Of Illnesses And Antidotes

Chapter Twenty-Six

Shh. Don't wake anyone.

I'm surrounded by noise. The thumping of my heart mingles with the surge of adrenaline that blends with the pounding of my feet against the floor; they all seem so loud against the deafening silence.

Doctor Warren leads the way. She conceals my rucksack within her large white coat, whilst managing to walk as casually as possible. I keep my head down and my eyes fixate on the floor. No one has yet to walk past us – not surprisingly, as the time is just a little before seven – but the fear of being discovered hangs stiffly in the air without a doubt. If we get caught, it's game over. They'll kill me.

A few moments later, Doctor Warren draws to a halt outside the double doors that lead into the main hall. She glances over her shoulder and catches my gaze. She holds a finger to her lips. I nod my head in understanding. She takes a step towards me and bends close to my ear.

"We're going to head for the kitchen and from there, I'll leave you in the hands of a guard," she explains. "A trusted guard. He'll escort you out of the grounds and then you'll be on your own. If you hear anything or see anything suspicious, run. Just run. Don't bother waiting to confirm your fears, just go straight for it. Okay?"

"Okay," I whisper. This is it. This is what it's all come down to.

My hand instinctively reaches up to my neck and my fingers curl around the silver locket hanging hidden around my throat. It's warm to the touch and comforting. The thought of knowing that in some way, my family are always going to be with me, eases my worries slightly and part of the weight vanishes from off my shoulders.

"Ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

Doctor Warren smiles at me. "Let's go."

The door is pushed open a crack and Doctor Warren slips through. Seconds later, I follow, and close it quietly behind me. Looking from left to right, I check the coast is clear. Not a soul is in sight. The shutters are pulled down over the pharmacy hatch and the reception desk is cleared of files and laptops. Darkness swallows up the kitchen and peace engulfs every trace of sound. Utter privacy.

Quickly but quietly, the two of us stride over to the serving hatch, careful to ensure our shoes don't screech against the polished floor. I can almost taste the sense of freedom in my mouth. All I can feel is the intense throbbing of my heart against my chest and the little tremors of excited shivers running down my spine.

Just before we stop outside the kitchen, Doctor Warren pauses in her stride, and turns around to look at me. She hands me my rucksack. "This is where I'll leave you. Once inside the kitchen, head straight to the back then turn right and someone will be waiting for you beside a door. Oh, and when he leaves you, don't hesitate. Just start running. Put as much distance between yourself and here as possible because they're bound to find out you're missing at some point."

"Okay." I nod my head, then smile gratefully. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Doctor Warren smiles, her eyes glistening. They appear misted, glassy almost. "Don't you worry about it. This is the least I can do. After everything that's happened..." She breaks off and turns away.

Before I can question her last words, she slips past me and heads off back in the direction we came. I step up to the serving hatch and crouch down, ready to duck under the counter. I toss my rucksack through the gap and watch it skid all the way across the room, until it slows to a standstill under the sink.

All of a sudden, a hand darts out from the shadows and snatches the rucksack from the ground. It retreats back into the shadows and leaves me slightly dumbfounded. I guess that's my guard. I open my mouth to whisper hello, but think better of it and close my mouth. Glancing over my shoulder, I watch Doctor Warren walking over to the double door. A moment later, she stops and glances past her shoulder. She smiles at me.