“These are the living quarters,” Royce said as we walked past personalized doors. “Of course they were once just normal hospital rooms. We’ve converted them into living space. Each of them has their own restroom. They’re not large but they’re big enough to keep all of your personal effects in and get some sleep.”
“What’s a ‘restroom’,” I whispered to Tuck as we walked.
He gave a slight chuckle and whispered in my ear. My brow furrowed. “If that’s what it is why do they call it a restroom?”
Tuck just chuckled again and shrugged his shoulders.
We came to the end of the hall and opened a door that revealed a set of stairs. As we came out on the next floor up, we discovered another hallway of personalized doors.
“Would you like rooms for this afternoon?” Royce asked as we stopped in the middle of the hallway. “I hope you plan on staying with us. Of course you’re free to leave whenever you like but I would encourage you to stay. We can offer you protection, food, comfort.”
Comfort. I was pretty sure I would be more comfortable out in the woods than I would be in this boxed-up prison.
“We’re not sure what our plans are honestly,” Avian said as he glanced at West, Tuck, and I.
“We weren’t even sure if we’d find anyone alive, or if we were walking into a death trap,” West said.
“I’m sure we could all use some sleep though,” Avian continued. “I know at least I would like to stay for another day, explore your facility more. I’m fascinated by how you’ve managed to thrive in the middle of a city.”
Royce nodded. “Of course. This way.” He led us further down the hall. “You can use these three rooms, they’ve recently been made empty.”
“Three?” I questioned. “There are four of us.”
Royce looked confused for a moment. “I’m sorry, I assumed the two of you would want a room together,” he said as he indicated Avian and I. I then remembered how he had watched as Avian had held my face between his hands, how close our faces had been together.
“If you have four rooms,” West jumped in, not looking at Avian or I. I swallowed hard, unsure of how I felt.
A small smile crossed Royce’s face. “That one is available as well,” he said as he pointed at the door across from the other three. “Will you remember how to get back to the dining room in an hour for dinner?”
We each nodded our heads and Royce left our sides.
Before I would have to face any of the awkwardness between the two of them I let myself into one of the rooms and closed the door behind me.
The room felt so sterile, just like the rest of this relic of a hospital. The walls were all white, the bed made up with white sheets, white pillows. Even the wooden drawers and cupboards felt too clean and pristine.
I longed for my tent back in Eden.
I opened a door, finding what must have been a “restroom”. The hint of a smile tugged on my face as I saw the shower, remembering the one real one I had had in the cabin I had found.
A knock on the door startled me. “Who is it?” I called through the thick wood.
“I’ve brought you some things,” a female voice called from behind the door.
Hesitantly, I opened it. The girl behind it looked close to my age. Her eyes were narrow and dark, her hair jet black and perfectly straight.
“My name is Lin,” she said, giving me a smile. Her eyes seemed to almost disappear when she did so. “I brought you a few things.”
I then noticed the cart she was wheeling. She grabbed a gray colored blanket, a few items of clothing, and a few bottles of unknown liquid.
“What are these?” I asked as I opened the lids and took a wiff. They smelled nice.
“To wash your hair?” she said, her face looking slightly confused. The smallest of a chuckle escaped her lips.
“Thank you,” I said as I put all my new things under my arm. There was something about this girl I liked. She seemed… warm.
“If you need anything else, any help, I’m just a few doors down,” she said as she pointed down the hall. “My door is the one with the white lily painted on it.”
“Thank you, Lin,” I said again. She gave me another smile and crossed the hall to knock on another door.
I went back into the bathroom and after a few minutes figured out how to get the hot water to flow. My clothes felt crusted as I pealed them off, setting them and my pack on the floor.
A sigh escaped my throat as the hot water poured over my beat and scarred body. My muscles relaxed and even my insides felt cleaner as I breathed in the steam. The water ran brown for a while, the desert we had survived going down the polished silver drain.
I used the products Lin had given me on my hair. I ended up lathering it all over my entire body it smelled so nice. My hair felt so smooth after it all washed out.
I stood with my hands braced against the shower wall, the water cascading over my head. I didn’t want to go back out there, to where I knew people didn’t trust me. Facing Avian and West felt like too much to deal with right now. And what was going to happen now? It was all to exhausting to think about.
After almost an hour, I climbed out of the shower, dried off with the towel Lin had given me, and pulled on the stark green clothes. Grabbing the gray blanket, I curled up in my new bed.
I had finally hit my limit. Just a few seconds later I was out.
THIRTY-TWO
The ceiling above my head confused me when I first woke. Everything that had happened in the last day, in the last week, came rushing up at me with exhausting force. Dim lights glowed along the floor as I slid my feet off the edge of the bed. I walked to the now open window and looked out.
How strange, to live in this concrete jungle. Small patches of green cropped up but it was being choked out by the gray concrete, steel, and glass. And everywhere I could see eyes. How could they stand it, being in the middle of them all, all the time? How had they kept them out?
The lights glowed brightly overhead as I walked out into the empty hall. My steps echoed as I descended the stairs. I had to take a deep breath as I stood behind the steel door, gathering courage to go out into the unknown. Why was it so simple to go on a raid into the city, knowing I might not come back, and yet walking out among those strangers, among other humans, was so hard and terrifying?
I traced my way back to the infirmary, past the dining hall and kitchen, and out into the bustling lobby. I stood at the entrance of the hall for a while, watching as they moved around.
In a way, they were all like soldiers. They all had their orders, a task to execute. Some of them entered what I assumed was some kind of information into black boxes, a few cleaned the area, other’s brought in sheets of paper. The guard seemed to switch as a handful of armed men walked out those glass front doors. I wondered where I would fit into this hive.
I saw no signs of Avian, West, or Tuck and I felt awkward for a while, unsure of what to do with myself or where to go. And I didn’t like the fact that I didn’t know where any of my weapons had gone to.
“Eve,” a familiar voice called from behind me. As I turned, I recognized Dr. Beeson. His smile was bright as he approached me, his eyes always filled with awe. “I was just looking for you. You’re companion, Avian, said you were still resting.”
“I overslept,” I said simply as we stood together.
He gave the slightest of chuckles for a reason I didn’t really understand. “Would you mind chatting with me for a while? I’m dying of curiosity as to what has happened to you in the past almost six years.”
“I suppose,” I agreed. This man didn’t seem like a threat, and even without any weapons I was quite confident I could overpower him if I had to.