Insight

Chapter Sixteen: Test

Nurse Allison pushed my wheelchair silently, occasionally greeting the Nurses along the way. I thought that I'd be getting my check-up in the Infirmary and though we initially went in that direction, we turned down a path halfway to the Infirmary that I hadn't noticed before. It led us to a metallic looking building that was bigger than the Dining Hall.

"This is our medical research facility." Nurse Allison announced as we entered. The entrance just led into a long hallway with doors on either side, each labeled in a language I didn't recognize.

"Research? What are they researching here?" I asked.

"I actually don't know. I think it's just a research center for our jurisdiction that happens to be located in our camp. But either way it's useful. They provide medicine for the sick kids in the Infirmary and you get your checkup here." She stopped at a door and a guy that seemed as if he should be a body builder opened it for her. The door led to another hallway that was significantly shorter than the one we'd just come from, but looked almost identical other than that fact. I turned around to see that the guy that had opened the door was now apparently guarding the door. When I turned to face forward, Nurse Allison turned the wheelchair so I was facing what I thought would be a door but was actually a doorway that had no door. Another person was standing there, dressed in a lab coat.

"This is where I leave you." Nurse Allison said. "I'll come back to pick you up when you're done."

"Alright, I'm going to need you to remove all of your clothes." the other person said. She was tall, with short, wavy brown hair.

"Out here?" I said, looking down the hallway at the buff guy guarding the door.

"Unfortunately, yes. He won't bother you, I'm pretty sure he's gay." The woman said, noticing where I was looking. "When you pass through this doorway, the pipe there-" She motioned upwards and I saw a pipe attached to the top of the doorway. "is going to spray you down with a few harmless chemicals to make sure you're clean."

"I just showered." I said, but stood up and started undressing anyways.

"It's protocol. I have a paper gown for you to wear after you're all washed off."

I placed all my clothes on the seat of the wheelchair, and tried to cover myself the best I could.

"Okay, now you're going to want to step directly under the pipe and close your eyes. I'll let you know when to open them and step out from under it."

I did as she instructed and immediately after I was situated under the pipe, I felt like pressurized air was being blown on me, but something sticky coated me. Then once that stopped, it felt as if I were under a shower but the liquid was slimier than water. When that stopped, more air was blown onto me that left me feeling gritty, and then there was more liquid that I assumed could be water but I wasn't sure.

"Alright, you're done. You can open your eyes and step forward."

I was soaking wet and somewhat chilly. The woman handed me a paper gown and watched as I put it on, shivering.

"I'm Doctor Ayve. I'm your main doctor and I'll be the one to see you every time. Because you took the Anti-Serum, we're probably going to check up on you once a month while your peers only need a checkup every three or four months. I'm not sure, I specialize in all things Anti-Serum and you're my only patient. If you'll follow me, I'll lead you to the first room."

I became even more anxious than I was before, and wondered if that meant that the second kid had also died or if Nurse Allison was right and I was the only one who had taken the Anti-Serum but I couldn't get up the courage to ask. Instead I let her lead me into a room with two chairs and a sink. She told me I could sit down and I gratefully collapsed into a chair. I was shaking again, but I was pretty sure it was more nerves than exhaustion now. Doctor Ayve washed her hands and pulled gloves from a box that was resting on the side of the sink. She sat down in the second chair, which was facing me.