Читать книгу Wildfire - P.Z. Johns - Страница 12

Chapter 5

Lunch

One day, Jane came into my hospital room looking very professional in a brown business suit. “Let’s go out for lunch. Are you hungry?”

Panic flooded over me. I suddenly realized I had not been off this floor since my transformation began. All my rehab activity had been right here in my room or in the diagnostics room next door, and my workout tests were in the physio room across the hall. It had been a few weeks now, and I hadn’t gone any farther than that. Then it hit me! Other people would see me in my new altered state.

“Where do you want to go?” I asked meekly.

“The main cafeteria. There are several buildings to this research center but only one main cafeteria in the complex.”

I didn’t like that. “Will people be there?”

“Well, yes, this is a med science center connected to the army base. Lots of people work here.”

I was squirming. “Dr. Davis hasn’t cleared me to eat food yet.”

Jane countered, “Dr. Davis hasn’t cleared you for solid food yet. You can do pudding, Jell-O, yogurt, ice cream. You can just drink a soda. Come on, it’s a nice day.”

That did it, yogurt and Jell-O, not so much, but ice cream. But I hadn’t had ice cream in I don’t know how long. Even though it sounded wonderful, I balked. “I don’t know, ice cream is a lot of lactose.”

Jane smiled and nodded. “True, but it is chocolate lactose. You will even be able to get hot fudge lactose.” She held the door open, and as I walked out of the room, I looked at her. “There will be a lot of people there, huh?”

Jane pressed my back and ushered me out the door. “There are a couple of hundred people in the complex, and it is lunchtime. We might not get a table.” I was ready to turn around, but Jane took my arm, my real arm, and just walked me down the hall.

We went down a televator, the teleporting elevator to the main floor, and went out into the sunshine. I had to admit it was wonderful to see the world. I don’t know how long it’s been since I first set foot on that transport ship because that was the last time I smelled fresh air. It was wonderful!

Jane led the way to the next building and through the front doors. We passed people outside the building and in the lobby, but Jane just walked on. She looked forward as she walked, but I was looking at everyone else, and they were all looking back. I could tell they knew who I was, what I was. “Jane, I don’t know about this,” I pleaded.

Jane didn’t say a word and walked me through the doors of the cafeteria and to an open table. She smiled when she pulled out the chair for me. “You sit, and I’ll go get our treats.”

I lowered my head and sat, not looking at anyone. I could tell they were talking and pointing. I nervously tucked a strand of hair behind my right ear. I quietly said to myself, “Shit, Dayana, I don’t know about this.”

It didn’t take Jane long to come back with a tray that had a salad and water for her and a dish of chocolate ice cream and a cola for me. Jane spoke again, “Please understand that I’m doing this for you, to get you out of that room and back into the world. I’m not trying to embarrass you. But I have to warn you, Dr. Philippe knows we’re here.”

I looked at her. “What do you think he’ll do? Will he try to center me out?”

Jane answered, “You know him, the good doctor loves an audience.”

I got halfway through my ice cream when the great man appeared. “Well, Jane, hello! I see you’re both having lunch. Good for you!” And he smiled at me and placed his hand on my shoulder and spoke loudly, “How do you feel today?” Every gesture of his was telling the room, “This is my patient. This is her, my creation.”

As he made for the empty chair, I looked up at him quickly and smiled. No, not smiled. I beamed brightly at him and answered just as loud, “I’m feeling wonderful today, Doctor, and how are you? Isn’t this just a perfect day?” He stopped as he half sat and looked from me to Jane. Jane just smiled back. Dr. Philippe finished sitting slowly. I was so nice that he knew I was up to something.

I started the conversation first, “I’m glad both you guys are here. I’ve been doing some thinking lately and have made some decisions, and I want to tell you about them.” What I didn’t say was “And I’m doing this in public so that you, Dr. Philippe, have to play along.” I was being so catty that even I wondered how much practice I’d had at being a bitch!

I continued smiling sweetly. “We argued, disagreed, back a while ago over who I really am. Who I was. Well, I thought about it, and you know, Dr. Philippe, you were right. It may be a moot question and of no consequence. The fact is the person I was is now dead. It doesn’t matter who I was because that person just isn’t the one sitting beside you.” I didn’t really mean that deep down inside, but the good doctor doesn’t know that. I decided that I would keep any thoughts about Dayana to myself. I just wish I knew who Dayana is.

I kept going, “Well, I’m not dead obviously, but it will make it very confusing trying to get a driver’s license or file a tax return. Government people will just keep telling me that their records say I’m dead and they can’t deal with me.” I could tell that Jane wasn’t sure where I was going either, but she was a trained professional, and she knew when to sit quietly and only observe. Dr. Philippe, on the other hand, looked upset. He realized I had him out in the public, and he wasn’t sure what I would do in front of his audience. What’s more, we both knew he couldn’t sedate me out here in public.

Looking straight at him, I continued, “So there is no point in worrying about who I was. I’m better off thinking about who I will be. So, Dr. Philippe, I’m hoping you can get me the proper papers or whatever I need to have a new identity. Can you do that, Dr. Philippe?” Again, what I didn’t say was “Yes, Doctor, I’m circling, waiting for my kill shot.”

Dr. Philippe started slowly. “Well, I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about that. I’m not sure I’d know how to start. Jane, do you have any experience getting identification papers?”

Before Jane could answer, I cut back in, “Aw, come on, Doctor, you’re resourceful. I’m sure you could figure it out. How hard can it be to get phony ID?” Here it comes, Doctor. Grab onto your chair, Doctor. “Maybe some of your military bosses could help.” He froze, staring at the table. I could tell from the look on his face he was thinking, “How does she know about them?” I didn’t even want to look over at Jane. I didn’t want to lose the moment. I smiled sweetly and continued quickly, “Do you want to know who I want to be, Doctor?”

Dr. Philippe looked at me carefully now. He was wary when he spoke quietly, “Please tell me. What name do you want on these papers? Who do you want to be?”

“The name on the papers will be the new me. My name will be Wildfire. Just Wildfire. Is that okay with you, Doctor? Truth is I like the name Wildfire. It’s like my file, don’t you agree, Doctor?” I didn’t give him a chance to answer. I wasn’t smiling anymore.

I stared straight at him. His forearm was resting on the table. I took his hand in both of my hands, as though we were shaking hands. That placed his hand on its side, exposing his wrist. At the same time, a fork on the table slowly started to slide toward his wrist. I was not using pressure on his hand, no holding, no clasping. Nothing. I was just letting him know what I could do in a heartbeat if I chose.

“There is another thing, Doctor. You have a property of mine, and I want it back. You have a picture in your file that belongs to me. It shows my mother and a horse she gave me for my birthday. Please return it to me…immediately.”