Tainted

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  When I wake in the morning my mind is confused. My thoughts are tangled and the terrors that crept into my fitful sleep linger on the edge of my consciousness. I open my eyes and stare at the stark white walls of the tiny room.

  I can’t shake the chills brought on by the nightmares that haunted me last night. I gather up the bed sheet and clutch it to my chest, trying to quell the fears caused by my dreams, and subdue the nerves that have begun to tremor in my gut.

  The door opens abruptly and a man in official white walks in.

  ‘Time to go,’ he says shortly. I nod and stagger out of the bed to follow him. He leads me out into the hallway and as I walk behind him I drowsily thread my fingers through my hair in an attempt to flatten it into place. When we reach the main office the official passes me my CommuCuff back and watches to make sure I fix it properly back onto my wrist.

  Once he’s satisfied my cuff is fastened he passes me my necklace and the picture Dr. Wilson had given me of his grandson, Aiden. The photo had been in my pocket on arrival and they’d taken it along with my cuff and necklace. I look at the boy’s face on the paper and then angrily shove the picture back into my pocket, not caring if it crinkles. The doctor had been supposed to help me, not get me thrown in remand.

  The official leads me through a security door. As soon as the door opens I immediately spot Quinn across the other side of the room. She’s in the middle of chatting animatedly with one of the officials, and as I approach I hear her say, ‘Yes. I’ll be taking her over to her testing now.’ My stomach does a small flip as I hear the word ‘testing’. It’s unbelievable how quickly this day’s arrived.

  Quinn looks at me when I stop beside her. The reserved purse of her lips and distance in her eyes reveal she’s being careful not to show any true emotion. As soon as we’re out of the official offices the façade drops.

  ‘So what made you think to go to the storage rooms?’ she asks, lowering her voice.

  ‘One of the patients in the Aged Care Ward used to be a doctor. He did a lot of work with the tainted and told me I could get a tainted blood sample from there,’ I respond, lowering my voice as well.

  ‘You told him what you want to do?’ she asks, concerned.

  I shrug. ‘He’s got as much reason to hate people being taken as I do and I trust him.’

  ‘Okay…’ she says, obviously unconvinced. She looks up and down the empty hallway swiftly, and then grabs my arm to stop me.

  ‘Here,’ she whispers, as she slips something into my hand. I look down and see the vial of blood.

  ‘I thought you didn’t want to help?’ I say, confused.

  ‘What I said the other night … I was upset and worried. I freaked out. Then, when that official took you, I realised I can’t protect you from everything. Besides, I know how important this is to you. I’m just sorry I didn’t come around sooner.’

  I smile at her warmly. I’d lost all hope I could really pull this off. ‘But after what you said in the cell, I thought you’d destroyed the sample…’

  Quinn shakes her head. ‘No, what I actually did was get a new label for it and one of the proper specimen containers to hold it in. You can’t just leave a blood sample out in the open all weekend. What were you thinking?’

  She looks so disapproving about my lack of knowledge on sample storage that I laugh. But for some reason the laugh only makes me feel sad and I can feel tears glistening in my eyes. I look away to make sure Quinn doesn’t notice.

  ‘Listen we don’t have long. How are you planning on swapping the vials?’ she asks, as I turn back to her.

  ‘I—I hadn’t really thought about it,’ I say, panic touching my voice as it begins to set in. I’m acutely aware of how close to my testing it is. How little time I have left until I give up everything I’ve ever known to follow through with this plan.

  Quinn shrugs at me in response. ‘Wing it, I’m sure you’ll think of something.’ I look at her incredulously. ‘Well you know what I mean. You’re going to have to use your initiative. I’m sure you’ll be fine.’

  ‘Yeah, okay,’ I say with complete uncertainty, my hand quivering as I slip the vial of blood into my pocket.

  ‘It’s going to work.’

  ‘We’ll see,’ I mumble. I hear footsteps coming around the corner and half-turn to see an official walking towards us. Quinn nods her head to the side, indicating we should continue moving.

  We walk at a leisurely pace, but all too soon I find we’re at the hospital. Quinn stops before we enter and hugs me.

  ‘Everything is going to be fine,’ she whispers in my ear. She pulls back and looks at me. ‘Any second thoughts? It’s not too late to back out you know.’

  I shake my head, adrenaline beginning to strengthen my resolve. ‘Sebastian would do it for me,’ I respond.

  ‘I know,’ she says, rubbing my arm reassuringly. She peers down at her CommuCuff. ‘We’re a bit early.’

  ‘Let’s just get this over with,’ I say, sounding braver than I feel.

  ‘After you…’ She indicates with her arm towards the door.

  I push open the door and walk to the reception counter. The woman peers up at me expectantly.

  ‘Hi, I’m Elle Winters. I’m here for my testing.’ The woman looks over at her computer screen.

  ‘Take a seat. The doctor’s running about five minutes behind,’ she says. I follow Quinn over to the waiting room seats. I’m shaking, my stomach rolls with nausea and I can feel beads of sweat building on my forehead.

  ‘I don’t feel so good,’ I whisper to Quinn. She takes a hold of my hand, squeezing it firmly.

  ‘It’s going to be okay,’ she whispers back. Her face is completely drained of colour though. She’s just as nervous as I am. I feel my way into my pocket with my fingers and firmly clasp them around the vial. I need to keep it safe.

  ‘What if something goes wrong? What if it goes right and I never see you again?’ I say, my words so quick and quiet I’m not certain Quinn will hear them correctly.

  She catches my eye, and looking at me directly she replies, ‘Elle, you are so incredibly smart and strong. When we are separated I know you have the fight and the determination to carry on. Your priority is to keep yourself safe and find Sebastian. And don’t worry about me. I don’t think this is the end for us. We’ll see each other again, just maybe not as soon as we’d like.’ She smiles sadly as she says this.

  I go to look down but she takes a hold of my chin and lifts it, forcing my eyes back to hers. ‘Seriously Elle, promise me you’ll take care of yourself.’

  ‘I promise,’ I choke out in barely a whisper. Why does this feel like goodbye?

  ‘Elle Winters?’ a man in a long white lab coat announces, as he peers up from his clipboard.

  ‘I love you Elle.’

  ‘I love you too Quinn.’ We hug each other tightly.

  ‘Elle Winters?’ The man repeats louder.

  ‘Everything will be fine,’ Quinn says determinedly. I nod in response. Then, taking a deep breath, I turn around and walk over to the man. I don’t look back at Quinn—I can’t look back. If I do, I know the vial of blood will stay firmly put in my pocket and I’ll let this opportunity go.

  ‘Your cuff.’ The man holds his hand out expectantly. I reach out my arm and he takes my CommuCuff in his hand. He swipes a card over the face of it and with a click it unlocks and he pulls it from my wrist. I’ve already spent the weekend without it and it’s surprisingly hard to hand it over again so soon. I rub my bare wrist uncomfortably.

  ‘This way.’ The man leads me down several corridors and stops in front of ‘Exam Room 2.’ He opens the door and ushers me inside.

  Exam Room 2 is just like every other exam room I’ve been tested in. It’s utterly devoid of any colour and entirely sterile looking. Large white tiles cover the room from floor to ceiling and everything in here is so clean it sparkles.

  On one side of the room there’s a long metal benc
h and a washbasin. The bench gleams under the bright lights, which bounce off its cold steel surface and the array of glass beakers that cover it. An old and obsolete looking computer whirs from the corner of the room and it’s hooked up to some sort of microscope.

  Across the other side of the room is the exam table. It is covered in blue material with white wax paper running along the centre of it. It butts up against a thin metal cabinet of drawers, the top of which has a series of bean-shaped metal dishes. Then, in the far corner, hangs a long, white curtain that has been drawn for patients to change behind.

  ‘Please take a seat on the bed,’ the man says behind me. ‘The doctor will be with you shortly.’ I take a step forward and the door shuts behind me.

  I’ve barely sat down when the door swings back open and a woman enters. She takes her glasses out of her pocket, puts them up to her eyes and looks down at her chart. This woman is all business.

  ‘Elle Winters I presume?’

  I nod in response. I’m not certain I can say anything right now. One breath in, one breath out. The woman barely acknowledges me, but that one glance is all I need to see she is cold and calculating.

  ‘I’m Doctor Patel. I will be administering your test today.’ She takes a stool out from under the bench and brings it over to sit by me.

  ‘Could you tell me how you’ve been feeling lately?’

  ‘Mostly fine,’ I say quietly. She nods and starts writing on her clipboard. ‘But this weekend I haven’t been too well.’

  ‘Go on…’ She looks up, curious.

  ‘Well, I’ve had aches and pains, and been feeling really hot and sweaty.’ She’s back writing furiously on her sheet again.

  ‘Anything else?’

  ‘Um, not that I can think of.’

  ‘And you didn’t think to come to the hospital if you were feeling ill? You should be aware of the fever protocols in place.’

  ‘Oh, I’ve been in remand all weekend. I didn’t really think it was an option.’

  ‘I see.’ Once she finishes writing she puts her pen down on the clipboard and then places them on her stool. She walks over to the cabinet next to me and rummages through its drawers, which squeak and rattle as she opens and closes them. She seems to be taking various items out of each one and then placing them on one of the silver trays that sit on top of the cabinet. The glint of a needle catches my eye as she places it on the tray. This is really happening.

  Picking a tourniquet up off the tray, the doctor proceeds to tie it around my upper arm before pulling it tight. I begin to feel clammy and beads of sweat slowly trickle down the back of my neck.

  ‘Okay Elle, this is just going to be a small prick,’ she says. I swear there’s an evil glint in her eye and her lips are pulled back in a way that makes her look slightly crazed as she lowers the needle closer.

  I feel a pinch in my elbow crease as she jabs the needle into my arm. I suck a quick breath in through my teeth and watch as the blood slowly trickles out into the vial. Wow, there’s a lot of blood in there.

  After what seems like an eternity, she pulls the needle out and removes the vial placing them both on the silver tray. I watch the small glass vial intently. It seems so close, but at the same time so impossibly far away. How am I supposed to swap it with the vial in my pocket without the doctor noticing?

  I watch her and the vial carefully, waiting for an opportune moment to make the swap. But I don’t know what to do. She’s hovering by the cabinet and there’s no way I can make my move while she’s still in such close proximity.

  I begin to feel lightheaded and I try to ignore it. It was just a little blood, I remind myself. I can’t be distracted right now. The doctor picks up the vial and takes a pen out of her pocket to write on its small white label.

  Shit.

  I feel a sudden, overwhelming panic crash through me. I can’t let her write on that vial. I watch the pen get closer to the vial and the panic surges through me stronger. Having no idea what to do, and in a fit of desperation, I resort to theatrics.

  ‘Agh,’ I stand up and moan, staggering into her and lightly grabbing her arm. She places the pen and the vial back on the tray. I try not to grin in satisfaction.

  ‘Elle are you okay?’ She places her hand against my forehead.

  ‘I really don’t feel too good,’ I whimper. I don’t even have to fake it. Between stress and having my blood taken I legitimately feel woozy.

  ‘Okay, just sit back down.’ She helps me back on the bed. I make sure I sit right at the end of it. The vial is now easily within my reach.

  The doctor takes a towel out of the cabinet. ‘You’re really hot Elle, I’m just going to wet this and we’ll put it on your head which should hopefully make you feel a bit better.’ She turns and walks to the sink.

  Now’s my chance.

  I hear the gush of water rushing out of the tap. Ever so quickly, I grab the vial out of my pocket and go to swap it for the one on the table. With the two vials next to each other my mouth involuntarily drops open.

  The caps on the vials are different colours.

  Crap!

  The one Quinn gave me has a red lid and the vial with my blood in it has a yellow lid. I hear her switching the tap off. Screw it. I grab the vial with the yellow lid and place it in my pocket, leaving the other in its place.

  If I wasn’t sweating before, I definitely am now. She turns to me and walks over, completely unaware of the switch.

  ‘You can lie down if you like?’

  ‘No it’s okay, I’m happy to sit.’ She passes me the wet towel. I quietly dab my forehead with it as she goes back to writing on the vial.

  As she picks the vial up she seems confused. I groan out aloud causing her to look back at me.

  ‘How are you feeling? Are you sure you don’t want to lie down?’

  ‘No I’m okay.’

  ‘Is the wet towel helping?’

  ‘Yes. Thank you.’ She nods and turns back to the vial. Then, without another thought, she writes my details down on the label.

  ‘Okay, wait here. I’m going to take this to get it tested. Shouldn’t be too long.’ She walks out the door with the vial in hand.

  I exhale loudly as she exits. I hadn’t even realised I’d been holding my breath. It worked and I can’t believe it. I managed to swap the vials over. I quickly jump off the bench and rush over to the sink to empty the vial I can feel burning a hole in my pocket.

  As I wash away the evidence though, it dawns on me.

  It worked and I’m about to be taken.