“Yes, I can see that.”Elodie pointed to the holographic image and the column of green checkmarks lining the patient’s health assessment.She boosted the levels for PatientNinety-Two’s monitor.“You’re literally showing me that information right now.But healthy, stable patients don’t end up in theLong-TermCareUnit.”
Haggard coughs echoed from Aubrey’s room, and Elodie winced at the labored breathing that followed.“They also don’t cough like that, and I know you can hear her.You hear everything.That’s not in line with healthy New American standards.”
Cough.
“Patients like that belong in the Quarantine Unit, not my LTCU.There is something wrong with her, and I need access to more than these surface files so I know what to administer.Show mesomethingI don’t alreadyhave.”
“Error.”Holly honked.
“You can’t simply sayerror.What kind of error?”
“Error.”Holly repeated.
Another bout of wet coughs erupted from Aubrey’s monitor.“Momma?”She wheezed weakly, the steady beeping of her heartrate monitor spiking.
Elodie’s stomach churned and her heart slammed within her chest.Her patients didn’t speak or cough or wheeze.Except for the monotonous robotic beeping, her unit was silent.Alwayssilent.That’s what she expected.That’s what she liked.
“Holly,” Elodie whispered.“Increase sedation to PatientNinety-Twoby two units.”
“Unable to comply.Sedation pumps are empty.”
“Dammit, Gus,” she hissed.“You said you’d refilled all of the patient pumps!Holly, flag Aubrey for immediate transfer.How long until a maintenance bot is able to refill her sedationmeds?”
There was a pause while Holly calculated.“I’ve submitted the patient transfer request, and a maintenance bot will be available to refill the sedation pumps inforty-sevenminutes.”
“It hurts,” Aubrey choked through tinysobs.
Cold sweat sprang up on Elodie’s brow.She was back in lesson fifteen.Back with the little girl screaming for her mother.Back with the virus as it painted bloody prints across the girl’s small cheeks and turned her pores into gateways for its escape.
Elodie could barely swallow past the knot in her throat.“We don’t haveforty-sevenminutes.This is an emergency.Override whatever else the bots are working on and send one to the basement to refill the tubes.Now.”
“I’m sorry, Elodie.There are eight work orders before yours, and it’s not within my abilities to override them.The maintenance bot will arrive at themedi-pumplab inforty-sixminutes.”
“Mommy?”Aubrey’s pained plea squeezed Elodie’s heart.
“Dammit!”Elodie’s knuckles whitened as she pressed her fists against the desk.“Holly, find the MediCenter’s schematics and upload the map to my vidlink.”
Aubrey’s coughing continued, wet and painful.
Elodie’s hands trembled as she hurried from the command station toward the elevator.
“Schematic uploaded to your vidlink.Do you need my assistance in locating an area?”
“Themedi-pumplab.”Elodie held her wrist up to the scanner, and gulped in air, trying to calm her frayed nerves and speeding pulse while the little girl’s coughs echoed behind her.Her cuff flashed green and the elevator yawned open.The metal box threw distorted images of her through the open space.In some reflections she was tall, others short, wide, or thin, but in each one fear stretched her round eyeswide.
And Violet Jasmine Royale had let herselfloose.
Elodie turned and charged toward Aubrey’sroom.
X
Theeight-year-old’s cries grew louder as Elodie reached the windowless door to PatientNinety-Two’s room.Elodie stopped just short of the Violet Shield.Her breath came in short, panicked puffs.Each exhale passed through the haze, scrubbed and sanitized by the purple light, and clean and new by the time it fogged the surface of thedoor.
A wet series of coughs erupted from inside theroom.
Elodie took a step back.What was she doing?She was about to risk her life to...do what?She wasn’t Vi.She wasn’t a rebellious assassin.She was studying to be theLong-TermCare Unit’s Chief Lead.She was going to get married.She was going to be normal and healthy andsafe.
Elodie nearly collapsed back into the silence of the LTCU.“Holly, we, uh, we—” She paused and took a shaky step away from the door.She had to get a handle on her panting breath and speeding heart.She had to get control of herself.Calm determination, that’s what would be expected from the Chief Lead.That’s what Elodie should expect from herself.“Help me find themedi-pumplab.I’ll change out the sedation pumps myself.”
