Embers & Ice

Chapter Twenty

A man in a white lab coat stood over Hunter when she woke up. He was quite pudgy around the waist, and his coat was creased at the bottom, as if his closet were too small. Gray hair flowed over his head and a moustache like Mr. Monopoly was perched on his upper lip. His blue eyes were kind and welcoming and he gazed at her with one eyebrow raised, as though she’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar and it amused him greatly.

“Miss Harrison,” he muttered in a gentle voice and the moustache wiggled. “Good evening.”

Hunter started to sit up, but her head was pulsing a deep pain and it was too hard to move. It must have been quite a punch Will gave her. She rubbed her jaw and soon found a lump on the back of her head where she hit the ground.

She was sitting in a simple surgery room with only her bed and a chair beside it. Sensing the familiar cold, she soon became aware that the bracelet was glowing blue again, the same spidery veins pulsing beneath her skin sending ice into her blood. The fire had disappeared, frightened of the power entrapment, leaving her shivering on the outside.

“What happened… after I blacked out?” she asked.

He gave her a reassuring smile. “Nothing, really. It was over. You were brought here to my care, and I attended to your injuries.” He indicated to a stitched cut on her forehead that she couldn’t remember getting. “I’m aware that this place can be very discomforting.” He rocked back on the balls of his feet and placed his hands behind him. “How are you finding it?”

Hunter couldn’t figure out if this was some sort of test, and if she got the answer wrong or said something smart, she’d be sent straight back into the Orb. “It’s… fine.”

“Hmm. Unlike our genius Dr. Wolfe, I am genuinely concerned for your well-being.”

That’s a little hard to believe.

“Who are you?”

“Rosenthal,” he replied. “Dr. Albert Rosenthal.”

The name was vaguely familiar. She eyed him suspiciously, deciding to be careful of what words she used. Dr. Rosenthal was looking at her in such a way that made it seem like he was waiting for her to say something. Maybe that she recognized him or remembered him from somewhere. Hunter remained completely emotionless.

“That was well played, what you did in the Orb,” he said slowly. “What most children do in those situations is save their own necks. I’ve seen far worse injuries than yours come out of that awful place.”

Hunter didn’t understand the context of his words. Is he pretending to be nice and caring, or is it a front?

“Well,” she said, “Will could heal himself. That made it a tad easier.”

“You still protected him from the rain. And I believe you refused to burn him yourself, am I correct?”

Hunter bit her lip.

“You can talk confidently here Hunter. I promise you that nothing said in this room will be spoken to anyone else. You have my word on that.”

His blue eyes were truthful, but could he be lying? Hunter had learned that all the scientists at ICE were heartless. Could this man be different?

“Is there something you need, Dr. Rosenthal? Or may I go back upstairs to bed? I’m pretty tired.”

Dr. Rosenthal stepped away from the bed and gestured to the door. “Be my guest.”

Cautiously, Hunter swung her legs over and went to the door. Her head swam, but she was eager to get away. The doctor was wigging her out.

“Miss Harrison, I wonder if you might answer a question of mine first.”