Miranda continues reading off the screen, “She hasn’t become conscious yet. That shouldn’t worry you, though, it normally takes an Eeke a while.”
I nod, my thoughts elsewhere. Marie is here. She might know more than I do. I need to know why she wanted to rebel in the first place. Why did she choose me to contact me?
Miranda takes a deep breath, “I need to get going. I’ll send a Notice to Michelle and have her come to pick you up.”
“But what about all my questions that I still need answers to? I don’t even know what a ‘Notice’ is, if that’s even what you said.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I do need to teach you a lot of stuff. It’s just that there are a lot of other loose ends that I need to tie together in my last few days here. I’ll have Harry do it for me, okay?”
I nod. I’m more comfortable around Harry anyway. Around Miranda, I have no idea what to say.
Miranda adds as she types something into the black strap, “Piper will also want to meet with you again soon.”
I lick my lips. I’m not sure how I feel about Piper either. She seems almost too animated and genuine to be an Official. She said she wasn’t truly an Official, but I have no idea what that means. She was wearing the Official uniform.
The door slides open, revealing Michelle. Miranda smiles distractedly at her, “How are you? Are you enjoying being a Nurse?”
“Yeah, I love it. Everyone’s really nice. Harry says it’s different than it was a few years ago.”
“Harry has his hands full as the Council of the Nurse. Less than a year ago, if you didn’t do anything too severe, you weren’t sent to the Ecru, you came directly to the Unknown. Now, everybody is sent to the Ecru, no matter what you did.”
Michelle fiddles with the wires and cords snaking in and around my cot. She says, “If only I had gotten myself sent a couple years ago.”
Miranda laughs, “Yeah, but then you might not have become a Nurse.”
“True. Alright, Claire, we are ready to go.”
Michelle pushes me away, back to the Nurses.
The hallways are busier, laughter and loud talking ringing out around me. People walk in groups, chattering about different topics.
A couple people glance our way, almost every one of them smiling kindly at me. A boy calls out to Michelle. Michelle grins and waves, continuing down the hall. It’s chaotically free.
Miranda rolls me through the foggy doors labeled ‘Nurses’. The scent of artificial citrus fills my nose. There’s an underlying stench of urine, antiseptic, and sweat clinging to the air. I don’t know how I didn’t notice it earlier. I must have been used to the smell earlier. Resisting the urge to plug my nose, I ask Michelle, “Could I see Marie?”
“Maybe, I’ll talk to Harry. He’s the Council, or the person in charge of us Nurses.”
“Do you know if someone named Christina is here?”
I should thank Christina for helping me. There are other things I want to discuss with her anyway.
“Yeah, she came in two days ago. Did you meet her with the Ecru?”
“Could I see her?” I ask.
“Yeah, I can take you to see her in a couple minutes. She’s still sleeping right now.”
“Thank you.”
She wheels me to the door. The door is made of the same opaque glass. My blurred reflection stares back at me as the door slides open. All I catch is blue and purple splotches.
YOU ARE READING
274 (Complex Series, #4)
Science Fiction-fourth book in the Complex series- Claire, known to most people only by her Complex number as 274, has always obeyed the Official's rules. You have to, unless you want to be sent away to the Unknown. Until, she meets Marie and everything changes. ...
