Escaping Elysia

Chapter 21 - Like Nails

Dale

Nadya stretches, a heavy book balanced on her fingertips, aiming for an empty slot on the highest shelf.

I'm helping her shelve tonight, pushing the cart and doing the heavy lifting. She didn't finish what she was supposed to this afternoon. The room is quiet around us, lit by the dim glow of a few lamps.

The book Nadya's lifting slips, and I reach to catch it before it can bounce off her bare arms, no doubt leaving behind bruises.

She snatches the book out of the air before I can reach it, and slides it into place on the shelf. "I've got it."

Her voice surprises me and I jump, nearly dropping the book in my other hand. A wisp of a smile crosses her face, and a wave of memories hits me. Nadya, climbing a tree, her blond hair swinging behind her. Nadya, sticking her hand in a bush to pick some berries and suffering through poison ivy for the next week. It's like when I catch the scent of pine, and images of walking through the woods with my parents dart into my mind. Except this time, the scent that brings the memories back is her smile.

I look at her, really look at her. It's been a little over a week since they stopped her pills, and a healthy glow has taken over her cheekbones. Her hair no longer looks like it might crumble if a draft of air hits it just wrong. She still has that far off look in her eyes, but of course she does. That's just Nadya.

I pull her into a hug, and she squeezes back faintly before lifting another book, running her fingers over the rough cover.

She's examining the title page when a large hand lands on her shoulder.

"You're to report to the clinic immediately." It's Brandt, and he doesn't remove his hand. I frown. It's less than an hour until lights out.

"Why?" I ask Brandt, but he ignores me. He rips the book from her hands and tosses it open onto the cart, creasing the pages, then tugs her backwards.

I want to shove him away from her, but Brandt is like a homemade bomb, ready to explode at the wrong touch. Better to let him take her than risk riddling her with the shrapnel.

They disappear around the corner, and panic sets in.

Nadya's trial ended, so why are they taking her into the clinic? They could be starting her on a new trial, but it's after dinner already. Why can't this wait until tomorrow?

What Evita said she overheard comes suddenly to mind. Nadya was in the yellow trial, which just ended. What if Evita was right, and they don't need her anymore? The thought is crazy, but I can't afford to take chances on my little sister.

I half-heartedly shelve a few books, trying to quell the adrenaline pumping through my body. It's no use. I need to get into the clinic and find out what's going on.

The only thing is, the clinic is blocked by those damned doors. Even if I got past the alarms and into the waiting room, they wouldn't let just any test subject walk back to the exam rooms.

Fortunately, I know someone who's not just any test subject.

*

I find Weston exiting the Solarium. He likes to read there at night, when it's nearly dark and empty. He spots me and scowls, but stops when he sees the panic in my eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I need your help." I explain what happened, and what I need him to do.

"Why are you so worried?" He frowns. "Is this because of what Evita said? They're not going to hurt her."

"Please Weston. I just need to figure out why they're examining her so late."

He hesitates. I've never known Weston to break a rule.

I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. "I've seen the way you look at Nadya." His cheeks color. "Don't you want to make sure she's okay?"

After a moments hesitation he nods, and we set off for the clinic.

It's surprisingly easy to get past the nurse. Weston buzzes us into the empty waiting room, and lifts a hand to her as we stride for the doors that lead to the exam rooms. At first I think she won't notice me, but at the last second she calls out Weston's name.

"What's he doing?" She nods at me.

"Ellis has me moving some equipment." The lie flows from his mouth, smooth as smoke, surprising me. Maybe he has more practice at lying than I thought. "He's here to help with the heavy lifting."

The nurse frowns. "Huh. I didn't know they had test subjects helping with that stuff."

I try to hide my confusion. What stuff? I see the question flit across Weston's face too, before he nods. She lets us in, returning to the screen on the counter in front of her.

Once we're inside, the maze of hallways and doors rushes up to meet me, and I turn to Weston.

He leads us down the hallway, pausing at a closed door to listen. "She's in there," he whispers, and I breathe out a sigh of relief that they haven't taken her somewhere.

We duck into the exam room next door and in the darkness I can barely make out the shape of the exam table, hulking, in the middle. A ray of light from the door, slightly open, slices down the middle of the room.

Weston stands in the shadows of the corner, his ear pressed to the wall. I do the same, straining to hear what's happening inside the exam room next door.

All I can make out is the clatter of instruments and the low murmur of voices.

Weston sighs and straightens. "I can't hear anything. We should go, before someone finds us."

I don't respond but press my ear harder, as if that will amplify the sound. What are they doing to her?

"Dale," Weston hisses.

The clicking of heels in the hallway makes me jump, and I spin to look at the door.

The door I didn't close.

In my haste, I didn't even think about someone coming down the hallway. Weston lunges for the door but I grab his shirt and hold him back. Whoever it is will surely see if we close it now. I pull him into the shadows. The door is only open about a foot, so there's a chance we'll stay hidden.

The clicking grows closer, finally stopping just outside Nadya's exam room. The person knocks. The sound echoes down the empty hallway. I hold my breath as the door opens, letting the sounds inside reach our ears.

"Sorry to drag you in so late."

"That's Ellis," Weston whispers. I quiet him with a hand on his shoulder.

"You may leave." Ellis's voice is rough, like a pair of shoes that walked for days on end, falling to tatters.

The footsteps in the hallway now are light. It must be Nadya.

"And?" The other person speaks, such a simple word, but her voice fills me with the urge to snap the handle off that damn door between us. Sheer. I should have known she had something to do with this.

"No change," Ellis answers.

No change? Nadya's changed more in the past week than since they moved her to the yellow trial.

He continues. "Just give it a little more time."

The room suddenly chills, as if Sheer's intensity has sucked up all the heat.

"We're out of time." 

***

Author's note: Thank you so much for reading! Please don't forget to vote if you liked this chapter :).