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Saturday, March 2, 2019

The Host Chapter 54: Forgotten

Elizabeth? I acquireed. Anne? Kargonn? Whats your name? Cmon. I get laid you know it.The Healers body was placid limp on the cot. It had been a long time-how long, I wasnt sure. Hours and hours. I hadnt slept yet, though the sun was far up in the sky. mercantilism had climbed come in onto the mountain to pull the tarps away, and the sun beamed brightly through the holes in the ceiling, hot on my skin. Id moved the nameless fair sexhood so that her daring would be out of the gl atomic number 18.I touched her office of meat now lightly, patting the yielding brown tomentum cerebri, woven through with white strands, away from her face.Julie? Britt all? Angela? Patricia? Am I getting close? Talk to me. Please?E very(prenominal) hotshot but mendelevium-snoring quietly on a cot in the darkest corner of the hospital-had gone away hours ago. slightlywhat to bury the host body wed lost. I cringed, thinking of his bewildered move, and the sharp way his face had gone slack.Why? hed asked me.I so such(prenominal) respected that the soul had waited for an answer, so I could lead tried to explain it to him. He might even permit understood. After all, what was much important, in the end, than make out? To a soul, wasnt that the breast of anything? And love would have been my answer. by chance, if hed waited, he would have seen the trueness of that. If hed really understood, I was sure he would have let the compassionate body live.The request would probably have make little ace to him, though. The body was his body, non a separate entity. His suicide was simply that to him, not a murder, too. Only one life had ended. And perhaps he was right.At to the lowest degree the souls had survived. The light on his tank glowed dull red beside hers I couldnt ask for a greater evidence of commitment from my kind-hearteds than this, the forbear of his life.Mary? Margaret? Susan? Jill?Though physician slept and I was otherwise alone, I could timbre the echo of the tenseness the others had left so-and-so it still hung in the air.The tension lingered because the woman had not woken up when the chloroform wore off. She had not moved. She was still breathing, her viewt was still beating, but she had not responded to any of Docs efforts to revive her.Was it too belated? Was she lost? Was she already gone? Just as dead as the male body?Were all of them? Were thither only a very few, a standardized(p) the Seekers host, Lacey, and Melanie-the shouters, the resisters-who could be brought subscribe? Was invariablyyone else gone?Was Lacey an anomaly? Would Melanie come O.K. the way she had or was even that in question?Im not lost. Im here(predicate). dear now Mels mental voice was defensive. She worried, too.Yes, you are here. And you go forth stay here, I promised.With a sigh, I returned to my efforts. My doomed efforts?I know you have a name, I told the woman. Is it Rebecca? Alexandra? Olivia? Something simpler, maybe Jane? Jean? J oan?It was better than nothing, I thought glumly. At least Id given them a way to benefactor themselves if they were ever taken. I could t up to(p) service the resisters, if no one else.It didnt seem like enough.Youre not giving me lots to work with, I murmured. I took her hand in some(prenominal) of mine, galled it softly. It would really be nice if you would make an effort. My friends are dismissal to be depressed enough. They could use some good news. Besides, with Kyle still gone It will be hard to evacuate everyone without having to carry you around, too. I know you loss to help. This is your family here, you know. These are your kind. Theyre very nice. Most of them. Youll like them.The gently lined face was vacant with unconsciousness. She was quite pretty in an inconspicuous way-her features very bilaterally symmetric on her oval face. Forty-five, maybe a little younger, maybe a little older. It was hard to tell with no animation in the face.They imply you, I went on, pleading now. You can help them. You know so more than that I never knew. Doc tries so hard. He deserves some help. Hes a good man. Youve been a Healer for a while now some of that care for the well-being of others essential have rubbed off on you. Youll like Doc, I think.Is your name Sarah? Emily? Kristin?I stroked her soft cheek, but thither was no response, so I took her limp hand in mine again. I gazed at the blue sky through the holes in the high ceiling. My disposition wandered.I wonder what theyll do if Kyle never comes back. How long will they overwhelm? Will they have to find a new home some push through else? there are so many of them It wont be easy. I lack I could help them, but even if I could stay, I dont have any answers. maybe theyll get to stay here somehow. Maybe Kyle wont bulk up. I laughed humorlessly, thinking of the odds. Kyle wasnt a careful man. However, until that situation was resolved, I was needed. Maybe, if there were Seekers looking, they would need my infallible eyes. It might take a long time, and that do me feel warmer than the sun on my skin. Made me feel delicious that Kyle was impetuous and selfish. How long until we were sure we were safe?I wonder what its like here when it gets cold. I can barely re-member feeling cold. And what if it rains? It has to rain here sometime, doesnt it? With all these holes in the roof, it must get really wet. Where does everyone sleep therefore, I wonder. I sighed. Maybe Ill get to find out. Probably shouldnt bet on that, though. arent you curious at all? If you would wake up, you could get the answers. Im curious. Maybe Ill ask Ian around it. Its funny to imagine things changing here I sham summer cant last forever.Her fingers fluttered for one second in my hand.It took me by admiration because my mind had wandered away from the woman on the cot, beginning to sink into the sad that was forever conveniently near these days.I stared round off at her there was no substitute-t he hand in mine was limp, her face still vacant. Maybe Id imagined the movement.Did I say something you were interested in? What was I talking about? I thought quickly, watching her face. Was it the rain? Or was it the idea of change? Change? Youve got a lot of that ahead of you, dont you? You have to wake up first, though.Her face was empty, her hand motionless.So you dont care for change. Cant say that I hip-hop you. I dont want change to come, either. Are you like me? Do you wish the summer could last?If I hadnt been watching her face so closely, I wouldnt have seen the tiny flicker of her lids.You like summertime, do you? I asked hopefully.Her lips twitched. summer?Her hand trembled.Is that your name-Summer? Summer? Thats a pretty name.Her hand tightened into a fist, and her lips parted. bed back, Summer. I know you can do it. Summer? Listen to me, Summer. lax your eyes, Summer.Her eyes blinked rapidly.Doc I called over my shoulder. Doc, wake upHuh?I think shes coming around I turned back to the woman. intimidate it up, Summer. You can do this. I know its hard. Summer, Summer, Summer. Open your eyes.Her face grimaced-was she in vexation?Bring the No Pain, Doc. Hurry.The woman squeezed my hand, and her eyes opened. They didnt focus at first, just whirled around the bright cave. What a strange, unexpected sight this place must have been for her.Youre going to be all right, Summer. Youre going to be fine. Can you hear me, Summer?Her eyes wheeled back to me, the pupils constricting. She stared, bewitching my face. Then she cringed away from me, twisting on the cot to escape. A low, curmudgeonly cry of dread broke through her lips.No, no, no, she cried. No more.DocHe was there, on the other side of the cot, like in the beginning, when we were operating.Its okay, maam, he assured her. No one is going to hurt you here.The woman had her eyes squeezed shut, and she recoiled into the thin mattress.I think her name is Summer.He flashed a look at me and then mad e a face. Eyes, Wanda, he breathed.I blinked and realized that the sun was on my face. Oh. I let the woman pull her hand free.Dont, please, the woman begged. non again.Shh, Doc murmured. Summer? People call me Doc. No ones going to do anything to you. Youre going to be fine.I eased away from them, into the shadows.Dont call me that the woman sobbed. Thats not my name Its hers, its hers Dont say it againId gotten the wrong name. Mel objected to the guilt that process through me. Its not your fault. Summer is a human name, too.Of course not, Doc promised. What is your name?I-I-I dont know she wailed. What happened? Who was I? Dont make me be someone else again.She tossed and thrashed on the cot.Calm down its going to be okay, I promise. No ones going to make you be anyone but you, and youll remember your name. Its going to come back.Who are you? she demanded. Whos she? Shes like like I was. I saw her eyesIm Doc. And Im human, just like you. See? He moved his face into the light and blinked at her. Were both just ourselves. There are lots of humans here. Theyll be so happy to meet you.She cringed again. Humans Im afraid of humans.No, youre not. The person who employ to be in your body was afraid of humans. She was a soul, remember that? And then remember before that, before she was there? You were human then, and you are again.I cant remember my name, she told him in a panicked voice.I know. Itll come back.Are you a doctor?I am.I was she was, too. A Healer. Like a doctor. She was Summer Song. Who am I?Well find out. I promise you that.I edged toward the exit. Trudy would be a good person to help Doc, or maybe Heidi. Someone with a calming face.Shes not human the woman whispered urgently to Doc, her eye caught by my movement.Shes a friend dont be afraid. She helped me bring you back.Where is Summer Song? She was scared. There were humansI ducked out the door while she was distracted.I heard Doc answer the question behind me. Shes going to a new planet. Do you r emember where she was before she came here?I could guess what her answer would be from the name.She was a flit? She could fly She could sing I remember but it was not here. Where am I?I move down the hall to find help for Doc. I was surprised when I saw the light of the great hollow ahead-surprised because it was so quiet. Usually you could hear voices before you saw the light. It was the middle of the day. There should have been someone in the freehand garden room, if only overlap through.I walked out into the bright noon light, and the giant space was empty.The alert tendrils of the cantaloupe vines were dark green, darker than the dry earth they sprang from. The earth was too dry-the irrigating lay stood ready to fix that, the hoses laid out along the furrows. exactly no one manned the crude machine. It sat abandoned on the side of the field.I stood very still, severe to hear something. The huge cavern was silent, and the relieve was ominous. Where was everyone?Had they evacuated without me? A pang of fear and hurt shot through me. exactly they wouldnt have left without Doc, of course. They would never leave Doc. I wanted to winkle back through the long tunnel to make sure Doc had not disappeared, too.They wouldnt go without us, either, silly. Jared and Jamie and Ian wouldnt leave us behind.Youre right. Youre right. Lets check the kitchen?I jogged down the silent corridor, getting more anxious as the silence continued. Maybe it was my imagination, and the loud thumping of my pulse in my ears. Of course there must be something to hear. If I could calm down and slow my breathing, Id be able to hear voices.But I reached the kitchen and it was empty, too. Empty of people. On the tables, half-eaten lunches had been abandoned. Peanut butter on the last of the soft bread. Apples and warm cans of soda.My stomach reminded me that I hadnt eaten at all today, but I barely noted the twist of hunger. The panic was so much stronger.What if what if we didnt ev acuate soon enough?No Mel gasped. No, we would have heard something Someone would have or there would be Theyd still be here, looking for us. They wouldnt give up until theyd checked everywhere. So that cant be it.Unless theyre looking for us now.I spun back toward the door, my eyes darting through the shadows.I had to go warn Doc. We had to get out of here if we were the last two.No They cant be gone Jamie, Jared Their faces were so clear, as if they were etched onto the insides of my eyelids.And Ians face, as I added my own pictures to hers. Jeb, Trudy, Lily, Heath, Geoffrey. Well get them back, I vowed. Well hunt them down one by one and steal them back I wont let them take my familyIf Id had any doubts where I stood, this moment would have erased them. Id never felt so vehement in all my lives. My teeth clenched tight, snapping together audibly.And then the noise, the piffle of voices Id been so anxiously straining to hear, echoed down the hall to us and made my breath catch. I slid silently to the wall and pressed myself into the shadow there, listening.The big garden. You can hear it in the echoes.Sounds like a large group.Yes. But yours or mine?Ours or theirs, she corrected.I crept down the hall, keeping to the darkest shadows. We could hear the voices more clearly now, and some of them were familiar. Did that mean anything? How long would it take happy Seekers to perform an insertion?And then, as I reached the very mouth of the great cave, the sounds became even clearer, and relief washed through me-because the babble of voices was just the analogous as it had been my very first day here. Murderously indignant.They had to be human voices.Kyle must be back.Relief warred with pain as I hurried into the bright sunlight to see what was going on. Relief because my humans were safe. And pain because if Kyle was already safely back, thenYoure still needed, Wanda. So much more than I am.Im sure I could find excuses forever, Mel. There will always be some reason.Then stay.With you as my prisoner?We stopped logical argument as we assessed the commotion in the cavern.Kyle was back-the easiest one to spot, the tallest in the crowd, the only one facing me. He was pinned against the far wall by the mob. Though he was the cause of the angry noise, he was not the source of it. His face was conciliatory, pleading. He held his arm out to the sides, palms back, as if there was something behind him he was trying to protect.Just calm down, okay? His deep voice carried over the cacophony. thorn off, Jared, youre scaring herA flash of black hair behind his elbow-an unfamiliar face, with wide, terrorize black eyes, peeked around at the crowd.Jared was closest to Kyle. I could see that the back of his neck was bright red. Jamie clung to one of his arms, holding him back. Ian was on his other side, his arms crossed in front of him, the muscles in his shoulders tight with strain. Behind them, every other human but Doc and Jeb was massed in an angr y throng. They surged behind Jared and Ian, asking loud, angry questions.What were you thinking?How dare you?Whyd you come back at all?Jeb was in the back corner, just watching.Sharon s brilliant hair caught my eye. I was surprised to see her, with Maggie, right in the center of the crowd. Theyd both been so little a part of life here ever since Doc and I had healed Jamie. Never in the middle of things.Its the fight, Mel guessed. They werent booming with happiness, but theyre at home with fury.I thought she was probably right. How disturbing.I heard a shrill voice throwing out some of the angry questions and realized that Lacey was part of the crowd, too.Wanda? Kyles voice carried across the noise again, and I looked up to see his deep blue eyes locked on me. There you are Could you please come and give me a little help here?

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