Kait nodded.
“Good. So we’ll have no nonsense. I imagine you must be eager to relieve yourself, eh?”
“Oh yes,” said Kait. “Please.”
The doctor pressed the release button on the undercarriage, and the straps rolled back. Kait stepped off the gurney, careful to pretend she was doing this for the first time. She stepped over to the toilet, put her thumb on the waistband, and looked enquiringly at them, but all three men stared emotionlessly back at her.
Right. Chill factor minus several thousand degrees. What a nasty bunch.
Kait went through the motions and stood up.
“Strip down and get back on the gurney,” said the doctor.
Kait saw no option but to do so.
The doctor’s examination was quick and impersonal. Unfortunately, that didn’t make it any less horrible.
Afterwards, the doctor motioned for her to put her clothes back on, and one of the guards wheeled the gurney out of the room.
“As long as you behave yourself, we won’t restrain you,” said the doctor. “Understood?”
“Understood.”
The doctor frowned at her, as if wondering if she was making fun of him then decided she wasn’t. “An orderly will arrive with some food for you in an hour. Make sure you eat all of it.” He turned and walked out of the room. The guards took one last look at her, then one of them shut the door.
***
Later on, a young man in a uniform came in with a tray of food. Kait hoped it was Lawrence, but it was someone else.
She picked at the food without great interest or enthusiasm. The confined space was starting to feel very oppressive, and Kait was having difficulty keeping her spirits up.
There were so many unknowns. Where were they taking her? What were their intentions? Kait could guess they were nothing good, but the only tool available to her was her mind, and she was determined to use that to the best of her abilities.
The door opened to admit Lawrence. She felt like jumping up and hugging him, but as she started to say his name, he held out his hand flat, palm down, and lifted his eyes towards the camera. Kait let her head sink back down. As Lawrence picked up the tray, he used his body to shield his hand from the camera and held up two fingers, mouthing, “Two hours.”
Kait gave the tiniest of nods. Lawrence took the tray and left the room.
Two hours? No problem. You’ve made an ally, Kait. You’re doing a great job.
She sighed, closed her eyes, and tried to rest.
***
Kait was rapidly losing all sense of time and was relieved to hear the door open and see Lawrence come into her room some time later.
“All clear,” he said.
Kait got up and gave the startled young man a huge hug. It was as much for her own benefit as it was for him. He awkwardly kept his hands to his sides for a moment then hesitantly rubbed her back.
“It’s uh, it’s okay,” he managed.
Kait sat on the edge of her fold-out bed and motioned for him to join her. After a brief pause, Lawrence sat down.
There were a million things Kait wanted to know, but she started with, “Lawrence, it’s so good to see you,” and put a hand on his leg.
He looked down at her hand then back up at her. “I’m glad to see you, too, uh, Kait. It was hard to wait.”
She smiled at him. “Is it night shift already? No one else around?”
