Earth's Revival

17 - Fallout

When the authorities busted into the closet, Rory had finally won a round. Just as he threw down his cards and raised his hands in victory, the door was opened.

After that, everything was a blur. He remembered someone pushing him forcefully down a hall, his friends with him. The next, someone was going through his pockets, and then he was sitting alone in a little room. The only source of light coming from a window in the door. Otherwise, it was just himself and the small cot.

Occasionally, the guard poked his head in the window as he paced down the hall. And when he saw Hunt's face through the glass pane, his stomach plummeted, dropping out of his body. Hunt stood there for a few moments, the expression on his face unreadable. Before, Rory had been going through the possibilities of how he could get out of this without anyone figuring it out. Now, any chance of that happening was gone.

A few minutes later, Ross appeared through the window. Initially, Rory had caught a reaction of disbelief. The doctor's eyes were wide, his jaw had dropped slightly, but it had quickly hardened. Rory looked back down, returning his gaze to a loose stitch in the threading of the mattress.

God, he was so stupid. What had he even been thinking?  He had never directly disobeyed Ross before. He had never seen Ross angry before, either. Annoyed, upset, disappointed, yeah -- he had experienced those with Ross, but never anger. The mere thought sent his entire body shaking.

What the hell was his problem? Damn it. You had one thing to do, Rory. One thing. Get supplies. It was the least you could have done before running off with your friends.

The room was slanted. Everything had been slanted since he had started to drink in that little closet. He barely remembered anything that had taken place with Leissi, Sidnio and Charlie. Truth be told, with the way everything was fuzzy now, he wasn't sure whether or not he'd remember what was happening now.

How long until Ross would appear in the door again?

He clutched his knees to his chest, his fingers tapping a quick beat against his leg in anticipation. The minutes passed, and nothing happened. He lost count of the time, but it must have been at least a half-hour before the door was opened by one of the guards.

"Alright. Get up," he ordered. "You've been signed out."

Rory didn't move, just stared blankly at the guard. He made a large gesture with his arm, waving Rory through the door.

"Let's go!"

Immediately, Rory jumped to his feet. That was a bad idea. The room suddenly oriented itself on its side, and he had to grab the wall to steady it. His head pounded. He was such an idiot.

The guard led him through the door and into the hall. Rory found himself hugging the wall as they walked, his shoulder brushing the side with every step. The guard didn't bring him back to the central area, but to a side room where he asked Rory a few questions about himself. He took a voice sample and his fingerprints, which left a black inky residue on his fingertips.

The process seemed to take forever. The guard then took him back to the main lobby. It was empty. No sign of Ross or Hunt anywhere.

"Where's Ross?" Rory muttered.

"Come on," the guard continued, nudging him forward. "I'm taking you back to your living pad."

"Oh." Rory frowned but continued to walk as the guard took him out of the Security Department.

The journey back to the Science Hall dragged on but was over before Rory could blink. The next thing he knew, he was facing the door of the living pad. The guard knocked on the door, which slid open almost immediately. Rory was nudged through the entrance. He could hear appliances in the kitchen running as Ross moved around.