Secrets of the Night
The hospital staff was strange, tired looking as if they had worked too many hours all at once. A cute nurse with reddish hair tied into a bun and big circles under her eyes asked if she could help Brenna. She typed Jason's name into a computer, and her eyes narrowed to alert instantly. She controlled the muscles in her face well schooling them before looking at Brenna again.
"He's quarantined right now in the Federal Care Facility." Nancy informed her, but her tone was not as careful as her face.
"He's what?" Brenna asked completely confused. "Bath County doesn't have a federal anything."
"It's a new program," Nancy's lips tightened. Apparently Nurse Nancy didn't approve. "No one is permitted in without a certain clearance."
"Well, I'd like to talk to a doctor about his status."
Nancy smiled sympathetically- "If you weren't married to him, they wouldn't tell you anything anyway."
Brenna looked at Nancy wondering what she was hiding. Suddenly, it was as if she were hearing Nancy's thoughts aloud.
"That at least is a regular policy- not some bullshit made up in the past few days by a man in a black suit. What are they doing in there? Nothing good- nothing good is kept a secret. None of the "patients" seemed to leave or at least not go home to their families. Couldn't be legal." Nancy's face betrayed nothing, her lips didn't move, but Brenna was certain she was hearing Nancy's thoughts.
"There's no way in?" Brenna asked out loud.
"No, I'm sorry." Nancy responded vocally. Her thoughts said otherwise, "Unless you can climb straight up a two story wall, or perhaps if you could get hold of one of the security tags. Those fancy contraptions always get the big wigs in. But to get one you'd have to lie cheat and steal. Not a sweet girl like her wouldn't do it. Maybe she could go through the airvents like in the movie- seems as likely a way in as any other. She wouldn't get in through a public entrance for sure. Even if she did she might disappear like the so-called patients. Bad mess. All because of the wolves. Where'd they come from anyway?"
"Thank you," Brenna said sincerely and turned to leave. She felt shaken as if she had just experienced something she shouldn't have. In fact, she knew she shouldn't have experienced it. On the way to the car she tried to replicate it, but no one else seemed as ready to share his or her thoughts, or perhaps it had been a one-time thing.
"He's quarantined right now in the Federal Care Facility." Nancy informed her, but her tone was not as careful as her face.
"He's what?" Brenna asked completely confused. "Bath County doesn't have a federal anything."
"It's a new program," Nancy's lips tightened. Apparently Nurse Nancy didn't approve. "No one is permitted in without a certain clearance."
"Well, I'd like to talk to a doctor about his status."
Nancy smiled sympathetically- "If you weren't married to him, they wouldn't tell you anything anyway."
Brenna looked at Nancy wondering what she was hiding. Suddenly, it was as if she were hearing Nancy's thoughts aloud.
"That at least is a regular policy- not some bullshit made up in the past few days by a man in a black suit. What are they doing in there? Nothing good- nothing good is kept a secret. None of the "patients" seemed to leave or at least not go home to their families. Couldn't be legal." Nancy's face betrayed nothing, her lips didn't move, but Brenna was certain she was hearing Nancy's thoughts.
"There's no way in?" Brenna asked out loud.
"No, I'm sorry." Nancy responded vocally. Her thoughts said otherwise, "Unless you can climb straight up a two story wall, or perhaps if you could get hold of one of the security tags. Those fancy contraptions always get the big wigs in. But to get one you'd have to lie cheat and steal. Not a sweet girl like her wouldn't do it. Maybe she could go through the airvents like in the movie- seems as likely a way in as any other. She wouldn't get in through a public entrance for sure. Even if she did she might disappear like the so-called patients. Bad mess. All because of the wolves. Where'd they come from anyway?"
"Thank you," Brenna said sincerely and turned to leave. She felt shaken as if she had just experienced something she shouldn't have. In fact, she knew she shouldn't have experienced it. On the way to the car she tried to replicate it, but no one else seemed as ready to share his or her thoughts, or perhaps it had been a one-time thing.