Spy School: 'The Aftermath'

Waking Up

The Infirmary

The Academy of Espionage

Washington, DC

May 23rd

1700 hours

I was waking up.

My eyes fluttered open, and I was met with the stench of isopropyl alcohol, and just the general hygienic smell of the school infirmary. It felt like I was having a migraine. The lights were brighter than the gates of heaven, but that was more than likely because of the blow my head took earlier. It took a minute for my eyes to adjust. I could feel the tugging of the few butterfly stitches placed on my temple.

Our nurse's office had a considerably larger budget; the reason being Spy School would most likely have a lot more accidents and injuries associated with the school. There were two nurses, requiring one on duty at a time and a larger room than the conventional office. We still couldn't just send a wounded minor to a standard clinic, it would raise questions that we would have needed to cover up.

We even had a TV. Though it was one of those old, small, boxy ones that had a cassette player built into it. There was an envelope of dust on the screen, and it was playing an overzealous talk show. I never paid attention to those.

I had been here only twice before, the first being; having the stomach flu and I had vomited at two o'clock in the morning in my dorm room, and the other being getting some weird rash on my hands after somehow goofing up on a chemical concoction during my Biochemical Weaponry class.

The nurse on duty had his back turned to me on a swivel chair with wheels, typing away with click-clack noises being heard.

His name was Mr. Martosski, and he was that typical overly eccentric doctor that always talked to you about his kids and whatnot. He had Disney merchandise on his stethoscope. I was stuck with him for twenty minutes when I had the stomach bug, and he, of course, was rambling on and on about experiences he had on the job. I was seriously considering vomiting to get out of the exchange. I prepped myself for what was about to happen next.

I cleared my throat, signaling to Mr. Martosski that I was cognizant.

He shifted around in his swivel armchair and boosted himself in the general direction towards my bed.

"Ah, Benjamin! You're awake!" He proclaimed, then lowered his voice a bit. "...And you took quite the nasty fall there, eh?"

I nodded, not certain what to say in this conversation.

"The cut and impact injury is relatively superficial, so you aren't in too much trouble." He added, "—Still, try not to overstimulate your brain."

"Anyways!" He spoke powerfully, making me jump for a moment. He didn't seem to notice. "Since you were well... Um, invaded before, and your room isn't exactly in the best shape, your living quarters will have to be presumed elsewhere. It will only be for a day until we get everything sorted out. The principal had recommended it himself."

Oh brother. Not that again. My eyebrows fell and my face contorted into a grimace, and he noticed. I knew the principal suggested The Box just to get under my skin and inconvenience me, making me feel even worse.

"But don't worry! He reassured, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "Your friends will be visiting you before your grand departure to The Box in three-and-a-half minutes. In fact, they're right outside this room as we speak!" He gave a brief glance to the door, and to which I followed his short-lived gaze.

The narrow rectangular, tall window that was included in the door had the faces of Mike, Zoe, and Erica all squeezed together, trying to get a better look into the room. They seemed to be bickering about it.

Mr. Martosski produced an uneasy chuckle.

It had never occurred to me that my friends would be insanely worried about me. Though now that I think about it, probably finding out that 'haha, yeah Ben Ripley was found sprawled on the floor, along with his dorm in shambles by a poor student who just wanted to see what all the racket was about' does sound pretty worry-inducing.

"I'll give you four some time alone to talk, heh..." He chuckled uneasily again.

Out went Martosski and in came my friends.

"Ben!" 

They all screamed in unison, bounding towards my bed.

"Hey, guys." My tone was that stereotypical 'weak' tone that people in hospital beds always have. I was still physically and emotionally drained from the circumstances of last night. It made me look, and sound, pathetic.

"We heard what happened," Zoe spoke. 

"Are you okay?" Mike added. 

Each of them had concern and worry in their eyes, but Erica's looked like something else.

Guilt.

Me and her will chat about that later.

"I'm okay," I responded, looking at Erica, hoping to ease her feelings.

"Wait, actually, not really." I contradicted.

Everyone looked at me, attentive.

"I have to go to The Box in two-ish minutes."

"Really?" Erica said, rolling her eyes. "I thought you were done with that place."

Zoe looked fed-up as well.

Meanwhile, Mike looked in the dark. "What's The Box? It doesn't sound very positive." Mike had asked, puzzled.

Erica cleared her throat and began: "The Box is supposed to be a holding cell for evil-doers, but it was temporarily refurbished into a place that was supposed to keep evil-doers out and keep Ben safe. Naturally, it's not the best place to be in."

"Oooh. Sorry man." He cringed.

"It's fine. I'll live."

I wasn't so sure about that. 

Despite this place being heavily guarded, a scrawny guy managed to squeeze through my window undetected. And Erica managed to, during my early days at Spy School.

"By the way, did they catch the guy who went into my room last night?" I asked.

Mike grinned, happy to lighten the mood after the news of my imminent transport to The Box in two minutes and twenty-seven seconds. "Oh yeah. They caught him booking it across the Quadrangle, barely using any kind of stealth at all."

"He cracked as soon as they brought him in for questioning, it was kind of a bummer," Zoe commented.

"His name was Jordan Shnak." Erica began. "Apparently, he had said that someone anonymous would be going to pay him to grab a kid from a 'science school', and that he desperately needed the money so he didn't question it."

He obviously thought it would be a quick and easy job, and didn't know that this place was a top-secret government espionage academy. He probably got insanely lucky just getting past security in the first place.

Despite the person attempting to kidnap me earlier, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. After all, people don't just turn to crime to be greedy douchebags, like turning to SPYDER, for instance. 

The door creaked open, and a serious, large man stood in the doorway. My time was up.

 He spoke.

"Benjamin Ripley, it is time for your confinement at your temporary quarters." He didn't even try to make it sound better than it is.

Here we go.