[ WP ] When someone is murdered , their name appears on the skin of the killer . You wake up with a name on your arm and no knowledge of how it got there .

& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;'' These are not for you. I swear, `` he whispered as he pulled the straps into a third rivet. `` These are more for my protection.'' 
 & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; His eyes wrinkled above the face mask as he said this. Derek pulled at the straps, but the leather seemed to respond by digging deeper into his wrists. The doctor swung a steel plate fixed with four candescent bulbs over his body. Static hummed through the bulbs as they illuminated his abdomen. 
 & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; Derek could feel his chest rising and falling with greater amplitude. The cold latex of the doctor's hand gripped his bicep. 
 & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; `` Relax my friend.'' His two fingers hunted for a vein. They stopped at the bend in his arm and the doctor wheeled over the metal coat rack turned IV line. 
 & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; `` This might pinch,'' he managed to get off seconds before the needle coursed into his arm. 
 & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; `` There we are! You should be out in a matter of minutes. A great sleep it will be, I am sure of it,'' the doctor spoke into the room as he moved over to the table next to him. 
 & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; The man on the table next to him was still. His head was shaved and his skin was an mulled gray. A plastic ventilator was strapped over his mouth and a tube coiled from the mask over the edge of the table to a foreign machine that sat idle on the floor. 
 & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; `` Who is that?'' Derek asked. 
 & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; The doctor did not look at him. He continued to fiddle with something metal in his hands, moving it up to the light. 
 & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; `` That is irrelevant,'' he said. The doctor turned and looked up at the cylinder that hung from Derek's IV bag. The drip was steady. 
 & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; `` I need to know,'' Derek pleaded. His voice sounded distant to him, and the words had an odd echo.The doctor looked at him, `` I will tell you when you wake up.'' 
 & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; The doctor's face was going in and out of focus. The halos around the lights above him were starting to vibrate. Derek looked up at the IV. It continued to drip. & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; 
 
 & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; His eyelids were heavy. After a few tries, he was able to pry them open. He could taste the air, it was metallic and hot. The lamp above him was off. Rays of light broke in through the lone window at the far end of the room. Derek looked over at the table beside him. Its previous occupant had been replaced by a slick coat of coagulated red and a collection of stray metal probes and clamps. 
 & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; Derek laid there for a moment, breathing as if it was something he now had to focus on. Some feeling was slowly starting to seep back into his arms and legs. It was then that he noticed the straps were gone from his wrists. 
 & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; He swung his legs over the edge. A fire tore through him as he twisted his upper body off the table. He did all he could not to bend over onto the floor. Derek looked around the room. The doctor was gone. 
 & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; He peeled back the soaked gauze. Long crude stitches zippered across his stomach. And that's when his eyes fell upon his right arm, where the name `` Peter'' was stitched into his raw skin, the needle still dangling from the black thread. 

