Of Illnesses And Antidotes

Chapter Nineteen

"Exactly. Nothing to worry about." I flash a smile.

They all see past my lie.

***

Hovering by the reception, I wait for my name to be called. The main hall is fairly busy, typical of an early morning: there are queues to the reception, queues to the pharmacy and small huddles of subjects scattered here and there. I stand by myself in a corner. There's no point in social interaction; I'll be gone in a minute or two.

"Can Child 064330 please report to the reception. Thank you."

My heart judders against my chest. A shiver runs down my spine. Stepping forward, I weave my way through the throngs of subjects towards the reception.

Unfortunately, Carrie isn't sitting there. It worsens when the escort called out isn't Kit either. His name is Lloyd and he towers over me like a tree overshadowing a blade of grass. I suddenly feel very small.

"You got a blood test?" He eyes me warily, folding his arms. No smile.

"Er... yeah."

He shrugs his shoulders, then starts off in the direction of the laboratories, taking massive strides that I struggle to match. "Follow me."

We walk in silence. Along the way, every now and then, I glimpse up to his face. I have to stifle a giggle every time; I've never seen someone look so serious and so focused on where they are heading. His eyes are fixed on the corridor ahead of him, unmoving, and his lips are pressed tightly together into a thin line. His humorous expression almost takes my mind of what awaits me.

But we get there too soon. Moments after we pass by the room where I had my CT scan, Lloyd halts abruptly beside a similar-looking door. A brass plaque bears the room's purpose and warm, yellow light floods through the pane above it. The room almost seems welcoming. I peer in through the glass and observe a layout similar to that of the doctors' laboratories; only this room is smaller and less congested with filing cabinets brimming with reports and manila folders.

Glancing up to Lloyd, I realise he is already half-way down the corridor. "Hey," I protest. "Aren't you going to wait for me?"

He stops, turns around and shrugs his shoulders. "I'll come back when you're done."

"How will you know when I'm-" I trail off as he disappears around the corner. Grumbling, I knock twice on the door then enter.

"Child 064330?" A female doctor unbeknown to me stands on the far side of the room. She stands with her back to me, then turns around and smiles. "I'm Doctor Reid. Would you like to take a seat?" She gestures to a reclining chair in the centre of the room.

Warily, I cross the room and meekly obey her request. She pulls up a plastic chair besides me and quickly fixes her auburn ponytail into a bun, tucking the loose curls behind her ears. Grabbing a bottle of lotion, she rubs some into her hands. Beside her, a small table bears my medical folder as well as a long, sharp needle. I gulp. Doctor Reid senses my apprehension and her smile widens.

"There's nothing to worry about," she reassures me, her kind, grey eyes gazing at me. "It won't hurt a bit, I promise. It'll be just like an ordinary injection, just like the ones you have every day. Okay?"

I nod my head. "Okay."

Satisfied, she gently rolls up the sleeve of my jumpsuit then ties a tourniquet around my upper arm. I flinch. Doctor Reid notices my sudden movement. "It's tight, huh?"

"Yeah." I smile through gritted teeth.

"Try to relax."

She picks up the needle, fitted to a syringe, and rests the point of it in the crevice of my elbow, directly against the vein. Glancing upwards, she fixes her eyes on me and offers another reassuring smile.