Chapter 43 Chapter 43: The Doc
Once they were gone, Nina practically vibrated with excitement. “Come on, I’ll show you the city!” She tugged my arm, but I hesitated, my nerves still raw. I needed air and more.
“Nina,” I said, lowering my voice. “Do you have any weapons in the house?”
She blinked. “Weapons?”
“Yes. A gun, a revolver, hell, even a knife.”
Her usually sharp expression went blank. “Only the guards carry weapons. We don’t keep any.”
“An axe? A kitchen knife? Tools?” I pressed.
She shook her head. “I can’t give you a weapon. Dad would skin me alive.”
“Please.” My voice cracked. “You don’t know what I’ve been through. I can’t be out there, naked, unarmed.”
For a long moment, she studied me. Then, with a sigh, she crossed to the kitchen counter, pulled a large knife from the block, and held it out. “Will this do?”
I took it, testing the weight in my palm. “Yes,” I said, sliding it into the elastic band of my sports underwear, snug against my skin beneath my dress. “This will do just fine.”
And with that, we left.
Though it was still early in the morning, the sun had already risen, and the small town buzzed with life. The first thing that caught my attention was the sheer number of children, so many in one place, laughing and playing, all dressed in pristine, high-quality clothes.
The buildings were uniform rows of five sleek houses constructed from concrete, steel, and towering glass panels. The town was laid out in a perfect square, with four identical streets. At each corner stood a Thinker’s office, while across from the houses stood the utility buildings, schools, hospitals, and shops; all meticulously designed.
Everything was flawless, spotless, orderly, yet surprisingly green. Flower beds bloomed in neat rows, and young trees lined the streets, softening the rigid perfection with bursts of colour and life.
I must have stood there frozen, staring too long, because suddenly Nina grabbed my hand and tugged me across the street. “Come on, silly, it’s okay. Let me show you our shops first, maybe we can find you better shoes.” I gave in and let her lead me toward one of the many open-fronted stores.
On the way, she stopped abruptly and turned to me. “Remember, your name is Miss Aberdeen, and you’re a trade diplomat from Angel Falls. Got it?”
“Yes,” I smirked. “This isn’t my first time undercover.”
The first shop we entered was overwhelming racks upon racks of pristine, high-quality goods, more luxurious than anything I’d ever seen.
“Ladies! Nina, welcome! And who might your guest be?” A graceful shop owner, Becky, greeted us with effortless elegance.
“Hi, Becky. This is Miss Aberdeen, a diplomat from Angel Falls. She’s staying with us for a few days.”
Becky’s face brightened. “How wonderful! Welcome to our city.”
I mustered my most gracious smile and thanked her.
“What can I do for you two on this spectacular morning?” Becky asked.
Nina took over. “Just browsing, but my friend here ruined her only boots and is stuck wearing my father’s.”
Becky’s gaze dropped to my feet. “Oh, how dreadful! Size 41, I’d guess. Wait here, I just got a new shipment in back.” With a sway of her hips, she disappeared.
I turned to Nina. “I don’t have any Chids!”
She patted my arm. “We don’t use Chids here. We have a merit system; everyone gets what they need if they’ve worked and earned merit this month.”
“So… no money? No bartering? You just… share everything?”
“Exactly. Everyone’s work is equally valuable, so everything is shared.”
I blinked. “That’s insane. What kind of system is that? People will just take everything!”
Nina laughed. “Don’t be silly, why take what’s already yours? We’re only as strong as our city. ‘We are all, and all is us’ that’s our motto.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but Becky returned, proudly presenting a stunning pair of black leather boots, two-centimetre heels, polished to a moonlit shine, with crisp new laces. “These should suffice,” she purred, handing them over.
I slipped them on. They fit perfectly, hugging my feet like they were made for me. “And these are… free?” I asked, half to Becky, half to the universe.
“Of course,” she said. “We’ll just add it to Nina’s family merit tally.”
I was speechless. Free boots were free boots, who was I to blow against the wind?
Standing there, gazing at Nina’s carefree, girlish face, I was struck by how much she resembled her twin sister Ida, a fierce, independent warrior, identical in looks, but that’s where the similarities ended. Well, that settles the nature versus nurture debate, I thought.
Just as we turned to leave, a deep, muffled voice cut through the air: “Freeze, ladies.”
Two sleek, black-armoured guards stood before us, visors down and modern machine guns at the ready. My stomach dropped, was this it? Was this how it all ended?
But Nina just burst out laughing, even swatting one playfully on the arm. “Hans! Stephan! This is Miss Aberdeen; she’s staying with us.”
The visors flipped up. “Hey, Miss Aberdeen,” the first said warmly. “Welcome to our city. Hope our sis is treating you right.”
The other turned to Nina, smirking. “Mum’s been asking for you. No idea what you’ve done this time, but she’s about to blow a fuse.”
Nina’s face fell. “Damn. Mum… We did promise to see her first. We’d better hurry.”
The guards chuckled in unison. “See you around,” said the first.
“Yeah, if Mum doesn’t kill Nina first,” the other added.
Before I could react, Nina grabbed my hand and marched me down the street.
We burst into Joanna’s clinic at nearly a run, Nina giggling beside me.
“Sorry, Mum I was just showing Tilly around,” Nina said, still breathless.
Joanna’s expression was stern. “I told you it was important to come here first.” Her sharp tone made it clear we were both being scolded. “Nina, wait in the reception. I need to examine Tilly alone.”
Nina left without protest, but not before flashing me a mischievous grin on her way out.
“Tilly, go behind the curtain and put on the robe. I’ll set up the machine,” Joanna instructed briskly.
I did as I was told, tucking the kitchen knife into the folds of my discarded clothes before stepping back into the examination room.
“Lie down on the bed and stay still. Don’t be afraid, it won’t hurt.”
I climbed onto the bed, and moments later, it began sliding into the gaping mouth of a massive machine. Panic flared in my chest, but Joanna’s voice cut through it.
“Be still, girl.”
I bit my tongue, fists clenched, as the machine swallowed me whole. Time stretched into eternity before it finally spat me back out.
“You can change back now while I review the results,” she said, all business.
Once dressed and my knife safely hidden again, I returned to her.
“Sit down,” she ordered, gesturing to a chair.
I obeyed, watching as she scanned the report. Her face shifted, anger fading into something softer, almost like concern. When she finally looked up, her gaze locked onto mine.
“Your body was already broken before your recent… ordeal.” Her voice was quiet, deliberate. “Almost every bone has been reset at some point. You have at least seven old gunshot wounds, more scars than unmarked skin. It’s a miracle you’ve survived this long.” She paused. “But that’s not what worries me now.”
Her fingers tightened around the papers. “You’re severely malnourished. Your ribs have been recently fractured. There are signs of prolonged torture, infected wounds, untreated injuries. And worst of all…” Her voice hardened. “Internal bruising and scarring from what could only be violent, repeated rape in a very short span of time.”
I smirked. “Guess that’s not great news, huh, Doc?”
She stared at me like I’d spoken in another language. “You need to take this seriously. The fact that your body hasn’t shut down is astonishing, let alone what this must have done to your mind.”
I stayed silent, more for her sake than mine. Her sudden compassion almost made me pity her.
“Do you understand what I’m telling you?” she pressed.
“Yeah. I should be more careful about who I hang out with.”
“Christ!” She nearly shouted, shoving bottles of pills into my hands. “These are for the pain, these for the internal swelling, these will prevent infection or STDs and unfortunately, I don’t have anything for sheer stupidity.”
She stood abruptly. “Please… don’t drag my family into this. You’ve already involved one of my daughters. As a mother, I’m begging you, keep Nina out of it.”