Page 37 of Monster. Me.

His eyes are fixed on me with what looks like concern. The strange thing is I can almost sense it, what he feels. I can't read anyone in the room but him which is kind of puzzling.

Everything about his energy feels like it’s infusing me with courage and strength. I'm grateful for that, but even just for his presence.

Dr. Lee positions a guide against the side of my hip. The insertion of the needle itself doesn't hurt because the local anesthetic works on the surrounding tissue.

On the tomography monitor, layer by layer, my unnaturally dense bone structure appears. A normal biopsy needle would never make it through the thickness nature built into my skeleton. That's why Dr. Lee picks up a diamond trephine drill, which starts spinning with a high-pitched whine.

The moment it touches bone, the sensation is horrifying. I clench my fists and throw my head back, feeling the muscles in my jaw tremble, but I know this still isn't the worst part. A stream of chilled saline runs along the rotating bit, carrying away the heat. One minute passes. I'm shaking. My bones are shaking. Sweat begins running down my forehead and neck.

I can still feel Marlow watching me. With tremendous effort, I turn my head as far as the restraints allow, and our eyes meet. The awful sound of bone being drilled fills the room.

His face has gone pale as paper. His fists are clenched as though he's sharing my pain. His lips tremble slightly, and I know he's the only person in this room who feels any sympathy for me at all.

I also know they're getting close to the inside of the bone now. The pain keeps building. I can't hold it in anymore, and a long groan tears from my throat.

"He's hurting! Can't you give him something?" Marlow suddenly says.

Dr. Lee answers without even looking at him, still focused on the drill.

"That's not possible. We nearly lost him once already. Mutant physiology isn't the same as human physiology. It has to be local anesthesia only. His body processes most drugs too quickly and neutralizes them. Larger doses break down into harmful metabolites."

The drill is almost through now, and the pain becomes nearly unbearable. A cry rips out of me despite knowing this still isn't the worst part. The marrow extraction is far worse.

Almost three minutes pass before Dr. Lee announces that he's broken through the cortical layer. A sharp cracking sound echoes through the room. Another shout tears from my throat.

"Can I go over there and hold his hand?" Marlow suddenly asks.

Dr. Lee raises an eyebrow but nods.

Marlow immediately moves to my side. My fists are clenched tight in a losing battle against the pain, but then his hand, so much smaller than my own, wraps around my fist, and the exact moment his skin touches mine, a wave of bliss rushes through me!

The pain vanishes, completely.

What the fuck? How is that possible?

But the worst part should still be coming. Dr. Lee removes the drill. A narrow channel leading into the marrow cavity appears on the screen.

"Channel open," he says. "Inserting the cannula."

A long titanium tube slides into the drilled opening. When the tip reaches the marrow, a technician connects the vacuum reservoir. This is always the worst moment. The extraction itself usually causes a deep, devastating pain that tears through me and leaves me wrecked for days afterward.

Dark red marrow begins flowing slowly through the transparent tubing.

Where's the pain?

I'm so shocked that I actually let out a shaky breath. Dr. Lee lifts his head too, clearly surprised. Last time I'd screamed so loudly that several technicians had to leave the room because they couldn't handle listening to it.

"You're not feeling pain?" he asks with obvious scientific curiosity.

I spit the bite block out of my mouth.

"No. When he's touching me, everything stops," I whisper.

My eyes meet Marlow's, and that's when I notice his are slightly wet, as if my suffering had somehow affected him deeply.

"Thank you," I murmur. I can't stop staring at him. It's like he's the essence, the meaning of comfort. Like he's the only person existing in the entire universe.

"Really. Thank you," I whisper again.