Icelamb

Chapter 8

I open my eyes slowly and see a woman dressed in a nurse uniform looking down at me. The room looks different. It is structured like a hospital. There is a single bed in the room, and I am on it. There is a bedside table beside my bed.

There are used syringes, a small bell like the one in hotel rooms and small jars of who-knows-what substance.

I am the only one in the room. The Nurse stands and holds a note. She shakes her head. I stir and feel a burning pain. I look at my body, and I don't see any scars. Their medicine must be potent. The pain, however, is still there.

The pain is actually still there worse than before. She looks 50 yrs old. Her face was so clear. She wore a gold chain around her neck.

She also had diamond earrings that shone across the room. She wore light makeup, mascara, foundation and powder, most likely so much for a nurse.

She doesn't say anything to me and looks at me in pity. Mock pity, I will say in my own words. Her children are probably not in my situation, so I won't blame her.

The leader probably paid her millions to shut her mouth. I try to stop the hate that rises at the base of my throat.

"How are you?" She finally says without an expression, and I ignore her coldly. She's probably used to this. She rings the bell on the bedside table. A young woman enters the room with a tray of food.

In the tray is a stack of pancakes dribbled in syrup placed on a plate, bacon, a bowl of pap with milk and sugar in it, a plate of Akara and a cup of water.

She places it on my legs, and I wince at the force at which she drops it. She doesn't look apologetic, and she hurries out of the room. The Nurse still stands.

I gobble my food hurriedly as I remember I am famished.

"What time is it?" I ask.

"I don't know, but you only slept for two hours. The drugs injected into you earlier knocked you out." She answers.

"Go to your room, and stay there until you are called!" She orders.

"Don't you feel guilty?" I ask her.

She startles at my question, which seems to throw her off guard.

"You were told to obey every instruction, so shut up and face what you are told," she retorts rudely and shuffles the notes in her hands several times. She looks ruffled by my question.

"Where is... I start to ask.

She cuts me off.

"Oh, oh, what do you want again?" She

shouts.

"I don't know the way to my room," I answer her calmly. No need to direct my anger at her.

She rings the bell on the bedside table again. The lady who serves me enters the room.

"Show her to her room."

The lady leaves without a word, and I follow her briskly, trying to keep up with her. I ignore the pain I feel in my body.

She walks like the ground will burn her If she moves slowly. We make several turns until I get to my room. She leaves without a word. I knock, but no one answers.

I enter the room and see my roommate on the Queen size bed. He looks lost in space. I approach him as I pray silently for this boy to tell him something...anything. I sit on the bed beside him. He doesn't object.

"Please, I need to know what all this is. I need to know why we are really here. My sister is missing. I need to find her. I'm sure you also need to find your family," I speak.