“Good to see you, Dr. Forester,” Sergeant Rose said when I stepped up to the control panel. “Good weekend?”
If you only knew. “Yes, it was nice. How about yourself?”
“Can’t complain. Are you going in today?”
I looked out the window. Davin stood on the other side. He’d followed me from his bed to the watch room. His blue eyes were bright and intense. I made myself breathe slower. “Yes.”
“Then let’s get you suited up.”
It didn’t take long to get my suit on.
Sergeant Rose cocked an eyebrow. “I think he’s happy to see you. He spent most of the weekend pacing. He was pretty edgy all day Saturday from what the weekend guard told me.”
“So you’re not here twenty-four hours a day?” I joked after clicking the external speaker on.
Sergeant Rose chuckled. “No, although my wife likes to point out that I work too much. What can I say? Five twelve-hour shifts a week is good pay. Besides, I find this job interesting.”
He exited the containment room a few moments later. I waited at the door to Davin’s cell, straining to see through the tiny glass window, but it was hard in the bulkiness of the suit.
My feet itched to move. I wanted to see Davin, to talk to him. Nothing I could say to myself minimized that.
“Ready?” Sergeant Rose’s voice sounded in my earbud.
I tried to calm my pounding heart. “Yes.”
In front of me, dials turned as the room depressurized. With a hiss, the door to Davin’s cell opened.
HE WAITED FOR me on the other side. His body was tensed, an anxious smile on his face. Once again, I cursed the bulky awkwardness of the biohazard suit. It made my movements clumsy.
Davin took my hand, steadying me.
I paused, my eyes going to his large hand that engulfed my smaller one. His body heat was warm through the gloves. I subtly rubbed his fingers, wishing I could feel the texture of his skin.
“Hi.” His voice was deeper than usual. “Do you want to sit down?”
“Sure.”
He led me to the chair by his desk, holding my hand the entire way. I didn’t know what to make of that. After I sat, I turned to Sergeant Rose. I didn’t have to say anything. His voice sounded in my earbud. “Turning off now.” The speaker clicked.
I was alone with Davin once again.
He released me after I was safely seated in the chair. My shoulders drooped. Perhaps that was all the hand holding had been – good manners as he helped me to the chair.
“How was the weekend?” He sat on the bed, his hands clasped in his lap.
“It was good. Fun.”
“You took long enough to let us know you got there,” he said gruffly.
I tucked my chin. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay, but you seemed a little… off… when you left last week. I wasn’t sure if I’d done something.”
I shook my head. “No, it was nothing really. Your mom helped me see that.”
He frowned. “See what?”
I gripped my hands tightly together and shrugged. “It seems dumb, what I’d thought.”
“What’d you think?”
I took a deep breath. Just say it, Meghan. Get it over with. After all, I promised myself I’d always be honest with him. “When you said I was different from the other researchers on Friday, I got a little sensitive.”
A pause stretched between us. Davin just sat there, a confused expression on his face. “Why? It was a compliment.”
“It was? Oh… I guess at the time, I didn’t see it that way.”
“Then how did you see it?”
I told him a little more about my upbringing, about how my abilities in school made me different from my peers. That, along with the frequent moving and school changes, made me very isolated.
“You thought I was saying it in a negative way,” he stated, after I finished explaining. “That being different was something bad.”
“Yes.”
“Meghan…”
I tried not to react to the sound of my name on his lips.
He continued. “I thank the spirits every day that they sent you to me.”
My eyes widened. I just stared at him. When I finally gained control of my senses, I could only manage two words. “You do?”
“Yeah. Meghan, you connected me with the only family I have left. I’ll always be grateful for that.”
“Oh, right, of course.” My stomach plummeted. He’s your friend, Meg, nothing more.
“What did you and my mom do?”
“Oh, um.” I mentally shook myself. “We played some games and went for a walk, but for the most part, we just talked.”
“About me?” He grinned devilishly.
I couldn’t stop my smile. “A little.”
“Did she reveal anything embarrassing?”
I laughed. “Hardly.”
“Did you ask her about the thunderbird singing in Sweden?”
I nodded. “She said you’re the thunderbird, and if you’re singing, you’re happy.”
“Correct.”
“Why a thunderbird? For your code name?”
He leaned back on his elbows, his strong chest evident in his shirt. “The thunderbird is a legendary Sioux bird. The Wakinyan is the guardian of truth.”
I assumed Wakinyan was Lakota for thunderbird. “You guard the truth?”
Davin cocked his head. “I’ve been known to value truth and honor above all.”
I thought about what Sharon said, about how being deceitful was not a trait in Davin’s personality. Thankfully, his time in the Compound hadn’t changed that. “That’s what your mom said.”
“She knows me pretty well.”
“That must have taken a long time to formulate a code with her.”
“We had nothing but time back then.” His gaze dropped after he said that.
His look made me ache to touch him. I wasn’t sure what it was about the Kinders, but they brought out a side of me that hadn’t existed with anyone else. A side that wanted to touch and be touched. For the most part, I never touched anyone, besides the occasional hug from Jeremy, but that was a long time ago.
“So what games did you play?” Davin asked, changing the subject.
I shook off my thoughts and told him about Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit. “She said you were pretty good at poker.”
“She did, huh?”
“Yes, and she also said you should teach me.”
“That’s a bit hard. You need more than two people.”
“What if we make up additional players, or ask Sergeant Rose to join in?”
He cocked his head. “I suppose that could work.”
“You want to teach me then?”
He grinned. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I’ve never played with anybody as smart as you. Poker is a strategic game. You’ll probably beat me.”
Now it was my turn to grin. “Sounds like fun.”
He laughed.
“So are you going to teach me?” I asked.
“I suppose, but only because I don’t have an ego. You’ll no doubt crush it.”
“You give me too much credit.”
“We’ll see.”
Luckily, Davin had a deck of cards. He retrieved the deck from his desk in one of his blurred movements. “Okay, we’ll play Texas Holdem. It’s fairly easy to learn.” He shuffled the deck just as fast. The cards disappeared in the quick movement.
“You certainly wouldn’t want to teach me anything challenging.”
He chuckled, the sound rumbling in his chest. “All right, now pay attention.”
I tried to salute him, but the effect failed miserably in the bulky suit. He just chuckled again. “To start with, each player is dealt two cards.”
He dealt out hands to myself and four imaginary players. He went on to explain all of the rules, telling me various things to be aware of.
“Right, I got it,” I said when he finished.
“I
was afraid of that.”
I bit back a smile. The entire time he’d been dealing cards and showing me things, I’d watched his hands. He had beautiful hands. Large palms. Long, strong fingers. I swallowed. I felt my cheeks flush. Clearing my throat, I said, “Should we ask Sergeant Rose to join in?”
Davin’s eyebrows drew together but then he shrugged. “Might as well.”
I glanced at the watch room. Sergeant Rose watched us with an amused expression on his face. I tapped my hood. The speaker clicked on. “Do you know how to play Texas Hold ‘em?” I asked.
“Doesn’t every man?” he replied.
“Want to play with us?”
“With only three players?”
“I know, I know. It’ll be short and sweet.”
“Sounds like fun,” he replied. “But it may be challenging since I can’t hold any cards.”
“We’ll hold them up to you, and we won’t peek,” Davin said.
Sergeant Rose’s mouth dropped. I wondered if in all the years Sergeant Rose had been his guard, if this was the first time Davin had willingly spoken to him.
“Works for me.” There was a catch in the guard’s voice.
Davin told me to stand so he could move his desk and bed beside the watch room’s window. In a flash of movement, it was all done. “Show off,” I murmured.
He just grinned.
THE NEXT FEW hours were some of the most enjoyable hours I could remember in a very long time. We played poker until lunchtime. It probably wasn’t anything like a legitimate game. Three players definitely had its limits, but I laughed more often and longer than I had since Jeremy died.
Davin had such a serious poker face, yet I couldn’t keep mine straight. I kept laughing and smiling, which turned infectious at every hand. A corner of Davin’s mouth would quirk up or he’d give me a look, pretending to be annoyed, but I could see the amusement in his gaze. Despite how fun it was, I still had to work for the hands I won.
Davin was smart. His mother hadn’t been kidding when she said he was good.
“I think I’m done,” Sergeant Rose said around noon. “I can only take so many losing hands.”
So far, he’d lost every one. Davin and I were about fifty-fifty. As much as he said I’d beat him easily, I hadn’t.
“And Meghan,” Sergeant Rose continued, “you really need to learn the definition of a poker face.”
Davin grinned. “I don’t think I’ve ever played with anyone who laughed at every hand.”
“Didn’t stop me from winning,” I pointed out.
“Touché,” the guard replied. “I’ve got my replacement coming in an hour for my lunch break. Just want you both to know in case you want to wrap things up.” He paused. “I’m not sure he’d be as understanding about giving you privacy.”
“Right,” I replied. “Thanks.” The speaker clicked off in my earbud. “He’s signed off,” I told Davin.
Davin nodded and moved the furniture back to its original location.
“Did you have fun?” he asked when he was done.
“Yeah, we should do it again sometime.”
“We should.” He eyed Sergeant Rose through the glass. A long speculative expression followed. “He’s all right, isn’t he?”
“Yes. He’s been accommodating for everything I’ve asked.”
Davin frowned as if thinking about something. “Yeah.”
We were quiet for a minute, and then I brought up the subject I’d been avoiding for the last two weeks. “Davin? You know I’m going to need to get a sample from you at some point. Dr. Roberts gave me a month to get one. Otherwise, he’s going to send Amy in, and I won’t be allowed to work with you anymore.”
“I knew you’d have to get one sooner or later.”
“I’m in no rush. We still have two weeks.”
Davin looked me in the eye, all joking gone. “You can have one anytime you want. All you have to do is ask. Besides, it’s not like I’m not used to it.” He lifted his shirt revealing hard abs littered with scars.
My breath caught in my throat. When I was finally able to speak, it came out in a furious whisper. “He did that to you?”
Davin dropped his shirt. “Remind me to not show you my legs.”
I just stared where his shirt had been lifted, trying to get myself under control. I hadn’t felt a surge of adrenaline like that since the day I’d seen him forced into the Chair. Seeing all of those scars reminded me of something I’d always wondered. Something I’d never had the courage to ask.
“What did Dr. Roberts do to you that week he had you in the Experimental Room? Before I started here? Amy said no one else was allowed in.”
Davin’s gaze hardened. He glanced away. “Don’t worry about that.”
“Davin, tell me.”
He let out a harsh sigh. “Let’s just say there was a lot of cutting and no anesthetic, more so than usual.”
Fire burned in my gut. “That bastard!”
His gaze snapped to mine. “Meghan, it’s okay. I’m used to it, but that week was pretty bad. I couldn’t control myself for a while. I think that was his goal all along – to make me lose control. Usually, he’s not able to.”
“Nobody should be treated that way!”
“I agree, but I can’t change it, so please, don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”
It all seemed backwards. I should be the one comforting him, not the other way around.
“I’m going to do everything I can to get you out of here,” I said.
He reached out but then dropped his hand. If my hood hadn’t been in the way, I felt fairly certain he would have laid his palm across my cheek.
“I know you will.”
25 – SAMPLE
True to his word, Davin willingly gave me a sample. It was near the end of my month-long deadline. Every working day, Monday through Friday, I’d gone into his cell, and each day it became harder and harder to say goodbye.
I knew I couldn’t put it off forever. I only had a few days left before my deadline, but I was afraid once Dr. Roberts found out Davin’s sample had been collected, he’d put an end to our daily visits, telling me they were no longer needed.
And the thought of not seeing Davin, or not talking to him, left a hole in my heart that at times felt so big, I thought I’d disappear right into it.
So I kept finding an excuse for why it wasn’t needed yet. Why it wouldn’t hurt to wait a little bit longer. Yet each day my deadline loomed, and there was nothing I could do about it.
I think Davin knew I was putting it off, but I think he also knew I needed the sample. None of the other samples taken from Kazzies in Compound 26, or Compounds throughout the nation, had been viable. Twenty minutes – the longest stable sample taken in Washington – still held the record, but twenty minutes was not long enough.
We needed a more stable version if we were going to beat Makanza.
It was at the end of the day on Friday when Davin laid his hand over mine. We’d been visiting for over five hours, yet it felt like minutes.
He peered at me closely, his bright blue eyes drawing me closer like a moth to a flame. “Come on, Meg. You can’t put this off forever. Take my sample. Please.”
I sighed in acceptance that the time had finally come and gathered my supplies.
I worked as gently as possible and made sure the area was completely numbed. Cutting into him still hurt – me, not him. He reached out to steady my hand, murmuring that it was okay. His heat and calm words steadied my racing heart.
When the intramuscular sample was in the airtight vial, I carefully stitched him back up. Only two stitches were needed, but it would still leave a scar.
Tears rolled silently down my cheeks as I stared at what I’d done.
“Meghan, really, it’s okay.” He reached out as if to touch me again. When his fingers encountered my hood, he cursed quietly. “I stopped being vain a long time ago,” he joked. “A centimeter long scar is nothing.”
Tears still burned my
eyes despite his reassuring words. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I did that to you.”
He held my gaze. “If anyone’s going to do it to me, I’d rather it be you.”
I resisted the urge to wrap my arms around him. I wanted so badly to bury my face in his neck, to feel his hard chest pressed against mine, to burrow into his scent that would surely be uniquely his.
Of course, that wasn’t possible.
Touch was not something we’d ever experience.
Instead, we both stared at one another. An emotion so deep it felt like the ocean swirled in his eyes. It was an emotion I’d seen before, but he’d usually look away, but today, he didn’t.
Today, that emotion swam in his gaze, and he didn’t try to hide it.
“I should get this to the lab.” I held up the vial.
He nodded. “I’ll see you Monday.”
With a heavy heart, I exited his room into the containment area. Fifteen minutes later, I was carrying the vial with Davin’s sample back to the lab. Time right now didn’t matter. In the airtight vial, the sample wouldn’t degrade during my walk to the lab. It would only be when we opened it that the clock would begin ticking.
Only time would tell if this sample was able to survive the harshness of traditional DNA testing.
Emotions weighed me down, making my steps feel heavy. Despite holding a sample that could potentially be more stable than any we’d ever extracted, that wasn’t where my thoughts lay.
Instead, bright blue eyes swam through my mind. I was falling in love with Davin. I had been for weeks.
It was so unbelievably stupid for me to let my feelings get to this point. And regardless of how he felt, nothing could ever come of it. Even if we found a vaccine, even if the entire country was inoculated, it was possible the MRI would still refuse to let the Kazzies out. If someone like Dr. Roberts made the decisions, it was possible they’d be imprisoned forever.
“What have you got there, lil’ Meghan?” Mitch’s voice startled me.
I’d almost walked right into him. I hadn’t realized I’d entered the lab. “Oh, um. It’s the sample Davin just gave to me.”
His eyes widened. “A sample willingly given to you from a happy Kazzie?”
I pictured Davin’s face and his touch while I’d cut into him. Happy? Maybe, but I didn’t think so. Accepting? Definitely, but it was more than that. His touch had been so gentle, his words so warm. I wasn’t sure what his emotion was when I’d taken his sample, but it was definitely positive. “Yes, he willingly gave it.”
Compound 26: Book #1 in The Makanza Series Page 23
