Her head snapped to the orderly and, in the blink of an eye, they were nose to nose. The color leached from his face as Dr. Kore mumbled something too quiet to hear. The one orderly shrunk and left the room as the other stared subserviently at the floor.
Patient Zero?
Brooks’ dark passenger stirred, and its feelings of disgust and rage lingered with his fear and panic.
Lytta had gone still as death to his right, her eyes locked on the approaching doctor with a mix of emotions he couldn’t begin to untangle over the knot in his own chest. And Rue?
That loony bitch was smiling with admiration shining in her eyes.
Heels clicked on the tile floor as the doctor moved toward their boxes and the sound rang through Brooks’ head, his eye twitching with every resounding step.
Dr. Kore stopped in front of his box, her eyes set on his, and the small smile returned.
“Brooks?”A weak, female voice entered his mind.
His Siren.
She’s not fucking real,he told himself.Ignore it, or it’s going to get you killed.
“I’m going to do a quick examination to determine how we will proceed.”
“He was talking to me,” Lytta tried again, but Dr. Kore cut her off with an icy glare.
The doctor raised her penlight and shined it into both of Brooks’ eyes in quick succession.
“Brooks?”The voice in his head was louder now and laced with panic.
His soul wanted to respond, begged him to call out to his Siren, but he closed the lid and sealed it shut.
Shewas nothis.
Shewas not even ashe.
She washim,and he seemed hellbent on getting himself killed today.
“Just as I thought. Dilated,” she muttered to herself. She pulled the clipboard from her chest and flipped through several pages before asking, “Brooks, have you been hearing any voices since electrotherapy?”
“Brooks!”His Siren screamed in agony.
He could not, would not, respond to a hallucination.
Not here.
Not now.
Not ever again.
“No,” he said firmly, even though his breaths were ragged.
She stared for a moment longer before scribbling on her clipboard and continuing the interrogation.
“Are you experiencing any more auditory hallucinations?”
“No,” he answered again.
“I see.” Her face was serious as she wrote, and with every letter Brooks grew more antsy. He was glad the doctor couldn’t see through the steam box as his fingers rubbed anxiously at his legs.
Dr. Kore turned and addressed the remaining orderly. “The patient will continue hydrotherapy. Call me if anything changes in behavior.” Without another word she exited the room.
