Minho sighed as he saw Taemin’s face relax, and he started to hear his little snores. The snores would stop soon, and he would be in a coma like state, he knew, but it was nice to see him be okay for at least a small amount of time. He started to run his hands through Taemin’s hair again and could see each delicate strand through his night goggles. His hair was soft, he mused. He saw the other lean his head to his touch and smile in his sleep. Maybe he had gotten a dream this time. Most likely not though. The pills were strong.

Minho bent down to kiss his forehead gently. This was his way of showing his regret. He did not want to do any of this. He hated every time he had to do put him to sleep. He knew it wasn’t right; that it wasn’t moral or humane. But it was his job, and he couldn’t quit. He literally would die if he tried.

He left Taemin’s side and walked over to his side table and pack up his things. Always, the same order, meticulously placed. Nothing was ever out of its slot so that it could be filled and used again for another day’s work, evil work that was systematically performed every single day. Thankfully, he barely had to do this to anyone.

The company kept the specimens asleep until they were supposed to be tested again which could range from two weeks to two months depending. Taemin was the only exception. His tests were performed every three days. He had only been at Kim industries for about a year and in that time, Minho could clearly see thousands of scars from the instruments that they used.

Minho frowned and looked over at Taemin. He was still peacefully sleeping. Minho was glad that the pills hadn’t taken complete effect yet. Those pills. He despised them. He would much rather kill himself than have to take them. The pills were special made for Kim Industries, and Minho was sure that the company obtained it in illegal ways because of what it did.

After dissolving into the blood after a short period of digestion the chemicals inside of the pills were able to travel up the nervous system and into the brain. From there, somehow they worked inside to destroy any memories that were made in the light. Minho had absolutely no idea how, but that’s what they told him during his training. The “medicine” would work its magic and make each specimen forget everything that they had experienced in the day. Their rooms were always flushed with harsh white
lights to make sure that the pills would do their job with those memories. The company didn’t want them remembering any part of what was done to them. If they didn’t know, then they wouldn’t attempt to rebel. They wouldn’t have really been able to escape because of the security measures, but it at least makes the specimens easier to handle and manipulate.

Although the specimens would not have any memories of the day, their bodies would still retain the muscle memory of each test so that the experiments would not be altered. They would never know why, but their bodies would always react to everything that was done. It would react as if it knew exactly what would happen next and reacted accordingly; it was always scared and feeling as if it was going to be hurt in one way or another. The only side effect was excruciating headaches that got worse whenever
the specimen tried to think too hard. Minho believed that maybe the brain matter was too damaged to even try, so it took precautions to not make it worse.

The only part of each of their day that they would remember in the long run would be the time in the pitch black darkness when their specific “anesthesiologist” came in. Every “anesthesiologist” was assigned to two or more specimens and was expected to observe them during each test in order to know how to comfort them in the night. Minho was the only person who only had one specimen to look over: Taemin.

Taemin had been an interesting case from the beginning. He was like an animal when they brought him in, shouting obscenities against his captors and attempting to fight his way out of his confines. The only way that they had gotten him to calm down was to inject him with the essence of one pill so that he would fall asleep. After that, he had been chained down onto the shabby bed and left there until the next day where the tests were performed.

Minho was the one who had been ordered on his first day of the job to be Taemin’s “anesthesiologist.” They had said that he was a special case so he would be his only specimen to take care of. When he first heard that he would only have to do this one thing, he was pretty excited. Not much of a workload and he would get to know this person who seemed very interesting. He was pretty stoked until he heard what was being done to Taemin.

He was forced to watch the tapes of Taemin’s first tests and he was absolutely horrified. This hadn’t been in the job description. Minho had been wide-eyed, fresh out of med-school and looking for work, and Kim Industries was the highest paying. They had told him that he would have a few patients to look after and help to get to sleep at night. Minho wasn’t necessarily one to question at the time. Money’s money. He took the job, and got trained to do what he needed to do but he never would have imagined
he would be doing this.

Minho remembered the first time he ever met Taemin. It was right after those first tests and after Minho had watched the tapes and decided that he hated what he was doing even before he had done it for the first time. He didn’t want to have to do this, but Taemin had struck him as someone he should fight for. Besides, from the look of the other people who had applied for the job, he would have wanted Taemin to have him as a person he would remember.

~~~
Flashback:

Minho had collected his things in his little doctor’s bag after being traumatized by the videos. Now, he hardly regarded the bag as something meant to carry things to help people anymore, but it was what they had supplied him with. He walked down the clinical hallways that he had just started to realize looked like a prison’s. He went to door 528 as instructed and put on his night vision goggles before heading in.

As soon as he stepped into the room, he could see Taemin perk up and almost growl at him. Minho put his hands up to show that he wouldn’t hurt him, but then realized that he couldn’t see him in the pitch black darkness. Instead, he spoke.

“I’m not going to hurt you.”

“And how the do I know that?”

Well then. This was going to be harder than Minho had thought. He stepped a bit closer and saw Taemin flinch just a little bit.

“I’m not going to hurt you, okay? My name is Minho. I’m here to help.”

Taemin stayed silent and pulled against his chains, making a rattling sound.

“You want to forget what happened today, yeah?”

The other softly nodded, looking around the room to try to find Minho, presumably. Minho stepped closer and asked, “Is it okay if I put my hand on your arm?” Taemin nodded and Minho placed his hand gently on the other’s upper arm.

“I can make you forget all of that, but you have to listen to me, do you understand?”

Minho saw Taemin nod and reach to touch his hand hesitantly as he asked, “What’re you gonna do to me?”

Minho’s heart lowered in his chest for a second. He wanted to truthfully answer every detail of what he was going to do. He felt Taemin deserved to know. However, he knew they were watching through the cameras. They were allowed to do anything they wanted to the specimens except for give them any type of information as to why they were here or what happened in the day time.

“I’m going to help you fall asleep.” Minho figured that was as close to the truth as he could get. He felt Taemin squeeze his hand and reply, “That’s not what I want, though. I want to get out of here. That’s the only way you could possibly help me.”

Minho felt so sorry for him. He didn’t want to do it, but it was his job and he was afraid of the consequences. “I’m sorry, but it’s what I have to do. You’ll be able to forget everything soon enough, okay, Tae?” Minho had no idea where that came from, but Taemin didn’t show any rejection, so he went along with it.

“Fine,” he said. “Just make it quick. I want to forget as soon as possible if what you’re saying you can do is true.” Minho obliged and left his side to go and mix the pills in the perfect way to make him sleep for exactly three days. That’s what he had been told to do.

Taemin had been a little hesitant at first, but soon let Minho place one of the pills on his tongue and drank from the cup that he gave him. After a few more pills, Taemin looked to be feeling drowsy. “Are you almost gonna fall asleep, Tae?” Taemin nodded sleepily. Then he suddenly looked as if he was about to cry. Minho put his hand on his arm. It was instinct, he felt as if he needed to.

“I don’t want to sleep. I want to leave. I don’t want to be here.” A tear went down his cheek and Minho wiped it gently.

“It’ll be okay soon. Just relax. It’ll help you, take my word for it.” Taemin sniffed and Minho saw him close his eyes, resting against his pillow. “There you go.” He hesitated before he leaned down to whisper in his ear, “I’m here for you, you don’t have to worry, I’ll be here. I won’t go away.” Taemin nodded. It looked like he was starting to trust him.

“Okay.” Minho waited with him, rubbing his arm comfortablely for a little while until he truly fell asleep, snoring, Minho observed. Taemin was beautiful, Minho saw. He hadn’t really been able to appreciate this beauty earlier since he was so nervous about doing his job. Taemin had a very nice facial structure with a jawline that could cut glass. His hair and skin was very soft and felt plush underneath his fingers. His body was lean and pale like snow. Minho couldn’t get enough, but he couldn’t
be doing this.

Minho turned away from Taemin’s sleeping figure and packed up his things after setting the other up with the feeding tube that would keep him alive. He allowed himself one last glance at Taemin, the other looking as if they were in a coma. The pills were doing their work, he figured. Minho sighed and left the room.

End Flashback
~~~

Minho hadn’t realized he had started tearing up as he was thinking about his first days with Taemin. There were some droplets on the leather of his bag, which he wiped away swiftly. He wanted to help him, badly. He wanted some way to get him out of here. Even if he knew that it was wrong, everything he participated in made him be a part of the torture.

Minho wiped his eyes and sniffed quietly. He then turned back to Taemin whose body had fully succumbed to the effect of the pills. He was silent, looking as if he was dead. Minho reached over and opened his mouth gently to put his feeding tube in. He needed to still be alive for the experiments. After he was finished connecting it to all the machines, he caressed Taemin’s cheek one last time.

Taemin was still just as beautiful as the day he met him. His hair had gotten darker and longer over the year. Minho believed that his hair was dyed when they brought him in and it was going away. The company did give the specimens the occasional shower, cut, and shave just to keep things neat, so it was still just long enough to compliment his features. Taemin’s skin was also so supple, Minho would have thought it was silk if he didn’t know any better.

He didn’t deserve this. No specimen had ever done anything to deserve this. Even if Minho had asked, the company would never disclose to him why he was doing this, and it made Minho angry. Nonetheless, he smiled pitifully down at the sleeping figure and then got up to leave the room.

One day. One day Minho would be able to get him out.

A/N:

Okay so hopefully this clears up some things...? /)(\ I tried to connect some loose ends and explain Minho's role in all of this. 

All in all, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well <3 I have been having a lot of fun with it so far with it being one of my only "angsty" stories.

Many more things will be explained as always and hopefully I can update soon (I just got a whole bunch of projects shoved on me for school so it may be a while)

As always, thank you so much for reading this chatper and please comment and subscribe to tell me what you thought ^^ (they give me motivation!)

Love you all!! *hugs and waves* see ya!!