Synthetic

Chapter Three

"Walk home?" I remembered back to that night we looked at the files. Saige laughing; me smiling, proud.

               Once we reached her room, I waved and headed in the opposite direction.

"Wait," I heard Saige rasp at last as if she was holding it in. "Do you want to play five card draw?"

               I paused. It was really late, and I knew if she didn't get to sleep soon the insomnia would become overpowering. I shook my head.

"It's late Saige. Please get some sleep for me."

               She stiffened and nodded. She understood; I was worried about her. She turned into her door and kind of stood against it for a moment before pushing it open and slipping in.

I suddenly noticed the file tucked in the back of my pants. I cursed. "Tomorrow," I thought. "I'll give it to her tomorrow."

               I stuck the file in the drawer under my sink and slipped under my sheets.
               After I realized how much I'd been thinking about her, I turned on my side. Had she been thinking about me?

"Morning darling," nurse Tarah remarked ripping off my sheets.

               It was much earlier than we were usually awoken and I knew something was wrong.

"Surprise inspection," she sneered with a smirk pulling at her face.

               I wanted nothing more than to punch her across the face.

I groaned, trying to seem unprepared for anything. Including breathing. "Can you give me a moment to get changed and splash some water on my face. Otherwise when you find my underwear and such I won't be so happy."

               She scoffed but left anyhow. I immediately ran over to the drawer under my sink. How could I have forgotten to give Saige the file for a full week. God, a week of blissful staring and dreaming.
               I pulled out the file and ran around looking for anywhere to hide it. I looked up at the white-board that hung from my wall. It had some little drawing that Saige had put up there one late night of talking.
               I jiggled the white-board and contained my scream for joy. I slipped the file behind the white-board and threw my clothes off. After slipping into some new ones, I swung open the door to find Ty and Jeeran.

               They flooded the room with random nurses behind them, needles filled with whatever could be necessary. First, they lifted my bed. Then they pulled out drawers, even checked a little hole in the wall. Then they walked over to my white-board. My breath stopped dead. Ty jiggled it, and turned to my shower. The file had remained.

               I breathed out a sigh when no one was near. Nurse Tarah came up behind me.

"Excellent darling," she smiled, hatefulness in her teeth. "You know policy."

               I did, so I nodded. She turned relentlessly and left. She had to do at least twenty more inspections, so mine wasn't too important or special. They did about twenty a week.
               We were full, however, of so many that it would be another two months before any of us got a second visit.
               I took a deep breath in and headed into the hallway. After such an anxious morning, I needed a good breakfast. With Saige. Then, I noticed that nurse Tarah was not rushing around searching rooms. She had nothing else to do. She wasn't searching rooms. She was completely relaxed, leaning against the wall, smacking on some sort of food.