Engines & Demons - The Undestined

Chapter 30ii

Once Grifford and Tahlia had gone, Doctor Fos turned to Maddock.

"One of my staff has prepared a bed for you. You will stay here tonight."

"Aren't I going back to the dormitories?"

"No," said Doctor Fos, giving no further explanation.

She pointed across the garden, to where light from a glow-lamp illuminated a wedge of the veranda, where a door to one of the hospital's wards had been opened. Dak could see the shape of a white coated figure moving about inside, preparing a bed.

"Off you go now."

Maddock did not argue. Dak jumped to her feet to help her friend up, but he waved her away. "I'll be fine, Dak."

She gave him what she hoped was an encouraging smile, and watched as he limped away towards the open doorway.

"Night, Dak," he said over his shoulder.

"Goodnight, Maddock," said Dak. "I will be coming to see you tomorrow."

Maddock mumbled something in reply, but Dak could not catch what it was.

Dak had not been dismissed, and did not quite know how to leave, so she watched Maddock's silhouette recede across the garden and disappear through the rectangle of rippling light. Then she was left alone with Doctor Fos, and she felt suddenly nervous.

She had only been in the presence of Klinberg's senior doctor twice before, and she found her stern demeanour quite frightening. The last time Doctor Fos had spoken to her was when she had called to examine her mother in the last days of her fatal illness. The first had been two years previously, when her mother had brought her to the Infirmary after she had fallen from the workshop's barapane tank.

Her father had been worried that the tank might have sprung a leak somewhere, so he had sent Dak clambering up on top of it to see if she could see anything. She had not found a leak, but when she had pulled back a clump of red moss, which had flourished on the tank's warm curved roof, she had disturbed a nest of archapids and the new hatchlings had swarmed over her fingers. She had screamed and jumped away, only to find that she was too close to the edge of the tank's roof, her boot had slipped over into nothingness and she'd tumbled down to the stones of the yard.

She could not remember much of what followed; only of waking in the Infirmary, her head heavily bandaged and throbbing, as though it was being struck from inside with a hammer. The concerned face of her mother had appeared at some point, and then that of her father, looking relieved and regretful.

"Dakskansia!" said Doctor Fos suddenly, causing Dak to jump.

"Yes?" she said.

"Is it not a little late for you to be out? Does your father know where you are?"

"No! I should be at home now."

"Then we had better get you there. Come." Doctor Fos walked to the garden door without further word, and Dak followed. "How is your father?" the doctor asked as she led the way through the white corridors of the building.

"He is well, Mistress, er, I mean, Doctor."

"And is he looking after you, or are you having to look after him?"

"Something of both," said Dak.

"Hmm."

They walked on in silence.

"Put your boots on and wait for me here," said Doctor Fos, once they had reached the reception room.

"What? Why?" said Dak, in a sudden panic.