Rustles

Part 5

They arrived back to base half an hour later. Silver left her gun with men and took her inside, offering her hand while she hopped up the stairs. The bald man was there again and the blond doctor. Silver didn’t say anything, only shook her head and passed them, her head bowed. She didn’t dare to look up either.

Silver took her straight back to the back room and told her to sit. It was the only time she spoke during their entire trip back. She wasn’t in the mood to speak either.

After she left, her toes began tingling like holding them on washing machine. It crunched her stomach, realizing there were more of them down there. At first she tried to keep her feet on the ground, but soon the sensation got too overpowering and she pulled them up, resting them gently on the stool’s edge.

“Nice to see you resting your ankle for a change,” she heard the doctor’s voice, “you didn’t get much before I gather.”

“No, not much.”

“You should have enough now,” Judith sat on the stool next to her feet, “we closed the tunnel they were using.”

She didn’t quite know what to say. It wasn’t happy news for her, they should have kept eye on them in the first place so she wouldn’t even have to be here, covered in someone else’s blood.

“I should probably ask someone to take me home or call taxi?” she asked, trying not to sound very obnoxious.

“Driver will take you home, when we’re done here.”

She pulled up against the back. “Oh?”

“Routine check-up.” Doctor explained. She reached for her hands and turned them up and down checking for wounds.

“Those things, the men,” she quickly corrected, “won’t they be…”

“Infectious? No. I’m afraid, what they have, is cursed only to them.”

What an odd choice of words, she thought. “May I ask, what is it they have?”

Judith only smiled for reply and turned her attention to her ankle. She disentangled the dirty bandages. They were covered with blood mixed dirt and half undone. The knot and the wet ligament squeezed her skin, leaving deep marks in the flesh. She applied an ointment from unmarked bottle before wrapping it with clean bandage.

“See? Wasn’t that bad – didn’t even need to take your blood.” Her eyes sparkled with friendly humor and she smiled back before pressing down a laugh. They both laughed. It was unprepared and by any definition wrong, but they hid it behind backs of their hands, trying to keep it silent and still did it. They needed it.

After a minute, she patted her knee and hushed her with her finger.

“Will you need something to sleep?” she asked, serious again. “I know you don’t think you’ll need it now, but I’m guessing you’ll be having trouble sleeping this week. I can give something to help you with that.”

She agreed. She’d need help tonight to discard the dreams she knew she’d have. Judith took out a sheet of small yellow tablets. It was almost empty and she carefully counted the remaining four pills.

“Take Zaleplon an hour before bedtime. You’ll need to be at work in the morning?”

“No, I have free day tomorrow,” she frowned, “no, today.”

“It will help you sleep better.”

She was sure of it and hid the pills in her jacket pocket. Doctor gave her small piece of paper to accompany the pills. “My phone number,” she explained, “I’ll need yours, too.” She gave her a notebook and pen.

She gave it to her, half dazed already. The loveseat was too comfortable for her own good.

“Alright, I’ll let Nate give you lift home then.” She said nicely packing her things together and gave her support for hopping back to the door.