Eat Up.

Preperationist

CA-12 kept her head down, staring at the desk, faced away from me. She stayed there for a minute or two speaking to herself attempting to find the right words.

"Well the bad news is we will still have to give you fluoxetine in attempt to keep your emotions monotone. But the good news is you'll be in a better place where you can speak with people." She turned to me and smiled as if it would make the situation any better.

"Fun...?" I say not knowing the truth or what is truly happening.

I watch as CA-12 stacks some files and clips them together. "I'm going to have Kingpin sign these. If you want to live, then wish me luck." She sighs as she quickly leaves. I sit and wait and mess with my hands, seeing as CA-12 was so courteous as to keep them untied.

I begin to think of Avery. She's probably so worried about me. She's probably wondering where I am and really worried. I would be too if my best friend was missing. I wish I knew where I was. I sit up and look around for something in my reach to keep me busy and away from my thoughts. I stretch my weak arms and successfully grab a nearby pen. I slowly wave it around in the air and make airplane noises; imagining that I am on that plane, flying far away from here.

I hear laughing as I look at the open door with CA-12 staring at me smiling. I become a tomato and throw the pen on the floor. She walks in and untied my cloth.

"Man, I haven't laughed in what? 10 months? 14? This is why we need fresh people, thank you for that." She proceeds to show me a paper. "Good news; you'll live to see another day" I read over the circled writing at the bottom.

As the Kingpin, I hereby give permission the pharmacist CA-12 to transfer patient LY-7 to a preparationist as a alternative to product placement.

KP

I stare at the paper and stare at CA-12. "I have no idea what any of this means." I flatly say.

"Oh. Right." CA-12 mumbled. "We'll instead of being product, you've been upgraded to being a preparationist. Which is a lot better than product. Honestly you couldn't even be product in the first place but they may have just euthanized you anyways so...congratulations..!" 

"And what exactly is a preparationist?" I interrogate.

"A position where you prepare the product after that pharmacist has completed their task."

"Okay and what's product?"

"Oh. That. That's uh...well you see...the thing is...it's what people buy from us."

I stare at CA-12 as she poorly dodges my questions left and right.

"Okay and what do people buy from you exactly?" I say looking her dead in the eye.

CA-12 sighs and looks for something to let her avoid the question. But she and I both know there's no use.

"People,"