The Things We Bury - Part 1: In Anticipation of the End of the World [Completed]

Chapter 4: Me and My Bad Luck (Part 4 of 6)

"So, I hear you had some excitement last night?"

"Did you? And what was so exciting about it?" Barbara Gracie submitted herself to the body scan. Less than a week on the job, and it was already routine. The baton hovered four inches from her, as it swept down her hip and along her thigh. It was larger than the wands used by the TSA at airports. A thick glass tube with metal rods running along its exterior, with a chunky cable leading to what looked like an old-fashioned military radio. It was a makeshift piece of equipment that spoke more of a prototype than something that had come off a factory floor.

Major Delgado personally handled the duties that evening. At first, it felt flirtatious of him, but with his sudden, casual — too casual — question, she began to wonder if this wasn't some trick of Wiley's. Was the Major trying to trap her?

Were they not satisfied with waiting to see if she would follow orders? Was he purposely trying to set her up? Had Delgado been ordered to do this? Or was this his own initiative? He was in charge of security. Did he try and get everyone to reveal classified information or just her?

"Well, I consider having someone EVACD with a heart attack as exciting. But then things do get a little boring up here."

He looked up at her smiling. Her paranoia retreated, scurrying back to the shadowy recesses of her brain and letting her innate confidence take charge again.

Major Delgado's gaze lingered on her face. There was something deeply satisfying watching him from that position. He was down on one knee scanning her shoes. The wand was momentarily forgotten and hung in the air just between her ankles. She could feel his warm breath on her bare calf.

He looked positively dorky in his rent-a-cop uniform. It was a shame they had forced him to pretend to be something less than he was. The man was a warrior, not a security guard.

Barbara resisted the urge to grab a handful of his thick hair. Instead, she looked over to the cold, gray steel of the gun cabinets, and dismissed Horus Benning and his health problems for the joke they were. "It was hardly a heart attack."

"Oh." Delgado stood up straight and switched off the scanner. It didn't seem to make any sound, but with the power cut, a layer of tension dissipated out of the room. "Well, that's good. I hope he'll be okay. I hope you can cope without him for a while."

If Barbara ever laughed, she would have. The absurdity of not being able to cope without Horus Benning demanded a reply, and she began to think of some sneering retort. Her mouth open. Her tongue pressed against the roof of her mouth. But before the words came out a strange thought began to circulate: would it offend the Major?

She was almost certain that his concern for Benning was a sham, merely the pretext for small talk. Still, there was a chance he had made a friendship with the man. Despite all of his faults and general uselessness, Horus had an amiable manner that some people seemed to like.

Delgado gave a short bark of a laugh and turned to walk away. "Don't answer that. I know you aren't supposed to talk about your work. I sometimes forget. Like I said, it's awful boring up here."

"You don't look like a man who does boring." This was the time when she would normally call for the elevator, but she took a step away from it, closing the small distance the Major had just created between them.

"If you're bored all day, then you must do something for excitement at night." He turned back towards her. Her hand wanted to reach for his arm.

Human touch was something she never knew she could miss until she had to go without it. Prison had been a harsh educator, teaching her of all the things she took for granted.

She always thought of food as mere fuel, until they fed her slop. A mattress was just a convenience until it was only two inches thick. Conversation was the prating of fools until they put her into solitary. Men were only good for casual flings, until the years rolled by without one.

Delgado gave a questioning smile. Doubt sparkled in his eyes. Or perhaps it was fear. "Not really. I guess I'm just a boring guy."

"Oh, I doubt that very much."

"What about you?" He cleared his throat and straightened his back adopting a soldier's pose. He was uncomfortable. She could feel it, just like she could feel the heat of his blood. "You've been in every day since you started. Don't you ever get a day off?"

Barbara knew she wasn't good at smiling. It wasn't something she had a lot of practice with, especially lately. But she decided to risk one. "Is that your way of asking me out?"

"No, I— I didn't mean it that way." Delgado looked down at the floor. The lights glinted off a sheen of sweat at his temple. "That would be against regulations."

The door of the elevator began to open behind her. Somebody was coming up.

"I'm only kidding." She let him off the hook. There was no reason to prolong his distress.

She turned and watched the door slowly slide open. Now she was the one to feel uncomfortable. Had the thought of a date with her really been that bad? Had he read her file and saw her as a monster? Or had his opinion of her been shaped by their brief, everyday encounters?

Why did it matter what this one man thought of her?

Barbara couldn't help herself, she glanced over her shoulder to watch the Major withdraw to his office. But he was still standing there. His eyes were still focused on her. So was the entire room. She was on display under the scrutiny of all the security guards at their monitoring stations. They were deeply fascinated by the scene unfolding in front of them.

Delgado's look was something else. He wasn't looking at her like she was making a spectacle out of herself. as though she was creating a scene to alleviate the doldrums of the afternoon. He seemed poised about to say something. But he had been struck mute by her glance.

A genuine smile shaped on her lips.

The door reached eye level, as it rose into the ceiling. Jamie Haddad was standing there. Before the storm cloud of gloom, he was carrying with him could engulf the room, she put her back to him.

"Saturday." Her voice cut through the silence. She commanded everyone's attention. She was fueled by the attention, she refused to wither under it. "That's my next day off. And trust me, I won't be wasting my Friday night with anything boring."

With that, she entered the elevator, almost knocking Jamie over.

She had spoken like she always did, with her toneless voice void of inflection. She didn't care if it sounded scornful or threatening, even if she intended it to be flirty. This was what she wanted to say. If she was to be judged, these were the words she wished to be judged by.

Every other trip down to the labs was spent impatiently watching the scrolling lines. This time, Barbara stared straight ahead at the door. The brushed metal made the reflection too wavering to make out any details. Not even the wisp of a smile that still lingered on her lips. But she was too occupied with the memory of Delgado's flushed face and his look of longing to notice what was in front of her.

***

Author's note:

Sorry, only one short scene this week — and perhaps not one of my finest. But I promise next week will be a double posting with the conclusion of chapter 4, as we step inside the enclosure during a transformation.