Chapter 10
1059 Words
Morning couldn"t come soon enough. J couldn"t come soon enough.
It was hard moving through the procedures like I was nothing - like I merely existed. I was more than an ID number; I had a real name. A name I remembered or at least thought I had. Only J could help, I hoped.
We sat at the table; my gaze darted from left to right as B2"s fixed straight ahead. The clarity I"d seen in B2"s eyes had been fleeting. My restless feet wanted to tap on the hard, white floor, but I kept them still. My hands rested flat on the table in front of me. Once I caught the absent tapping of my finger but stopped it the second I noticed. I had no idea if I"d been doing it for long. My concentration was on keeping my feet still and watching for the red light.
A large exhale blew out between my lips when the light finally glowed red. The muscles in my upper body relaxed as the door opened. I focused on the entrance.
“Good morning.” His voice boomed.
I stiffened and held my breath. It was him, the man with the overpowering scent and the white hair. The man I knew but didn"t know at the same time – Cecil. J trudged in behind and pushed his cart through the door. He shot me a look. I understood and kept my gaze fixed straight ahead.
“Did you girls have a good sleep?” Cecil said.
I could see B2 nod her head, and so I did the same.
“Good, good,” he said with a lilting voice. His heavy hand rested on my shoulder; the paper robe offered little protection against his cold touch. My skin prickled and tingles coursed up from my feet and out through the top of my head. My heart thumped in my ears.
I focused my attention straight ahead as J stood in his usual spot at the table. I couldn"t see what he was doing, but my ears tuned into every sound.
“Excuse me, sir,” J said in a tone I"d never heard before.
sirThe pressure on my shoulder eased. The smell of alcohol stung my nose as the cold swab touched my skin. My shoulder registered the sharp jab of a needle. My heart picked up its pace when a wave of numbness travelled over my body. There was no time for thought as I slipped into unconsciousness.
I gasped as warmth rained down on my head. My eyes closed. Fuzzy memories and thoughts teetered on the verge of clarity. Seconds later, they bombarded me like the spray of water from the shower head.
I stepped from the shower, allowing the blowers to dry me off. How long had I been gone? My stomach tightened as more memories came rushing back.
How long had I been gone?When I stepped from the bathroom, B2 was already seated at the table, waiting, and I joined her. Thoughts swirled in my head. My last memory was of sitting in my chair waiting for J to come into the room. I had something I had wanted to ask him, but that was one memory I couldn"t reach. I closed my eyes for a moment. When I opened them, the red light flashed, and J came into the room alone.
“How long?” I whispered.
“Glad you are back.” J glanced at me for a moment; his eyes crinkled. He returned his attention to his cart and went back to work.
“How long?” I repeated a little louder.
“It has…” he wiped and poked in one quick motion, “only been two days.” My arm jerked a little. It had hurt.
“Two days?” The revelation surprised me.
“It depends on how you look at it; I might even suggest three.”
I didn"t think my eyes could open any further. I opened my mouth instead.
“It does not seem to have left any ill effects.” He pressed a small cotton ball over the injection site.
“Did he come every day?”
he“No, only that one time. The next day I dropped the dosage back down to what you had been getting. It was a bit of a risk, though.”
“What do you mean?” There was a sudden flutter in my chest.
“Just your body went from having one full dose to about an eighth in a twenty-four-hour period.” He stuck a bandage on my shoulder.
“You risked my life?” My ears burned with anger.
J paid no attention and continued to prepare B2"s injection. “I only risked returning your complete memory, but it was a risk I had to take. I need you to be aware sooner than I expected.”
I furrowed my brow. “Why?”
“Things are…” he paused as he stuck a needle into B2"s arm. Her blank gaze showed she never registered the prick.
“Are what?” I said. My patience waned.
“Well, I am not exactly sure what. But trust me when I tell you things are feeling a little different.”
“What about B2?” I said as I stared into her empty eyes.
“I am backing her down as quickly as I can. It is far riskier for her to go too fast. You had already been on a much lower dose for quite some time before I had to give you a full one again. Your sister on the other hand…”
J"s mention of the word sister sparked memories of brown grass, sparkling nail polish, and a round-faced girl calling a name.
“Is my name April?” The words blurted from my mouth.
J stopped cleaning his cart and stared at me for a moment. Clearly, I had asked the question of all questions.
J didn"t answer. Instead, he finished cleaning up. Then he pushed the cart toward the door.
My heart beat faster as the burning returned to my ears. “Is my name April?” I said again. My stomach clenched with my words.
“Yes.” The door slid open, and J disappeared along with his clanging cart.
- Writer
