Immortal

  ‘Thank you.’

  The five Mortals sitting around the table rested their foreheads on their clasped hands.

  ‘Good Lord,’ Maddie said, ‘please save our good friend’s sister, Susan, and her little baby. Let them be healthy and enjoy the life that you gave them. Amen.’

  ‘Amen,’ said everyone else in unison.

  Amaranthine, surprised by the briefness of the prayer, stared out into space in front of her for a few seconds after it was over. Suddenly she realized all eyes were back on her.

  ‘Right,’ she said, switching on the idatron again. As she glanced at Daniel’s team, she noticed that they relaxed a little and some hope appeared in their eyes. Perhaps having a religion isn’t such a bad thing, if it helps people deal with trouble and stress, she thought. Maybe that’s the whole point of it.

  ‘Ok, let’s begin,’ she said. ‘First of all, let’s discuss last night’s concert. Did you notice any glitches, anything needing changed, fixed, improved?’

  Amaranthine was never more grateful for the recording feature of her idatron than during that meeting. She hardly ever used it before, as her focus and memory rarely let her down. This time, however, her mind couldn’t be less occupied with the task in hand; instead, it wandered off constantly to Daniel and his family. Most of the things the team were saying went in through one of her ears, remained in her brain for as long as it took her to respond accordingly, and was out again, lost in oblivion. Fortunately, she could have Eiko summarize it to her later.

  Daniel called soon after she entered her hotel room.

  ‘Hey, Amari,’ she heard his voice, and she instantly knew he didn’t have good news.

  ‘Hey, Daniel,’ she replied, ‘thanks for calling.’

  ‘No worries. How was the meeting?’

  ‘It was fine,’ she said. ‘No dramas.’

  There was a moment of silence before she managed to form a question.

  ‘How are they?’

  ‘The baby’s fine,’ Daniel said. ‘He’ll have to stay in an incubator for a few weeks, but he’ll be fine.’

  ‘And Susan?’

  ‘She’s in a coma,’ he said, ‘she lost consciousness when she fell down a flight of stairs and she’s not come to. They had to do the caesarian because the trauma triggered premature birth, but she stayed unconscious all the time. She’s stable, though.’

  ‘What are the doctors saying? Do they have any predictions when she may wake up?’

  ‘They are not sure. Unless she wakes up within the next 24 hours, it could be anything between a few weeks and…’ his voice faltered.

  ‘I’m sure she will wake up soon,’ Amaranthine said, not finding any other words to console him. ‘You’ll see.’

  ‘I wish I could be so optimistic.’ She could hardly hear him when he spoke.

  ‘You can be,’ Amari reassured him, sensing that this was what he needed to hear. ‘You are the greatest optimist I’ve ever met. Hey, try to look at the bright side. The baby will be ok and Susan’s diagnosis isn’t conclusive. Plus there is a big chance she will wake up within the next 24 hours, right?’

  ‘Don’t know if it’s a big chance, but yeah, I guess.’

  ‘Well, then,’ she tried to infuse her voice with as much confidence as possible. ‘There is no reason not to be an optimist for the next day and night at least.’

  ‘You’re right,’ he said. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Not at all,’ she said, ‘she’ll be fine, you’ll see.’

  ‘You don’t mind if I stay here for the next few days, do you?

  ‘Of course not,’ she replied. ‘Take as much time as you need.’

  ‘I miss you,’ he said.

  ‘I miss you, too.’

  ‘I need to go, the rest of the family are here. I’ll call you again when there’s news.’

  ‘Ok. Take care of yourself.’

  ‘You, too.’

  When he hang up, she stared out the window for a few moments. Bangkok was bathed in brilliant sunlight, and she knew life was bustling down below. Had Daniel been there, they would have headed out for a few hours and he would have something interesting to show her, some secret he discovered or read about and wanted to explore together with her. They would eat something she’d never heard of, watch some ancient ritual still performed by local people or simply wander the narrow streets holding hands and soaking up the atmosphere. Then they would return to their hotel room for some love making and get ready for the concert that night.

  Amaranthine smiled sadly to herself and ordered Eiko to draw the curtains. Doing any of this without Daniel was unimaginable.

  She noticed that the rest of the team were just as melancholic as she was since Daniel disappeared. Even Maddie, usually bubbly and overly enthusiastic, was serious and quiet. Everybody did their jobs, but in a robot-like fashion, quietly and mechanically, almost absent-mindedly. Amaranthine understood them completely, she could almost hear their thoughts: if there had been a positive development, if Susan had woken up, Daniel would have let them know immediately. In this case, lack of news was bad news.

  Despite this depressing thought, weighing her down like a brick tied to her chest, she had no choice but to run the shop as usual, although she found being the engine of the team increasingly difficult.

  When the concert was finally over, she rushed to her room, wanting to be alone and not have to keep her professional face on any longer. She also expected that Daniel may get in touch. She was right.

  He called soon after she got in.

  ‘She’s still not woken up,’ he said in the same dispirited voice.

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ Amaranthine said, not knowing what else there was she could say. The crucial 24 hours have passed, and now no one was able to predict how long Susan would remain unconscious. The usual ‘She’ll wake up, you’ll see,’ seemed out of place this time.

  ‘I wish I could cuddle you right now,’ Daniel said.

  ‘Me, too,’ she said through tight throat. ‘But you should stay there for at least a few more days. I will contact Nectar and let him know I need to stay here next week. You don’t need to worry about a thing, all is going according to plan.’

  ‘I don’t know how to thank you,’ Daniel said.

  ‘Don’t be silly,’ she said. ‘It’s nothing. I’m just doing my job.’

  ‘You are doing much more than your job,’ Daniel replied. ‘I will come back as soon as possible.’

  ‘Don’t rush, Daniel,’ Amari said. ‘There is no need for it. Everything’s in hand.’

  She tried to contact Nectar to let him know she wouldn’t be returning to New York on Monday, but he wasn’t answering and she didn’t want to leave a message; she would rather discuss it with him. She tried his office, but it was Ambrose who picked up.

  ‘Ambie, hi, I’m looking for Nectar.’

  ‘Hey, Amari. He’s out with clients. Anything I can do?’

  ‘I just need to let him know I will be working from here next week,’ she said, ‘but I’d rather explain why to him myself.’

  ‘Ok, no problem,’ Ambrose said,’ ‘if I see him before you two have spoken, I’ll have him call you.’

  ‘Great, thanks,’ she said.

  ‘Mind me asking if everything is ok? You sound a little stressed out.’

  ‘It’s nothing to do with the band,’ she said. ‘Daniel Collins needs some personal time for the next few days, so I’m going to cover for him.’

  ‘That’s a big favor to do for someone you don’t even like,’ Ambrose commented.

  She was taken aback. She knew her office must have been buzzing with gossip about her and Daniel but she didn’t expect Ambrose to fish for info in such an obvious manner.

  ‘He’s my business associate,’ she replied. ‘I need him to be in good mental and physical health if we are to do a good job here. I’d rather he took a few days off and came back ready for work than for his problems to affect his performance. It’s a business decision.’ She felt she said too
much. As if she was explaining herself.

  ‘Of course,’ he said. ‘I forgot how pragmatic you are. But if you want him back soon and in sound shape, you may want to suggest to him to visit an immortal doctor. I haven’t heard good things about mortal health care.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Do you remember my astronomer friends, Javid and Heng? The guys you met in The Universe shortly before the Paramonos shit hit the fan?’

  ‘Yeah, I remember them. What did they say?’

  ‘Well, they used to be doctors and they both practiced in mortal hospitals. Apparently it’s a requirement for all immortal doctors, so that they can learn what a hospital should not look like. The stories they had about mortality rates, equipment, labs, surgery rooms…’

  ‘Interesting,’ Amari interrupted, ‘but Daniel seems to be doing all right. He’ll be back here in a few days and all will be back to normal.’

  ‘I’d still get him to see an immortal doctor,’ Ambrose insisted, ‘but if you think he’s all right… I’ll let Nectar know that you need to speak to him.’

  ‘Thanks, Ambie. I appreciate it.’

  Ambrose’s revelations made her all alert and confused at the same time. All she ever heard regarding mortal health care was the criticism that Mortals benefited from all of the Cure’s derivatives which made them live longer and claim pensions for years on end, while paying very little in tax throughout their lifetime. That it was yet another area in which they leeched off of Immortals, especially that Mortals, deprived of the protection of the Cure, succumbed to illnesses much more often that the Immortals did. Not to mention additional aspects of their lives that required doctor and hospital visits: pregnancies, giving birth, infant and child care, vaccinations, and finally the whole array of geriatric disorders. Amaranthine used to regard this yet another reason to dislike the Mortals. But the days when she believed in all the anti-Mortal propaganda were long gone, she just hadn’t verified this aspect yet. Ambrose’s words made her realize that mortal health care was nowhere near as good as Immortals were led to believe. She decided to find out exactly what the facts were.

  ‘Eiko, can you give me some data on the quality of mortal health care in Scotland, please.’

  ‘Certainly,’ Eiko’s voice came from the idatron.

  ‘Can you focus on cases of coma and compare the statistics of successful recovery with those of similar immortal cases in the state of New York.’

  ‘Analyzing.’

  As she waited for the data, Amaranthine’s heart raced. If it was as bad as she suspected, if hospitals in the mortal areas in Scotland were under-funded to the point of preventing them to successfully treat cases such as Susan’s, and if the rate of success in New York was significantly higher, she could try and help Daniel’s sister. Finally, there was something tangible she could do for him. She would figure out how, and she could easily afford to pay for the treatment.

  ‘Data coming through,’ Eiko announced, and a second later her idatron lit up, displaying graphic representations of the statistics. Amaranthine needed no more than a couple of minutes to have a clear picture.

  The ratio was mortifying. Only seven out of ten cases of long-term coma were successfully treated amongst Scottish mortal cases. In New York, the success rate was 99.6%.

  Outrage mixed with exhilaration filled her veins and brain, making her thoughts reckless and chaotic. How could this be? How could all Immortals be convinced that the Mortals benefited from excellent health care financed from their pockets, and the facts be so completely different? What made her believe in all of this so readily for decades? She felt ashamed. Fortunately, she now had a chance to redeem herself for years of ignorance by saving Daniel’s sister.

  How should I go about it? Call Daniel immediately and tell him the good news? He could certainly do with a dose of hope right now. She almost called his idatron, but in the last moment she changed her mind.

  It wasn’t enough. She still had to find a way to get Susan admitted to an immortal ward, she needed all the details. First and foremost, she had to find out which facility was the best in the whole of the Immortal world.

  She had Eiko gather more data and analyze it, and she spent the next few hours reading it all and strategizing Susan’s transfer to the best clinic. Not knowing Susan’s exact condition, medication or actions undertaken, she couldn’t narrow it down to one clinic that would be best suited to treat her case, so she shortlisted five and researched each in detail. She read countless descriptions of successful treatments and her excitement rose with each story to the point she nearly called Daniel again to share it all with him.

  She stopped herself, though. She still hadn’t come across any mention of a Mortal ever being treated in any of the clinics. She didn’t expect to; she knew they wouldn’t advertise such facts. At the same time, statistically, she was convinced it had happened, but finding out that information would require face-to-face conversation with the director of each place to ensure absolute secrecy.

  She checked the time; it was after eight in the evening in Bangkok. Sunday was just starting in the States, so she would have to wait until Monday night local time to be able to call and make appointments. She decided she would not wait until Daniel came back to work and she would be in New York for half a week again. Thanks to the time difference, she could attend to Carpe Diem business during the day of the local time and then fly over for her appointments at night. She could get some sleep in her hovercar, besides, sleep seemed very insignificant right now.

  Amaranthine was pacing the waiting room of the first clinic from her list. She was so eager to speak to the doctor and get the ball rolling for Daniel’s sister that she arrived almost an hour too early. She sat down and tried to read, aware of the stares from the other two people who sat patiently, waiting for their turn. It was no use. The answers to all of the questions she had were right on the other side of the thin wall which separated the waiting room from the doctor’s office. She stood up and started pacing again.

  The door behind which her answers awaited opened and one of the patients who were in the line before her was called in. The door shut behind him.

  Amaranthine paced for another twenty-five minutes. The last person to have the appointment before her, a woman with short black hair, stared at Amari with growing irritation. Then it was her turn.

  Another twenty minutes and I’ll see the doctor, and ten minutes after that I’ll have a plan of action, she thought. Then I will make necessary arrangements and when that’s done, I’ll be able to make a phone call to Daniel that will put a smile on his face. That was all she could think about recently. Ever since he left, Daniel hadn’t smiled once, and she missed his smile. She wanted him to be happy again – and to be by her side.

  She checked the time. Three minutes to her appointment. Why do they have to be so damn punctual, she thought. Can’t they finish with the previous patient even five minutes ahead of schedule?

  At precisely two o’clock, the door opened and she was called in.

  ‘Hi, I’m doctor Turrow,’ the twenty-five year old looking man in a white coat extended his hand as soon as she entered. ‘You must be Miss Quinn.’

  ‘I am,’ she shook his hand.

  ‘Welcome to my clinic,’ the doctor said. ‘It’s your first visit, isn’t it.’

  ‘That’s right. I did very thorough research and I concluded you were one of the best people to come to with the case I have.’

  ‘Thank you,’ the man smiled. ‘I will try to live up to my reputation. Why don’t you tell me what brought you here.’

  ‘A very good friend of mine,’ Amaranthine started slowly, ‘had an accident. She fell down a flight of stairs and has been in a coma since.’

  ‘When did the accident occur?’

  ‘On Saturday.’

  ‘Four days,’ the doctor calculated. ‘What actions have been taken so far? What medication was administered?’

  ‘I don’t know the details,’ Amaranthine said.
‘I just know I’d like her transferred here so you can take care of her.’

  ‘This can certainly be arranged,’ the doctor smiled. ‘Where is she now?’

  ‘In a hospital in Scotland.’

  ‘Which one?’

  ‘I… don’t know,’ Amaranthine could see the surprise on the doctor’s face, he wasn’t even trying to hide it. ‘But I will find out as soon as you tell me what the procedure is from your end.’

  ‘It’s pretty straightforward,’ the doctor replied, ‘all you need to do is give me your friend’s details, her name, address, immortali day, insurance policy number, etc., and sign the transfer form. You’ll need to provide the same data about yourself, since you’ll be authorizing the transfer on your friend’s behalf. The form includes an enquiry regarding the length and nature of your relationship with the person in a coma,’ there was a note of suspicion in his voice as he uttered the last sentence.

  ‘Of course,’ Amaranthine said, ‘I will provide all necessary details. When can the transfer take place?’

  ‘Immediately after all the documents have been submitted and approved by our clinic and release documents issued by the facility in which the patient is currently placed.’

  ‘Ok, that sounds great.’

  ‘Is there anything else you would like to ask?’ the doctor spoke slowly, mulling each word in his mouth, and probing her with his gaze. Amari realized she was staring at him without a word for a while, trying to figure out the best way to tell him about Susan’s biological status. She was worried how he would react.

  ‘Is everything ok, Miss Quinn?’

  ‘Yes, of course,’ she cleared her throat. ‘Forgive me, doctor, if I seem a little off, but I am very concerned for my friend.’

  ‘That’s understandable,’ he said patiently, ‘but you needn’t worry. We have an incredibly high rate of recovery, as you probably already know, otherwise you wouldn’t be here.’

  ‘That’s true,’ she smiled, gathering her courage. ‘There is just one other detail that I should mention to you, although I’m sure it doesn’t make much difference, well, maybe only as far as the payment method goes, but that is not a problem. I will cover all expenses. In advance, if you wish.’