rays of daylight that clung to his flesh. "I'm sorry you had to see all this... how many times was I re-fed the drug after failing?" Ryan responded with a gun-metal hollowness, his words smoked out by his steady exhale. "Several times at least . Enough times enough for anyone, let's say that." Liam wrapped his arm around Ryan's shoulder, hoisting himself from the ground into a slouch, bracing his other arm behind himself, and standing upright:". ", Well , it feels like they killed me already." Ryan only whispered in reply, his voice thick with acknowledgment. "Yeah." The drugs in his vision burned with a harsh sting, and Liam shook his head to regain some clarity. "I don't even remember how I got here." Ryan outstretched his lean, muscular arm and hauled Liam to his feet with an exhaustive grunt, wrapping an arm around his chest in support of his weight. "I can explain to you exactly how, but it's not safe here. Later. Just try to walk with me; you look like hell, but we can get out of here." Liam's jaw clenched as he whispered "Please help me-", flinching as the sight of his ruined clothing . Of his jeans , stained with fingerprints , lying crumpled on the side of the path , and Ryan helped him back into them , as Liam winced. "They don't care what they leave behind" he muttered , his eyes catching on an emptied bottle of lubricant, and the confronting plastic surface of a turned in glove. Ryan , hoisting Liam along , only offered a few words , his heart stalled by the sight . "Sadistic , perverted bastards" , his voice rising about a whisper. "Try to focus on the here and now yeah?". Liam's grinding teeth betrayed his disgust as he nodded "Yeah." As they struggled along, footsteps not falling in sync , Liam fought to hold himself together as a flashback scorned him . "How long has it been since I was thrown down here from a helicopter? How did you get here, the same way? Please tell me you know something about this concrete hell ?" Liam almost demanded answers from the barren atmosphere in an attempt to anchor himself. Ryan maintained a detached gaze as he stared beyond Liam's eyes, resting a hand on his shoulder . "I was thrown down here after you. And I was held at gunpoint but , my mistake was to resist the contraband, I suppose yours was to accept being a plant for them. " Liam , gripping Ryan's forearm for leverage, lowered his gaze to avert the glare . "How was it a mistake to refuse ...this?" I'm so dehydrated I'm not sure I can keep going Ry' . I need to find water , and shade. And soon." The air was unrelenting in its suctioning nature, stripping the moisture from their skin as they navigated the bare footpath, no roads or buildings in sight--a concrete ladder of deception that went on for hours, tracking their heavy footsteps. Liam, with his gaze fixated on the maze of concrete, suddenly heard something in the distance. "Taken 'em long enough, but I think our time may be up..." . Resignation consumed his drawn features as Ryan mirrored Liam's expression. "You know , we could just let them gain on us, and pretend we were dropped here. Mess with their heads at the very least. " Ryan fell to the ground by Liam, out of breath , hushing his tone . "You mean?" Liam , nodding as footsteps grew closer , bore a glint in his eye. "Yeah I'm talking ... you binding me back up , and then you acting like you just bust your own binds, just playin' dumb. Just be useless as distracting as possible, like you lost your memory. Ad lib the hell outta this. If they think I'm still bound, they'll think I'm still a plant." Before he could elaborate further, Ryan was tearing the hems from his jeans and gesturing for Liam to lie down , planking himself low in the dirt alongside the pavement . "Here , bite down." Liam wrapped his tongue around the gag and groaned as if agony were ripping through him, thrashing his head in mock-distress. Ryan smirked , as he tore fibres of denim apart and strew them across his lap as if he'd ripped them in panic. Then , smearing dirt across his face, and running some loose soil through his teeth he grunted "How do I look?" . Liam jostled his gag aside with the turn of his head "like a fucking princess , now realign my gag and act like you've just seen-" Shoving Liam's gag back into place, a gunshot rang out and Ryan dropped to the ground , his smile gone . "Shit , I hope this works-" Two days later: As Liam accepted a night of sleep in his self imposed gag, with Ryan in his vision as his closed his eyes, the taste of water seem potent. "Glad we got our hands on these" he said, gesturing at the stockpile of plastic drink bottles, their labels faded , and falling away with the length they'd been undiscovered. "Whoever stashed these in an actual trench, I've gotta find that bastard and kiss him" Liam laughed, as fatigue washed over his slowed movements. "You can just sleep already" Ryan groaned and toyed with his fake gag remains in disbelief . "It actually pays to be crazy. I mean technically we are still kidnapped right, but we have a night to sleep , recover and then devise a plan to get out of here for real" Liam smiled , his eyes still closed , offered a swift taunt, perforating the silence with a chuckle. "Already on it, Ry, already cookin' the getaway. There'll be a Mercedes , women, dunno how many, how many would you-" "Shut up , I thought you just couldn't wait to lie down cause of the fatigue and the dehydration ..." "Aww Ry, you know my levity is jeopardy " "What does that even mean?" "It means I'm fatigued and dehydrated and I need sleep . night Ry, couldn't have made it to this forsaken trench without you. This dug out hole of sheer beauty. " "Yeah yeah, couldn't have got this far without you either. Pains me to admit but back there , what you went through kept me going. " "don't get sentimental on me now, Ryan" Liam was met with a placating silence, Ryan's consciousness slipping into the malaise of exhaustion, reassuring after all the discourse they'd endured. Liam embraced the calm , his eyes glazing over as hydration salved his nerves . Two days earlier: Ryan's eyes remained closed as he listened in terror. "If he vomits it up... we'll just have to get Valen to deal with it" . Ryan clung to every word , albeit with slipping clarity , his heart raging through his chest. "He won't be able to keep it down though. You know he's a useless vessel...Threw it up once already . And he can't even purge it in one go... takes him two rounds. He'll dehydrate before he's any real use... " The air was innocuous yet insidious as Ryan drew a breath, feeling eyes on him , his blindfold baring a sliver of vision. "Next, we implant him. His refusal , his stupidity in thinking we offer options . " Then as a splatter of saliva hit the ground near Ryan's cheek, where he lay facedown, the voice conceded. "He's the new vessel when this piece of scum finishes throwing up " . Ryan watched in pure horror as a boot made rough contact with Liam's ribcage, and the force of the blow elicited a wrought groan from his bound torso . "Ah, you fuckers" he grunted , "I'd take you all sideways , but you'd enjoy it too much " . Shaking his head at Liam's audacity, Ryan smirked despite the discomfort of watching Liam suffer in his place. As the shadows of their boots dissipated with heavy thuds, Ryan threw a few words at Liam, his voice strained and dry. "Man, I'm sorry...If I'd have known how they intended to -" Unfazed , Liam only grinned in response , "Ryan, buddy, it's simple , I said yes, and now here we are . But I have an idea, and you'll owe me later. I notice your blindfold is a little outta place...only cause I'm down here and I can see your pores ...but yeah. You know what will happen and when it does , just have a medical emergency yeah? I'm talking the whole enchilada, spasming, coughing up your own blood-" Ryan, raising his eyebrows above his blindfold , felt the flames of desperation chase his wit , as the heat encroached on the edges of psyche. "I"Think about this Liam, your dehydrated, and when you puke your guts, in binds , and a gag, I could feign choking... on your vomitt buy you enough time. But I could ingest it when you lose it , try and hold it down , that could prevent them implanting either one of us , I'll make this work . At this stage I don't really care how disgusting your insides will taste . Maybe I'll actually throw up..."I doubt the effects will be half as bad as-"..." Liam laughed through his gritted teeth, "Ry, I like how you think ...I can appreciate a man with a sick mind."mind. But this is a choice I made, and I'm not sure I feel so sound with you doin' that..." With a helpless glean passing across his eyes, Ryan said with a flat tone . "What choice do we have . This bullshit is inhumane. Don't thank me later, no need ." It was etched in Liam's face , his sinking realisation of what transgression truly meant . His voice was hoarse as he whispered "Theyll only use you next , but , God I -" . "I said don't thank me Liam. I'm doing this. "Ryan insisted, the gun metal tone close in the air. All Liam could muster was a hoarse "Thanks." As he collapsed face down , his smile intercepted with a grave smirk. They both succumbed to the heat.heat, as time because immeasurable to Ryan's convergent stream of consciousness. There was energy to conserve. Ryan only held fragments of the plan in his drained conscious, as Liam's memory seemed dispersed into a tangled web of loose wires that disconnected and short circuited. "Liam, stop thrashing . Just let it happen-" Ryan's pleas fell into the rancid , stale air between them, as Liam convulsed , screaming "No-please... I can't do this anymore-please-." His voice , hoarse from the overuse , weaved through the night with a repetition that haunted Ryan as he forfeited sleep. "Just vomit so I can take your damn place" he said roughly, unable to watch another pained movement from Liam, his outline traced by cool, eerie moonlight, its soft caress filled with disconcerting illumination . His perspiration-soaked flesh radiated heat , the silvery, contrasting glow that hugged Liam's burning skin twisted nausea into Ryan's gut. In an effort to recall anything useful he repeated the name as it paralysed his tongue. "Valen". And nothing. "Cmon Ryan, you know this..." His reactive groan struck the air , "Ah shit... we know this...we been lying here with nothing else to do but remember which bastard is which." His willing of comprehension encompassed a tight circle of void as he spat at the ground. "Ah , what good is this , it's not like we can carry out the plan if he doesn't vomit at the right timetime. ... I got a bad feeling Liam. " His words, more for himself, settled in the abyss of cold sweat that occupied the physical inches separating them . Then , it happened , all in one sickening moment. Liam , screaming through his gag, purged the contraband and Ryan pulled him unnaturally close, the substance nothing but a failure on the winding pavement ."Shit" Ryan cursed at the ruptured sac of fluids , coated in Liam's insides , and ingested it, his throat immediately closing and a violent wrack tore through him. As Ryan locked his mouth over Liam's , his the next retch, pure bile,bile and potential traces of the substance, filled Ryan's mouth with a repulsive tang , and his stomach lurched . As footsteps approached, he spat the lurid mixture of saliva and shared bodily fluids into the air, thrashing and retching the contents of his own stomach , driving his skull into the concrete until his blindfold was loose and falling . "Valen, clean this mess up" a voice interjected. "Looks like this one has a weaker stomach than our main man" . The next moments were heinous , as hands yanked Liam from his sprawl of disorientation. "Implant him again, he'll bridge the gap. ". Closing his eyes , Ryan twisted his body away , screaming in feigned agony, convulsing against the cracks in the pavement . Valen barely spared him a glance as he assaulted Liam in silence . As Ryan dragged his voice into a scrape of defeat , he went limp ., feigning death as he stalled his natural urge to inhale. An iced , almost metallic growl fell against Ryan's ear as the other captors' footsteps proceeded to fade. "Playing dead huh, you've got a pulse , but you'refade out of earshot. "We can't smuggle your sloppy seconds. Nice try. Really nice attempt at escape, as if you had a chance . You couldn't even hold it down , huh? You're useless, Ryan".Ryan. Now he's back at the start. Look at him . Take a nice hard stare at your failure". Fingers sank into his jugular and their imprint left him shaking as Valen disappeared, an uneven gait carrying his dragging boots into oblivion.oblivion, along with a slow clap , a mocking applause in the night. Ryan rested his eyes on the shaken Liam , knowing it was square one . But for the last time . "I'll get you out of here " he rasped at Liam's desecrated body. The present: The night was long, but the first rays of twilight seemed to promise a longer day, and Ryan's eyes opened with a start. Drinking in his surroundings, a trench , dampened with fresh soil and drained water bottles , he ran over the ruse.Liam stirred at the sound of Ryan's mumbling, and grinned through unbrushed, discoloured teeth. "Yo Ry, now that we're free and only faking captivity , you do realise the original strategy that got us out of that concrete middle of nowhere scenario , might still be -" "Yeah , yeah, you threw up in my mouth and -I deserve an Oscar for that. I executed one hell of a death rattle ..... and I could die all over again if I had to. " "Well you didn't throw up-much-you've guts Ry'. I'll give you that. Iron clad guts. " "Yeah, thanks. "There was a solidifying moment of camaraderie between them as Ryan smiled in the darkness , his eyes gleaming with a raze of light, before adding "y'know , I haven't even had a moment to think about what I left behind till just now... and I don't want to bore you with my meandering..." "Nah, buddy, in this situation, what does it matter what you say , or don't say. It's all fleeting anyway. So hit me . Go on , if it'll make you feel better. It's not like I'm goin' anywhere. "rearranged the fabric constraints in his lap, weaving one shredded piece over another, and Liam dropped his chin back onto its mound of filth.

USER: One time It only amounted to one, and it would always be one and never two --and through his jaundice-soaked corneas, all he could see was nausea. Suddenly, he was overcome by a violent heave, a primal urge rising in his liver. Bile stained his teeth, and the following retches were acidic, lashing the roof of his mouth with fury. It could never stop: his body rejected the substance over and over; he was hanging by a thread of sanity. "Not again. Please no-" Liam clenched his teeth, the crucial moment upon him; he had to keep the substance down, or the consequences would be dire. His eyes scanned the horizon with desperation before his lids slid closed, and he was wracked with shivers of resistance. Then, as the urge to be sick overcame him, a voice pierced through his fog of despair, a lifeline amidst his struggle. "Can you hear me?" the rough, concerned tone asked as Liam writhed against the concrete, groaning in agony. "Don't try to answer that, just blink twice. Take it slow." As he fought to drag his eyelids upward, the pain, like a coiling wire, constricted his blood flow in brutal retaliation. "Make it stop-No I-" he choked out , his voice puncturing the air. If he expelled the violating drug from his intestines, his efforts would to amount to zero. Square one. The next moment , the substance began its rise, emanating a negative battery melting into a metal cylinder as his throat tightened. He was at the end of a long night,his vision raw from never resting his eyes, the blood vessels all but ruptured and torn. The ingested substance had been a sinister mistake , and if he threw up twice, the contraband would be purged from his system; he battled to hold it inside. All he had could never be enough, he countered, what ever could? Even his attempts to obey the voice , coming from somewhere above him, seemed in vain. As Liam writhed in the dying sunlight, his skin erupted in feverish bumps, a crawling sensation exploring the surface of his skin. A sensation of violation jolted down his spine as he screamed through his clenched teeth in helplessness . The nausea rose again, claiming his entire being, his heart continuing to pulse, counting away the seconds till he submitted. "Help me--No. No," he pled through his locking jaw as he fought another potent wave. The instinctive reaction of his body gripped every fiber as he felt his fight ending. He sank his teeth into his gag, screaming against the material bound across his tongue, taunting his strength and resilience. Then, in one dreaded motion, the inevitable rise built within him, futile to resistance. His pupils dilated with horror as his gag soon became saturated with the vile substance, leaving a bitter sting as he struggled against it; the retches that followed heaving through his chest. Liam collapsed into the unforgiving embrace of the concrete, his ravaged body welcoming the end with resignation. "Shit," he lamented in terror, the heat in his own voice spreading across his flesh like untamed fire . "Twice... now it's too late." As he twisted his gaze away from the glistening pool of spilt contraband , he diverted the evident failure. And in a mixture of pure shock and trauma, his eyelids slid closed with exhaustion, his body embracing closure of his fight. After his ongoing efforts and endless torment, he failed to hold down the implanted substance, and it was over. But the voice persisted, causing Liam to force his eyes open, gritting his teeth in determination. "No, I'm still here Liam; you just had an intense vomiting episode--hang tight," the voice reassured. Liam shook his head in disbelief, protesting, the fear tugging at his psyche like a fishing line as he cursed at his uselessness in the matter. "No, you can't help--" As Liam fought to refocus his gaze, a pair of deep hazel eyes locked onto his own with concern. "Hey, breathe . I've got you. It's me, Ry' . Hold on while I get rid of this-" Liam flinched as his gag was torn from his mouth, and he gasped for fresh air, the invasive atmosphere embalming him with perspiration. "Oh, God, I threw up the contraband--those bastards will kill me like a dog. Or worse-" Liam's eyes enlarged with realization as he spoke, running a hand through his gritted hair. . "I'll be, well you saw right? ..." Liam's voice was filled with sickened resignation, his resolve seeping from his pores and evaporating into the arid atmosphere. Ryan clamped his hand down over Liam's kneecap in a firm gesture of shared solidarity. "I saw everything they did to you, yeah. And I'm still here alright?. Not about to abandon you now..." Liam, reaching up and gripping Ryan's arm firmly, smiled against the warm twilight rays of daylight that clung to his flesh. "I'm sorry you had to see all this... how many times was I re-fed the drug after failing?" Ryan responded with a gun-metal hollowness, his words smoked out by his steady exhale. "Several times at least . Enough times enough for anyone, let's say that." Liam wrapped his arm around Ryan's shoulder, hoisting himself from the ground into a slouch, bracing his other arm behind himself, and standing upright:". ", Well , it feels like they killed me already." Ryan only whispered in reply, his voice thick with acknowledgment. "Yeah." The drugs in his vision burned with a harsh sting, and Liam shook his head to regain some clarity. "I don't even remember how I got here." Ryan outstretched his lean, muscular arm and hauled Liam to his feet with an exhaustive grunt, wrapping an arm around his chest in support of his weight. "I can explain to you exactly how, but it's not safe here. Later. Just try to walk with me; you look like hell, but we can get out of here." Liam's jaw clenched as he whispered "Please help me-", flinching as the sight of his ruined clothing . Of his jeans , stained with fingerprints , lying crumpled on the side of the path , and Ryan helped him back into them , as Liam winced. "They don't care what they leave behind" he muttered , his eyes catching on an emptied bottle of lubricant, and the confronting plastic surface of a turned in glove. Ryan , hoisting Liam along , only offered a few words , his heart stalled by the sight . "Sadistic , perverted bastards" , his voice rising about a whisper. "Try to focus on the here and now yeah?". Liam's grinding teeth betrayed his disgust as he nodded "Yeah." As they struggled along, footsteps not falling in sync , Liam fought to hold himself together as a flashback scorned him . "How long has it been since I was thrown down here from a helicopter? How did you get here, the same way? Please tell me you know something aboutIs this concrete hell ?" Liam almost demanded answers from the barren atmosphere in an attempt to anchor himself. Ryan maintained a detached gaze as he stared beyond Liam's eyes, resting a hand on his shoulder . "I was thrown down here after you. And I was held at gunpoint but , my mistake was to resist the contraband, I suppose yours was to accept being a plant for them. " Liam , gripping Ryan's forearm for leverage, lowered his gaze to avert the glare . "How was it a mistake to refuse ...this?" I'm so dehydrated I'm not sure I can keep going Ry' . I need to find water , and shade. And soon." The air was unrelenting in its suctioning nature, stripping the moisture from their skin as they navigated the bare footpath, no roads or buildings in sight--a concrete ladder of deception that went on for hours, tracking their heavy footsteps. Liam, with his gaze fixated on the maze of concrete, suddenly heard something in the distance. "Taken 'em long enough, but I think our time may be up..." . Resignation consumed his drawn features as Ryan mirrored Liam's expression. "You know , we could just let them gain on us, and pretend we were dropped here. Mess with their heads at the very least. " Ryan fell to the ground by Liam, out of breath , hushing his tone . "You mean?" Liam , nodding as footsteps grew closer , bore a glint in his eye. "Yeah I'm talking ... you binding me back up , and then you acting like you just bust your own binds, just playin' dumb. Just be useless as distracting as possible, like you lost your memory. Ad lib the hell outta this. If they think I'm still bound, they'll think I'm still a plant." Before he could elaborate further, Ryan was tearing the hems from his jeans and gesturing for Liam to lie down , planking himself low in the dirt alongside the pavement . "Here , bite down." Liam wrapped his tongue around the gag and groaned as if agony were ripping through him, thrashing his head in mock-distress. Ryan smirked , as he tore fibres of denim apart and strew them across his lap as if he'd ripped them in panic. Then , smearing dirt across his face, and running some loose soil through his teeth he grunted "How do I look?" . Liam jostled his gag aside with the turn of his head "like a fucking princess , now realign my gag and act like you've just seen-" Shoving Liam's gag back into place, a gunshot rang out and Ryan dropped to the ground , his smile gone . "Shit , I hope this works-" Two days later: As Liam accepted a night of sleep in his self imposed gag, with Ryan in his vision as his closed his eyes, the taste of water seem potent. "Glad we got our hands on these" he said, gesturing at the stockpile of plastic drink bottles, their labels faded , and falling away with the length they'd been undiscovered. "Whoever stashed these in an actual trench, I've gotta find that bastard and kiss him" Liam laughed, as fatigue washed over his slowed movements. "You can just sleep already" Ryan groaned and toyed with his fake gag remains in disbelief . "It actually pays to be crazy. I mean technically we are still kidnapped right, but we have a night to sleep , recover and then devise a plan to get out of here for real" Liam smiled , his eyes still closed , offered a swift taunt, perforating the silence with a chuckle. "Already on it, Ry, already cookin' the getaway. There'll be a Mercedes , women, dunno how many, how many would you-" "Shut up , I thought you just couldn't wait to lie down cause of the fatigue and the dehydration ..." "Aww Ry, you know my levity is jeopardy " "What does that even mean?" "It means I'm fatigued and dehydrated and I need sleep . night Ry, couldn't have made it to this forsaken trench without you. This dug out hole of sheer beauty. " "Yeah yeah, couldn't have got this far without you either. Pains me to admit but back there , what you went through kept me going. " "don't get sentimental on me now, Ryan" Liam was met with a placating silence, Ryan's consciousness slipping into the malaise of exhaustion, reassuring after all the discourse they'd endured. Liam embraced the calm , his eyes glazing over as hydration salved his nerves . Two days earlier:story gritty and compelling? Ryan's eyes remained closed as he listened in terror. "If he vomits it up... we'll just have to get Valen to deal with it" . Ryan clung to every word , albeit with slipping clarity , his heart raging through his chest. "He won't be able to keep it down though. You know he's a useless vessel...Threw it up once already . And he can't even purge it in one go... takes him two rounds. He'll dehydrate before he's any real use... " The air was innocuous yet insidious as Ryan drew a breath, feeling eyes on him , his blindfold baring a sliver of vision. "Next, we implant him. His refusal , his stupidity in thinking we offer options . " Then as a splatter of saliva hit the ground near Ryan's cheek, where he lay facedown, the voice conceded. "He's the new vessel when this piece of scum finishes throwing up " . Ryan watched in pure horror as a boot made rough contact with Liam's ribcage, and the force of the blow elicited a wrought groan from his bound torso . "Ah, you fuckers" he grunted , "I'd take you all sideways , but you'd enjoy it too much " . Shaking his head at Liam's audacity, Ryan smirked despite the discomfort of watching Liam suffer in his place. As the shadows of their boots dissipated with heavy thuds, Ryan threw a few words at Liam, his voice strained and dry. "Man, I'm sorry...If I'd have known how they intended to -" Unfazed , Liam only grinned in response , "Ryan, buddy, it's simple , I said yes, and now here we are . But I have an idea, and you'll owe me later. I notice your blindfold is a little outta place...only cause I'm down here and I can see your pores ...but yeah. You know what will happen and when it does , just have a medical emergency yeah? I'm talking the whole enchilada, spasming, coughing up your own blood-" Ryan, raising his eyebrows above his blindfold , felt the flames of desperation chase his wit , as the heat encroached on the edges of psyche. "Think about this Liam, your dehydrated, and when you puke your guts, in binds , and a gag, I could t buy you enough time. But I could ingest it when you lose it , try and hold it down , that could prevent them implanting either one of us , I'll make this work . At this stage I don't really care how disgusting your insides will taste . I doubt the effects will be half as bad as-"..." Liam laughed through his gritted teeth, "Ry, I like how you think ...I can appreciate a man with a sick mind. But this is a choice I made, and I'm not sure I feel so sound with you doin' that..." With a helpless glean passing across his eyes, Ryan said with a flat tone . "What choice do we have . This bullshit is inhumane. Don't thank me later, no need ." It was etched in Liam's face , his sinking realisation of what transgression truly meant . His voice was hoarse as he whispered "Theyll only use you next , but , God I -" . "I said don't thank me Liam. I'm doing this. "Ryan insisted, the gun metal tone close in the air. All Liam could muster was a hoarse "Thanks." As he collapsed face down , his smile intercepted with a grave smirk. They both succumbed to the heat, as time because immeasurable to Ryan's convergent stream of consciousness. There was energy to conserve. Ryan only held fragments of the plan in his drained conscious, as Liam's memory seemed dispersed into a tangled web of loose wires that disconnected and short circuited. "Liam, stop thrashing . Just let it happen-" Ryan's pleas fell into the rancid , stale air between them, as Liam convulsed , screaming "No-please... I can't do this anymore-please-." His voice , hoarse from the overuse , weaved through the night with a repetition that haunted Ryan as he forfeited sleep. "Just vomit so I can take your damn place"do this thing" he said roughly, unable to watch another pained movement from Liam, his outline traced by cool, eerie moonlight, its soft caress filled with disconcerting illumination . His perspiration-soaked flesh radiated heat , the silvery, contrasting glow that hugged Liam's burning skin twisted nausea into Ryan's gut. In an effort to recall anything useful he repeated the name as it paralysed his tongue. "Valen". And nothing. "Cmon Ryan, you know this..." His reactive groan struck the air , "Ah shit... we know this...we been lying here with nothing else to do but remember which bastard is which." His willing of comprehension encompassed a tight circle of void as he spat at the ground. "Ah , what good is this , it's not like we can carry out the plan if he doesn't vomit at the right time. ... I got a bad feeling Liam. " His words, more for himself, settled in the abyss of cold sweat that occupied the physical inches separating them . Then , it happened , all in one sickening moment. Liam , screaming through his gag, purged the contraband and Ryan pulled himhimself unnaturally close, writing against Liam, the substance nothing but a failure on the winding pavement "Shit" Ryan cursed at the ruptured sac of fluids , coated in Liam's insides , and ingestedstretched his tongue out in despair, ingesting it, his throat immediately closing and a violent wrack toretearing through him. As Ryan locked his mouth over Liam's , his next retch, pure bile and potential traces of the substance, filled Ryan's mouth with a repulsive tang , and his stomach lurched . As footsteps approached, he spat the lurid mixture of saliva and shared bodily fluids into the air, thrashing and retching the contents of his own stomach , driving his skull into the concrete until his blindfold was loose and falling . "Valen, clean this mess up" a voice interjected. "Looks like this one has a weaker stomach than our main man" . The next moments were heinous , as hands yanked Liam from his sprawl of disorientation. "Implant him again, he'll bridge the gap. ". Closing his eyes , Ryan twisted his body away , convulsing against the cracks in the pavement . Valen barely spared him a glance as he assaulted Liam in silence . As Ryan dragged his voice into a scrape of defeat , he went limp , feigning death as he stalled his natural urge to inhale. An iced , almost metallic growl fell against Ryan's ear as the other captors' footsteps proceeded to fade out of earshot. "We can't smuggle your sloppy seconds. Nice try. Really nice attempt at escape, as if you had a chance . You couldn't even hold it down , huh? You're useless, Ryan. Now he's back at the start. Look at him . Take a nice hard stare at your failure". Fingers sank into his jugular and their imprint left him shaking as Valen disappeared, an uneven gait carrying his dragging boots into oblivion, along with a slow clap , a mocking applause in the night. Ryan rested his eyes on the shaken Liam , knowing it was square one . But for the last time . "I'll get you out of here " he rasped at Liam's desecrated body. The present: The night was long, but the first rays of twilight seemed to promise a longer day, and Ryan's eyes opened with a start. Drinking in his surroundings, a trench , dampened with fresh soil and drained water bottles , he ran over the ruse.Liam stirred at the sound of Ryan's mumbling, and grinned through unbrushed, discoloured teeth. "Yo Ry, now that we're free and only faking captivity , you do realise the original strategy that got us out of that concrete middle of nowhere scenario , might still be -" "Yeah , yeah, you threw up in my mouth and -I deserve an Oscar for that. I executed one hell of a death rattle .. and I could die all over again if I had to. " "Well you didn't throw up-much-you've guts Ry'. I'll give you that. Iron clad guts. " There was a solidifying"Yeah, thanks. " Ryan smiled in the darkness , his eyes gleaming with a raze of light, before adding "y'know , I haven't even had a moment of camaraderie between them as Ryan rearranged the fabric constraints in his lap, weaving one shredded piece over another, and Liam dropped his chin back onto its mound of filth.to think about what I left behind till just now.. and I don't want to bore you with my meandering.." "Nah, buddy, in this situation, what does it matter what you say , or don't say. It's all fleeting anyway. So hit me . Go on , if it'll make you feel better. It's not like I'm goin' anywhere. "

USER: IsHighlight heart breaking moments : It only amounted to one, and it would always be one and never two --and through his jaundice-soaked corneas, all he could see was nausea. Suddenly, he was overcome by a violent heave, a primal urge rising in his liver. Bile stained his teeth, and the following retches were acidic, lashing the roof of his mouth with fury. It could never stop: his body rejected the substance over and over; he was hanging by a thread of sanity. "Not again. Please no-" Liam clenched his teeth, the crucial moment upon him; he had to keep the substance down, or the consequences would be dire. His eyes scanned the horizon with desperation before his lids slid closed, and he was wracked with shivers of resistance. Then, as the urge to be sick overcame him, a voice pierced through his fog of despair, a lifeline amidst his struggle. "Can you hear me?" the rough, concerned tone asked as Liam writhed against the concrete, groaning in agony. "Don't try to answer that, just blink twice. Take it slow." As he fought to drag his eyelids upward, the pain, like a coiling wire, constricted his blood flow in brutal retaliation. "Make it stop-No I-" he choked out , his voice puncturing the air. If he expelled the violating drug from his intestines, his efforts would to amount to zero. Square one. The next moment , the substance began its rise, emanating a negative battery melting into a metal cylinder as his throat tightened. He was at the end of a long night,his vision raw from never resting his eyes, the blood vessels all but ruptured and torn. The ingested substance had been a sinister mistake , and if he threw up twice, the contraband would be purged from his system; he battled to hold it inside. All he had could never be enough, he countered, what ever could? Even his attempts to obey the voice , coming from somewhere above him, seemed in vain. As Liam writhed in the dying sunlight, his skin erupted in feverish bumps, a crawling sensation exploring the surface of his skin. A sensation of violation jolted down his spine as he screamed through his clenched teeth in helplessness . The nausea rose again, claiming his entire being, his heart continuing to pulse, counting away the seconds till he submitted. "Help me--No. No," he pled through his locking jaw as he fought another potent wave. The instinctive reaction of his body gripped every fiber as he felt his fight ending. He sank his teeth into his gag, screaming against the material bound across his tongue, taunting his strength and resilience. Then, in one dreaded motion, the inevitable rise built within him, futile to resistance. His pupils dilated with horror as his gag soon became saturated with the vile substance, leaving a bitter sting as he struggled against it; the retches that followed heaving through his chest. Liam collapsed into the unforgiving embrace of the concrete, his ravaged body welcoming the end with resignation. "Shit," he lamented in terror, the heat in his own voice spreading across his flesh like untamed fire . "Twice... now it's too late." As he twisted his gaze away from the glistening pool of spilt contraband , he diverted the evident failure. And in a mixture of pure shock and trauma, his eyelids slid closed with exhaustion, his body embracing closure of his fight. After his ongoing efforts and endless torment, he failed to hold down the implanted substance, and it was over. But the voice persisted, causing Liam to force his eyes open, gritting his teeth in determination. "No, I'm still here Liam; you just had an intense vomiting episode--hang tight," the voice reassured. Liam shook his head in disbelief, protesting, the fear tugging at his psyche like a fishing line as he cursed at his uselessness in the matter. "No, you can't help--" As Liam fought to refocus his gaze, a pair of deep hazel eyes locked onto his own with concern. "Hey, breathe . I've got you. It's me, Ry' . Hold on while I get rid of this-" Liam flinched as his gag was torn from his mouth, and he gasped for fresh air, the invasive atmosphere embalming him with perspiration. "Oh, God, I threw up the contraband--those bastards will kill me like a dog. Or worse-" Liam's eyes enlarged with realization as he spoke, running a hand through his gritted hair. . "I'll be, well you saw right? ..." Liam's voice was filled with sickened resignation, his resolve seeping from his pores and evaporating into the arid atmosphere. Ryan clamped his hand down over Liam's kneecap in a firm gesture of shared solidarity. "I saw everything they did to you, yeah. And I'm still here alright?. Not about to abandon you now..." Liam, reaching up and gripping Ryan's arm firmly, smiled against the warm twilight rays of daylight that clung to his flesh. "I'm sorry you had to see all this... how many times was I re-fed the drug after failing?" Ryan responded with a gun-metal hollowness, his words smoked out by his steady exhale. "Several times at least . Enough times enough for anyone, let's say that." Liam wrapped his arm around Ryan's shoulder, hoisting himself from the ground into a slouch, bracing his other arm behind himself, and standing upright:". ", Well , it feels like they killed me already." Ryan only whispered in reply, his voice thick with acknowledgment. "Yeah." The drugs in his vision burned with a harsh sting, and Liam shook his head to regain some clarity. "I don't even remember how I got here." Ryan outstretched his lean, muscular arm and hauled Liam to his feet with an exhaustive grunt, wrapping an arm around his chest in support of his weight. "I can explain to you exactly how, but it's not safe here. Later. Just try to walk with me; you look like hell, but we can get out of here." Liam's jaw clenched as he whispered "Please help me-", flinching as the sight of his ruined clothing . Of his jeans , stained with fingerprints , lying crumpled on the side of the path , and Ryan helped him back into them , as Liam winced. "They don't care what they leave behind" he muttered , his eyes catching on an emptied bottle of lubricant, and the confronting plastic surface of a turned in glove. Ryan , hoisting Liam along , only offered a few words , his heart stalled by the sight . "Sadistic , perverted bastards" , his voice rising about a whisper. "Try to focus on the here and now yeah?". Liam's grinding teeth betrayed his disgust as he nodded "Yeah." As they struggled along, footsteps not falling in sync , Liam fought to hold himself together as a flashback scorned him . "How long has it been since I was thrown down here from a helicopter? How did you get here, the same way? Please tell me you know something about this story gritty and compelling?concrete hell ?" Liam almost demanded answers from the barren atmosphere in an attempt to anchor himself. Ryan maintained a detached gaze as he stared beyond Liam's eyes, resting a hand on his shoulder . "I was thrown down here after you. And I was held at gunpoint but , my mistake was to resist the contraband, I suppose yours was to accept being a plant for them. " Liam , gripping Ryan's forearm for leverage, lowered his gaze to avert the glare . "How was it a mistake to refuse ...this?" I'm so dehydrated I'm not sure I can keep going Ry' . I need to find water , and shade. And soon." The air was unrelenting in its suctioning nature, stripping the moisture from their skin as they navigated the bare footpath, no roads or buildings in sight--a concrete ladder of deception that went on for hours, tracking their heavy footsteps. Liam, with his gaze fixated on the maze of concrete, suddenly heard something in the distance. "Taken 'em long enough, but I think our time may be up..." . Resignation consumed his drawn features as Ryan mirrored Liam's expression. "You know , we could just let them gain on us, and pretend we were dropped here. Mess with their heads at the very least. " Ryan fell to the ground by Liam, out of breath , hushing his tone . "You mean?" Liam , nodding as footsteps grew closer , bore a glint in his eye. "Yeah I'm talking ... you binding me back up , and then you acting like you just bust your own binds, just playin' dumb. Just be useless as distracting as possible, like you lost your memory. Ad lib the hell outta this. If they think I'm still bound, they'll think I'm still a plant." Before he could elaborate further, Ryan was tearing the hems from his jeans and gesturing for Liam to lie down , planking himself low in the dirt alongside the pavement . "Here , bite down." Liam wrapped his tongue around the gag and groaned as if agony were ripping through him, thrashing his head in mock-distress. Ryan smirked , as he tore fibres of denim apart and strew them across his lap as if he'd ripped them in panic. Then , smearing dirt across his face, and running some loose soil through his teeth he grunted "How do I look?" . Liam jostled his gag aside with the turn of his head "like a fucking princess , now realign my gag and act like you've just seen-" Shoving Liam's gag back into place, a gunshot rang out and Ryan dropped to the ground , his smile gone . "Shit , I hope this works-" Two days later: As Liam accepted a night of sleep in his self imposed gag, with Ryan in his vision as his closed his eyes, the taste of water seem potent. "Glad we got our hands on these" he said, gesturing at the stockpile of plastic drink bottles, their labels faded , and falling away with the length they'd been undiscovered. "Whoever stashed these in an actual trench, I've gotta find that bastard and kiss him" Liam laughed, as fatigue washed over his slowed movements. "You can just sleep already" Ryan groaned and toyed with his fake gag remains in disbelief . "It actually pays to be crazy. I mean technically we are still kidnapped right, but we have a night to sleep , recover and then devise a plan to get out of here for real" Liam smiled , his eyes still closed , offered a swift taunt, perforating the silence with a chuckle. "Already on it, Ry, already cookin' the getaway. There'll be a Mercedes , women, dunno how many, how many would you-" "Shut up , I thought you just couldn't wait to lie down cause of the fatigue and the dehydration ..." "Aww Ry, you know my levity is jeopardy " "What does that even mean?" "It means I'm fatigued and dehydrated and I need sleep . night Ry, couldn't have made it to this forsaken trench without you. This dug out hole of sheer beauty. " "Yeah yeah, couldn't have got this far without you either. Pains me to admit but back there , what you went through kept me going. " "don't get sentimental on me now, Ryan" Liam was met with a placating silence, Ryan's consciousness slipping into the malaise of exhaustion, reassuring after all the discourse they'd endured. Liam embraced the calm , his eyes glazing over as hydration salved his nerves . Two days earlier: Ryan's eyes remained closed as he listened in terror. "If he vomits it up... we'll just have to get Valen to deal with it" . Ryan clung to every word , albeit with slipping clarity , his heart raging through his chest. "He won't be able to keep it down though. You know he's a useless vessel...Threw it up once already . And he can't even purge it in one go... takes him two rounds. He'll dehydrate before he's any real use... " The air was innocuous yet insidious as Ryan drew a breath, feeling eyes on him , his blindfold baring a sliver of vision. "Next, we implant him. His refusal , his stupidity in thinking we offer options . " Then as a splatter of saliva hit the ground near Ryan's cheek, where he lay facedown, the voice conceded. "He's the new vessel when this piece of scum finishes throwing up " . Ryan watched in pure horror as a boot made rough contact with Liam's ribcage, and the force of the blow elicited a wrought groan from his bound torso . "Ah, you fuckers" he grunted , "I'd take you all sideways , but you'd enjoy it too much " . Shaking his head at Liam's audacity, Ryan smirked despite the discomfort of watching Liam suffer in his place. As the shadows of their boots dissipated with heavy thuds, Ryan threw a few words at Liam, his voice strained and dry. "Man, I'm sorry...If I'd have known how they intended to -" Unfazed , Liam only grinned in response , "Ryan, buddy, it's simple , I said yes, and now here we are . But I have an idea, and you'll owe me later. I notice your blindfold is a little outta place...only cause I'm down here and I can see your pores ...but yeah. You know what will happen and when it does , just have a medical emergency yeah? I'm talking the whole enchilada, spasming, coughing up your own blood-" Ryan, raising his eyebrows above his blindfold , felt the flames of desperation chase his wit , as the heat encroached on the edges of psyche. "Think about this Liam, your dehydrated, and when you puke your guts, in binds , and a gag, I could t buy you enough time. But I could ingest it when you lose it , try and hold it down , that could prevent them implanting either one of us , I'll make this work . At this stage I don't really care how disgusting your insides will taste . I doubt the effects will be half as bad as-"..." Liam laughed through his gritted teeth, "Ry, I like how you think ...I can appreciate a man with a sick mind. But this is a choice I made, and I'm not sure I feel so sound with you doin' that..." With a helpless glean passing across his eyes, Ryan said with a flat tone . "What choice do we have . This bullshit is inhumane. Don't thank me later, no need ." It was etched in Liam's face , his sinking realisation of what transgression truly meant . His voice was hoarse as he whispered "Theyll only use you next , but , God I -" . "I said don't thank me Liam. I'm doing this. "Ryan insisted, the gun metal tone close in the air. All Liam could muster was a hoarse "Thanks." As he collapsed face down , his smile intercepted with a grave smirk. They both succumbed to the heat, as time because immeasurable to Ryan's convergent stream of consciousness. There was energy to conserve. Ryan only held fragments of the plan in his drained conscious, as Liam's memory seemed dispersed into a tangled web of loose wires that disconnected and short circuited. "Liam, stop thrashing . Just let it happen-" Ryan's pleas fell into the rancid , stale air between them, as Liam convulsed , screaming "No-please... I can't do this anymore-please-." His voice , hoarse from the overuse , weaved through the night with a repetition that haunted Ryan as he forfeited sleep. "Just vomit so I can do this thing" he said roughly, unable to watch another pained movement from Liam, his outline traced by cool, eerie moonlight, its soft caress filled with disconcerting illumination . His perspiration-soaked flesh radiated heat , the silvery, contrasting glow that hugged Liam's burning skin twisted nausea into Ryan's gut. In an effort to recall anything useful he repeated the name as it paralysed his tongue. "Valen". And nothing. "Cmon Ryan, you know this..." His reactive groan struck the air , "Ah shit... we know this...we been lying here with nothing else to do but remember which bastard is which." His willing of comprehension encompassed a tight circle of void as he spat at the ground. "Ah , what good is this , it's not like we can carry out the plan if he doesn't vomit at the right time. ... I got a bad feeling Liam. " His words, more for himself, settled in the abyss of cold sweat that occupied the physical inches separating them . Then , it happened , all in one sickening moment. Liam , screaming through his gag, purged the contraband and Ryan pulled himself unnaturally close, writing against Liam, the substance nothing but a failure on the winding pavement "Shit" Ryan cursed at the ruptured sac of fluids , coated in Liam's insides , and stretched his tongue out in despair, ingesting it, his throat immediately closing and a violent wrack tearing through him. As Ryan locked his mouth over Liam's , his next retch, pure bile and potential traces of the substance, filled Ryan's mouth with a repulsive tang , and his stomach lurched . As footsteps approached, he spat the lurid mixture of saliva and shared bodily fluids into the air, thrashing and retching the contents of his own stomach , driving his skull into the concrete until his blindfold was loose and falling . "Valen, clean this mess up" a voice interjected. "Looks like this one has a weaker stomach than our main man" . The next moments were heinous , as hands yanked Liam from his sprawl of disorientation. "Implant him again, he'll bridge the gap. ". Closing his eyes , Ryan twisted his body away , convulsing against the cracks in the pavement . Valen barely spared him a glance as he assaulted Liam in silence . As Ryan dragged his voice into a scrape of defeat , he went limp , feigning death as he stalled his natural urge to inhale. An iced , almost metallic growl fell against Ryan's ear as the other captors' footsteps proceeded to fade out of earshot. "We can't smuggle your sloppy seconds. Nice try. Really nice attempt at escape, as if you had a chance . You couldn't even hold it down , huh? You're useless, Ryan. Now he's back at the start. Look at him . Take a nice hard stare at your failure". Fingers sank into his jugular and their imprint left him shaking as Valen disappeared, an uneven gait carrying his dragging boots into oblivion, along with a slow clap , a mocking applause in the night. Ryan rested his eyes on the shaken Liam , knowing it was square one . But for the last time . "I'll get you out of here " he rasped at Liam's desecrated body. The present: The night was long, but the first rays of twilight seemed to promise a longer day, and Ryan's eyes opened with a start. Drinking in his surroundings, a trench , dampened with fresh soil and drained water bottles , he ran over the ruse.Liam stirred at the sound of Ryan's mumbling, and grinned through unbrushed, discoloured teeth. "Yo Ry, now that we're free and only faking captivity , you do realise the original strategy that got us out of that concrete middle of nowhere scenario , might still be -" "Yeah , yeah, you threw up in my mouth and -I deserve an Oscar for that. I executed one hell of a death rattle .. and I could die all over again if I had to. " "Well you didn't throw up-much-you've guts Ry'. I'll give you that. Iron clad guts. " "Yeah, thanks. " Ryan smiled in the darkness , his eyes gleaming with a raze of light, before adding "y'know , I haven't even had a moment to think about what I left behind till just now.. and I don't want to bore you with my meandering.." "Nah, buddy, in this situation, what does it matter what you say , or don't say. It's all fleeting anyway. So hit me . Go on , if it'll make you feel better. It's not like I'm goin' anywhere. "

USER: HighlightThe room , dimly lit and filled with tension, held a measured focus and intense energy that enveloped them both. "That's it, Elara, one more push..." a voice encouraged from the far distance, as the room seemed to fall away, the space between them growing closer. Max felt her hand interweave with the hair at the nape of his neck as she wound her fingers against his scalp. Following her electrifying pull downward, he rested his lips against her flushed cheek. She was radiating strength, exertion, and euphoria as her fingertips grazed his wrist and he grabbed her hand. "You've got this, Elara," he whispered roughly into her ear as she smiled through clenched teeth, his voice sending shocks of empowerment down her spine. Then as she fell back into his chest, his gleaming stare finding hers, a nurse's voice pierced the intimate, enclosing air. "The head is crowning, keep going, Elara." The atmosphere was punctured with her gasps as she bore down, resting her head in the hollow of Max's neck as he held his gaze steady on their child's emerging head and she inhaled, her resolve faltering as she whispered, "Max, I can't." "You are, Elara, her head is almost out," Max murmured in a subdued mix of pride and awe. In a rush of amniotic fluid and blood, their daughter's head emerged along with her left shoulder, but the fight was far from over. "Elara , the umbilical cord needs to be cleared from her neck. I need you to slow things down for me . Don't push. Pant , Elara. Pant." The room stayed engulfed in silence as Elara's hand searched for a solid foundation, anchoring itself in Max's shirt as she trembled against the force of her next contraction. "Max-I" she gasped out between deep pants of desperation , her hold on his shirt whitening her knuckles. "Just focus on my voice , Elara . Pant through it. She's so close." Max encouraged , as the nurse slipped the cord from the child's head and instructed with a calm but assertive tone. "Great job, Elara , now push your baby out. A few nice deep breaths for me. And on three...One. Two... " As the pressure consumed her, Elara delivered one final push, grunting as primal effort raged through her . As the body slid out, and a nurse's hands caught their child, relief washed over Elara's senses and she collapsed deeper onto Max's chest. "You did it, baby, she's here." Max affirmed in a quiet rasp. But the silence of the room stretched on, and their worst fears were confirmed, Elara's panting breaths the only audible sound. "She's not respiring, clear her airways," another voice instructed with an urgent tone, and Elara turned her head towards Max in sheer panic. "What's happening? Our baby - she's?" Just as fear clawed through Max's weathered eyes, a nurse placed her fragile, violet body onto Elara's chest. "The skin-to-skin contact will help her take that first breath. Hold your baby, Elara." Her hands, still shaking, enclosed around her daughter as she rubbed her back, her blue gaze filled with worry. "Come on baby girl, fill those lungs," Max urged, his breath hitching in his throat. Then, as they both waited in anticipation, a cry broke out into the air. "Oh thank goodness," Elara laughed through tears as the crying continued, and Max felt the moment stand still, bound in sheer relief, the sound more reassuring than anything he'd heard in a long time. "Hey gorgeous," Max greeted his daughter before pausing, a smile breaking across his face, "what are we going to name her, can't call her 'gorgeous' forever..." Elara laughed with exhaustion, "Max, you know the name we chose, trust you to forget when she actually gets here..." Max quickly responded, jest in his voice, "I did no such thing. Welcome to the world, Lily. A bit sooner than we expected, but you're finally here, huh?" Her crying slowed and under Elara's palm, she found a moment of solace, her tiny lungs regulating her breaths and her cries stopped. Just as Max collapsed his weary arms around Elara, gazing at their slightly premature infant, her breathing slowed to an almost rasping cough, and she was quickly whisked from Elara's hold. "Her pulse is dropping again. Begin resuscitation...blood volume rising., stabilising..." Feeling the weight of the triumph turn to defeat and fear, Max rested his head on Elara's shoulder, "No-" Elara buried her head in the curve of his shoulder, confused and unable to catch her breath after hours of labor, and now her child was unreachable yet again. "Please let her be alright-". Max ran a hand through her damp, unkempt hair , combing strands from her forehead , waiting to hear cries in the distance, but the silence returned , more sinister than before . "Elara, she's stable , but your daughter is being transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit, her heart breaking moments : It only amounted to one, and it would alwaysrate dropped a little low , and we just need to ensure her stability. You can rest a moment than you may see for yourself that she's alright. She's a strong little fighter, Max. You should both be one and never two --and through his jaundice-soaked corneas, all he could see was nausea. Suddenly, he was overcome by a violent heave, a primal urge rising in his liver. Bile stained his teeth, and the following retches were acidic, lashing the roof of his mouth with fury. It could never stop: his body rejected the substanceproud. " The nurse rubbed a firm hand over and over; he was hanging by a thread of sanity. "Not again. Please no-" Liam clenched his teeth, the crucialElara's shaking chest, and nodded at Max with assurance. Embracing Elara , they stayed locked in a shared moment upon him; he had to keep the substance down, or the consequencesof uncertain resolve. The next hours would be dire. Hiscritical , and Elara let her tears fall as Max rested his chin atop Elara's dark hair , sighing as his eyes scanned the horizon with desperation before his lids slid closed,drifted into the distance. Elara's fingers grazed the warm skin below Max's wrist as she searched for his anchoring presence, and he was wracked with shivers of resistance. Then, as theinterlocked his palm with hers as she bore into his knuckles. "I'm right here; you've got this, Elara," he whispered in a low tone, resting his forehead against hers. "I can't, Max, I can't--" she panted, her face flushed, with a sheen of perspiration gleaming on her cheekbones as she gasped against his neck. As the intensity grew unbearable, her hand gravitated to the nape of his neck, her fingers intertwining with his hair in desperation. Grabbing thick strands between her knuckles, she formed a solid grip against his scalp, breathing deeply as her muscles spasmed with fury. "Max-pressure-please-"she gasped , in the crescendo of another surge , her trembling fingers flew to his arm, the strength and exertion searing through her fingertips. In response, he placed a firm hand against her contracting abdomen, applying counterpressure to the under curve of her stomach, as he urged, "You already are; she's almost here. Keep pushing, Elara." With every fibre of her being, she strained against his bracing hand; the room seemed to fall away as Max let his head follow her urgent pull as her hand remained in his hair. As she released the push, the child's head crowning, Max locked eyes with her as she dropped her forehead against his. "Look at me, Elara; she's almost here. You're doing so well." As her uterus clenched with brutal force, outlining their baby's head, Max ran a steady palm over her navel, maintaining the pressure she craved. "Push, Elara, I've got you," he reassured her as she wound her hand through his hair even tighter, and the intensity of the moment consumed them both. Just as another instinctive urge to be sick overcame him,swept through her, a voice pierced through his fog of despair, a lifeline amidst his struggle. "Can you hear me?" the rough, concerned tone asked as Liam writhedher veil of agony, halting her preparation to push yet again: "Her heart rate is dropping--breathe, Elara. Don't push," a nurse instructed as Elara buried her head in the curve of Max's shoulder, shaking with exhaustion. "Max--no--I need--" Max's heart raced through his veins as he held his deep hazel stare on Elara's uncertain blue gaze, maintaining his pressure against the concrete, groaning in agony. "Don't try to answer that, just blink twice. Take it slow."her trembling abdomen. "Just focus on me and only me. Now pant, Elara, she's so close--" Her punctured gasps fell against his neck, and pulling his scalp downwards, her lips found his as he caught her agonized moan in his mouth. She kissed him frantically, then released a gasp as the urge to push consumed her, and she bore down, her fingernails tearing into his hair. "That's it, Elara, her heart rate is coming up. Push her down. She's in full crown; one deep push, Elara," the nurse encouraged, and Max embraced her, his voice hoarse. "Look at me, Elara; we're doing this. One more push and she's here." The atmosphere, shrinking inward as the anticipation and urgency mounted, drew closer than cling wrap to her flesh. As Elara's primal effort reverberated through Max's core, he fought to drag his eyelids upward, the pain, like a coiling wire, constricted hispulled her head towards his mouth, his lips landing against her reddened ear , "You're so amazing-"he rasped against her skin . She smiled as she leaned her cheek against his neck, the sound of his voice sending a current of electricity through her as her thighs collapsed inward. "That's it, Elara..." he whispered , pulling back with a sense of pride and awe, adrenaline coursing through his body as he watched her push. Then, as the baby's head emerged , followed by a rush of blood flow in brutal retaliation. "Make it stop-No I-"and amniotic fluid, he chokedpraised her in triumph, "The head is out , hisElara. You did it" Planting a kiss to her heated forehead , he hand flew back to his nape , her expression filled with concentration. "Keep pushing Elara , her body is almost out- " she heard another voice puncturing the air. Ifinstruct and she felt her body obeying . Locking her arms around Max's chest, she shook with force and determination, the baby's body sliding out , and into a nurses arms as Elara fell backward into Max's solidifying embrace. Then the room fell silent, a cold sense of dread enveloping them both. "She's not breathing--" a voice confirmed, seeming miles away as Elara fell deeper against Max's chest in terror, and he expelled the violating drug from his intestines, his efforts would to amount to zero. Square one.drew her closer , resting his chin on her shoulder as a chill ran down his spine. "Our baby, she's--she's not crying--Max--". Time-almost standing arrested in handcuffs that bound Max in a moment of panic-stopped completely. As a nurse placed their daughter's fragile, almost transparent body against Elara's chest, she explained, "The skin-to-skin contact will encourage her to cry, her airways are clear, Elara. Hold your baby; she'll breathe soon." The next moment, as her baby's blue lips broke her resolve, Elara turned away, crying into the hollow of Max's collarbone. . Max gazed at his motionless child, willing her to respire, "Come on, baby girl, fill those lungs." His own breathing, ragged and filled with his escalating fear, caused him to lower his gaze into Elara's shoulder as the tension wrought through his chest. "Please cry," he murmured, his plea merging with Elara's exhausted tears. Then, as if on cue, a wail tore through the air, vibrant and healthy, and alive. Lifting his head, Max's weathered eyes washed over with relief, and Elara gazed at her child with awestruck tenderness. "Thank God--" she laughed through her tears, placing a hand on the child's back, rubbing soothing circles into her violet skin. Collapsing into Elara's clavicle and smiling broadly, Max let a moment , the substance began its rise, emanating a negative battery melting into a metal cylinder as his throat tightened. Heof unbridled joy overwhelm him, a few tears falling onto her skin. "You did it, Elara--I'm so proud of you both--" Elara kept both hands encapsulated around her now crying daughter, her lips again finding Max's, as he delivered a rough kiss and then whispered, "What are we going to name her? We can't call her 'gorgeous' forever." Elara laughed in response, "You know the name we chose, but trust you to forget in all the madness--" Max retorted quickly as his smile only widened with wit and mischief, "I did not forget. Welcome to the world, Lily." Then, her cries stopped with an abrupt halt, causing the bright lights to ice Elara's gaze with a steely panic. "What's wrong? Max-she's still blue-" . Feeling the rise of a nightmare realising itself , Max absorbed Lily's bluish lips and watched in hopeless shock as Lily was at the end of a long night,his vision rawwhisked from never resting his eyes, the blood vessels allher mother's hands . "Her pulse is dropping , again. She needs immediate assistance " . Elara's' tears burst forth as Max held her in silence, his gaze trailing after his newborn daughter , unable to move. After several paralysing moments , holding each other without words or movement, Lily's cry filled the atmosphere and Elara collapsed against Max's arm, as he pulled her head to his chin and fought back tears. "Can I hold my baby, I need to see that she's alright" Elara pled, but ruptured and torn. The ingested substance had been a sinister mistake , andwas met with firm news. "Lily's heart beat is abnormal, and she will need immediate tests , and to be incubated in the NICU . She's strong , and stable , but we need to investigate further. Max , continuing to hold Elara, measured the heat in his voice . "What's happening?" "Max , Elara, you may see her if he threw up twice, the contraband wouldyou wish, though contact will be purged from his system; he battled to hold it inside. All he hadlimited as we ensure her stability. When we have any answers , we will update you, but you could never be enough, he countered, what ever could? Even his attempts to obey the voice , coming from somewhere above him, seemed in vain. As Liam writhed in the dying sunlight, his skin erupted in feverish bumps, a crawling sensation exploring the surface of his skin. A sensation of violation jolted down his spine as he screamed through his clenched teeth in helplessness . The nausea rose again, claiming his entire being, his heart continuing to pulse, counting away the seconds till he submitted. "Help me--No. No," he pled through his locking jaw as he fought another potent wave. The instinctive reaction of his body gripped every fiber as he felt his fight ending. He sank his teeth into his gag, screaming against the material bound across his tongue, taunting his strength and resilience. Then, in one dreaded motion, the inevitable rise built within him, futile to resistance. His pupils dilated with horror as his gag soon became saturated with the vile substance, leaving a bitter sting as he struggled against it; the retches that followed heaving through his chest. Liam collapsed into the unforgiving embrace of the concrete, his ravaged body welcoming the end with resignation. "Shit," he lamented in terror, the heat in his own voice spreading across his flesh like untamed fire . "Twice... now it's too late." As he twisted his gaze away from the glistening pool of spilt contraband , he diverted the evident failure. And in a mixture of pure shock and trauma, his eyelidsboth use some rest. Elara's eyes slid closed with exhaustion, his body embracing closure of his fight. After his ongoing efforts and endless torment, he failed to hold down the implanted substance, and it was over. But the voice persisted, causing Liam to force his eyes open, gritting his teeth in determination. "No, I'm still here Liam; you just had an intense vomiting episode--hang tight," the voice reassured. Liam shook his head in disbelief, protesting, the fear tugging at his psyche like a fishing line as he cursed at his uselessness in the matter. "No, you can't help--" As Liam fought to refocus his gaze, a pair of deep hazel eyes locked onto his own with concern. "Hey, breathe . I've got you. It's me, Ry' . Hold on while I get rid of this-" Liam flinched as his gag was torn from his mouth, and he gasped for fresh air, the invasive atmosphere embalming him with perspiration. "Oh, God, I threw up the contraband--those bastards will kill me like a dog. Or worse-" Liam's eyes enlarged with realization as he spoke, running a hand through his gritted hair. . "I'll be, well you saw right? ..." Liam's voice was filled with sickened resignation, his resolve seeping from his pores and evaporatingas she mumble into the arid atmosphere. Ryan clamped his hand down over Liam's kneecap in a firm gesture of shared solidarity. "I saw everything they did to you, yeah. And I'm still here alright?. Not about to abandon you now..." Liam, reaching up and gripping Ryan's arm firmly, smiled against the warm twilight rays of daylight that clung to his flesh. "I'm sorry you had to see all this... how many times was I re-fed the drug after failing?" Ryan responded with a gun-metal hollowness, his words smoked out by his steady exhale. "Several times at least . Enough times enough for anyone, let's say that." Liam wrapped his arm around Ryan's shoulder, hoisting himself from the ground into a slouch, bracing his other arm behind himself, and standing upright:". ", Well , it feels like they killed me already." Ryan only whispered in reply, his voice thick with acknowledgment. "Yeah." The drugs in his vision burned with a harsh sting, and Liam shook his head to regain some clarity. "I don't even remember how I got here." Ryan outstretched his lean, muscular arm and hauled Liam to his feet with an exhaustive grunt, wrapping an arm around his chest in support of his weight. "I can explain to you exactly how, but it's not safe here. Later. Just try to walk with me; you look like hell, but we can get out of here." Liam's jaw clenched as he whispered "Please help me-", flinching as the sight of his ruined clothing . Of his jeans , stained with fingerprints , lying crumpled on the side of the path , and Ryan helped him back into them , as Liam winced. "They don't care what they leave behind" he muttered , his eyes catching on an emptied bottle of lubricant, and the confronting plastic surface of a turned in glove. Ryan , hoisting Liam along , only offered a few words , his heart stalled by the sight . "Sadistic , perverted bastards" , his voice rising about a whisper. "Try to focus on the here and now yeah?". Liam's grinding teeth betrayed his disgust as he nodded "Yeah." As they struggled along, footsteps not falling in sync , Liam fought to hold himself together as a flashback scorned him . "How long has it been since I was thrown down here from a helicopter? How did you get here, the same way? Please tell me you know something about this concrete hell ?" Liam almost demanded answers from the barren atmosphere in an attempt to anchor himself. Ryan maintained a detached gaze as he stared beyond Liam's eyes, resting a hand on his shoulder . "I was thrown down here after you. And I was held at gunpoint but , my mistake was to resist the contraband, I suppose yours was to accept being a plant for them. " Liam , gripping Ryan's forearm for leverage, lowered his gaze to avert the glare . "How was it a mistake to refuse ...this?" I'm so dehydrated I'm notMax's ear "please make sure I can keep going Ry' . I need to find water , and shade. And soon." The air was unrelenting in its suctioning nature, stripping the moisture from their skin as they navigated the bare footpath, no roads or buildings in sight--a concrete ladder of deception that went on for hours, tracking their heavy footsteps. Liam, with his gaze fixated on the maze of concrete, suddenly heard something in the distance. "Taken 'em long enough, but I think our time maydon't fall asleep-" His hands, running through her sweaty, unkempt hair , combed in reassurance. "I promise. She'll be up..." . Resignation consumed his drawn features as Ryan mirrored Liam's expression. "You know , we could just let them gain on us, and pretend we were dropped here. Mess with their heads at the very least. " Ryan fell to the ground by Liam, out of breath , hushing his tone . "You mean?" Liam , nodding as footsteps grew closer , bore a glint in his eye. "Yeah I'm talking ... you binding me back up , and then you acting like you just bust your own binds, just playin' dumb.alright. Just be useless as distracting as possible, like you lost your memory. Ad lib the hell outta this. If they think I'm still bound, they'll think I'm still a plant." Before he could elaborate further, Ryan was tearing the hems from his jeans and gesturing for Liam to lie down , planking himself low in the dirt alongside the pavement . "Here , bite down." Liam wrapped his tongue around the gag and groaned as if agony were rippingrest a bit you've been through him, thrashing his head in mock-distress. Ryan smirked , as he tore fibres of denim apart and strew them across his lap as if he'd ripped them in panic. Then , smearing dirt across his face, and running some loose soil through his teeth he grunted "How do I look?" . Liam jostled his gag aside with the turn of his head "like a fucking princess , now realign my gag and act like you've just seen-" Shoving Liam's gag back into place, a gunshot rang out and Ryan dropped to the ground , his smile gone . "Shit , I hope this works-" Two days later: As Liam accepted a night of sleep in his self imposed gag, with Ryan in his vision as his closed his eyes, the taste of water seem potent. "Glad we got our hands on these" he said, gesturing at the stockpile of plastic drink bottles, their labels faded , and falling away with the length they'd been undiscovered. "Whoever stashed these inquite an actual trench, I've gotta find that bastard and kiss him" Liam laughed, as fatigue washed over his slowed movements. "You can just sleep already" Ryan groaned and toyed with his fake gag remains in disbelief . "It actually pays to be crazy. I mean technically we are still kidnapped right, but we have a night to sleep , recover and then devise a plan to get out of here for real" Liam smiled , his eyes still closed , offered a swift taunt, perforating the silence with a chuckle. "Already on it, Ry, already cookin' the getaway. There'll be a Mercedes , women, dunno how many, how many would you-" "Shut up , I thought you just couldn't wait to lie down cause of the fatigue and the dehydration ..." "Aww Ry, you know my levity is jeopardy " "What does that even mean?" "It means I'm fatigued and dehydrated and I need sleep . night Ry, couldn't have made it to this forsaken trench without you. This dug out hole of sheer beauty. " "Yeah yeah, couldn't have got this far without you either. Pains me to admit but back there , what you went through kept me going. " "don't get sentimental on me now, Ryan" Liam was met with a placating silence, Ryan's consciousness slipping into the malaise of exhaustion, reassuring after all the discourse they'd endured. Liam embraced the calm , his eyes glazing over as hydration salved his nerves . Two days earlier: Ryan's eyes remained closed as he listened in terror. "If he vomits it up... we'll just have to get Valen to deal with it" . Ryan clung to every word , albeit with slipping clarity , his heart raging through his chest. "He won't be able to keep it down though. You know he's a useless vessel...Threw it up once already . And he can't even purge it in one go... takes him two rounds. He'll dehydrate before he's any real use... " The air was innocuous yet insidious as Ryan drew a breath, feeling eyes on him , his blindfold baring a sliver of vision. "Next, we implant him. His refusal , his stupidity in thinking we offer options . " Then as a splatter of saliva hit the ground near Ryan's cheek, where he lay facedown, the voice conceded. "He's the new vessel when this piece of scum finishes throwing up " . Ryan watched in pure horror as a boot made rough contact with Liam's ribcage, and the force of the blow elicited a wrought groan from his bound torso . "Ah, you fuckers" he grunted , "I'd take you all sideways , but you'd enjoy it too much " . Shaking his head at Liam's audacity, Ryan smirked despite the discomfort of watching Liam suffer in his place. As the shadows of their boots dissipated with heavy thuds, Ryan threw a few words at Liam, his voice strained and dry. "Man, I'm sorry...If I'd have known how they intended to -" Unfazed , Liam only grinned in response , "Ryan, buddy, it's simple , I said yes, and now here we are .ordeal. But I havelove you both so much ."falling into an idea, and you'll owe me later. I notice your blindfold is a little outta place...only cause I'm down here and I can see your pores ...but yeah. You know what will happen and when it does , just have a medical emergency yeah? I'm talking the whole enchilada, spasming, coughing up your own blood-" Ryan, raising his eyebrows above his blindfold , felt the flames of desperation chase his wit , as the heat encroached on the edges of psyche. "Think about this Liam, your dehydrated, and whenexhausted surrender she whispered back "I love you puke your guts, in binds , and a gag, I could t buy you enough time. But I could ingest it when you lose it , try and hold it down , that could prevent them implanting either one of us , I'll make this work . At this stage I don't really care how disgusting your insides will taste . I doubt the effects will be half as bad as-"..." Liam laughed through his gritted teeth, "Ry, I like how you think ...I can appreciate a man with a sick mind. But this is a choice I made, and I'm not sure I feel so sound with you doin' that..." With a helpless glean passing across his eyes, Ryan said with a flat tone . "What choice do we have . This bullshit is inhumane. Don't thank me later, no need ." It was etched in Liam's face , his sinking realisation of what transgression truly meant . His voice was hoarse as he whispered "Theyll only use you next , but , God I -" . "I said don't thank me Liam. I'm doing this. "Ryan insisted, the gun metal tone close in the air. All Liam could muster was a hoarse "Thanks." As he collapsed face down , his smile intercepted with a grave smirk. They both succumbed to the heat, as time because immeasurable to Ryan's convergent stream of consciousness. There was energy to conserve. Ryan only held fragments of the plan in his drained conscious, as Liam's memory seemed dispersed into a tangled web of loose wires that disconnected and short circuited. "Liam, stop thrashing . Just let it happen-" Ryan's pleas fell into the rancid , stale air between them, as Liam convulsed , screaming "No-please... I can't do this anymore-please-." His voice , hoarse from the overuse , weaved through the night with a repetition that haunted Ryan as he forfeited sleep. "Just vomit so I can do this thing" he said roughly, unable to watch another pained movement from Liam, his outline traced by cool, eerie moonlight, its soft caress filled with disconcerting illumination . His perspiration-soaked flesh radiated heat , the silvery, contrasting glow that hugged Liam's burning skin twisted nausea into Ryan's gut. In an effort to recall anything useful he repeated the name as it paralysed his tongue. "Valen". And nothing. "Cmon Ryan, you know this..." His reactive groan struck the air , "Ah shit... we know this...we been lying here with nothing else to do but remember which bastard is which." His willing of comprehension encompassed a tight circle of void as he spat at the ground. "Ah , what good is this , it's not like we can carry out the plan if he doesn't vomit at the right time. ... I got a bad feeling Liam. " His words, more for himself, settled in the abyss of cold sweat that occupied the physical inches separating them . Then , it happened , all in one sickening moment. Liam , screaming through his gag, purged the contraband and Ryan pulled himself unnaturally close, writing against Liam, the substance nothing but a failure on the winding pavement "Shit" Ryan cursed at the ruptured sac of fluids , coated in Liam's insides , and stretched his tongue out in despair, ingesting it, his throat immediately closing and a violent wrack tearing through him. As Ryan locked his mouth over Liam's , his next retch, pure bile and potential traces of the substance, filled Ryan's mouth with a repulsive tang , and his stomach lurched . As footsteps approached, he spat the lurid mixture of saliva and shared bodily fluids into the air, thrashing and retching the contents of his own stomach , driving his skull into the concrete until his blindfold was loose and falling . "Valen, clean this mess up" a voice interjected. "Looks like this one has a weaker stomach than our main man" . The next moments were heinous , as hands yanked Liam from his sprawl of disorientation. "Implant him again, he'll bridge the gap. ". Closing his eyes , Ryan twisted his body away , convulsing against the cracks in the pavement . Valen barely spared him a glance as he assaulted Liam in silence . As Ryan dragged his voice into a scrape of defeat , he went limp , feigning death as he stalled his natural urge to inhale. An iced , almost metallic growl fell against Ryan's ear as the other captors' footsteps proceeded to fade out of earshot. "We can't smuggle your sloppy seconds. Nice try. Really nice attempt at escape, as if you had a chance . You couldn't even hold it down , huh? You're useless, Ryan. Now he's back at the start. Look at him . Take a nice hard stare at your failure". Fingers sank into his jugular and their imprint left him shaking as Valen disappeared, an uneven gait carrying his dragging boots into oblivion, along with a slow clap , a mocking applause in the night. Ryan rested his eyes on the shaken Liam , knowing it was square one . But for the last time . "I'll get you out of here " he rasped at Liam's desecrated body. The present: The night was long, but the first rays of twilight seemed to promise a longer day, and Ryan's eyes opened with a start. Drinking in his surroundings, a trench , dampened with fresh soil and drained water bottles , he ran over the ruse.Liam stirred at the sound of Ryan's mumbling, and grinned through unbrushed, discoloured teeth. "Yo Ry, now that we're free and only faking captivity , you do realise the original strategy that got us out of that concrete middle of nowhere scenario , might still be -" "Yeah , yeah, you threw up in my mouth and -I deserve an Oscar for that. I executed one hell of a death rattle .. and I could die all over again if I had to. " "Well you didn't throw up-much-you've guts Ry'. I'll give you that. Iron clad guts. " "Yeah, thanks. " Ryan smiled in the darkness , his eyes gleaming with a raze of light, before adding "y'know , I haven't even had a moment to think about what I left behind till just now.. and I don't want to bore you with my meandering.." "Nah, buddy, in this situation, what does it matter what you say , or don't say. It's all fleeting anyway. So hit me . Go on , if it'll make you feel better. It's not like I'm goin' anywhere. "too"

USER: The room , dimly lit and filled with tension, held a measured focus and intense energy that enveloped them both. "That's it, Elara, one more push..." a voice encouraged from the far distance,Liam's jaw clenched as he whispered "Please help me-", flinching as the room seemed to fall away, the space between them growing closer. Max felt her hand interweave with the hair at the napesight of his neckruined clothing . Of his jeans , stained with fingerprints , lying crumpled on the side of the path , and Ryan helped him back into them , as she wound her fingersLiam winced with every movement . The denim, rough against his scalp. Following her electrifying pull downward,bare skin, left his bite crooked . "Gimme a minute" he restedsaid, his lips against her flushed cheek. She was radiating strength, exertion,bloodshot eyes holding a glimmer of resistance as he forced his ankle through the second leg and euphoria as her fingertips grazedbuttoned the waist . "They don't care what they leave behind" he muttered , his wristeyes catching on an emptied bottle of lubricant, and he grabbed her hand. "You've got this, Elara," he whispered roughly into her ear as she smiled through clenched teeth,the confronting plastic surface of a turned in glove not far from his dehumanising undergarments. . Ryan , hoisting Liam along , only offered a few words , his heart stalled by the sight . "Sadistic , perverted bastards" , his voice sending shocks of empowerment down her spine. Then as she fell back intorising about a whisper. "Try to focus on the here and now yeah?". Liam's grinding teeth betrayed his chest, his gleaming stare finding hers, a nurse's voice pierced the intimate, enclosing air. "The head is crowning, keep going, Elara." The atmosphere was punctured with her gasps as she bore down, resting her head in the hollow of Max's neckdisgust as he held his gaze steady on their child's emerging head and she inhaled, her resolve faltering as she whispered, "Max, I can't." "You are, Elara, her head is almost out," Max murmured in a subdued mix of pride and awe. In a rush of amniotic fluid and blood, their daughter's head emerged along with her left shoulder, but the fight was far from over. "Elara , the umbilical cord needs to be cleared from her neck. I need you to slow things down for me . Don't push. Pant , Elara. Pant." The room stayed engulfed in silence as Elara's hand searched for a solid foundation, anchoring itself in Max's shirt as she trembled against the force of her next contraction. "Max-I" she gasped out between deep pants of desperation , her hold on his shirt whitening her knuckles. "Just focus on my voice , Elara . Pant through it. She's so close." Max encouraged , as the nurse slipped the cord from the child's head and instructed with a calm but assertive tone. "Great job, Elara , now push your baby out. A few nice deep breaths for me. And on three...One. Two... " As the pressure consumed her, Elara delivered one final push, grunting as primal effort raged through her . As the body slid out, and a nurse's hands caught their child, relief washed over Elara's senses and she collapsed deeper onto Max's chest. "You did it, baby, she's here." Max affirmed in a quiet rasp. But the silence of the room stretched on, and their worst fears were confirmed, Elara's panting breaths the only audible sound. "She's not respiring, clear her airways," another voice instructed with an urgent tone, and Elara turned her head towards Max in sheer panic. "What's happening? Our baby - she's?" Just as fear clawed through Max's weathered eyes, a nurse placed her fragile, violet body onto Elara's chest. "The skin-to-skin contact will help her take that first breath. Hold your baby, Elara." Her hands, still shaking, enclosed around her daughter as she rubbed her back, her blue gaze filled with worry. "Come on baby girl, fill those lungs," Max urged, his breath hitching in his throat. Then, as they both waited in anticipation, a cry broke out into the air. "Oh thank goodness," Elara laughed through tears as the crying continued, and Max felt the moment stand still, bound in sheer relief, the sound more reassuring than anything he'd heard in a long time. "Hey gorgeous," Max greeted his daughter before pausing, a smile breaking across his face, "what are we going to name her, can't call her 'gorgeous' forever..." Elara laughed with exhaustion, "Max, you know the name we chose, trust you to forget when she actually gets here..." Max quickly responded, jest in his voice, "I did no such thing. Welcome to the world, Lily. A bit sooner than we expected, but you're finally here, huh?" Her crying slowed and under Elara's palm, she found a moment of solace, her tiny lungs regulating her breaths and her cries stopped. Just as Max collapsed his weary arms around Elara, gazing at their slightly premature infant, her breathing slowed to an almost rasping cough, and she was quickly whisked from Elara's hold. "Her pulse is dropping again. Begin resuscitation...blood volume rising., stabilising..." Feeling the weight of the triumph turn to defeat and fear, Max rested his head on Elara's shoulder, "No-" Elara buried her head in the curve of his shoulder, confused and unable to catch her breath after hours of labor, and now her child was unreachable yet again. "Please let her be alright-". Max ran a hand through her damp, unkempt hair , combing strands from her forehead , waiting to hear cries in the distance, but the silence returned , more sinister than before . "Elara, she's stable , but your daughter is being transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit, her heart rate dropped a little low , and we just need to ensure her stability. You can rest a moment than you may see for yourself that she's alright. She's a strong little fighter, Max. You should both be proud. " The nurse rubbed a firm hand over Elara's shaking chest, and nodded at Max with assurance. Embracing Elara , they stayed locked in a shared moment of uncertain resolve. The next hours would be critical , and Elara let her tears fall as Max rested his chin atop Elara's dark hair , sighing as his eyes drifted into the distance. Elara's fingers grazed the warm skin below Max's wrist as she searched for his anchoring presence, and he interlocked his palm with hers as she bore into his knuckles. "I'm right here; you've got this, Elara," he whispered in a low tone, resting his forehead against hers. "I can't, Max, I can't--" she panted, her face flushed, with a sheen of perspiration gleaming on her cheekbones as she gasped against his neck. As the intensity grew unbearable, her hand gravitated to the nape of his neck, her fingers intertwining with his hair in desperation. Grabbing thick strands between her knuckles, she formed a solid grip against his scalp, breathing deeply as her muscles spasmed with fury. "Max-pressure-please-"she gasped , in the crescendo of another surge , her trembling fingers flew to his arm, the strength and exertion searing through her fingertips. In response, he placed a firm hand against her contracting abdomen, applying counterpressure to the under curve of her stomach, as he urged, "You already are; she's almost here. Keep pushing, Elara." With every fibre of her being, she strained against his bracing hand; the room seemed to fall away as Max let his head follow her urgent pull as her hand remained in his hair. As she released the push, the child's head crowning, Max locked eyes with her as she dropped her forehead against his. "Look at me, Elara; she's almost here. You're doing so well." As her uterus clenched with brutal force, outlining their baby's head, Max ran a steady palm over her navel, maintaining the pressure she craved. "Push, Elara, I've got you," he reassured her as she wound her hand through his hair even tighter, and the intensity of the moment consumed them both. Just as another instinctive urge swept through her, a voice pierced through her veil of agony, halting her preparation to push yet again: "Her heart rate is dropping--breathe, Elara. Don't push," a nurse instructed as Elara buried her head in the curve of Max's shoulder, shaking with exhaustion. "Max--no--I need--" Max's heart raced through his veins as he held his deep hazel stare on Elara's uncertain blue gaze, maintaining his pressure against her trembling abdomen. "Just focus on me and only me. Now pant, Elara, she's so close--" Her punctured gasps fell against his neck, and pulling his scalp downwards, her lips found his as he caught her agonized moan in his mouth. She kissed him frantically, then released a gasp as the urge to push consumed her, and she bore down, her fingernails tearing into his hair. "That's it, Elara, her heart rate is coming up. Push her down. She's in full crown; one deep push, Elara," the nurse encouraged, and Max embraced her, his voice hoarse. "Look at me, Elara; we're doing this. One more push and she's here." The atmosphere, shrinking inward as the anticipation and urgency mounted, drew closer than cling wrap to her flesh. As Elara's primal effort reverberated through Max's core, he pulled her head towards his mouth, his lips landing against her reddened ear , "You're so amazing-"he rasped against her skin . She smiled as she leaned her cheek against his neck, the sound of his voice sending a current of electricity through her as her thighs collapsed inward. "That's it, Elara..." he whispered , pulling back with a sense of pride and awe, adrenaline coursing through his body as he watched her push. Then, as the baby's head emerged , followed by a rush of blood and amniotic fluid, he praised her in triumph, "The head is out Elara. You did it" Planting a kiss to her heated forehead , he hand flew back to his nape , her expression filled with concentration. "Keep pushing Elara , her body is almost out- " she heard another voice instruct and she felt her body obeying . Locking her arms around Max's chest, she shook with force and determination, the baby's body sliding out , and into a nurses arms as Elara fell backward into Max's solidifying embrace. Then the room fell silent, a cold sense of dread enveloping them both. "She's not breathing--" a voice confirmed, seeming miles away as Elara fell deeper against Max's chest in terror, and he drew her closer , resting his chin on her shoulder as a chill ran down his spine. "Our baby, she's--she's not crying--Max--". Time-almost standing arrested in handcuffs that bound Max in a moment of panic-stopped completely. As a nurse placed their daughter's fragile, almost transparent body against Elara's chest, she explained, "The skin-to-skin contact will encourage her to cry, her airways are clear, Elara. Hold your baby; she'll breathe soon." The next moment, as her baby's blue lips broke her resolve, Elara turned away, crying into the hollow of Max's collarbone. . Max gazed at his motionless child, willing her to respire, "Come on, baby girl, fill those lungs." His own breathing, ragged and filled with his escalating fear, caused him to lower his gaze into Elara's shoulder as the tension wrought through his chest. "Please cry," he murmured, his plea merging with Elara's exhausted tears. Then, as if on cue, a wail tore through the air, vibrant and healthy, and alive. Lifting his head, Max's weathered eyes washed over with relief, and Elara gazed at her child with awestruck tenderness. "Thank God--" she laughed through her tears, placing a hand on the child's back, rubbing soothing circles into her violet skin. Collapsing into Elara's clavicle and smiling broadly, Max let a moment of unbridled joy overwhelm him, a few tears falling onto her skin. "You did it, Elara--I'm so proud of you both--" Elara kept both hands encapsulated around her now crying daughter, her lips again finding Max's, as he delivered a rough kiss and then whispered, "What are we going to name her? We can't call her 'gorgeous' forever." Elara laughed in response, "You know the name we chose, but trust you to forget in all the madness--" Max retorted quickly as his smile only widened with wit and mischief, "I did not forget. Welcome to the world, Lily." Then, her cries stopped with an abrupt halt, causing the bright lights to ice Elara's gaze with a steely panic. "What's wrong? Max-she's still blue-" . Feeling the rise of a nightmare realising itself , Max absorbed Lily's bluish lips and watched in hopeless shock as Lily was whisked from her mother's hands . "Her pulse is dropping , again. She needs immediate assistance " . Elara's' tears burst forth as Max held her in silence, his gaze trailing after his newborn daughter , unable to move. After several paralysing moments , holding each other without words or movement, Lily's cry filled the atmosphere and Elara collapsed against Max's arm, as he pulled her head to his chin and fought back tears. "Can I hold my baby, I need to see that she's alright" Elara pled, but was met with firm news. "Lily's heart beat is abnormal, and she will need immediate tests , and to be incubated in the NICU . She's strong , and stable , but we need to investigate further. Max , continuing to hold Elara, measured the heat in his voice . "What's happening?" "Max , Elara, you may see her if you wish, though contact will be limited as we ensure her stability. When we have any answers , we will update you, but you could both use some rest. Elara's eyes slid closed as she mumble into Max's ear "please make sure I don't fall asleep-" His hands, running through her sweaty, unkempt hair , combed in reassurance. "I promise. She'll be alright. Just rest a bit you've been through quite an ordeal. But I love you both so much ."falling into an exhausted surrender she whispered back "I love you both too""Yeah.

USER: Liam's jaw clenched as he whispered "Please help me-", flinching as the sight of his ruined clothing . Of his jeans , stained with fingerprints , lying crumpled on the side of the path , and Ryan helped him back into them , as Liam winced with every movement . The denim, rough against his bare skin, left his bite crooked . "Gimme a minute" he said, his bloodshot eyes holding a glimmer of resistance as he forced his ankle through the second leg and buttoned the waist . "They don't care what they leave behind" he muttered , his eyes catching on an emptied bottle of lubricant, and the confronting plastic surface of a turned in glove not far from his dehumanising undergarments. . Ryan , hoisting Liam along , only offered a few words , his heart stalled by the sight . "Sadistic , perverted bastards" , his voice rising about a whisper. "Try to focus on the here and now yeah?". Liam's grinding teeth betrayed his disgust as he nodded "Yeah.How can u word this better

USER: How can u word this betterIs there ryth

USER: Is there rythAre these phrases gritty and effective.. please don't rewrite them : They walked in shared disorientation, with Liam reduced to muteness , trauma still assaulting his perception with a harrowing grip , gnawing at the edges of his decaying composure. Finally, as their footsteps struggled to fall in sync , Liam forced the gravelled words through his teeth. "Ry' I don't know what's real, and what the contraband made me believe" . his voice, echoing desperation as he countered "I only said yes because I thought-" Ryan pulled Liam in with a rough jerk. "Doesn't matter. We never had a choice . But you put yourself in my place . And they never broke your damn spirit ."

USER: Are these phrasesIs this gritty and effective.. please don't rewrite them : They walkedeffective As Liam writhed in shared disorientation, with Liam reduced to muteness , trauma still assaultingthe dying sunlight, his perception withskin erupted in feverish bumps, a harrowing grip , gnawing atcrawling sensation exploring the edgessurface of his decaying composure. Finally,skin. A sensation of violation jolted down his spine as their footsteps struggled to fall in sync , Liam forced the gravelled wordshe screamed through his teeth. "Ry' I don't know what's real, and whatclenched teeth in helplessness . The nausea rose again, claiming his entire being, his heart continuing to pulse, counting away the contraband made me believe" . his voice, echoing desperation asseconds till he countered "I only said yes because I thought-" Ryan pulled Liam in with a rough jerk. "Doesn't matter. We never had a choice . But you put yourself in my place . And they never broke your damn spirit ."submitted.

USER: Is this gritty and effective As Liam writhed in the dying sunlight, his skin erupted in feverish bumps, a crawling sensation exploring theLiam, reaching up and gripping Ryan's arm firmly, smiled against the warm twilight rays of daylight that clung to his flesh. "Hell of a thing tri endure, seeing all that... Damn lucky we're both still breathing. " Liam , pulling on Ryan's arm , found the strength to prop himself into a seated position "Shit. get over here, Ry". With a rough jerk, Liam hauled Ryan into a haphazard hug, slamming an open palm over his back as he pulled their shoulders together. Smiling in pain Ryan let their shoulders connect with a crash of solidarity, as he replied "Yeah, yeah . Calm down", returning a supportive thump over Liam's arm. "So you're outta your binds and you untied mine, stripped my gag -and-" Liam's head fell to his hand , cradling his temple and gritting his teeth. "I don't remember what happened- how many times did they-" Ryan responded with a gun-metal hollowness, his words smoked out by his steady exhale. "Several times at least . Enough times enough for anyone, let's say that." Liam wrapped his arm around Ryan's shoulder, hoisting himself from the ground into a slouch, bracing his other arm behind himself, and finally standing upright:"Well , it feels like they've killed me already.. the hell I've been through." Ryan only whispered in reply, his voice thick with acknowledgment. "Yeah." The drugs in his vision burned with a harsh sting, and Liam shook his head to regain some clarity. "I don't remember how I got here. No damn clue." Ryan outstretched his lean, muscular arm and hauled Liam to his feet with an exhaustive grunt, wrapping an arm around his chest in support of his weight. "I can explain to you exactly how, but later, one thing at a time. Just try to walk with me; we can get out of here." However, as they made their first attempt to leave, Liam's attention was abruptly hijacked by the sight of his own ruined clothing, and his jaw clenched. The shock sent a wave of tension through him, rooting him to the spot; his body rebelling his next step. In a voice laced with dread he whispered "Please help me-" His eye remained fixated on his jeans, stained with fingerprints, lying crumpled on the side of the path. Noticing his distress , Ryan assisted him back into them, his attention careful as Liam flinched with every movement. The denim, rough against his bare skin, left his bite crooked with agony . "Gimme a minute," he said, his bloodshot eyes holding a glimmer of resistance as he forced his ankle through the second hem and buttoned the waist. "They don't care what they leave behind," he muttered, his eyes catching on an emptied bottle of lubricant and the confronting plastic surface of his skin. A sensation of violation jolted down his spine as he screameda turned-in glove not far from his dehumanizing undergarments. Ryan, supporting Liam's weight, uttered mere fragments of speech, his heart seized momentarily by the display that had all but paralysed Liam. "Sadistic, perverted bastards," he almost spat , his voice rising above a whisper as his eyes darkened. "Try to focus on the here and now, yeah?" he muttered , guiding Liam away from the indignity that lay strewn before them, remnants of the twisted inhumanity they'd suffered. Liam's grinding teeth betrayed his disgust and utter defamation as he nodded, shielded only by Ryan's insistent survival instinct and camaraderie, as he managed a sullen "Yeah." They walked in shared disorientation, with Liam reduced to muteness , trauma still assaulting his perception with a harrowing grip , gnawing at the edges of his decaying composure. Finally, as their footsteps struggled to fall in sync , Liam forced the gravelled words through his clenched teeth in helplessnessteeth. "Ry' I don't know what's real, and what the contraband made me believe" . The nausea rose again, claiming his entire being, his heart continuing to pulse, counting away the seconds till he submitted.his voice, echoing desperation as he countered "I only said yes because I thought-" Ryan pulled Liam in with a rough jerk. "Doesn't matter. We never had a choice . But you put yourself in my place . And they never broke your damn spirit ."

USER: Liam, reaching up and gripping Ryan's arm firmly, smiled against the warm twilight rays of daylight that clung to his flesh. "Hell of a thing tri endure, seeing all that... Damn lucky we're both still breathing. " Liam , pulling on Ryan's arm , found the strength to prop himself into a seated position "Shit. get over here, Ry". With a rough jerk, Liam hauled Ryan into a haphazard hug, slamming an open palm over his back as he pulled their shoulders together. Smiling in pain Ryan let their shoulders connect with a crash of solidarity, as he replied "Yeah, yeah . Calm down", returning a supportive thump over Liam's arm. "So you're outta your binds and you untied mine, stripped my gag -and-" Liam's head fell to his hand , cradling his temple and gritting his teeth. "I don't remember what happened- how many times did they-" Ryan responded with a gun-metal hollowness, his words smoked out by his steady exhale. "Several times at least . Enough times enough for anyone, let's say that." Liam wrapped his arm around Ryan's shoulder, hoisting himself from the ground into a slouch, bracing his other arm behind himself, and finally standing upright:"Well , it feels like they've killed me already.. the hell I've been through." Ryan only whispered in reply, his voice thick with acknowledgment. "Yeah." The drugs in his vision burned with a harsh sting, and Liam shook his head to regain some clarity. "I don't remember how I got here. No damn clue." Ryan outstretched his lean, muscular arm and...

USER: Do Liam and Ryan have distinct voices ? Liam, reaching up and gripping Ryan's arm firmly, smiled against the warm twilight rays of daylight that clung to his flesh. "Hell of a thing tri endure, seeing all that... Damn lucky we're both still breathing. " Liam , pulling on Ryan's arm , found the strength to prop himself into a seated position "Shit. get over here, Ry". With a rough jerk, Liam hauled Ryan into a haphazard hug, slamming an open palm over his back as he pulled their shoulders together. Smiling in pain Ryan let their shoulders connect with a crash of solidarity, as he replied "Yeah, yeah . Calm down", returning a supportive thump over Liam's arm. "So you're outta your binds and you untied mine, stripped my gag -and-" Liam's head fell to his hand , cradling his temple and gritting his teeth. "I don't remember what happened- how many times did they-" Ryan responded with a gun-metal hollowness, his words smoked out by his steady exhale. "Several times at least . Enough times enough for anyone, let's say that." Liam wrapped his arm around Ryan's shoulder, hoisting himself from the ground into a slouch, bracing his other arm behind himself, and finally standing upright:"Well , it feels like they've killed me already.. the hell I've been through." Ryan only whispered in reply, his voice thick with acknowledgment. "Yeah." The drugs in his vision burned with a harsh sting, and Liam shook his head to regain some clarity. "I don't remember how I got here. No damn clue." Ryan outstretched his lean, muscular arm and hauled Liam to his feet with an exhaustive grunt, wrapping an arm around his chest in support of his weight. "I can explain to you exactly how, but later, one thing at a time. Just try to walk with me; we can get out of here." However, as they made their first attempt to leave, Liam's attention was abruptly hijacked by the sight of his own ruined clothing, and his jaw clenched. The shock sent a wave of tension through him, rooting him to the spot; his body rebelling his next step. In a voice laced with dread he whispered "Please help me-" His eye remained fixated on his jeans, stained with fingerprints, lying crumpled on the side of the path. Noticing his distress , Ryan assisted him back into them, his attention careful as Liam flinched with every movement. The denim, rough against his bare skin, left his bite crooked with agony . "Gimme a minute," he said, his bloodshot eyes holding a glimmer of resistance as he forced his ankle through the second hem and buttoned the waist. "They don't care what they leave behind," he muttered, his eyes catching on an emptied bottle of lubricant and the confronting plastic surface of a turned-in glove not far from his dehumanizing undergarments. Ryan, supporting Liam's weight, uttered mere fragments of speech, his heart seized momentarily by the display that had all but paralysed Liam. "Sadistic, perverted bastards," he almost spat , his voice rising above a whisper as his eyes darkened. "Try to focus on the here and now, yeah?" he muttered , guiding Liam away from the indignity that lay strewn before them, remnants of the twisted inhumanity they'd suffered. Liam's grinding teeth betrayed his disgust and utter defamation as he nodded, shielded only by Ryan's insistent survival instinct and camaraderie, as he managed a sullen "Yeah." They walked in shared disorientation, with Liam reduced to muteness , trauma still assaulting his perception with a harrowing grip , gnawing at the edges of his decaying composure. Finally, as their footsteps struggled to fall in sync , Liam forced the gravelled words through his teeth. "Ry' I don't know what's real, and what the contraband made me believe" . his voice, echoing desperation as he countered "I only said yes because I thought-" Ryan pulled Liam in with a rough jerk. "Doesn't matter. We never had a choice . But you put yourself in my place . And they never broke your damn spirit ."

USER: DoListening as terror flooded the membranes behind his closed lids, their voices echoed in the tepid night . "If he vomits it up... we'll just have to get Valen to deal with it", a voice loomed in the distance. Clinging to every word , albeit with slipping clarity, his pulse raged through his chest as the voice skirted the edge of his mind , filling him with dread. "He won't be able to keep it down though. You know he's a useless vessel...Threw it up once already . And he can't even purge it in one go... takes him two rounds. He'll dehydrate before he's any real use." Ryan inhaled the innocuous yet insidious air, the weight of eyes boring into his haze of darkness , the blindfold that barred his vision offering a faint sliver of vision as it faltered with the jolt of his head. With terror scathing his helpless position, he fought to hear. "Next, we implant him. His refusal , his stupidity in thinking we offer options ." The unfamiliar voice threatened from above , a splatter of saliva moistened his cheek as it landed against his glistening flesh. He's the new vessel when this piece of scum finishes throwing up " A chill masticated his nerve endings as thud of s boot making rough contact with Liam's ribcage and eliciting a wrought groan, sent horror to the pits of Ryan's stomach as his glass -cage eyes watched helplessly. Ah, you fuckers" Liam's voice grunted , "I'd take you all sideways , but you'd enjoy it too much " . Shaking his pounding temples at the audacity ,his lips curved into a smirk despite the unsettling discourse of watching Liam andsuffer in his place from just inches away. The shadows of their boots dissipating with heavy thuds , he threw forward a few strained, dry words. "Liam I'm sorry, if I'd know how they I intended to-" Unfazed, Liam only grinned in the closeness , his nonchalance offering a certain comfort to Ryan's disarrayed nerves , "Ryan, buddy, it's simple , I said yes, and now here we are . But I have an idea, and you'll owe me later. I notice your blindfold is a little outta place...only cause I'm down here and I can see your pores ...but yeah. You know what will happen and when it does , just have a medical emergency yeah? I'm talking the whole enchilada, spasming, coughing up your own blood-" His eyebrows raising above the rim of his constricting blindfold , Ryan felt the flames of desperation chase his wit , as the heat encroached on the edges of psyche. Think about this Liam, your dehydrated, and when you puke your guts, in binds , and a gag, I could t buy you enough time. But I could ingest it when you lose it , try and hold it down , that could prevent them implanting either one of us , I'll make this work . If I can save it , and swallow it , retain it , after you fail yet again , they might just leave you alone . And if I can hold it down , they might not have distinct voices ? Liam, reaching up and grippingto resort to-" His voice stopped in his throat as an involuntary shiver coursed down his spine. Biting out the words the panic held in chains as he pressed on , the room closing in."And at this stage I don't really care how disgusting your insides will taste . I doubt the effects will be half as bad as-" Liam's laughter rang out through his gritted teeth, "Ry, I like how you think ...I can appreciate a man with a sick mind . But this is a choice I made, and I'm not sure I feel so sound with you doin' that...for me" With a glean of hopelessness slithering across his retinas and submerging into his visual field, the tone died in Ryan's arm firmly, smiled against the warm twilight rays of daylight that clung to his flesh. "Hell of a thing tri endure, seeing all that... Damn lucky we're both still breathing. "tone . "What choice do we have, Liam , pulling on Ryan's arm , found the strength to prop himself into a seated position "Shit. get over here, Ry". With a rough jerk, Liam hauled Ryan into a haphazard hug, slamming. This bullshit is inhumane. Don't thank me later, no need ." It was an open palm over his back as he pulled their shoulders together. Smiling in pain Ryan let their shoulders connect with a crash of solidarity, as he replied "Yeah, yeah . Calm down", returning a supportive thump overunshakable expression etched in Liam's arm. "So you're outta your binds and you untied mine, stripped my gag -and-" Liam's head fell to his hand , cradling his temple and gritting his teeth. "I don't rememberface , his sinking realisation of what happened- how many times did they-" Ryan responded with a gun-metal hollowness, his words smoked out by his steady exhale. "Several times at least . Enough times enough for anyone, let's say that." Liam wrapped his arm around Ryan's shoulder, hoisting himself from the ground into a slouch, bracing his other arm behind himself, and finally standing upright:"Well , it feels like they've killed me already.. the hell I've been through." Ryan only whispered in reply, histransgression truly meant . His voice thick with acknowledgment. "Yeah." The drugs in his vision burned with a harsh sting, and Liam shook his head to regain some clarity. "I don't remember how I got here. No damn clue." Ryan outstretched his lean, muscular arm and hauled Liam to his feet with an exhaustive grunt, wrapping an arm around his chest in support of his weight. "I can explain to you exactly how, but later, one thing at a time. Just try to walk with me; we can get out of here." However, as they made their first attempt to leave, Liam's attention was abruptly hijacked by the sight of his own ruined clothing, and his jaw clenched. The shock sent a wave of tension through him, rooting him to the spot; his body rebelling his next step. In a voice laced with dreadhoarse as he whispered "Please help me-""Theyll only use you next , but , God I -" . "I said don't thank me Liam. I'm doing this. " He insisted, a gun metal tone perforating his voice , and hovering close in the air. All Liam managed was a hoarse "Thanks., as he collapsed face down , his smile intercepted with a grave smirk. Soon enough he succumbed to the acrid, unforgiving raze of the heat, as time became immeasurable to his convergent stream of consciousness. Only holding fragments of the plan in his drained conscious, as Liam's memory seemed to disperse into a tangled web of loose wires that disconnected and short circuited, his senses danced with trepidation. "Liam, stop thrashing . Just let it happen-" His eye remained fixated on his jeans, stained with fingerprints, lying crumpled on the side of the path. Noticing his distress ,pleas fell into the rancid , stale air between them, as Liam convulsed , screaming "No-please... I can't do this anymore-please-." His voice , hoarse from the overuse , weaved through the night with a repetition, haunting Ryan assisted him backas his brain rejected the beckoning lure of sleep. "Just vomit so I can do this thing" he said roughly, his eyes sliding closed behind the blindfold in remittance. Unable to withstand another of Liam's pained movements, his outline traced by cool , eerie moonlight, its soft caress filled with disconcerting illumination. Liam's perspiration soaked flesh radiated heat, the silvery , contrasting glow that hugged Liam's burning skin, twisted nausea into them, his attention careful as Liam flinched with every movement. The denim, rough against his bare skin, left his bite crooked with agony . "Gimme a minute," he said, his bloodshot eyes holding a glimmer of resistance as he forced his ankle through the second hem and buttoned the waist. "They don't care what they leave behind," he muttered, his eyes catching on an emptied bottle of lubricant and the confronting plastic surface of a turned-in glove not far from his dehumanizing undergarments. Ryan, supporting Liam's weight, uttered mere fragments of speech, his heart seized momentarily by the display that had all but paralysed Liam. "Sadistic, perverted bastards," he almost spat , his voice rising above a whisper as his eyes darkened. "Try to focus on the here and now, yeah?" he muttered , guiding Liam away from the indignity that lay strewn before them, remnants of the twisted inhumanity they'd suffered. Liam's grinding teeth betrayed his disgust and utter defamation as he nodded, shielded only bythe depths of Ryan's insistent survival instinct and camaraderie, as he managed a sullen "Yeah." They walked in shared disorientation, with Liam reduced to muteness , trauma still assaulting his perception with a harrowing grip , gnawing at the edges of his decaying composure. Finally, as their footsteps struggled to fall in sync , Liam forced the gravelled words through his teeth. "Ry' I don't know what's real, and what the contraband made me believe" . his voice, echoing desperation as he countered "I only said yes because I thought-" Ryan pulled Liam in with a rough jerk. "Doesn't matter. We never had a choice . But you put yourself in my place . And they never broke your damn spirit ."gut.

USER: In this effectively written and filled with moments that should be retained? It only amounted to one, and it would always be one and never two --and through his jaundice-soaked corneas, all he could see was nausea. Suddenly, he was overcome by a violent heave, a primal urge rising in his liver. Bile stained his teeth, and the following retches were acidic, lashing the roof of his mouth with fury. It could never stop: his body rejected the substance over and over; he was hanging by a thread of sanity. "Not again. Please no-" Liam clenched his teeth, the crucial moment upon him; he had to keep the substance down, or the consequences would be dire. His eyes scanned the horizon with desperation before his lids slid closed, and he was wracked with shivers of resistance. Then, as the urge to be sick overcame him, a voice pierced through his fog of despair, a lifeline amidst his struggle. "Can you hear me?" the rough, concerned tone asked as Liam writhed against the concrete, groaning in agony. "Don't try to answer that, just blink twice. Take it slow." As he fought to drag his eyelids upward, the pain, like a coiling wire, constricted his blood flow in brutal retaliation. "Make it stop-No I-" he choked out , his voice puncturing the air. If he expelled the violating drug from his intestines, his efforts would to amount to zero. Square one. The next moment , the substance began its rise, emanating a negative battery melting into a metal cylinder as his throat tightened. He was at the end of a long night,his vision raw from never resting his eyes, the blood vessels all but ruptured and torn. The ingested substance had been a sinister mistake , and if he threw up twice, the contraband would be purged from his system; he battled to hold it inside. All he had could never be enough, he countered, what ever could? Even his attempts to obey the voice , coming from somewhere above him, seemed in vain. As Liam writhed in the dying sunlight, his skin erupted in feverish bumps, a crawling sensation exploring the surface of his skin. A sensation of violation jolted down his spine as he screamed through his clenched teeth in helplessness . The nausea rose again, claiming his entire being, his heart continuing to pulse, counting away the seconds till he submitted. "Help me--No. No," he pled through his locking jaw as he fought another potent wave. The instinctive reaction of his body gripped every fiber as he felt his fight ending. He sank his teeth into his gag, screaming against the material bound across his tongue, taunting his strength and resilience. Then, in one dreaded motion, the inevitable rise built within him, futile to resistance. His pupils dilated with horror as his gag soon became saturated with the vile substance, leaving a bitter sting as he struggled against it; the retches that followed heaving through his chest. Liam collapsed into the unforgiving embrace of the concrete, his ravaged body welcoming the end with resignation. "Shit," he lamented in terror, the heat in his own voice spreading across his flesh like untamed fire . "Twice... now it's too late." As he twisted his gaze away from the glistening pool of spilt contraband , he diverted the evident failure. And in a mixture of pure shock and trauma, his eyelids slid closed with exhaustion, his body embracing closure of his fight. After his ongoing efforts and endless torment, he failed to hold down the implanted substance, and it was over. But the voice persisted, causing Liam to force his eyes open, gritting his teeth in determination. "No, I'm still here Liam; I'm getting the binds off--hang tight," the voice reassured. Liam shook his head in disbelief, protesting, the fear tugging at his psyche like a fishing line as he cursed in his mouth. "No, you can't help--" As Liam fought to refocus his gaze, a pair of deep hazel eyes locked onto his own with concern. "Hey, breathe . I've got you. It's me, Ry' . Hold on while I get rid of this-" Liam flinched as his gag was torn from his mouth, and he gasped for fresh air, the invasive atmosphere embalming him with perspiration. "Oh, God, I threw up the contraband--those bastards will kill me like a dog. Or worse-" Liam's eyes enlarged with realization as he spoke, running a hand through his gritted hair. . "I'll be, well you saw right? ..." Liam's voice was filled with sickened resignation, his resolve seeping from his pores and evaporating into the arid atmosphere. Ryan rested his hand on Liam's kneecap , his grasp firm and anchoring as Liam averted his gaze. "I saw everything they did to you, yeah. And I'm still here alright?. Not about to abandon you now..." Liam, reaching up and gripping Ryan's arm firmly, smiled against the warm twilight rays of daylight that clung to his flesh. "Hell of a thing tri endure, seeing all that... Damn lucky we're both still breathing. " Liam , pulling on Ryan's arm , found the strength to prop himself into a seated position "Shit. get over here, Ry". With a rough jerk, Liam hauled Ryan into a haphazard hug, slamming an open palm over his back as he pulled their shoulders together. Smiling in pain Ryan let their shoulders connect with a crash of solidarity, as he replied "Yeah, yeah . Calm down", returning a supportive thump over Liam's arm. "So you're outta your binds and you untied mine, stripped my gag -and-" Liam's head fell to his hand , cradling his temple and gritting his teeth. "I don't remember what happened- how many times did they-" Ryan responded with a gun-metal hollowness, his words smoked out by his steady exhale. "Several times at least . Enough times enough for anyone, let's say that." Liam wrapped his arm around Ryan's shoulder, hoisting himself from the ground into a slouch, bracing his other arm behind himself, and finally standing upright:"Well , it feels like they've killed me already.. the hell I've been through." Ryan only whispered in reply, his voice thick with acknowledgment. "Yeah." The drugs in his vision burned with a harsh sting, and Liam shook his head to regain some clarity. "I don't remember how I got here. No damn clue." Ryan outstretched his lean, muscular arm and hauled Liam to his feet with an exhaustive grunt, wrapping an arm around his chest in support of his weight. "I can explain to you exactly how, but later, one thing at a time. Just try to walk with me; we can get out of here." However, as they made their first attempt to leave, Liam's attention was abruptly hijacked by the sight of his own ruined clothing, and his jaw clenched. The shock sent a wave of tension through him, rooting him to the spot; his body rebelling his next step. In a voice laced with dread he whispered "Please help me-" His eye remained fixated on his jeans, stained with fingerprints, lying crumpled on the side of the path. Noticing his distress , Ryan assisted him back into them, his attention careful as Liam flinched with every movement. The denim, rough against his bare skin, left his bite crooked with agony . "Gimme a minute," he said, his bloodshot eyes holding a glimmer of resistance as he forced his ankle through the second hem and buttoned the waist. "They don't care what they leave behind," he muttered, his eyes catching on an emptied bottle of lubricant and the confronting plastic surface of a turned-in glove not far from his dehumanizing undergarments. Ryan, supporting Liam's weight, uttered mere fragments of speech, his heart seized momentarily by the display that had all but paralysed Liam. "Sadistic, perverted bastards," he almost spat , his voice rising above a whisper as his eyes darkened. "Try to focus on the here and now, yeah?" he muttered , guiding Liam away from the indignity that lay strewn before them, remnants of the twisted inhumanity they'd suffered. Liam's grinding teeth betrayed his disgust and utter defamation as he nodded, shielded only by Ryan's insistent survival instinct and camaraderie, as he managed a sullen "Yeah." They walked in shared disorientation, with Liam reduced to muteness , trauma still assaulting his perception with a harrowing grip , gnawing at the edges of his decaying composure. Finally, as their footsteps struggled to fall in sync , Liam forced the gravelled words through his teeth. "Ry' I don't know what's real, and what the contraband made me believe" . his voice, echoing desperation as he countered "I only said yes because I thought-" Ryan pulled Liam in with a rough jerk. "Doesn't matter. We never had a choice . But you put yourself in my place . And they never broke your damn spirit ." As they struggled along, footsteps not falling in sync, Liam fought to hold himself together as a flashback scorned him . "How long has it been since I was thrown down here from a helicopter? How did you get here, the same way? Please tell me you know something about this concrete hell?" Liam almost demanded answers from the barren atmosphere in an attempt to anchor himself. Ryan maintained a detached gaze as he stared beyond Liam's eyes, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I was thrown down here after you. And I was held at gunpoint, but my mistake was to resist the contraband; I suppose yours was to accept being a plant for them." Liam, gripping Ryan's forearm for leverage, lowered his gaze to avert the glare. "How was it a mistake to refuse...this? I'm so dehydrated I'm not sure I can keep going, Ry'. I need to find water, and shade. And soon." Just as a quiet settled over them, Liam whispered "I haven't forgotten what you did , Ry'. It's not your fault and don't you go thinkin'" Liam trailed off , the sheer energy of his words depleting his efforts. In a gesture of respect and understanding, Ryan nodded at the ground as he shifted his weight to maintain his upright posture . As Ryan recalled exactly what he had done to bring them to that moment , his grip on Liam remained steady, a slideshow reeling behind his eyelids . It had been just two days earlier, and he kept dragging his limbs as the flashback intruded on his thoughts. -------------//Two days Earlier//------// Listening as terror flooded the membranes behind his closed lids, their voices echoed in the tepid night . "If he vomits it up... we'll just have to get Valen to deal with it", a voice loomed in the distance. Clinging to every word , albeit with slipping clarity, his pulse raged through his chest as the voice skirted the edge of his mind , filling him with dread. "He won't be able to keep it down though. You know he's a useless vessel...Threw it up once already . And he can't even purge it in one go... takes him two rounds. He'll dehydrate before he's any real use." Ryan inhaled the innocuous yet insidious air, the weight of eyes boring into his haze of darkness , the blindfold that barred his vision offering a faint sliver of vision as it faltered with the jolt of his head. With terror scathing his helpless position, he fought to hear. "Next, we implant him. His refusal , his stupidity in thinking we offer options ." The unfamiliar voice threatened from above , a splatter of saliva moistened his cheek as it landed against his glistening flesh. He's the new vessel when this piece of scum finishes throwing up " A chill masticated his nerve endings as thud of s boot making rough contact with Liam's ribcage and eliciting a wrought groan, sent horror to the pits of Ryan's stomach as his glass -cage eyes watched helplessly. Ah, you fuckers" Liam's voice grunted , "I'd take you all sideways , but you'd enjoy it too much " . Shaking his pounding temples at the audacity ,his lips curved into a smirk despite the unsettling discourse of watching Liam suffer in his place from just inches away. The shadows of their boots dissipating with heavy thuds , he threw forward a few strained, dry words. "Liam I'm sorry, if I'd know how they I intended to-" Unfazed, Liam only grinned in the closeness , his nonchalance offering a certain comfort to Ryan's disarrayed nerves , "Ryan, buddy, it's simple , I said yes, and now here we are . But I have an idea, and you'll owe me later. I notice your blindfold is a little outta place...only cause I'm down here and I can see your pores ...but yeah. You know what will happen and when it does , just have a medical emergency yeah? I'm talking the whole enchilada, spasming, coughing up your own blood-" His eyebrows raising above the rim of his constricting blindfold , Ryan felt the flames of desperation chase his wit , as the heat encroached on the edges of psyche. Think about this Liam, your dehydrated, and when you puke your guts, in binds , and a gag, I could t buy you enough time. But I could ingest it when you lose it , try and hold it down , that could prevent them implanting either one of us , I'll make this work . If I can save it , and swallow it , retain it , after you fail yet again , they might just leave you alone . And if I can hold it down , they might not have to resort to-" His voice stopped in his throat as an involuntary shiver coursed down his spine. Biting out the words the panic held in chains as he pressed on , the room closing in."And at this stage I don't really care how disgusting your insides will taste . I doubt the effects will be half as bad as-" Liam's laughter rang out through his gritted teeth, "Ry, I like how you think ...I can appreciate a man with a sick mind . But this is a choice I made, and I'm not sure I feel so sound with you doin' that...for me" With a glean of hopelessness slithering across his retinas and submerging into his visual field, the tone died in Ryan's tone . "What choice do we have, Liam . This bullshit is inhumane. Don't thank me later, no need ." It was an unshakable expression etched in Liam's face , his sinking realisation of what transgression truly meant . His voice was hoarse as he whispered "Theyll only use you next , but , God I -" . "I said don't thank me Liam. I'm doing this. " He insisted, a gun metal tone perforating his voice , and hovering close in the air. All Liam managed was a hoarse "Thanks., as he collapsed face down , his smile intercepted with a grave smirk. Soon enough he succumbed to the acrid, unforgiving raze of the heat, as time became immeasurable to his convergent stream of consciousness. Only holding fragments of the plan in his drained conscious, as Liam's memory seemed to disperse into a tangled web of loose wires that disconnected and short circuited, his senses danced with trepidation. "Liam, stop thrashing . Just let it happen-" His pleas fell into the rancid , stale air between them, as Liam convulsed , screaming "No-please... I can't do this anymore-please-." His voice , hoarse from the overuse , weaved through the night with a repetition, haunting Ryan as his brain rejected the beckoning lure of sleep. "Just vomit so I can do this thing" he said roughly, his eyes sliding closed behind the blindfold in remittance. Unable to withstand another of Liam's pained movements, his outline traced by cool , eerie moonlight, its soft caress filled with disconcerting illumination. Liam's perspiration soaked flesh radiated heat, the silvery , contrasting glow that hugged Liam's burning skin, twisted nausea into the depths of Ryan's gut. Desperately trying to recall anything , he repeated the only name that found its way to his tongue ."Valen". And nothing. "Cmon Ryan, you know this..." His reactive groan struck the air , as his confusion cascaded over him. "Ah shit... we know this...we've been lying here with nothing else to do but remember which bastard is which." His mind lapsed in a tight circle of frustration as he spat at the ground. "Ah , what good is this , it's not like we can carry out the plan if he doesn't vomit at the right time. ... I got a bad feeling Liam" he mumbled . The stringent echo of his musings settled in the abyss of cold sweat that occupied the physical inches separating them . Then , it happened , all in one sickening moment.