The Surgeon has this fixed grin that she taunts us with. Her face has so much age defying junk injected into it that she looks plastic; like one of those freakish grinning masks you see in horror films.
In contrast, the faces of my friends are drained of color and showing an ever-changing range of human emotions.
I look at Kade, “Hit the video share button, I want her to see me.” I Approach the monitor and stand in front of it, determined.
When she sees me her voice registers surprise, her face doesn’t; it remains Botox frozen, “Oh my, Tanya – you look awful!” She says with a shocked gasp.
“Thank you,” I reply. I comfort myself in the fact that if she thinks I look bad I probably look good.
Her voice softens, “But your hairs growing, we could put a little curl in it for The Wedding, to make you look a little more human.”
I smirk, “Are you saying I look like a dog?”
“Oh no honey, dogs are cute, you’re not,” she says with a patronizing laugh.
“Ok, enough of my looks, can we talk business?” I ask.
She looks surprised; “I don’t do business with losers.”
“Really. I see myself differently – my escape from your warped experiment is a success, something I’m proud of,” I say with confidence.
She looks real pissed – “EXPERIMENT!” She exclaims.
“Yes – I screwed up your experiment!” I say, with a strong emphasis on the word that clearly bothers her.
“My team don’t ‘experiment’ that’s such a crude word. No, we conduct valuable Clinical studies.”
“And where is the value in forcing your son to become your daughter?” I ask.
“We don’t divulge the reason or outcomes of our Clinical Trial work, that’s highly confidential information,” she says.
I take a deep breath, to contain my emotions, “OK – so what do I have to do to save my friends?” I ask.
I watch as she battles with her Botox to raise an eyebrow, “You’re prepared to do a deal with us?”
“Yes. I want to save my friends lives, what do I have to do to get the antidote for this disease?” I ask.
The sound of Troy’s hacking cough reminds me of our grim reality. I glance at Kade and Kelly; their faces are ashen with worry.
The Surgeon delights in Troy’s continuous coughing, “Aaaaah, the sound of success, the virus has taken hold; am I right in saying that Troy’s first symptom was a sore throat?”
I catch Kelly rubbing her throat, “Yes, that’s correct. What do you want me to do, how can I make amends, I’ll do anything to save them,” I say, my voice shaky with desperation.
Her smile is HUGE, “I will consult with senior members of my team and get back to you with our offer within the hour. In the meantime, I suggest both Troy and Kelly isolate themselves to decrease the risk of contagion; you wouldn’t want to catch it. I’ll be back soon.”
……
Kade hugs me and whispers, “Thanks Tan, you’re super awesome,” he says, his voice sounding soft and sweet.
Troy’s cough seems to have subsided a little, but Kelly is already complaining of a sore throat. Troy stands up, “Kelly, you and I ought to do as The Surgeon suggested, is there a place we can go to?”
