Infected

Chapter 8

The first thing I pull out of the paper bag sends me into a fit of laughter. It's the kind that makes you sound insane as it brings tears to your eyes and makes you double over from the energy it takes to try to control it. Quin seems amused, raising a perfect brow and smirking at my uncharacteristic fit. If only he knew that an hour ago I was on the floor hyperventilating from panic.

He's brought me books and the first on the stack is the cause of my hysterics, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I didn't take him to be a fan of children's books. In my experience university professors tended to offer literature based on world wars and ancient civilizations.

I wipe the tears from my eyes, looking through the ones that follow. The Sound and the Fury, The Time Machine, The Whale and Metamorphosis are among the dozen that he has brought to me, stark contrasts to the first.

After deciding that he'd created a good selection I finally explain my laughter, "For a moment I was worried you'd brought me everything from an elementary school."

"The Wizard of Oz is a classic, don't treat it like an easy read." He defends, "Dorothy is an assertive girl for her young age, and also sensible. I though you'd be interested in a character that seems so much like yourself."

I smirk, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were flirting with me Professor."

"Look, do you want the books or not?"

"Well are you?" I can't wipe the smile off my face, this is the best I've felt all day.

"I may have had the intention to impress you, yes." He quickly gives his own crooked smile before continuing, "But my first thought was you'd need entertainment while you wait to go home, and I didn't take you to be the type for television, and Galen might have mentioned that books were the best option."

It was good that he'd thought to ask Galen what my habits were because I don't I could stand hearing the drone of the television that sat in the corner of my room. I find it to be empty sound and useless images, unless it involved the local news which on the rare occasion I would watch. 

"Thank you, this will definitely pass the time." I say to him.

"So what's the plan to spring you out of here?"

"An interview with a shrink then I talk to the police." I scrunch my nose to show my disdain. He chuckles, leaning back in the chair and rubbing his chin. I'm glad to know he finds amusement in anything that I have to go through.

"Then you're Scott free?"

I nod.

I pull Metamorphosis from the stack of books and begin flipping through the worn down pages. Along the yellowing paper there's notes, written in elegant ink. Upon further inspection I see that they're throughout the book, some pages more than others. 

"What are these?" I ask, showing him a page that is littered with lines and single words.

"Those are my notes, you'll find them in all of the books I brought for you."

"You don't think these are a little personal? I mean, I wouldn't want someone looking through my annotations unless it was for academics." 

"I have no problem letting you see what I've written, if you can read it. My penmanship isn't the easiest to look through."

I try deciphering a word in the corner but I'm unsuccessful. With my discomfort now eased I flip to the first page and begin reading. Quin reaches for another book and opens it to a random spot. He must've been reading several books at once because his eyes begin trailing across the text as if he knew what was already happening.