Mission: Insanity

Chapter 7: Every Right to be Scared

Chapter 7

I opened my eyes. I wasn't in the water anymore, I was in medical, sleeping on a bed. My leg stung and my chest hurt. I wasn't wearing my vest or brace still, but I was hooked up to many, many wires.

As soon as I started to sit up, a beeping sound began. Doctor Kratz walked in.

"Did I pass?" I mumbled.

He shook his head.

"I need to talk to Kyle."

"You have to get checked out first. Luckily, your former partner got you out of the water quite smoothly, otherwise this all could've been much worse."

"I need to talk to him now."

"We have to finish our tests first."

"Five minutes."

"No."

"Two minutes," I bargained.

"No."

"Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. You know what I'm like. I can cooperate or I can argue this whole time. Let me talk to him."

Doctor Kratz sighed. "One minute. I'll send him in."

He left the room, and less than 30 seconds later, Kyle walked in.

"What were you thinking?" he demanded.

"I had to finish."

"No, you didn't. You need to get better."

"How long was I out?"

"Not even a day."

"How many hours?"

"14 hours and seventeen minutes," he said automatically. "Can you explain to me why you needed to do this?"

"Tell Agent Katherine she can't upload the Elitist statuses yet."

"She already has."

"When?"

"I had about two more hours of trial left after you went unconscious, and then two hours of processing time.  So that would be about ten hours ago."

That was what I needed to know.

"I can't tell you everything, not right now, but I will tell you one thing as long as you promise you will not tell anyone."

Kyle nodded.

"I switched my profile. I switched it with Chelsea's."

"What? Why?" he asked, but then Doctor Kratz walked back into the room.

"Time's up."

"Brooke, why would you do that?"

"I can't tell you."

"Agent Kyle, I'm going to need you to leave."

"Brooke, what is going on?  Who are they going to kill?" Kyle asked as he was pushed out the door.

Before it closed, I shook my head slightly and said, "Me."  I don't know if he heard me.

"Did you get everything you needed with him?" Doctor Kratz asked.  From that reaction, I would assume my words didn't travel to Kyle, or even past my hospital bed.

I nodded. I cooperated for every test, every injection, every scan. I needed to get out of there. I had to change my plan, and fast.

~~~~

"Good news!" Nathan said as he walked into the room. "I'm allowed to take you outside for a little bit."

"What?" I asked as I looked up from my lunch.

"I finally got permission for you to go outside. It's not for very long, and you have to stay with someone the entire time, but at least you get to go outside!"

He was right. I hadn't been outside since I returned, and fresh air couldn't hurt.  Out of everything that happened today, I needed a break.  I didn't want to take a break, but I knew that it wasn't about what I wanted right now.  It's never been about what I wanted.

"When can we go?"

"Once you finish eating, I guess."

"I'll change after I finish this, and then I'll meet you at the back door," I replied. I was genuinely happy with this. I had been so overwhelmed by everything, especially my failure of the Elitist trial, that I needed a break, even if it was something quick.  I needed a break, I kept repeating to myself, hoping it would quiet the part of me that screamed that I needed to stick to the plan.  Always stick to the plan.

The mission comes first.  That had been drilled into my head for my entire life.  I also knew that not taking a break would be very bad for me.  An unnecessary risk.

Nathan walked away and I saw someone sit down next to me as I drank out of my water bottle.

"Brooke," Maddie sang as she grabbed a carrot stick off my plate. "How's my favorite agent doing?"

I sighed. "I at least get to go outside today."

She flipped her red hair over her shoulder. "That's amazing! Do you want me to come along?"

I shrugged. "If you want. So what have you been up to? I haven't seen you in a while."

"Running, swimming, code cracking, brain training, you name it. Training has been getting intense."

"I'm sure you can handle it. I'm surprised you weren't invited to the Elitist trial."

"Oh well," Maddie shrugged. "Not the end of the world, right?"

I breathed deeply. "I guess not. I'm really disappointed that I didn't make it."

"All you had to is finish that last test, even if you were last. You would've had it."

"I know," I replied.

"I thought you were going to make it."

"So did I."

"What happened?"

"That's what I'm wondering."

"Are you ok?"

"That is a very good question."

Maddie smiled. "It'll be ok. I believe in you." She stood up. "I'll see you soon."

I nodded. "Ok."

But I wasn't sure that it was.