An old woman with short gray hair and a friendly smile looks up from her computer.
“Delta Henson, it is an absolute pleasure to meet you,” she says serenely.
“I wish I could say the same,” I reply, as blunt as the handle of the knife my father stabbed through my back. I jump as the door clicks closed behind me, then stand awkwardly until the doctor indicates I should sit.
“I’m Doctor Haque,” she says kindly, not even blinking at my rudeness. “I’m sorry this has happened to you.”
Great, now I feel guilty for my words. And I damn well shouldn’t.
“Now, I know you must be wondering what this is all about-“
Well,yes!
“-But there is nothing to be worried about,” she says. “It’s standard procedure to check the health of the Chosen before you are guided through the portal. We also like to photograph you. It is important for us to gather as much accurate information as possible now, so that if you were ever to return, we could see what effects Faerie has had on you.”
I feel my eyebrows rise. I’m a guinea pig for them to run tests on. No one has ever returned from Faerie, but I suppose it makes sense to run as many tests on us as possible beforehand, because if one of us were to return… Well, like I said. We are fucking guinea pigs to them.
“For the sake of legality, please be aware that this entire appointment is being recorded. It is imperative that we get the facts and we get them right. Let’s start with the basics,” Dr. Haque taps at her keyboard for a few moments before turning to face me. “Please tell me your full name, date of birth, and current residential address.”
For what feels like hours but couldn’t possibly have been more than two, I am poked and prodded, both physically and mentally, I am weighed, measured by height, and around every possible limb, I have samples in blood, hair, and urine taken and have my temperature and blood pressure recorded. She stamps my fingerprints, photographs me from every angle, and gives me a tetanus shot, just in case.
By the time I am allowed to leave, I am utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally. Dr. Haque went from doctor to scientist, to dentist, and even a fucking shrink. I am drilled about my sexual history, any use of illicit drugs (proud to say that one was an absolute zilch), pregnancies- terminated, miscarried, or full term (again, nada), my diet, and my favorite fast food. Having to strip down to my underwear for the photos was an absolute invasion of privacy, but I did it without complaint… ok, I might have stuck out a middle finger to the cameras, but whatever. I had my rights. Which, apparently, was none at all.
Sir Pimpleton drops me back at my room, and I collapse onto the bed for a good ol’ nana nap before the 10-minute warning bell announces that dinner period approaches. I groan as I get out of bed and head to the loo. I tidy up the mess of my hair after doing my business, then sit on my bed as I wait for the door to click open.
I stand outside my room, waiting for Akari, and then we head to the cafeteria together.
“How was your medical?” Akari asks, looping her elbow through mine.
“So fucking exhausting.” I can’t help but groan. “At least I know what it’s like to be a lab rat now. I can cross it off the bucket list.”
Akari giggles. “Your sense of humor is going to keep me going in Faerie.”
I almost trip at her comment.
“I mean, if they don’t separate us or… or…” she stammers and pales. I know exactly where her train of thought has taken her. I squeeze her arm. She looks back up at me and smiles sadly. “You give me strength and hope,” she finishes.
I blush as I awkwardly return her smile, feeling nothing like the so-called role model she seems to see me as.
Jabira and Jasmin are chatting between bites as we join them at our table. It’s spaghetti night, and the pasta is going to go down so good. I love a good spag-bol.
Jabira asks me how my appointment went and I shrug as I talk about all the bullshit the doctor had me do. Turns out, it was the same for everyone.
We chatter amongst ourselves, random thoughts and memories. There doesn’t seem to be much to talk about, what with all our minds consumed with the Crossing.
The following day is much the same, though everyone seems more withdrawn. We don’t prod one another. We’ve all got to cope with our inevitable situation in our own ways. I hoped this wasn’t us giving up. We may not know what was on the other side, but it couldn’t be the end. I certainly wouldn’t let it be, not for myself or the others.
I vowed then to do everything in my power to protect these three women. Akari. Jabira. Jasmin. We may have only just met, but we were in this together.Allof us were. However, I couldn’t find it in myself toworry too much over little Platinum or Georgia, the woman who’d called out to me on my first day.
That night, they served us a massive variety of takeout foods. I suppose Dr. Haque put in a good word with the people who run this place. From fast food burgers and fries, to Mexican tacos and nachos, Turkish kebabs and, hell fucking yes, Chinese buffet!
I load my plate with fried rice, honey chicken, satay beef, garlic vegetable noodles, and spring rolls. I don’t care how full and bloated my belly was going to be afterwards; if this was my last chance to eat Chinese food, I was going to take full advantage of it.
I slide into my seat at our table and eye everyone else’s choices. Akari has chosen the same as me, though she has gone lighter on the load. She raises her eyebrows when she sees my plate piled high. I just shrug and grin. Jabira has found a hearty African stew loaded with vegetables, beans, and some form of chunky meat. Damn, the spices wafting off her plate smell amazing. Maybe I should go back for seconds… Jasmin, I’m shocked to see, has gone with a cheeseburger and fries. I did not pick her as a McDonald’s kind of girl.
I hold up the can of Coke I managed to snatch from the fridge.
“To our last meal!” I shout.
