10/17

Episode 6, Chapter 23

The chiming of her phone alarm brought Laney out of a pleasant dream. Giving herself some time to wake up, she laid there considering her sleepy vision. She and Parker had spent the remainder of Sunday trying different things with their powers, and discussing potential combos they might one day get to try. With Laney's super mathematics, she was able to calculate the necessary functions for some of his ideas and decide if they could be done. Her dreams last night had been filled with crazy imaginings of them testing all those possibilities.

The dream had been incredibly detailed and vivid. They were in a wide open meadow ringed with trees. A wide stream ran across the eastern border with sparse trees leading to another plain of red clay and grass beyond it. Despite the fact that they were outside, where anyone could come across them, something about this place made Laney certain they would never be found. She and Parker spent hours testing their ideas under bright winter sun. Now, wide awake, the dream left her with a longing and a vague sensation that she was supposed to be someplace. Her dream meadow was calling her. As, the phone chimed again Laney shook her head, pushing the sleep addled images from her mind as she pushed out of bed to start the new week.

A little after ten that morning she was once again pulled into the real world by the ringing of a phone. Rather than a pleasant dream, it was her online schooling she had been engrossed in when their house phone rang from the kitchen. Laney's family was one of the few she knew of that still had an actual land line phone to their home. Laney's Nan flatly refused to carry any kind of cell phone. Since she rarely left the house, a land line was good enough. Looking at her computer, Laney figured she was at a good enough stopping point for a few minutes. As she stood, she flexed her fingers and did a few exaggerated stretches of all of her joints, before heading to the kitchen for a snack. The phone rang once more as Laney walked by her Nan, who was staring daggers at the caller ID, until the ringing stopped.

"I didn't recognize the number," she said to Laney as she returned to her book. Nodding, Laney went about fixing a plate of fruit and cookies. Her Nan would never pick up for someone she didn't know. A few seconds later, the voicemail indicator blinked on the phone base. Nan picked up the receiver and pushed the button to play the message. Her plate full, Laney turned to head back to her room, but her Nan's face stopped her.

"Everything okay," she asked. Nan looked like she swallowed a lemon.

"It's that government sham of a clinic your mother keeps dragging you to. They want your mother to call them. Something about your current results." She slammed down the hand piece, annoyed beyond her ability to be gentle with the a machine. "I can't believe she gave them our home number." Laney's heart thumped.

"Uh, I guess I'll call Mom and let her know," she said, trying to force down the anxiety building in her gut.

"No, don't bother Sarah at work with their nonsense. You and I both know there is nothing wrong with you, no matter what some white-coated, government puppet is selling her. You just enjoy the rest of your day and let your mother be the one to deal with them," saying them in a way that made it sound like a curse word.

"Nan," Laney began, but thought better of it. There was no use trying to argue with her. Nan very rarely lost her temper in a disagreement with her granddaughter though she frequently did with Laney's mom. However, she just as rarely changed her mind. So rather than beat her head against a stone, Laney took her food to her room and called her mother anyway. An hour later her mother called her back.

"Okay, they said that your numbers had changed some, increased, but you still look good. They aren't concerned yet about the increases since they have seen similar changes in other Altered, but they would like you to continue to come in to track the changes."

"Increased? What does that even mean, Mom? What's increased? My heart rate? My blood sugar count? My white blood cells? They tested for a lot of things and they really haven't explained any of it yet," Laney said, irritation and concern warring for top spot in her emotional spectrum.

"You're right. I asked the same thing. The nurse informed me, with everything that's been going on, it's against their policy to discuss any procedure or results details over the phone. I'm getting a little tired of the way they dodge questions," her mom said, irritation making the words bitter. Laney shared that opinion. "They requested you back in tomorrow, then they would walk us through it."

"Are they serious? After last time, I really don't want to go back. We can't count on Clint to save our butts again."

"I agree, I was hesitant about it as well. I voiced my concerns to the nurse. They offered to send one of their cars for you. She also explained, with the increased security, no one will see you entering the building."

"Send a car?" Laney replied, incredulous. "They are going to 'send a car'" she said with air quotes and a deep, fancy accent on the last three words. "I don't know. That just sounds, ominous." Her mother laughed.

"Sweetheart, be real. I thought it was a nice gesture. It shows they are taking our concerns seriously," Ms. Dempson said. "I set the appointment for one, again, so your numbers will all match time of day. I think you should do it. But, if you really don't want to, I'll call back and cancel." Laney considered the situation for a moment. "Your friend Clint might be there again," her mother said in a coaxing tone, making Laney smile, despite her anxiety. She would never admit it, but that did her in.

"Alright," she said, trying to sound resigned and not eager. "I suppose, if you think it's safe."

"I do. We may not like the rules and regulations, but they do make sense in a greater safety kind of way. Everything will be fine, sweetheart. You'll see." Laney shrugged.

"Fine, but you get to explain it to Nan." They both laughed and hung up as Laney shoved away the doubts still eating away at her thoughts.