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The need for a bathrooher on the list, acco to consider the possibility that I ht need to use a corner of the room as a lavatory when the intercom clicked on A moment later, a new voice, male, like the first one, spoke: "Miss Mason? Are you awake?"
"Yes" I opened nored my question like it didn’t ize for the silence We’d expected a longer period of disorientation, and I had to be recalled fro"
"Sorry to disappoint you"
"Oh, eren’t disappointed," said the voice He had the faintest trace of a Midwestern accent I couldn’t place the state "I promise, we’re thrilled to see you up and coherent so quickly It’s a wonderful indicator for your recovery"
"A glass of water and a trip to the ladies’ rooies and evasions"
Now the voice sounded faintly abashed "I’m sorry, Miss Mason We didn’t think… just aain I stayed where I was, and kept waiting
The sound of a hydraulic lock unsealing broke the quiet I turned to see a sht It turned green and the door slid s lasses He was clutching his clipboard to his chest like he thought it afforded him some sort of protection
"Miss Mason? If you’d like to come with me, I’d be happy to escort you to the restroom"
"Thank you" I unfoldedpins and needles in my calves, and walked toward the doorway The e as I approached, but he definitely shied back, looking ize foryou wait," he said His words had the distinct cadence of so for your ID and cos that had to be taken care of before we could proceed"
"Let’s worry about that after I get to the bathroom, okay?" I sidestepped around hi at three hospital orderlies in blue scrubs, each of the a pistol in my direction I stopped where I was "Okay, I can wait for my escort"
"That’s for the best, Miss Mason," said the nervous nized fro speakers between us "Just a necessary precaution I’m sure you understand"
"Yeah Sure" I fell into step behind hi I didjust returned to the land of the living, I was in noI can call you?"
"Ah…" His mouth worked soundlessly for a moment before he said, "I’m Dr Thomas I’ve been one of your personal physicians since you arrived at this facility I’ for so it these days?" The hall was built on thebreaking the sterile white walls but the occasional door and the associated one-wayroo well"
"It’s a skill"
"How’s your head? Any disorientation, blurred vision, confusion?"
"Yes" He tensed I ignored it, continuing "I’ here I don’t know about you, but I get twitchy when I wake up in strange places with no idea how I got there Will I be getting soh, Miss Mason" He stopped in front of a door with no mirror next to it That implied that it wasn’t a patient room Better yet, there was a blood test unit to one side I never thought I’d be so happy for the chance to be jabbed with a needle "We’ll give you a fewthe bathroom, also a skill" I slapped my palm down on the test panel Needles proers The light over the door flashed between red and green before settling on the latter Uninfected The door swung open I stepped through, only to stop and scowl at the one-wayshut behindbad enough that I didn’t protest the situation I glared at thethe facilities, all but daring so on me or not, you sick bastards
Other than the mirror--or maybe because of the mirror--the bathroom was as standard-issue CDC as the hallway outside, hite walls, a white tile floor, and white porcelain fixtures Everything was auto the soap dispenser, and there were no towels; instead, I driedthe contact with any surface When I turned back to the door, the only things I’d touched were the toilet seat and the floor, and I illing to bet that they were in the process of self-sterilization by the ti my hands