The Oasis

Chapter 6

Mika

I pace back and forth waiting for my parents to return downstairs. They had followed the Healer upstairs. Magda had passed out after the Memory Sweep. The Healer said she wouldn't be uncomfortable and she felt no actual pain. What that really meant was that she didn't feel any physical pain, but she couldn't promise that she wasn't emotionally hurting.

"We'll send out a Public Service Announcement over the PIAs explaining what has been done, and to prevent anyone from bringing it up to Magda when she wakes." The Healer was heading down the stairs, with my parents close behind.

" What will she remember?" My Dad asked as then rounded the corner to the living room.

"Not much. She won't remember this presay. She will remember that I was here, and we'll cover that memory in a second.All of Magda's memories of Felix have been eradicated what's left is very vague."

The Healer continued on into the living room where I was still pacing back and forth. I stopped as they entered.

"Mom is this really necessary?" I say feeling anger rise in my voice.

"Mika, it's what's best for your sister. She has a stressful week ahead of her and this does not need to hang over her head while she takes the Test. This is her future we are talking about." She says pushing past me.

"What are the side effects?" She asks as she sits on the couch next to my dad.

"She'll be groggy, she may be a little confused when she wakes up. We need to discuss the bruise, we'll need to come up with a believable story as to how it happened. I was thinking maybe a fall, which would explain why I'm here as well."

This was all crazy, here they were making up stories to make their actions seem less violating. When in actuality they have stripped something so private and personal from Magda. She had no choice in the matter, and now she'll never know either.

I huff "So the only side effects are grogginess and confusion?" I ask.

"There is a slight chance of amnesia." The Healer continues. "But the chances of that are very low."

"What are the chances? How low are we talking about?" I push her to answer. "How long is the amnesia?"

Julie sighs seemingly annoyed by my persistent questioning."We've only had a handful of cases were a patient has lost all memory, and in those cases the effects were permanent." She glances at my parents as she speaks.

"Permanent? Were you aware of this Mom when you decided this was the best option for her?" I look at her expecting to see the same shocked look on her face. But her face is calm and relaxed.

"Oh my god , you knew didn't you?" I run my hands through my hair pulling at the ends.

How in the world could she make this kind of decision?

"Mika please come sit down." My mother begs of me, as I continue to pace back and forth, my mind reeling with the possible outcomes this little experiment may have.

"No! I've had it with all of this. You guys figure out whatever little lie you want to tell her in the morning, when and if she wakes up. I'm going to Lizzies." I don't even give her the time of day, I leave without another word.

When I reach Lizzie's house, the anger has only multiplied, and I can barely contain it. I knock on the door and I tap my foot impatiently as I wait for someone to answer. When Lizzie finally opens the door, I ask her to come on a walk with me. I can tell she's worried, and I can only guess that my derminor is alarming.

"Mika what's going on?" She asks when we are just steps from her front door.

I don't answer her right away, instead I keep walking, staring at the sidewalk in front of me, counting the cracks as I go.

"Mika!" She pulls on my arm and I notice that she has stopped a few steps back.

"Talk to me!" Her eyes plead with me to open up.

"The Enforcers came today, along with an Investigator, and Healer Julie." I sigh and point to a bench just ahead.

We walk over and sit down, I place my head in my hands and stare at the ground. I can feel her hand upon my shoulder, a gentle embrace, loving and sweet.

"Did something happen? Is Magda in trouble?" She asks so quietly, it was almost inaudible.

"Not in the sense you're thinking." I reply. " They did a Memory Sweep." A slight gasp escaped her lips and I turn to look at her.

"Why?" She asks her hands reaching for mine.

"They didn't think she could handle the loss and taking The Test at the same time. Apparently it was my Mother's idea. She thought it would be the best option for her. Do you know what that means?"

"I have an idea, its when they erase certain memories you have right? It's usually used in patient who have lost someone traumatically or experienced some other form of tragedy, I suppose Magda fits that category."

"Oh she does! You should have seen her this morning Liz. It was almost like her pain was something contagious, I could feel it in a sense. She was talking about hating "them", the people who took him away."

" What? I can't imagine Mags talking like that. Maybe they were right, for her safety, maybe it was best."

I couldn't believe what she was saying. Was she really siding with them. I pulled my hand away and stood so I towered above her. My face twisted with emotion.

"How can you say that? They have taken away every memory she had of him. They stole that from her, and didn't even give her a choice."

"Clearly she needed it." Lizzie barked back at me. She tries to reach for me, but I can't even look at her.

"You know what the side effects are from the Memory Sweep?" I look at her.

"I know some of them, most of them are harmless."

"Yea what about the ones that aren't harmless. What if she wakes up tomorrow and can't remember you or I?"

"It's a risk I understand Mika, and so should you. This is Magda's future we are talking about. If she fails The Test where will she be?"

"Oh yea! Well let me ask you this Lizzie, would you be so inclined if it were me you had to erase?"

"Mika, you know if that were the case..." She doesn't have to finish for me to know what she's going to say. I turn and start to walk in the direction of home. I can't be around her anymore. I can't think straight and I know only one person who I can truly trust at this moment.

"Mika where are you going?" She screams after me.

"Home!" I say without looking back, but then I remember there is one more thing I have to say before I leave.

"Oh by the way, you can't talk to her about Felix, and the bruise she has from the enforcer's prod, tell her it's because she fell." And without another word, I head home. Back to Magda, I've decided this is were I will spend the rest of my night, watching over her, making sure no one else takes what isn't theirs to have.