“Now that’s more like it. I can tell you’ve been practicing your scary face.” Cole laughs.
Yes, thank you, Zeus.
Cole grabs my arm to push me forward. “We better keep going.”
Sometimes I grab his shirt to keep from stumbling over trash or dead bodies. He jumps down into an alley, holds his arms up, and catches me while I take the leap. Zeus hops down behind without effort like a graceful gazelle. The walkway narrows between the buildings, and the only place I can go is behind Cole. So, I walk blind.
Sewage pipes below emit an unpleasant aroma, and the walls tower over us on each side, making me claustrophobic. After a rat skitters over my foot, I slam into Cole, knocking my glasses to the litter-ridden pavement. He turns and pushes me against the wall.
“What are you doing? I thought we went over this before we left. You can’t do that.” He speaks with anger. “I could really hurt you.”
Here I am again, in the darkness. The walls surround me on all sides. I beg and claw the walls, but he slams the door closed again. My eyes squeeze shut as I try to hum a simple tune. Praying the sound will make it stop.
I open my eyes. Cole stares at me with sweat dripping off his forehead. His face is stern, as if waiting for me to answer his question.
“Sorry…”
“I bet.” He bends down, picks up my glasses, and hands them to me.
Boxes and broken furniture block our path, and we climb over piles of trash. The alley opens up to another street. Across from me looms the entrance to the hospital. Guards stand watch from the surrounding buildings and people flood the street. They part for Cole as we cross. Their faces show mixed expressions, ranging from fear to hatred. There’s older people and children without brands.
They must’ve been born here.
He opens the door and leads me into the lobby. It smells like crap mixed with flowers. The walls, made of cement blocks, are painted a dull gray that goes on endlessly. Drywall from the ceiling crumbles onto the cement floor, leaving a dusty powder that mixes with whatever else lies there. My feet stick to it. My slipper comes off and my foot touches something wet. I reach down to grab it when I realize I’m standing in a puddle of old vomit. Just when I think I’ve been through the worst, something else causes me to feel ill again. Then I puke right next to the pile I just stepped in.
“Wow, that’s disgusting,” Cole says. “Your stomach sucks.”
“Tell me about it. My throat’s killing me,” I say.
A middle-aged woman with orange hair sits at a crooked table. She doesn’t look up while we stand there for what seems like forever, and I observe the violet brand on her slender neck. Pride.
Cole clears his throat. She glances up as she shows me an ID tag with my name and picture on the left side.
“Make sure it’s you,” she says in a squeaky voice. It’s labeled “8 West” on the right side with my photo and the name “Dr. Sutton” in the bottom left corner.
Cole reaches over and yanks my tag out of her hand. “She’ll need to wear it, not stare at it.” The woman snaps to attention and glares at him, but he doesn’t seem to care.
I don’t even have my tag on when he snaps, “You coming or you just going to stand there?”
I lean against the sheet metal wall in the elevator while he pushes the number eight. From this angle, he looks more intimidating. I can’t see around his broad shoulders, so I look at the back of his head and notice a small patch of hair he missed while buzzing it.
He taps his fingers on his thigh as we move upward but doesn’t speak. I wonder what he thinks about being my guard. I’m sure it’s not something he wanted or chose to do. And then there’s Zeus. It’s perplexing why Cole loves such a colossal doofus of a dog.
We stand in front of a door with the name “Dr. Sutton” carved into the wood.
“Who is it?” asks a deep voice. It’s low like a distant rumble.
“It’s Cole, sir.” A beep follows a click and then the door swings open, revealing a well-lit room with a desk at the opposite end. Two chairs sit in front of it. Pictures of the ocean hang on the walls, and a sign hangs opposite.
Hmmm. I didn’t expect to see that.
“Lexi. Lexi Hamilton.” The way he says my name would make you think he knows me.
My eyes snap to his face, but I don’t recognize him. He walks around the desk and reaches out his hand, enveloping mine with roughness and strength.
“Yes, nice to meet you, sir.”
He smiles and sits down at his desk, gesturing me to sit as well. He looks up at Cole. “You’re free to go. I’ll take it from here. Hey, just remember to be back by seven when she’s done with her shift.”
“It’s just orientation. Page me when you’re done with her.” Cole whistles at Zeus, who pops his head out of the trash. Zeus looks up, and a piece of tape is stuck between his eyes.
“Oh, dear God. Let’s go. You know that scary face you made earlier? Totally down the drain.” He talks to Zeus as if he understands every word that comes out of his mouth.
“She’ll still be done at seven,” Sutton says.
“I’ll be here,” Cole says.
I shift my weight in the chair and glance up at Dr. Sutton. He looks about forty years old, salt-and-pepper hair, with some deep creases in his forehead and a crooked nose. The sea-green scrubs bring out his eyes. He reaches down into a drawer.
“Are you thirsty?”
“Um… sure.”
He tosses me a bottle of water. Catching it with trembling hands, I twist the cap off and force it down my throat. The thin layer of soot I accumulated from the journey made my tongue swell. He catches me staring at the sign as he leans back and crosses his arms.
“Obviously, I’m Dr. Sutton, but please, just call me Sutton.”
“All right.”
“I’m the only licensed doctor here, and what few supplies we have, I’ve paid for. So I expect you to treat them with respect, and if you try to steal anything, I’ll cut off your arms.”
“I would never…”
“Good, then you have nothing to worry about. I do things a little differently here. You work your way up and learn as you go. I’m willing to teach, if you’re willing to learn. There are nurse’s aides and nurses who will work with you and show you the ropes. Make sure you pay close attention to detail and ask them any questions you have. It might take years to get to a nursing level, but if you strive for it, you’ll get there.”
He has a serious look about him, a professionalism I imagine isn’t found here often. “I don’t care about your past. You have a new beginning with me. So as far as I’m concerned, you’re just a fellow employee. It’s up to you, though, what you make of yourself. Oh, and I don’t give second chances. If you go behind my back in any way or break the rules, you’ll be reported to the commander. If you try to escape, I will catch you. Understood?”
“I understand and I won’t let you down.” I don’t know why I said the last part. Maybe it’s because he seems compassionate, yet strong, and maybe he reminds me just a little of my own father by the way he looks at me. Either way, my muscles begin to relax, and I find myself meeting his eyes and enjoying the warmth in them.
The only warmth here.
“I need to warn you about a few things. Well, a lot of things, actually. Just because you’re in a hospital doesn’t mean you’re safe. There’s been a fair amount of murders, rapes, and thefts in the last couple of months. Don’t go off the floor. Don’t wander alone. If you’re uncomfortable around a certain patient, don’t go into their room without someone. If they ask you to do them favors—refuse. Don’t accept gifts, money, or anything they offer. Just the other week, a nurse ate chocolate that was given to her by a patient she adored and died from rat poison.” He pauses. “I’ve read a lot about you, and I know everything.”