The Aspen Experiments

Chapter 11

Chapter 11 - The second test

The next day Dr. Shammas came to find me. He was waiting outside the door of my first class, looking out of place in his white lab coat. He pulled me aside, with a light hand on my shoulder, away from the other students as we all exited the room.  I saw Ava looking at us closely as she left.

 "I was wondering how you've been feeling, Dara. Any more queasiness or bouts of vomiting?" I think he was going for concerned, but he sounded hopeful to me.

"Nope. I've been great. Just great. It's definitely gone away," I lied.

 "Well, there was a bit of an anomaly in your eye tests from a couple weeks ago, and we want to try another diagnostic on you. We're afraid that you might have a condition called Sjogren's Disorder, that affects your optic nerve." Dr. Shammas was not a good liar. He didn't make good eye contact when he got to the hard part, and he started to mumble a little. Some master of deception he is.

I saw John come around the corner and freeze, looking at me. He backed away and stood nonchalantly on the other side of the water fountain.  Dr. Shammas was still talking, and I tried to focus on him.

 "It can cause flashes of light, unnatural pupil dilation, and vertigo. It could have been causing your sickness, but the last test was inconclusive. We want to help you figure this out before it starts bothering you again." He was trying harder with the eye contact now, but he was also trying to sound warm and caring and the combination was giving me chills. Not to mention his coffee breath making me a little sick.

 "I don't think I have that problem," I protested, "I haven't felt sick in days, and I don't see flashes of light, or anything." John was shaking his head at me, but I didn't know what he meant. That this was bad? I knew that.

 "Well, we all hope not, indeed, but since there is the possibility, we must check. I've already cleared it with your parents. I wanted them to know that we'll do everything we can to make sure you're in good shape. Now, I understand that you have a free period after lunch today, so please come by my office at 1:00."

 Now John was nodding, giving me a thumbs up. I went with it, intending to punch him later.

"Alright, one o'clock."

 As soon as Dr. Shammas was gone I dragged John into an empty classroom.

"I thought you said this wouldn't happen! Why did you tell me to go along with it? I seriously don't want to see those people dying again. Plus, I found something out. Did you know that they've been experimenting with Ava? All year, I think. Maybe your Professor Hyto got his info wrong. Maybe Emily wasn't the key to the plan, maybe it's Ava!"

"Oh." John was silent for a moment, processing. "I'll definitely have to check in with Professor Hyto. I'm starting to wonder about his information: if he was wrong about Emily, plus missing you and Ava, maybe he's got it all wrong. Or maybe he's right, and we should stop dithering around and take Shammas down before anything happens."

"Which brings us back to me! Why did you tell me to agree to another test?! Isn't that what we're trying to avoid?" I felt justifiably annoyed.

"No, see, I've been thinking about this," John said quickly, "this is the best way to deal with him. I'll show you how to stay perfectly together during the test: no tunnels, no visions. That will be the best way, probably the only way, to convince Shammas that you aren't the one for his experiment. After that he'll leave you alone, and then we'll figure out how to get Ava away from him too."

 "If you're absolutely positive I can handle it this time, and I mean positive, then I guess that could work," I admitted.

We met at lunch to talk tactics.