( black hearts 3 )
The car went out through the big gate while I sat squatting on the back seat.
I hid my head between my knees and cried, but without a sound for fear of the masked man behind the wheel.
I had never been in a car; it felt weird.
I had never left the farm, never left my mother's side.
My tears and fear increased when I imagined that I might not see my mother or my brother again.
They might take my blood and kill me?
I miss my mother and Sami already. I may never see them again.
The car stopped after a few minutes; it never went too far.
The masked monster stopped the car, opened the door, and grabbed me by the arm, pulling me out.
I couldn't walk; my legs were freezing. It's like I forgot how to walk... it felt weird.
He took me inside a clean marble building, similar to that building in the farm where they stole our blood. Even the smell was the same, the smell of detergents.
The masked man took me to a room where a masked woman in white was sitting on a chair.
He said, "This is the patient. Check her out well; she might have some disease. They always do."
She asked me in a nice tone, "What hurts you, little one?"
"I don't know why you ask her; check her out," said the masked man before leaving the room.
I watched the woman carefully.
She took out something and put it in her ears.
Then she came up to me, wanting to put that round thing on my chest.
I imagined that she wanted to suck my blood out with that thing.
I cried and walked; I tried to run, but she caught me in a second using her non-human speed.
She grabbed me, then put me over on the bed.
She tied my hands to the bed.
"So, you choose the hard way?" she said. I cried... I cried so hard.
She put that cold round thing on my chest to listen to my frightened heartbeats.
Then she opened my mouth and inserted a piece of wood to hold my tongue with it.
She measured my temperature, checked my weak body. After she finished the tests, she left. She left me tied up, still crying my eyes out.
After a few minutes, she came back accompanied by a masked man.
I heard her say, "The girl has waterpox. We have to hold her here. Also, she's so weak, and her temperature is a little high."
I didn't understand what she was saying, but the words "hold her here" frightened me.
The woman went out, and the man stayed alone with me.
He was writing something on paper.
Suddenly, he noticed me. He heard me crying. He turned his head towards me, staring at me with his ugly iron mask.
Such horror. I tried to be silent, not to make any sounds or move. I even tried not to breathe.
But it was too late.
He extended his hand to touch my forehead.
But the woman came back and said, "The room is ready, Dr. Breynt."
He turned to her and said, "Well, take the girl to the room. I have written prescriptions for some medicines."
Oh, the man is a doctor. That's why they are wearing white coats that don't match with their black hearts.
The woman is a nurse. She took me to a small white room with a bed and a black device hanging on the wall.
I didn't know what it was.
She changed my clothes to white trousers and a shirt with the same color.
She gave me some medicines.
Then she left me alone on the bed in this scary white clean room.
I looked around in fear... I cried.
I kept crying and screaming like a crazy person.
"Take me back to my mom."
After a few moments, I heard a voice and saw from the bottom of the door the feet of two people approaching.
I jumped on the bed and covered my body with the quilt. I grabbed the quilt so tight.
I heard the door open; then I heard the nurse's voice: "Dr. Breynt... You forgot your mask?"
I heard the door shut.
I felt like someone was approaching the bed.
Then I heard his voice: "Do you have a name?"
I lifted the quilt off my face.
I looked at him.
I didn't know if he was one of them or one of us.
He didn't have a mask on his face. He was not ugly. He actually was a very handsome young man with beautiful blue eyes.
I knew from the white coat that he is the doctor.
I read his name with difficulty. I was not able to read well back then, but I succeeded in reading his name.
"Dr. Jared Lee Breynt."
He asked the same question again: "What does your mother call you?"
I said with difficulty. I was struggling to get my voice out of my throat: "Irene!"
He said: "Irene, don't be afraid. No one is going to hurt you. You are sick. You are here for treatment. You will recover quickly if you are cooperating.
You will return to your mother. I promise you.... But after you recover completely, okay?"
I remained silent for a while then nodded my head in approval.
He placed his hand gently over my head then got up off the bed: "Calm down and watch TV. Do you like cartoons?"
Suddenly, that black box turned into pictures... moving pictures and sounds.
I hugged the quilt.
He smiled and then said with some pity: "Oh, I suppose you don't have a TV on the farm?"
I had never seen one.
I stayed silent.
He said with amazement: "Have you never seen one?"
I nodded, "No."
But I remembered my mother's stories. Yes, she told us about this thing called TV.
He put his hands in his coat pockets and said: "You'll be fine, Irene. You seem to be very attached to your mother?"
I said hesitantly: "Yes, my mother and my brother!
(Then I remained silent for a while before I said) "Are they going to suck out my blood? As they do to people on the farm?"
He said: "No, Irene, no one is going to suck your blood out, I promise you.
You will return to your mother, and no one will ever hurt you."