One Half of a Whole

Chapter 2: The Infirmary

Kamara

"Kamara!" Mary calls as she walks into my room. I rub my eyes and stretch my arms above my head, trying to wake myself up. I glance over at my clock. It reads 6:30 a.m. Great...three hours of sleep. That is definitely going to cure my headache.

"Morning, Mary," I say groggily.

"What time did you go to bed last night? It looks like you've been up for hours."

"I just got caught up in my thoughts. I'll be fine."

"Hmm." She says skeptically as she pulls the curtains open. The light is almost blinding as it wafts through the window, and I turn my head away from it.

"Well, today is a big day. Your brother is coming." Mary announces from over her shoulder. I push myself up with my hands. I'm so glad I got my research done last night; there would be no way I could do it today, especially with Mary by my side at every moment. You see, no one knows about how I help Jordan. I'm a princess, not a prince. I don't plan war, I don't negotiate peace; I just sit there looking pretty.

"Yeah, I know," I mumble in response to Mary.

"I'm thinking a light blue blouse with your favorite black skirt. How does that sound?"

"Mary, you know how I am about clothes."

"Yes, I know. You couldn't care less. You know Kamara, you're lucky you have a handmaid as fashionable as me. I couldn't imagine what you would do without me." I chuckle at that. Mary has been my handmaid for seven years now. We get along nicely, even though she is a couple of years older than me.

"Alright let's get going for today," I said, a small smile forming across my lips. As much as I want to go back to sleep I am SUPER excited to see Jordan today.

*****

Breakfast is a small bowl of fruit and yogurt - one of my personal favorites. I eat quickly, knowing I have a lot of things to get done today before Jordan arrives at three. First things first; I need to make a trip to the infirmary.

Mary and I laugh and talk about some guard we pass on our way out of the kitchen. I try not to think much about my destination; it's been years, but I still get chills when I find my mind glued to the trauma of my past. Sam died in that place, and every time I step inside, there's this feeling crawling in the back of my mind that I will never come out. Just like she did.

"I swear I saw him blush," Mary giggles.

"Oh Mary, the charmer," I respond, rolling my eyes.

"Watch it - when you meet your Prince Charming, I won't hesitate to joke about you too."

"Yeah, whatever." There is a slight pause in the conversation as we reach the steps of the infirmary.

"Alright, I will see you in an hour, and then we can get you all dressed up for your appearance at the new schoolhouse with your parents," Mary breaks the silence.

"Ok, bye Mary." I wave before turning my back to her and taking a deep breath. Pushing open the doors of the infirmary, I walk to the private room in the back. Inside sat a middle-aged man - a doctor by the name of Joseph Swin. He writes something illegible on his clipboard before turning to me.

"Good mornin', Kam."

"Good morning, Doctor."

"Please, take a seat." I walk past the doorway to the plush chair across from him.

"Alright, let's see what has transpired since your last visit." He opens the folder to my PAC and starts reading off the logs. "Eight o'clock a.m. Thursday, blood pressure high; 3:17 p.m. Thursday, blood pressure low; 10:51 p.m. Friday, blood pressure low; 2:43 p.m. Saturday, heart rate high; 2:06 a.m. Sunday, blood pressure high." He sighs before moving on. "Kamara you need to retain your control of this. There is only so much this device can do, and the other part of it is on you. You need to get your emotions under control. It's dangerous for your blood pressure to be this high; it can lead to stroke or other complications. And what the hell were you doing at 2:06 a.m. this morning?" He turns to look me in the eyes expectantly, and I can feel the waves of disappointment rolling off of him.