The Dare

Chapter Four • Reietto

FOUR • REIETTO

I stayed in the infirmary for another week or so, the whole time questions that Dr. Rondon continuously refused to answer swimming through my head and the thought of that stupid hospital bill still disturbing me. I spent most of that clueless time memorizing the faces of the nurses passing through and the paintings on the ceiling.

Then, one particularly bright and sunny afternoon, Dr. Rondon entered with a little different speech for me.

He came and sat nonchalantly in the chair next to me as he had done almost everyday of the week, making small talk with me about what he mysteriously called, "the outside world." However, today was different. He looked more than happy and his smile much warmer than usual.

"Well, Rose, I think you're about healed!" he exclaimed, clasping his hands together. My jaw dropped slightly.

"What about my broken ribs?" I asked, still a bit suspicious. He grinned even wider.

"All healed. You'd be surprised at the technology we have here; our remedies are just a tad better than the ones out there," he said. I raised an eyebrow. Was it witchcraft? At that thought, I laughed at myself, cursing myself for being so stupid. Witchcraft, Rose? Really? I smiled back him.

"So I can finally get all these annoying needles out?" I said eagerly. He laughed and nodded vigorously, getting to work. I wasn't sure I had ever been so comfortable around someone before. Not even my own mother. However, Dr. Rondon was almost impossible not to get along with while my mother presented a whole different story. I highly doubted he slept around and had married seven different people.

After a few minutes of simply removing equipment, I felt free of any restraints although I was still a bit stiff from limited movement. I wiggled my fingers and toes freely, tugging my hospital gown down to my knees. I had wanted to take a shower so badly, and I had a good feeling that I was going to be allowed one before I left. That alone put me in somewhat of a good mood.

"Ahhh free!" I joked, still wiggling my limbs. Dr. Rondon chuckled. "So can I maybe...shower? And then we can discuss the bill." He then looked more amused than ever.

"What bill?"

"Th-the bill for this hospital!"

"There's no charge!" My jaw dropped. While this made things much easier, I could see my days of questioning weren't over.

"What do you mean 'no charge'?" I asked, my mind once again reeling.

"Think of this like the school nurse. It's nothing, really. Now you go ahead to the showers. I can see we have a lot more to discuss," he said, cleaning up my area and reorganizing for it's next patient. I still had a lot to say, but I could also see it would be no use.

Leaving Dr. Rondon behind, I was kindly guided to the showers by the nearby nurses who were also a bit young like my doctor. I knew there was something different about this place, but I had yet to place it, so I was left with my theories and insane imagination to feed the fire that was burning within my head.

After what I consider to have been the best shower of my life due to the hot water and brandname bath products, I had somewhat of a clearer mind. Whatever Dr. Rondon wanted to show me, he was welcome to. In fact, after a week of lying in a bed, nothing sounded better than those answers that I was itching to scratch at.

"I'm sure you're dying to know what's going on," Dr. Rondon said after I had dried and straightened my hair and bangs and even applied some high quality makeup that I was offered to keep. This place might as well have been the White House in that aspect. I was wearing my now dry-cleaned clothes that I had arrived in; a simple, blue t-shirt that brought out my eyes, my dark skinny jeans, and my silver sandals. I, for once, no matter how poor, looked somewhat presentable right now, epsecially considering that our clothes at home were usually washed at laundromats and thrown into wrinkled piles later on.

"Yeah, just a little," I exaggerated, making a hand gesture to show how small I cared. He smiled, easing my nerves, and then took my hand, leading me down the infirmary's long hall.

"The people that brought you here...well it's their job to observe you and then, if you fit the ramifications, you're in." He squeezed my hand a little tighter as we walked by a few patients that I shuddered at. I then scoffed at his words.

"Yes, but in WHERE? I'm here, but I don't exactly know where here is. You're saying it as if I got into something exclusive," I jabbered, once again feeling my mouth getting a more important role in my life as it had been getting more often lately. Dr. Rondon nodded, leading me into an office that I assumed is where I was checking out.

"Our school is very exclusive. But in a different way than any picky college," he added, walking over to the front desk where he was handed a clipboard. I hovered at his side like a puppy.

"School?"

"Yes. This school, like I said, is the most exclusive of any school you've ever been to, Rose. We take the leftovers." My brain was doing summersaults in my skull. I had been accepted into an exclusive school? Without even applying or earning a scholarship? I practically beamed at the thought, but tried to keep my emotions hidden until I got all of the information.

"And what are the leftovers?" He finished signing whatever he needed to sign and then once again, took my hand and led me to the doors. He gave me a look that asked me if I was ready. I nodded eagerly in reply. With one, grand flourish, he pulled open the doors, revealing the largest campus I had seen in my life.

"Rose Levie, welome to Reietto Academy."