Defiance is Survival

Ch. 3

Spensa pov

I hate med bays. This newfound dislike manifested itself to me as soon as Kimmalyn and I arrived. FM had told her to take me to the med bay, just to get checked out.

But it's so . . . plain. White beds. White walls. White floors. White medical gowns. It's horrible.

They run tests on me, but quickly realize that nothing's wrong. Nothing happened to my brain to make me forget everything. It's like my brain was washed.

Then, they let me take a shower. I feel like I haven't showered in weeks. I wouldn't know.

When I got out, I find out that, in this specific med bay, they make you stay for 24 hours. And, with my specific case, they're making me stay for 48.

At least Kimmalyn is still here. She seems nice enough.

I lay down on my white bed, in my white sweatshirt and sweats. I basically blend in. Kimmalyn smiles at me.

"How are you doing?" she asks me.

I shrug. Then, my eye catches on her outfit. And the sling on it. She follows my confused gaze. "Is that a sling?"

She laughs slightly. "Yeah."

A small head pops out of it, and I jump in surprise. Then I look closer. "Is that the slug I woke up with?"

She smiles broadly. "Why bless your stars. This is my taynix. It's not the one you woke up with, no. That one had been yours for a long time. Her name is Doomslug. I can bring her to you, if you want."

I peer even closer. "Sure. What about the other thing?"

"Oh, that was a kitsen. No one seems to know what his name is. He calls himself 'the Masked Exile.' He was asking about you."

"Can I see him too?"

"Why, sure. Anybody else you want to meet? Like the Saint always said, 'better to meet everyone than no one.'"

"Who's the Saint? And who's this Jorgen guy FM told me about?"

She laughs again. She's a very cheerful person. "You needn't worry about the Saint. You'll know when you know. And Jorgen . . . well, he's currently the Admiral of the DDF—the Defiant Defense Force. You and him were quite close, before."

"Oh. I didn't—I didn't know."

She reaches for my hand, grasping it softly. "No one expects you to. Don't ever think anyone will, or does."

I nod quietly, just as the med bay doors open again. We both look at them, and are surprised to see the boy from the hallway, Jorgen, standing there.

He starts to walk towards us, and I look towards Kimmalyn. "What kind of faster-than-light communication do you have?"

She smiles brightly. "None that you don't have." And then she leaves. Just up and walks out. Man, i'll have to get back at her for just leaving me with him. Scud.

"Hi," he starts. He looks rigid, nervous, even.

"Hello." I motion for him to sit in the seat Kimmalyn so recently vacated. He does so.

"How are you doing?" he asks, and, for once, I actually think about it.

"Horrible."

His eyebrows raise. "I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

I shake my head. "Unless you want to viciously murder the eyes burned into the back of my head, and watch as they bleed out and die, hopefully retrieving my memory."

He starts laughing. "Sounds like you're acting like yourself again."

I smile, and it feels real. But, after a little bit, he stops suddenly. "What is it?"