(no subject)
The guards came to her door at 7:45 am. Her departure wasn't for another 45 minutes, but she needed the time to pass through quarantine and for Dr. Merrick and his staff to arrange her final papers. She walked with her one suitcase, shivering uneasily; she'd never been out of her room when no one else was. The Center felt deserted as she followed the two guards towards Dr. Merrick's office. She took one last look at the main hall, the cafeteria staff only just starting to open the buffet line. When she saw Louise donning her plastic gloves and paper cap, Jordan waved. Louise, for some reason, did not look pleased to see her leaving with the guards. She guessed she understood why; Louise, like the guards, the doctors, and the various other technicians who helped maintain the Center couldn't win the lottery and thus couldn't ever move out to the Island. This was a permanent goodbye, and Louise was the loser.
No more bacon for Lincoln, then, if Louise was in a mood and her unable to fetch it for him. That made her feel worse than leaving Louise behind. But at least Lincoln would be coming after her. It would take a few years at most, but then they'd have the rest of their lives in paradise. There were no rules to Island life, save the most cardinal ones observed at the Center, respecting and caring for one another, doing no harm, etc etc. Maybe on the Island Lincoln could put his hand on her arm again, as he'd done last night, and no guard would be around to order it removed.
Happy in this fantasy, she followed the guards with docile obedience, content to go wherever they would take her because each step was one closer to the Island. There was a short wait at the entrance to Dr. Merrick's suite while the guards' IDs were scanned and approved, one of them turning a card key and taking her suitcase as he held the door open for her. They entered together and instead of proceeding straight towards Dr. Merrick's office, they turned left, headed for an elevator. The trip up was a bit claustrophobic--unlike those of the Center, this elevator had no windows--but it brought home the joyous reality of her situation: she was going to the Island! They rode up to a floor marked 'S' on the elevator panel, and stepped out.
"Please wait here," one of the two guards with her showed her into a white room with a padded bench running along one wall. "One of the doctors will be along shortly to clear you for departure." She nodded, and he disappeared through a door opposite the one they'd come in. Jordan leaned forward to see the hall beyond, catching a glimpse of a dim corridor beyond before the door swung closed. It was just as white and unadorned as the room she currently occupied, but there were several people walking around in uniforms she'd never seen.
"That man's wearing blue," she murmured to herself.
"That's a nurse," the remaining guard told her. He pressed his hand to his ear piece, looking between her and the door where his partner had gone. "Listen," he said after a moment, "there's been a complication with your means of transport, and the doctor's been delayed. He'll be here shortly, but I'm going to help my partner clear up the transportation problem. Will you be all right here on your own for a few minutes?"
"Yes," she promised.
"Stay here," he said, sternly, exiting the same way his partner had, her suitcase still in his hand. Alone, Jordan let out a nervous breath. What if she couldn't go out to the Island this morning? What if she failed the physical? That was unlikely, but still, suppose she did? Would they make her go back? No, no, probably not. No one ever got sent back. It must be hard for the guards to constantly send people on to the Island, but they'd never reneged on privilege.
All she had to do was wait.
No more bacon for Lincoln, then, if Louise was in a mood and her unable to fetch it for him. That made her feel worse than leaving Louise behind. But at least Lincoln would be coming after her. It would take a few years at most, but then they'd have the rest of their lives in paradise. There were no rules to Island life, save the most cardinal ones observed at the Center, respecting and caring for one another, doing no harm, etc etc. Maybe on the Island Lincoln could put his hand on her arm again, as he'd done last night, and no guard would be around to order it removed.
Happy in this fantasy, she followed the guards with docile obedience, content to go wherever they would take her because each step was one closer to the Island. There was a short wait at the entrance to Dr. Merrick's suite while the guards' IDs were scanned and approved, one of them turning a card key and taking her suitcase as he held the door open for her. They entered together and instead of proceeding straight towards Dr. Merrick's office, they turned left, headed for an elevator. The trip up was a bit claustrophobic--unlike those of the Center, this elevator had no windows--but it brought home the joyous reality of her situation: she was going to the Island! They rode up to a floor marked 'S' on the elevator panel, and stepped out.
"Please wait here," one of the two guards with her showed her into a white room with a padded bench running along one wall. "One of the doctors will be along shortly to clear you for departure." She nodded, and he disappeared through a door opposite the one they'd come in. Jordan leaned forward to see the hall beyond, catching a glimpse of a dim corridor beyond before the door swung closed. It was just as white and unadorned as the room she currently occupied, but there were several people walking around in uniforms she'd never seen.
"That man's wearing blue," she murmured to herself.
"That's a nurse," the remaining guard told her. He pressed his hand to his ear piece, looking between her and the door where his partner had gone. "Listen," he said after a moment, "there's been a complication with your means of transport, and the doctor's been delayed. He'll be here shortly, but I'm going to help my partner clear up the transportation problem. Will you be all right here on your own for a few minutes?"
"Yes," she promised.
"Stay here," he said, sternly, exiting the same way his partner had, her suitcase still in his hand. Alone, Jordan let out a nervous breath. What if she couldn't go out to the Island this morning? What if she failed the physical? That was unlikely, but still, suppose she did? Would they make her go back? No, no, probably not. No one ever got sent back. It must be hard for the guards to constantly send people on to the Island, but they'd never reneged on privilege.
All she had to do was wait.