The afternoon dragged. I spent most of it staring at the ceiling, waiting for the door to open.
In this house, you don't wait for things to happen; you wait for people to let you exist.
The lock eventually turned with a heavy thunk.
It wasn't Anya. Three people in white coats walked in and they didn't look like the friendly nurses at the community clinic. They looked like they belonged in a high-end tech lab. They were carrying silver cases and tablets.
"Good afternoon, Liora," the man in the lead said. He didn't offer a name. "We are here for the initial baseline. We need to establish your physical stats before the next phase."
"I did the vitals this morning," I said, sitting up. I felt a little defensive, but I tried to keep my voice steady. I didn't want to give them a reason to call Marcus.
"That was a surface check," the woman said. She was snapping on blue gloves. The sound was sharp. "This is about biology. We need blood work, a full physical, and a nutritional panel."
They didn't even wait for me to agree. They just started setting up on the marble vanity. It felt weird seeing medical equipment next to my hairbrush.
"Sit on the edge of the bed, please," the lead doctor said.
I did what I was told. I felt like a kid at the school nurse, except the stakes were a lot higher. I watched them pull out several small glass tubes.
"What's that for?" I asked.
"Hormonal mapping," he replied. He wasn't even looking at me; he was looking at his screen.
"Mr. Volkov wants a clear picture of your health. We need to know exactly how your body reacts to the supplements."
"It reacts fine," I muttered. "I've never even had a cavity."
The doctors didn't laugh. They didn't even crack a smile. They just worked in silence. The woman wrapped a cuff around my arm to find a vein.
"I want to see my mom," I said. It wasn't a scream or a demand...Just a statement. "Xavier said she was stable, but I want to see the monitor. Just for a second."
The lead doctor paused. He tapped a button on his tablet. "I'll check the permissions."
I waited. My heart was thumping a little harder, but I stayed still. I didn't want to be "difficult." I just wanted to see my mum.
A moment later, he turned the tablet toward me. It was a live video feed. It was grainy and the colors were a bit washed out, but I saw her. She was lying in a hospital bed, her eyes closed. There were wires and tubes, but the machine next to her was showing a steady green line.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The sound was faint, but it was there.
"She's sleeping," the doctor said.
"She looks peaceful," I whispered. I felt a lump in my throat, but I swallowed it down. I couldn't afford to get messy right now.
He turned the tablet away. "Ten seconds. That's the limit for now. Now, let's get this blood draw over with."
I held out my arm. I looked at the window while the needle went in. I watched a bird land on the stone wall outside. It looked at the barbed wire and then flew away. I wished I could do the same.
The woman drew four tubes of blood. It felt like a lot, but I didn't complain. I just wanted them to finish and leave.
"Your iron is a bit low," she noted, looking at a quick-read sensor. "We'll adjust your morning drink. Make sure you finish the whole glass tomorrow."
"It tastes like a lawnmower," I said.
"It's a requirement," she replied.
They spent another twenty minutes checking my reflexes and my breathing. They treated me like a car getting a tune-up and they didn't ask how I was feeling or if the room was comfortable. They just gathered their data.
When they were done, they packed everything back into their silver cases.
"The results will be sent to Mr. Volkov's office tonight," the lead doctor said. "Try to get some rest. Your body needs to stay relaxed for the process to work."
"I'll try," I said.
They walked out, and I heard the lock engage again.
I was alone. The room felt even bigger than before. I walked over to the vanity and moved my hairbrush back to where it belonged. I hated that they had touched my things.
I went to the bed and pulled my father's blue sweater closer to me. I didn't put it on yet; I just held the sleeve but It felt real. The doctors and the silk and the cameras felt like a fever dream-a weird, expensive dream that I couldn't wake up from.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand.
Darian: The doctors say you were cooperative. Good. It makes things easier for everyone.
I stared at the text.And no,I didn't feel good about it. I felt like I had just passed a test I didn't want to take.
I laid back on the bed and looked at the camera. I didn't glare at it this time. I was just tired.
"I saw her, Dad," I whispered to the empty room. "She's okay for now."
I closed my eyes. The house was quiet. No sirens, no rain on the city streets, no chatter from the diner. Just the hum of the air conditioning.
I thought about the list of rules. I thought about the "dead zones" Anya mentioned.
Tomorrow, I would go to the garden. I would walk the paths and count the steps. I would be the perfect asset on the outside, but on the inside, I was going to keep my father's secrets safe.
I drifted off to sleep with the taste of that green juice still in the back of my throat. It was a long way from the life I knew, but as long as Mom's heart was beating, I could handle the white coats.
I just had to keep playing the game.
