Of Illnesses And Antidotes

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The door swings open. In front of me, stands a tall, muscular guard clad in an ebony black from head to toe. Most of his face is masked by a balaclava, but his hazel eyes watch me vigilantly. He raises the muzzle of his rifle and gently pushes it into my shoulder, then aims it in the direction of the corridor. Reluctantly, I step out of the room and head down the corridor, closely tailed by the guard. The corridor is long and winding, constantly twisting from left to right. Every now and then, I hear the grunt of the guard or the shuffling of his rifle in his grasp, an ominous warning of what'll happen if I try anything funny.

Just as we turn a corner, something yanks me backwards. Arms and legs flailing, I'm slammed against the wall by the guard. He presses his palm to my mouth and uses his other hand to grip my shoulder. I struggle against his strength but end up slumping limply against the wall. He lets go of my shoulder, removes his palm from my mouth then pulls down his balaclava.

"You alright?"

My mouth drops open. Then I slap him.

"Ow!" His hand tentatively touches his cheek that has flared up red with pain. "What did you do that for?"

"Take a wild guess," I say satirically. "What the hell are you doing?"

"My job." Kit grins. "I said I was a guard, remember?"

"Yeah, but..." I trail off as something clicks in my head. My eyes begin to widen. "You knew. You were the trusted guard Doctor Warren told me about."

"Uh-huh." Kit gives me a lopsided smile. "She assumed I knew what was going on after she saw us at the dance together, but I had no idea."

"You know she's..."

Kit nods. "Yeah, I know," he says quietly. "And I know who shot her. Don't worry, though, he'll get what he deserves after I've helped you."

"You're helping me escape?" My eyes are shining.

"Of course." Kit turns around and shrugs off my rucksack. He hands it to me then pulls his balaclava back over his mouth. "Come on, then. If we don't hurry, we'll both be dead."

I sling the rucksack over my shoulders then quickly follow Kit back down the corridor. This part of the Sanctuary is unknown to me, with its seemingly endless snaking passage and alabaster walls deficient of doors or windows or anything ornate.

"Where are we?" I whisper to Kit.

"An area that's strictly for doctors. I think it's best you don't know why."

Suddenly, I let out a yawn. "What time is it? Surely it's somewhere near nine, maybe ten."

"Well, you're not far off I guess..."

"Eleven? Twelve?" I shrug helplessly. "Surely it can't be later than twelve."

"Technically no, but... well, it's more like five. In the morning, that is."

My eyes widen in surprise. "Isn't everyone..."

"Asleep, yes they are." Kit glances over his shoulder to look at me. "And in an hour and a half, they'll be out on the green so I suggest we get a move on. You need a head start before they start to come looking for you."

A couple of minutes later, the walls of the corridor become lined with a dozen or so bed trolleys, all of which are loosely covered by flimsy sheets of a white material. As we pass by them, I notice faint patches of scarlet splattered in various patches across the metal framework. I put my hand over my mouth and direct my gaze somewhere else.

"Whose shift is it now?"

"Just that new guy's and Larry's."

Kit freezes. My eyes widen in panic. Oh no.