Page 6 of Lost and Bound

Except in the process of laying out a sterile sheet and implements next to me, the trash can falls over.

They both burst into action to hide the contents from me, but I saw what I saw.

Tears fall at the sight of all the bloody rags, but I refuse—like fight to the death—to give in to the emotional whirlpool that is threatening to drag me down. I blink as hard and as fast as possible, fighting not to faint. I’m motivated by the insight that if I did, I’d be in the back of an ambulance before I could say another word.

“My bad. I’m sorry, Maya. I’ve got some good news, though. You know the woman I’ve been dating…” He talks while he works. “Well, I’ve decided I’ve been procrastinating enough, and I’m going to ask her to marry me. Honestly, as soon as I saw her standing in the sun at the bus stop, I knew I was going to marry her. I call her honey because her hair reminds me of honey and makes me happy. Is that weird?”

My eyes bug out for a whole other reason. The woman I saw in my little daydream… I know it’s her without asking. I saw their happily ever after. I saw…

No, that’s not possible.

A little prick of pain snaps me from my thoughts, and I lurch away.

“Oh, sorry, Maya.”

I hold my hand up, signaling for him to keep going. I just want this part over.

Mr. Kenney watches me closely, and I try to look as normal as possible so I don’t add to his worries.

“You’re moving today, aren’t you?” Williem asks as he restarts.

My stomach dips. I’d totally forgotten. “Yeah.”

“Well, I don’t think you’re going to get much done. Do you have a headache?”

“Yeah.”

We fall quiet as he finishes up, and I must drift off a bit because I jump when he breaks the silence. “All done.”

My eyes jump to Mr. Kenney, and he’s eyeing me suspiciously.

“Now, shut your eyes, Maya, because I have a stick that’s got your DNA on it, and you won’t like looking at it. I need to do a screening test for the government.”

“Did they change the laws again?”

“Of course they did.” By the distaste in Williem’s voice, it’s not hard to guess his thoughts on the matter. “It’s disgraceful what they are doing. Honestly, it’s a complete invasion of privacy. And it will get even worse next month.” He leans down and pulls a box out of the cupboard.

“Look at this! From next month, I won’t be able to access patient files or prescribe any medication until I submit a drop of their you know what via the DNA reader first. This new requirement is going to stop us from being able to help those who need us the most.”

He turns around and does his testing, his frustration making his shoulders tighten. Once he’s done, he turns to me, and I see the machine behind him moving, the screen of his computer switching on to show the progress.

Mr. Kenney gets up and starts helping, while I stay put, suddenly tired. My head is pounding again. If we lived in a world where there wasn’t division, and I didn’t have horrible memories of the last time I was at a hospital, I’d agree to get checked, because something doesn’t feel right.

Obviously, I don’t say anything. I sit on the bed and take long, slow breaths as I try to make the room stop spinning and the pain disappear.

A sudden shrill of an alarm cuts in, making us all jump a mile. I hear Williem’s gasp, and at the same time I look at the screen. It’s flashing red and the giant white letters racing across the screen aren’t hard to follow.

Before I can even absorb the gravity, both Mr. Kenney and Williem burst into action. Williem races to the electrical cord, yanking it out of the wall at the same time Mr. Kenney empties a bottle of water onto the computer tower.

There’s a massive bang and a flash of white before we’re plunged into darkness, followed by a foreboding silence. One that lasts for only about three seconds.

“Emergency protocol.” Mr. Kenney shouts, his voice having lost its warmth. It’s now succinct and emotionless.

“Thank god we weren’t online. Still, we need to move like our asses are on fire.” Williem too, has lost his doctor persona and is nearly a different person.

“What is going on?” I ask unnecessarily.

“I don’t know, Maya. But we will help you,” Mr. Kenney says.