The Girl in the Elevator (ONC 2022)

6. Spa of Surprise

Sam sat in the back of a beat-up car. It looked older than his grandmother, and he was pretty sure it was of those cars that got driven over by monster trucks in a rally. The roof was dented in just above his head, so he had to slouch in his seat to make sure he didn't accidentally bump his head against it.

At least the seatbelt still worked, and he made sure to fasten it. Safety first, right? It was something his grandmother was a firm believer in.

"All that safety crap is dumb, but sometimes it's the only thing that saves the lives of idiots." She'd give him this direct look when she told them this, so he knew it was one of those important sayings of hers that he should take to heart. Even now, as he thought about it, he sighed and rubbed at his eyes.

He missed Gran.

He really, really hoped he'd get to see her again.

The car hit a pothole and bucked. Sam jerked in his seat, his head knocking against the dented-in roof. He yelped and clutched his head with both hands.

Chip Commando – the burly fellow in the passenger seat – twisted to look at him. "You all right back there?"

Sam's eyes watered. He sniffed. Was he all right?

He didn't think so.

Even if Chip was a good listener and shared his chips, he still was super strong and just a little bit scary. The fellow had hauled Sam out to the car as easily as he'd carry out a small child. Whatever protest Sam had mustered turned out to be as effective as toilet paper clothing. But that wasn't the worst of it. They didn't even let him leave a note for his Gran. He was worried about what she'd do when she woke up and found him gone.

A scoff resounded in his mind, and he could almost see his Gran rolling her eyes at him. "Stop your blathering and be a man. You're 32, for crying out loud!"

He hunched down in his seat, feeling miserable.

But Gran, he thought, I'm scared.

"I don't care! Grow up!"

With careful fingers, he rubbed the sore spot on his head. Thinking of his Gran, he reluctantly muttered, "I'm okay."

Chip gave a half smile. "That's a good lad."

Ducking his head, Sam wriggled a little in his seat. Chip thought he was good? It was a bit strange, to be praised by the person who'd dragged him out of his grandmother's house, yet he felt a little burst of warmth. If they thought he was good, then maybe he didn't need to worry so much. After all, they were friends of his grandmother's, right?

Maybe she was worried about the incident at work, and asked them to take him out for a while. This thought cheered Sam up immensely. It was just like her, to be so thoughtful and generous. She knew exactly how to make a terrible day better.

Eagerly, he leaned forward. The seatbelt strained as he pulled against it. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," Chip said slowly. He seemed a little startled, for his eyebrows jumped up like great fuzzy caterpillars. It only lasted a moment, because they settled back in place and he gained back his normal, slightly-amused expression.

The car jerked over another pothole. Sam clutched at the back of the driver's seat to stabilize himself, and just barely managed to avoid another bump on the head. "Does Gran know where?"

"Nope."

"Huh." Sam pondered this. He wasn't too worried though. Surprises were fun. "How long will it take?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"On you." One side of Chip's mouth quirked upwards. He turned to face forward, leaving Sam to ponder the meaning of that.

Actually, Sam didn't ponder much at all. He just settled back in his seat, a thrill of anticipation in his heart. He knew it – this was going to be a great surprise. When he got back home, the first thing he was going to do was give Gran a giant thank-you hug. She really was the best.

The car drove on and the hours of night slowly ticked by. Eventually, the long day caught up to Sam and he drifted off to sleep.

When he awakened, he found himself in a very different place.

The car was gone. The Commandos were gone. And instead of the dark of night, glaring white light shone down from above. He squinted, raising a hand in front of his eyes to block out the worst of it.

He was, Sam realized, lying on a bed with the blanket pulled right up to his chin. It was quite comfortable, and he was almost tempted to go back to sleep. But then the last series of events came waltzing into his memory, and he sat bolt upright, eyes wide.

Wait a minute. Wasn't there a surprise waiting for him?

A quick look around revealed no obvious surprise, but there definitely was something unusual going on. For one thing, he was in a glass room. Both walls and ceiling were see-through. Beyond his little room was an even larger room, and it looked a lot like one of the futuristic labs in a sci-fi movie. There were a lot of strange things on the walls and appliances that shone silver and flat computer screens showing weird pictures and words.

He understood none of it. Slowly, his gaze settled on the door frame set in the glass wall before him. It looked like a thin rectangle of metal, for the door itself was also transparent.

Was he on a spaceship? This place was certainly strange enough. But he decided not to jump to conclusions, because Gran told him that doing so was bad and that he'd be wrong, anyway. Instead, it was better to wait for something to happen, like-

"Hello, Samwell."

The smooth voice came from beside his bed. Startled, Sam twisted to stare. There was a chair beside his bed, one that he'd overlooked entirely. Someone currently sat in it, smiling warmly at him.

Sam sat bolt upright, clutching the blanket to his chest. The person sitting in the chair was a bald man of indeterminate age, with bronze skin and high cheekbones that gleamed faintly in the light. His eyes were like diamonds, glittering and hard and so pale it was hard to tell if they were gray or blue or something in between.

At first glance, there was something off about him. But when Sam looked closer, he couldn't figure out what it was. And the more he stared, the more ordinary and friendly the man appeared.

Sam blinked; all the staring made his eyes feel dry. "Hi?"

The strange man's smile grew ever so slightly. "Did you sleep well?"

"I think so." At the very least, Sam didn't feel tired. Not anymore.

"I'm glad to hear it. After the day you had, I'm sure you quite needed your rest."

Sam nodded, very much in agreement. It was kind of the stranger to acknowledge this. Sam relaxed a little, letting the blanket fall to his waist. That revealed that he was no longer wearing the mismatched clothes from the night before. Instead, someone had dressed him in pale blue pajamas, which, he noticed happily, were soft and warm. It was a vast improvement over the lumberjack attire.

It was like getting pampered at a hotel. The cozy bed, the nice clothes – Sam's mouth fell open as realization sunk in. Did his grandmother send him to the spa? Was this one of those fancy spa places she and her girlfriends kept chatting about?

Gratitude nearly overcame him. He swiped at his eyes. "Thank you," he murmured. "This is – it's really nice."

The stranger chuckled pleasantly. He sat with one leg thrown over the other, his hands folded neatly on a thigh. He wore a white coat over a black shirt and trousers, and his shoes had been polished to a brilliant shine. His very appearance was sharp and tidy; it spoke of professionalism.

It impressed Sam. He wondered if this guy was his personal spa attendant. The thought made him straighten up, eager to see what was next in line for his surprise. So far, it was proving to be even more than he could have hoped for.

"Who are you?" he asked.

The bald man inclined his head. "You may call me Dr Jenny."

A doctor! Sam's eyes grew round. He didn't get a mere attendant to look after him, but an actual doctor? This was incredible!

"Wow," he breathed. "Gran is awesome."