Project Meyburn

5

Amber

I know what you're thinking. This all sounds crazy and awfully dramatic, right? I don't blame you. I thought the exact same thing...until I didn't. Theoretically, it all sounds hilarious and highly improbable; like something you'd read in a sci-fi novel. Megan and I have read many of those. Hell, in the sixth grade there was even a designated "apocalypse day", when technically the world was supposed to end. I remember that day because Evie, Megan, and I had practically been preparing for it that whole year. We had our own go-bags packed chock-full of gear, medical supplies, and food we had snuck out of the kitchen pantry.

That day we dragged our parents to the local Five Below so we could restock on supplies. I was wearing fingerless leather army gloves and black combat boots, and Megan was wearing camouflage leggings. Evie had showed up late, but we didn't mind (we thought she had died).

I remember that day because it was fun. It was fun pretending that the world was ending and we could be these insane warrior-girls who were ready for anything. It was fun scouting out possible bases where we could hide out during the apocalypse, and it was fun being a kid again—even if it was just for one day, or one month, or that whole sixth-grade year. It was fun...but it wasn't real.

So try to imagine what it was like for us when just four years later our fantasies were no longer fantasies. Now we had to be brave. We had to do what the government said, because we didn't know what the hell was actually happening. We had to go with them.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that back then in sixth grade, we didn't know what it meant to truly be brave. Fast forward to a few years later when the real thing happens, and we still don't know. All we knew was that this time...it was real. And that was really scary.

So forgive us if we were a little dramatic.

⇔

Rushmore Army Medical Center was huge. I mean huge. I saw the outskirts of the facility from three miles away; giant cell towers loomed over us as we drove through the metal gates separating the military hospital from the outside world.

By then it was well into the night, but something told me I would not get much time to sleep anyway. The center was alive with movement and lights. Kids of all ages flowed out of transport vehicles. Hell, they were coming in by the bus-full. Wow...I guess I never really knew how many of us actually lived here.

"So what happens now—uh, sir?" I asked nervously as we came to a stop in the jam-packed parking lot.

"Please, call me Officer Brown, Miss Jefferson. I know this all looks very hectic, but I can assure you we will have a system very soon. All children will be admitted into the facility after a thorough medical examination, followed by a small briefing on what to expect from here on out."

I gulped nervously. I did not like medical exams. I was one of those kids who practically had an aneurysm whenever I set foot in the doctor's office. This was not go—

A strong hand landed on my shoulder. Officer Brown gazed at me intently. I should've been scared, right? Or at least intimidated? I mean, I didn't know this guy until a few hours ago. But for some reason...I just trusted him. It was something I was sure of, despite this crazy mess of uncertainty. "It's gonna be okay, kid."

I smiled back and nodded, tucking a strand of my light brown hair behind my ear. I stepped out of the Buick and grabbed my bag. Officer Brown immediately took it from me and slung it over his shoulder as we headed into the fray of military personnel and bewildered kids piled at the entrance to the hospital.

As we got closer I could make out various lines of teenagers, tweens, toddlers, etcetera. They all lead to a giant table in front of the entrance. There had to be at least twenty people manned at the check-in area. I followed Brown to a line of people who appeared to be more my age and I began to relax a little more.

They say being around people your age can lower stress levels... I'm kidding, I don't know if that's even true, but it sounds true, so I've got nothing to lose.

We waited for a really long time. In a way, I kind of felt bad for them. I mean here we were, hundreds—maybe thousands— of millennials, taking over a high-tech military center that was meant to be for actual soldiers injured in battle. Most of these kids probably just saw this as a giant sleepover. My thoughts drifted away and I began to get impatient.

"Once your exam starts, they are going to ask you some very important questions. It is imperative that you answer truthfully, Amber, for the safety of everyone at this establishment," Officer Brown spoke beside me.

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts, and shrugged. "Easy enough."

Slowly but surely we inched our way to the front table. A woman in a white lab coat handed some papers to Officer Brown and escorted the two of us inside. The main lobby was filled with children and their military escorts, all filling out forms identical to the ones the woman had just handed Officer Brown. Doctors and physicians rushed back and forth from various rooms. Most came out of elevators—there were four in the main lobby. And I quickly noted there were a few stairwells scattered around the room too.

Occasionally, a doctor would come into the room, and would escort one child out of the lobby. A few minutes passed and then the kids came back into the lobby with small bandages on the inside of their elbows. Damn.

I knew what that meant: the doctors were drawing blood. I held my breath as Brown signed the papers, and handed the rest to me to fill out. I scanned the sheets, which were covered in words like following symptoms, blood type, medical conditions.

I signed my name at the very bottom with a shaky hand and took a seat against one of the walls. This was going to take a while. Every time a doctor came to retrieve one of us my anxiety skyrocketed. I may not have mentioned this, but if there was one thing I hated more than medical exams, it was having blood drawn.

Children huddled in small groups all around the room, whispering in hushed and nervous tones. I thought about joining one of them to help pass time, but decided against it. There was no way I'd be able to have a conversation with anyone right now. Just the mere thought of having to converse with other people made me nauseous.

"Amber Jefferson?"

My back went stiff and my head shot up. Officer Brown shook hands with a chubby lady wearing scrubs. He handed her the papers we had just filled out and looked them over, nodding her approval.

"Alright, sweetie, this won't take too long. Are you ready?"

Sweetie? You have got to be kidding me. "Yeah, whatever," I grumbled, getting up off of the ground. Brown handed me my bag. I was confused. "Aren't you coming?"

He smiled kindly. "No, I've got a lot of work to attend to here. Things are going to be quite busy from here on out. I'm afraid this is where we part."

"Will I see you again?" I looked down awkwardly at my feet.

"I'm sure you will. I'll be stationed here for the next few months doing some research and helping watch over all of you."

I nodded my understanding and slung my bag over my shoulder. The nurse lady smiled kindly at me and waved her hand to indicate that I should follow her. I took two hesitant steps in her direction, not completely ready to walk into my personal hell.

"Hey, Officer Brown?"

When I looked back he was still there, standing in the exact same spot. It occurred to me then that this man might be a hero. I never found out where he was before he came for me, or what he was put through. But he was a soldier, and that had to count for something.

"Thank you."