Death's Exception

Chapter Twelve

"Aurora Destiel; the future of modern medicine. The product of science long slaved over by the residents here at the CSI institute in the United States of America. The promise of life beyond what has been our inevitable fate for centuries upon centuries in our history. This young girl who stands before you, and she looks normal. Not just normal, but stunning. But this, dear citizens of this world, is deceiving. For she is the most marvelous discovery in Science, I have the audacity to say, ever. She comes before us today with more knowledge of what is our fate beyond life than any other. For this girl has not lived once. She has been raised to life after fifteen years of being dead." The crowd of flashing cameras and pointing microphones erupts into gasps and inquisitory glances. I am looking at the camera with big scared eyes. I should be more confident. I should be overflowing in pride because, afterall, I am the reason tons of people are gathering around this stage. And not this stage, but their TVs and devices. Millions and millions of people tuning in to see my face. But it just makes me terrified. I look away from the camera, and search solace in Titus' eyes who is standing in the back of the room, leaning against the wall. His face looks pained as he is listening to Dr. Finley boast in himself. He looks sorry for me. Voices surround me. Questions. Stupid questions, questions I do not understand, and intimate questions. "Please, please! I will explain. Many of you did not know the nature of our studies here at CSI, and did not want the President to pour money into this. So, I will explain piece by piece the journey of our dear Aurora, here." At this point, I look over at Dr. Finley. Listening intently at what he dare say. "CSI stands for Cryonics Science Investigation. This young lady was frozen after death fifteen years ago. She was chozen because of the state she was in. She looked the easiest to perform the experiments. Her tissues were all in order, except her brain tissue. Leaving our beautiful girl this subtle scar." I want to puke. Subtle scar. "In order to revive her, we slowly warmed her body, and took out the serum that prevented from ice forming in between the cells. We then put her under simulations, letting her body to believe that she was breathing, and her blood was circulating, hoping for her brain to respond. It did." The crowd erupts again, and Dr. Finley motions his hand towards me, and steps back. "Does our lovely girl want to answer some questions?" I shoot a glare at Dr. Finley. No. I really don't.

"AURORA, HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THE MOST FAMOUS PERSON ON THIS EARTH?" The whole crowd is silenced. Hungering for words from my mouth.

"I, um, I-" I swallow hard, "I don't know. I just saw the sky for the first time yesterday." I look at Dr. Finley for approval, but his face is just white.

"HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN ALIVE?"

"About a month and a half." Everyone gasps, and starts taking pictures of Dr. Finley's terror stricken face.

"She- she was just for the first time able to handle being in this January weather. We were doing what is best for her." A photographer laughs harshly, and Dr. Finley sneers at him.

"AURORA, I HAVE A QUESTION." I look over at a reporter in the back. "DO YOU REMEMBER ANY OF YOUR PAST?" It seems like I was the only one who heard that question. All of the reporters and photographers are talking to Dr. Finley. I look at the boy, and he is young. Maybe sixteen. He looks cocky, but compassionate.

"No. But please, if any of you have any information about my past contact me. You have no idea how painful it was to wake up without a family by my side. Surrounded by cold calculating scientists. I want to know where I came from," And now the whole lot of reporters and photographers are focused on my face. "I am a human. I want to be treated like one. I want to have a family, and friends, and a life. If any of you believe that you can help me with that, or even just give me the little tidbits I do not know. Like what my middle name was. Or what my favorite color was. I would love that. Because each little piece of information, helps me feel like I can adapt to this world again." I look from the reporter's face, to the camera. "I am not standing here today asking for your scientific analyzations. I am standing here asking for a welcome." The reporters are silenced. My words heavy upon their mind. The cameras drop, and Dr. Finley gives me a furious look, and leaves the room. I blink at him, not knowing what I did. Not caring what I did.

I look at the reporters faces, and they part, letting me through the room into the hallway. No one reaches to touch me. No one snaps a picture. No one asks me screams a question at my face. They just let me walk through, staring. I walk to my room and shut the door. I don't know if I should cry, or laugh. If I should be sighing, or holding my breath. I hear a knock at the door that makes me jump. I sit on my bed, and mutter, "Come in." The door opens. I am horrified when I see a reporter open the door. It is the same boy who asked me if I could remember anything about my past. I scale up my bed, and grab my pillow.

"What do you want?!" I almost scream. They aren't supposed to be in my room. These are my four walls. The intrusion makes me shake. The one thing that I know is mine. He looks shyly at the the ground.

"You DID say I could come in." He has a british accent. He is not attractive. Curly brown hair, huge nose, plump lips, freakishly tall. He looks up at me with the audacity to look playful. "My name is Carter. Carter Rulley. Weird last name. Get over it." He sits in a chair beside my head, and crosses his legs.

"I just assumed-"

"That I would be your boyfriend Titus?" I open my mouth to object, but he just laughs. "Yeah, he is my best buddy. Been best friends since you were around 17. You ARE old, aren't you?" He laughs some more, and leans towards me. "Titus always liked the older girls." I lean back and raise my eyebrow. His personality is the biggest that I have ever experienced.

"Technically I am thirty, but I haven't aged. I still consider myself 15."

"Yeah, and my mum still considers herself 35." I roll my eyes.

"Why are you even here?" A devilish grin takes over his face.

"I can help you learn more about your past, Ms. Aurora Destiel."