The Chapters

Chapter Three

I'm not bothering to read the rant you're scribbling out right now. I am watching you from the corner if my eye, but most of my attention is focused on the two people lying on the other end of the video feed. Isak had almost thrown a tantrum about not being able to see them the first time, but the most we could do for him was set up a live video of the holding room, courtesy of Keon's persuasion tactics. Amias, Ivo, Karla, Zahara and I are watching it with him.

For future reference, new chapters don't count as time-skips. That should answer some of those questions you're writing down.

"The exam is to make sure they're safe to be released," Amias tells me. I'm almost certain that he was pulled aside and told to give me limited information about my surroundings.

"Safe for who?" I look at the two figures on the screen. "Us or themselves?"

"Both."

After the two had collapsed earlier, we had all been told to back away while a small opened the doors and went to retrieve the outsiders. There had been many protests - some didn't want to let them in, others wanted to bring them in themselves - but they we're brought inside directly to the medical wing. Not many got a good look at them.

"Are they really hurt?" Isak asks. He's very close to the monitor, close enough that if he stuck out his tongue it would be touching it.

Karla notes this and pulls him back. "Even if that's not the case, they're definitely dehydrated and hungry. Our Kin is a bit out there from the others."

"How long is it going to take?"

"A couple more hours, based on the rate they're going at."

"I'm guessing not a lot of outsiders get into our Kin?" I ask.

"They do, on occasion." Karla places her hand on Zahara's head. "They most often are brought here for one reason or another. Then after we've neutralized, stabilized, and understood them, we preform an Acquirement based on their fit into the Kin."

"You didn't mention who brings them," Ivo says pointedly.

"Well, no one brought these two in, so those people are doing a pretty bad job."

"It's not like it's our fault."

"Why would it be?" I put in. "You couldn't have made those people mess up, right?"

Ivo frowns and stares at the screen.

You stop writing for a moment, then place your pencil right in front of me. Sometimes I have the distinct feeling that you're saying really stupid things.

Welcome to the club.

"They've already done the neuro-tests." Amias pauses as if he's calculating something. "The physical will probably be over in fifteen minutes. The interrogation will definitely take longer."

"So we're going to stare at this screen for another hour?" Ivo groans. "He's seen his stuff, we can go now."

Isak sits up and glares at him. "We're going to stay until they wake up, then we're going to go to the one-way mirror."

"No way."

"Yes way!"

"We aren't allowed to watch the interrogation, Isak," Karla says slowly.

Isak pouts. "Mica is!"

"I am?" I echo.

"No."

I point at Isak. "Then why did he say - "

"He didn't say anything." Karla gives everyone around the room a pointed look before returning to me. "Are you sure your head is alright?"

I narrow my eyes. "My head is fine."