Nevada Confidential

Elevators

Brinley felt her heart begin to pound. She didn't know what she was doing- how could she? What if she made a mistake, and ruined this whole project? Brinley reminded herself that she didn't care about the project. All that she cared about was getting out of this place, with Simon. Then again, she found everything that was going on so fascinating. Even though she knew that she didn't fit in here, she felt as if it was where she was meant to be.

But why?

Why did she enjoy this- draining blood from corpses, using needles and laryngoscopes and endotracheal tubes?

She wasn't sure why she found it so inspiring, but she did. She felt a sort of determination, as if she'd found herself. Who cared if she didn't know how to inject the needle? She would use her best judgment, and try. If she failed- well, she would learn from her mistakes, and Kam would understand. Right?

Brinley grabbed the cord from where it lay on the floor, attached to the anti-freeze tank but not to the needle. She screwed it on as quickly as her fingers would allow without poking herself, and hurried to the side of the tub again.

"Nice job," Kam said, admiring Brinley's efficiency. "Now. It needs to be injected in the Coronary Artery opposite this one. That would be about..." Kam placed a finger a few centimeters to the left of the needle she was draining blood from. "Here. Insert it at a slight vertical angle."

Brinley forced her fingers to stop shaking as the needle pierced the soft skin.

"Good... good...." Kam said quietly. "Alright, now stop- but don't release the needle. We're going to tape it down so you can let go. Tom, will you hand Emelda the medical tape?"

Brinley took the roll from his hand, and ripped off two pieces. She wrapped it around the needle and against the skin in an 'X' shape.

"Alright, now you can turn on the pump on the anti-freeze tank," Kam directed.

In one stride, Brinley was at the tank, and flipping a small green switch. She could see the immediate effect as the silvery liquid began running through the cord, and into the girl's chest.

Kam nodded, impressed. "Well, Emelda, I think you're really cut out for this sort of work."

Brinley smiled, proud.

Yes, she thought, maybe I am.

When Eli took the key out of the quad, the engine ceased to rumble. Brinley sighed, feeling content, though she knew she shouldn't. She felt more alive than she had in a long time- but at this point, it was difficult to remember what life was like before Nevada. All of the sand and heat and constant adrenaline had gotten to her- she knew it had. She'd hadn't even been there for a week- had she?

Brinley counted the days silently as she walked back to the main building- unaccompanied by Eli, who needed to take the keys back to the supervisor, Dean. She realized, with surprise, that this was only her third day here in Nevada. Of course, it was mid afternoon- but Brinley would have found four days surprising.

It had been an eternity- or so it had felt. Brinley felt as if her emotions were clashing- it was the fight between what she knew she should want, and what she actually wanted.

She was supposed to only be getting information that would help them escape, but instead she found herself trying to learn things that weren't useful to the cause at all. She needed to be afraid of what was going on, and be careful. She was more thrilled than frightened, and she wasn't being as cautious as she could be.

Brinley's shoulders slumped. Why was this so confusing? She could just find a time for her and Simon to leave, ask when planes took off, because then maybe they could take a plane out of this place, figure out what the security cameras were like.... But she wanted to stay. Just a bit longer, she told herself. She needed to know exactly what was going on here.