The Wastelands (Part II of the Runner Series)

Chapter 5

The infirmary is bustling with nurses and their apprentices running this way and that, visiting and treating the various wounded. Meg's presence affords us a path between the beds lined up on either side of the space and I walk behind her and Will as he leads us towards a curtained-off area at the furthest end of the room.

I glance in the cots as we pass, feeling a tightness in my chest at the sight of the patients. Men and women fill the normally-empty beds, blood-soaked bandages covering their assorted limbs. A glimpse at one bed halts me in my tracks and I step up next to it, letting Meg and Will walk on ahead of me.

The bed's occupant is smaller than the rest and I see a pair of eyes widen at my approach.

"Hey there." I smile, situating myself on the edge of the mattress. "What's your name?"

"Sylvie." The girl's voice comes out as nearly a whisper as she looks at me in awe. She has dark brown skin and a mess of black curls spring out of the bandage wrapped around her forehead.

"Sylvie. I'm Kay, it's nice to meet you."

"I know you." She scratches the bandage wrapping her temple, smiling shyly at me.

"You do?"

"Uh huh." She moves her hand to her mouth, her smile broadening and revealing two missing front teeth. "You're the Runner."

I grin. "You're right. You're a smart little thing, has anyone ever told you that?"

"My dad does."

"Rightly so. How old are you, Sylvie?"

"Six." She replies.

"Six, my goodness. This is a pretty big adventure, being at the Palace, isn't it?"

"I like the shiny walls." She takes her fingers out of her mouth and gestures down the hall back towards the door. "The nurses let me walk in the yard this morning and I saw the flowers all around and the shiny walls as well."

"I like the walls too." I tell her.

"Your hair is pretty." She says, moving her eyes down the braid I have draped over my shoulder.

"Thank you." I say, lifting my braid and letting her finger it curiously. "I think that your hair is very pretty too."

She giggles. "My brother says my hair is too big for my head."

"My brother used to say that to me as well. Don't worry, you'll grow into it." I lean back to peer down the hall and realize that I can't see Meg and Will anymore.

I stand up reluctantly and give Sylvie's small leg a reassuring squeeze. "You're a very brave girl Sylvie, I hope that you feel better soon. It was nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you." Her voice has dropped back down to a whisper and she smiles an enormous gap-toothed grin at me.

I step out of the curtained area, giving her a small wave before turning to jog lightly back down the hall, catching up with Meg and Will just as they reach a curtained-off area surrounded by four guards standing with their hands on the swords at their waists.

Meg shoots me a curious look when I join them but doesn't say anything. One of the guards nods to Will and pulls the curtain aside, gesturing us through.

I duck my head and stand with Meg at the foot of the bed while Will moves to stand next to the Waster, grabbing a piece of parchment stashed near the bedframe and studying it.

The Waster is smaller than I expected, but his wiry physique is knotted with muscles and decorated with a complicated network of blue markings. His dark, unkempt hair is cut roughly to his shoulders and matted into thick ropes while thick brows lower menacingly at us and big hands curl into fists where they lay bound to either side of the bed. One of his legs is tied tightly in a heavy bandage and pokes out beneath the sheets. Despite his sharp, wary eyes he doesn't appear to be much older than me.