"You're such a brave, brave boy," Kerry cooed as the automated systems of the pod drew Rhys' blood. He glared at her, wordlessly but still full of hatred. Already the nurse was grating on him. She kept treating him like he was six. 

No one respected him. Not a single solitary soul. His parents ignored him, Bevan Mills back at school was always pushing him around, his teacher Mr. Rawls actually laughed at the answers he was forced to give in class. And now he was mute and dragged off into space just so some middle-aged woman with too much makeup could treat him like a baby.

It was just too much.

He wanted to scream, but he couldn't.