Exsanguination

The steady drip, drip, drip reverberated through Isabelle's skull, pounding, echoing, non-relenting, drip, drip, drip. She was swimming in a fog of senselessness, failing to make sense of anything, the floor swirling beneath her, coming in and out of focus with equal ease.

She blacked out. Came back. Blacked out again. Came to, struggling upwards through layers on unconsciousness. Blacked out.

Liquid, being sprayed on her face, cold, refreshing, painful. She gasped, choked as it got in her mouth, spluttered. The stream stopped.

She hang, horizontal, coughing it all up. There was a click and she felt herself move, the movement made no sense to her mind, nothing did.

She blacked out.

Came to.

Blacked out.

"Wake up" a dim voice was heard through foggy layers.

"Wake up!" more insistent.

"WAKE UP!" punctuated with a sting of pain in her neck. She woke up.

She peered out through one eye, the other remained inactive, it didn't matter, made no sense, none of this did.

She could make out a blurry figure, tall and broad, standing in front of her.

"You've made someone angry" the figure rumbled.

"Personally I would've skinned you alive for what you did, but I guess she's more refined" footsteps shook the deck as the figure moved towards her. A hand gripped her neck, huge, too big to be normal, forced her head upwards, towards the too bright lights. A 'matarian face swam into focus, backlit by the stark lighting.

The huge head moved, bent her head so his lips brushed her ear "I'd count yourself lucky the boss is who she is, she's coming to see you now, you might enjoy her company better."

He let go of her neck as if she was something repulsive and headed towards the recessed doorway, silently deactivating the lights as he did.

He left the room silently, quickly, no longer needing to reveal his presence.

The docking chime sounded, she was coming back.

He moved swiftly and stood to attention as the golden hull came into the bay.

He could feel the ruby liquid sliding from the crook of his elbow down his arm, ever so slowly traversing the smooth skin. It reached his fingertip and hung there, as if waiting.

He watched silently as she approached, keeping his eyes locked dead ahead, betraying no emotion.

"She's waiting in there for you." He said stiffly. Isabelle's blood dropped from his finger and hit the deck, obliterating itself in the unforgiving grey metal.