Verso

Chapter Three - Fizzing

Six corridors and five floors. That's what it apparently took to find a set of working vending machines that did not read either out of order, out of stock or correct change only. The elevator opened into a sort of letter T shape with the corridors to her left and right snaking their way to parts unknown. Directly in front of the elevator doors was a sort of off cut from the main corridor which ended in the stairwell door and held only the required vending machine and a three seater sofa sort of thing. Arin walked towards the humming quarry and stopping stared at the device in front of her, something stirred deep in the recesses of her memory. Coins in one clenched fist she ran the fingertips of her empty left hand over the vending machine case tracing the white on red lettering and listening to the gentle hum of the refrigeration units.

She frowned and pushed the wet hair back out of her eyes as she tried to remember why this felt so familiar, slowly tuning out all sounds beyond the harmony of the machines.

Beyond the sphere of Arin's shrinking world the elevator door binged its arrival and smoothly slid open to reveal a tall man dressed in a crumpled blue shirt and walking with a cane.

From inside the wood paneled box, Dr House stepped out into the T junction corridor, still fuming from the most boring morning of stuffy noses, watery eyes, sunburn and generally annoying whining idiots that the streets of Princeton could muster. In addition, the apparent inability for the air-conditioning in his office to work had necessitated the hunt for something cold to drink. Even in that respect, he had lucked out, for the machines closest to his office were out of order and the next set were out of things to actually vend. He limped his way across the deserted hall into the junction and stopped in front of the first of three vending machines, finally grateful to have found one that both worked and had stock.

His leg burned from the added strain of his hunt. He inserted a couple of coins into the machine and hit a button with the handle of his cane. The rumbling as it produced his drink also seemed to stimulate a response in the only other occupant of the corridor.

The dark haired girl to his left jumped slightly as though only just noticing he were there. She dropped a quarter and bending to pick it up, brushed against the flowerpot housing the ghastly orange plant things Cuddy was using as 'ambient decoration'. The girl stood up and quickly put a series of coins into the machine, randomly pressing her hand across three buttons. They lit up and went out one by one as cans of soft drink were dispensed. He watched, noting two things that piqued his interest. Firstly she was soaking wet, as if she had recently been swimming and was waiting for the sheer heat to dry her off, but fully clothed. Secondly... he cast his eyes at her wrists she didn't seem to be wearing an sort of wrist band. Not a patient then. Thoughts of taking his hard won drink back to his office faded as he considered how she came to be in a hospital five floors up in her current state, but without any sort of obvious injury or sign someone had actually seen to her. He back peddled slowly and sank down onto the leather sofas opposite, watching her.

Arin sighed. She couldn't remember what she was supposed to be remembering. Her mind ticked back to the task at hand, and she scooped up her drinks without really looking to see what she had selected. She walked over to the sofa opposite and, observing social convention, threw herself down into the end seat its soft expanse feeling oddly comforting. The skin under her soggy blouse itched as it dried. She gently plucked the sheer material up and gave it a light shake to free it from the areas it stuck to her body. Looking down she noted for the first time that her bra was basically on view for the world. She flushed then feeling the heat rise up into her face. Well it wasn't like she could do much about it now.

How had she ended up here Arin wondered. The day had gone drastically askew. She should be either still at the mall having a pretzel or helping Robyn sneak her purchases into the house via the back door. The thought of Robyn made her eyes prickle. With a sigh she brought the soda can in her right hand up to the nape of her neck and the one in her left to her forehead. She hissed slightly as it touched her forehead and caused a stab of pain but it was gone as soon as it had come and swallowing she sat there, her eyes closed enjoying the silence and ignorant of the man sitting beside her.