private treatment.”
I’ve asked…
Shay realized that the senator was running this show. The same senator who’d screwed up and gotten them all quarantined.
In the next curtain-room, the person—a man—was shouting. “I want out of here, right now!” he bellowed.
Suddenly, an elbow pierced through the curtains, smashing into the wall of the PaperClips and barely missing Nani’s head. Her eyes went wide with shock and Shay slapped her hand over her own mouth to remind Nani not to scream. Preeti’s face crumpled as if about to break into a sob. Silent tears trickled down her cheeks.
The elbow was dragged back through the curtain wall. A muffled voice from one of the hazmat masks shouted, “Sedate him!” The man kicked the curtain, nailing Shay in the shin. She clamped her jaws to keep from screaming—he’d hit her good and hard. There’d be a mega bruise. Then the foot dropped onto the tile and slid back under the curtain. From the sounds of men grunting and metal squealing, the man was being wrestled onto a cot.
Shay cocked her head and shuffled forward, limping slightly now. Her left leg throbbed from the blow. She bit the inside of her cheek to stay focused.
The curtains ended ten feet from the front wall of the PaperClips. Shay peeked around the edge and saw that the only person in the waiting area was a guy about her age. He stared vacantly at the Wall of Curtain. Shay waved to Nani and Preeti and stepped quickly out into the waiting area.
The boy looked up. He seemed surprised. Shay froze, afraid he’d give them away.
Please,
she mouthed, holding a finger to her lips.
The kid nodded, then went back to staring at the curtains. He understood. She wondered if she should tell him about the space between the curtain and the wall, in case he needed it in the near future.
“What are we waiting for?” Preeti whispered, taking her arm. “Let’s get out of here.”
Shay nodded and took Nani’s hand.
They walked slowly, casually out of the PaperClips, then through the plywood door and into the hall. Though Shay wanted to run as fast as possible away from that place, she didn’t want to draw any unwanted attention, so they walked at a snail’s pace down the short corridor. Once they reached the main hall, there were more people. Shay risked moving at a fast trot all the way to the other end of the mall.
Shay had decided upon the inflatable mattress store, SnoozeSelect, because first, she’d never seen anyone shopping in it before, and second, there would be lots offull-sized beds for Nani to rest on. When they arrived at its entry, Shay noticed that no one—neither shopper nor salesperson—was inside. It was a lucky break—now Nani had a private bedroom down a corridor, off the main passageway, on the second floor, far from the senator’s prying eyes.
Nani was breathing heavily.
“Let’s get you resting on one of these,” Shay said, taking her grandmother’s arm and leading her to the bed farthest from the door.
Nani patted her hand. “You’re so good to me,” she said. “I will have to show you my secret store of henna.”
Shay pressed her fingers to her chest in mock astonishment. “You have a secret henna store you haven’t told me about?”
Nani leaned back into the pillows, smiling. “I have many secrets I have yet to tell you,” she said. “I thought this was why you kept trying to save me from death.”
Shay smiled, more because her grandmother was trying to make a joke than at the joke itself.
“What Snooze Setting are you?” Shay asked, picking up the remote. She pushed a button and a machine began pumping air into the mattress.
Nani’s eyes widened and she gripped the sides of the bed. “What will they think of next?”
Shay handed her the remote and left Nani to play with the settings. Preeti remained by the door, fingers wrapped around the door frame. Shay placed a hand on Preeti’s shoulder and she jumped.
“There’s a table down there,” Preeti said,
I’ve asked…
Shay realized that the senator was running this show. The same senator who’d screwed up and gotten them all quarantined.
In the next curtain-room, the person—a man—was shouting. “I want out of here, right now!” he bellowed.
Suddenly, an elbow pierced through the curtains, smashing into the wall of the PaperClips and barely missing Nani’s head. Her eyes went wide with shock and Shay slapped her hand over her own mouth to remind Nani not to scream. Preeti’s face crumpled as if about to break into a sob. Silent tears trickled down her cheeks.
The elbow was dragged back through the curtain wall. A muffled voice from one of the hazmat masks shouted, “Sedate him!” The man kicked the curtain, nailing Shay in the shin. She clamped her jaws to keep from screaming—he’d hit her good and hard. There’d be a mega bruise. Then the foot dropped onto the tile and slid back under the curtain. From the sounds of men grunting and metal squealing, the man was being wrestled onto a cot.
Shay cocked her head and shuffled forward, limping slightly now. Her left leg throbbed from the blow. She bit the inside of her cheek to stay focused.
The curtains ended ten feet from the front wall of the PaperClips. Shay peeked around the edge and saw that the only person in the waiting area was a guy about her age. He stared vacantly at the Wall of Curtain. Shay waved to Nani and Preeti and stepped quickly out into the waiting area.
The boy looked up. He seemed surprised. Shay froze, afraid he’d give them away.
Please,
she mouthed, holding a finger to her lips.
The kid nodded, then went back to staring at the curtains. He understood. She wondered if she should tell him about the space between the curtain and the wall, in case he needed it in the near future.
“What are we waiting for?” Preeti whispered, taking her arm. “Let’s get out of here.”
Shay nodded and took Nani’s hand.
They walked slowly, casually out of the PaperClips, then through the plywood door and into the hall. Though Shay wanted to run as fast as possible away from that place, she didn’t want to draw any unwanted attention, so they walked at a snail’s pace down the short corridor. Once they reached the main hall, there were more people. Shay risked moving at a fast trot all the way to the other end of the mall.
Shay had decided upon the inflatable mattress store, SnoozeSelect, because first, she’d never seen anyone shopping in it before, and second, there would be lots offull-sized beds for Nani to rest on. When they arrived at its entry, Shay noticed that no one—neither shopper nor salesperson—was inside. It was a lucky break—now Nani had a private bedroom down a corridor, off the main passageway, on the second floor, far from the senator’s prying eyes.
Nani was breathing heavily.
“Let’s get you resting on one of these,” Shay said, taking her grandmother’s arm and leading her to the bed farthest from the door.
Nani patted her hand. “You’re so good to me,” she said. “I will have to show you my secret store of henna.”
Shay pressed her fingers to her chest in mock astonishment. “You have a secret henna store you haven’t told me about?”
Nani leaned back into the pillows, smiling. “I have many secrets I have yet to tell you,” she said. “I thought this was why you kept trying to save me from death.”
Shay smiled, more because her grandmother was trying to make a joke than at the joke itself.
“What Snooze Setting are you?” Shay asked, picking up the remote. She pushed a button and a machine began pumping air into the mattress.
Nani’s eyes widened and she gripped the sides of the bed. “What will they think of next?”
Shay handed her the remote and left Nani to play with the settings. Preeti remained by the door, fingers wrapped around the door frame. Shay placed a hand on Preeti’s shoulder and she jumped.
“There’s a table down there,” Preeti said,
Similar Books
