again. I had a vague memory of the wheelchair and I wanted to see if I could find Daniel on my own.”
“Okay.”
“You were sound asleep that night, too. In fact, you’d not gotten out of bed for days, you slept like you were…” She paused.
I knew. “Like I was dead.”
Abigail let out a long sigh. “I knew you were alive. I put my finger under your nose to see if you were breathing.” Her hand went to her stomach like the remembering caused her discomfort.
“That time I saw Gideon. He came in from outside and he had snow on his jacket. He told me about the resistance, about the Cause, and here I am.” She raised her palm up. “Isaac had just been taken away.”
“But that happened last week.”
She shook her head. “The Tonic messes up time. Slows it down. Speeds it up.”
We started again toward our room. My insides trembled, like my muscles might fall from the bone.
“Daniel and Gideon told me everything, including the break-in by the male.”
We were in the hall outside our room. Over the fireplace I could see the clock and the time. It was almost two in the morning. We’d only been gone two hours? How could that be? It felt like weeks had passed since I’d dreamed of ripping off Gideon’s arm.
“And then,” Abigail said, “Isaac didn’t come back.”
We hurried to our beds, past Mary and Elizabeth, who both slept without moving.
I stepped out of my clothes and folded them, placing the pants in the bottom drawer and the T-shirt in with the other old work clothing. I pulled pajamas out from under my pillow and slipped them on. Then I climbed into bed, turned over—back to the window—and closed my eyes.
From across the room came Abigail’s voice. “They let me join, Shiloh, because I know you. You are our hope.”
I didn’t answer.
Do you have your suitcase?
It’s there. By the dresser.
You won’t be gone long.
I don’t want her to come.
She’s part of the plan. To see what will happen.
No.
Get your things, please.
I nod. Start the walk. It’s so far. The corridor is dark as a hole. Cold as the snow. There are voices. And a screen with blue lights.
Then I am on the bed. Something cries out. Once more.
The voice echoes. Comes into my mind over and over.
We’ll get rid of the Disease. Send this heart where it belongs. Stop them from taking over the world. Put things back to normal.
Brightness stabs at my eyes. It’s in the back of my head, sharp. The light shines on faces. One I don’t recognize.
No! she says.
I’ve changed my mind, she says. I don’t care what I’ve signed.
There’s the knife, slicing down my breastbone, opening me up, like chicken in the kitchen.
I’m the only one who survived this crash.
Hands reach, pull out the blackness that fills me. Tug it away. It aches, tears. I feel the tendons separating from the bone. The blackness turns to blood.
Look at my legs.
They have my heart. Steam rises. I smell something awful.
I’m in the hall.
No heart, one lung, Daniel in his wheelchair. Abigail motions for me to follow her. There’s Gideon.
We’ll take more than your heart, he says, smiling.
They sew me up.
But the bleeding will not stop.
From the corner of the room, I see her.
The female who shakes her head, and she leaves.
HAVEN
HOSPITAL&HALLS
Where You Matter
Established 2020
Note to all Staff
Please be aware and report all murmurings and unusual behavior as we discussed in Faculty Meetings: facial changes, thoughtful discussion, being too alert.
Report these and any other worries to school officials.
We must keep all Terminals, and you, safe from the outside world.
13
“Abigail?” I said into the dark room. “Abigail?”
There was no answer. So she slept fine if she stayed up late enough, even without the Tonic.
The female in the commercial. Her voice in my dreams. She’d had me made for her, right? For her daughter?
I thought of Claudia. All that blond hair. Her blue eyes. Skin clear as porcelain. Used-up
“Okay.”
“You were sound asleep that night, too. In fact, you’d not gotten out of bed for days, you slept like you were…” She paused.
I knew. “Like I was dead.”
Abigail let out a long sigh. “I knew you were alive. I put my finger under your nose to see if you were breathing.” Her hand went to her stomach like the remembering caused her discomfort.
“That time I saw Gideon. He came in from outside and he had snow on his jacket. He told me about the resistance, about the Cause, and here I am.” She raised her palm up. “Isaac had just been taken away.”
“But that happened last week.”
She shook her head. “The Tonic messes up time. Slows it down. Speeds it up.”
We started again toward our room. My insides trembled, like my muscles might fall from the bone.
“Daniel and Gideon told me everything, including the break-in by the male.”
We were in the hall outside our room. Over the fireplace I could see the clock and the time. It was almost two in the morning. We’d only been gone two hours? How could that be? It felt like weeks had passed since I’d dreamed of ripping off Gideon’s arm.
“And then,” Abigail said, “Isaac didn’t come back.”
We hurried to our beds, past Mary and Elizabeth, who both slept without moving.
I stepped out of my clothes and folded them, placing the pants in the bottom drawer and the T-shirt in with the other old work clothing. I pulled pajamas out from under my pillow and slipped them on. Then I climbed into bed, turned over—back to the window—and closed my eyes.
From across the room came Abigail’s voice. “They let me join, Shiloh, because I know you. You are our hope.”
I didn’t answer.
Do you have your suitcase?
It’s there. By the dresser.
You won’t be gone long.
I don’t want her to come.
She’s part of the plan. To see what will happen.
No.
Get your things, please.
I nod. Start the walk. It’s so far. The corridor is dark as a hole. Cold as the snow. There are voices. And a screen with blue lights.
Then I am on the bed. Something cries out. Once more.
The voice echoes. Comes into my mind over and over.
We’ll get rid of the Disease. Send this heart where it belongs. Stop them from taking over the world. Put things back to normal.
Brightness stabs at my eyes. It’s in the back of my head, sharp. The light shines on faces. One I don’t recognize.
No! she says.
I’ve changed my mind, she says. I don’t care what I’ve signed.
There’s the knife, slicing down my breastbone, opening me up, like chicken in the kitchen.
I’m the only one who survived this crash.
Hands reach, pull out the blackness that fills me. Tug it away. It aches, tears. I feel the tendons separating from the bone. The blackness turns to blood.
Look at my legs.
They have my heart. Steam rises. I smell something awful.
I’m in the hall.
No heart, one lung, Daniel in his wheelchair. Abigail motions for me to follow her. There’s Gideon.
We’ll take more than your heart, he says, smiling.
They sew me up.
But the bleeding will not stop.
From the corner of the room, I see her.
The female who shakes her head, and she leaves.
HAVEN
HOSPITAL&HALLS
Where You Matter
Established 2020
Note to all Staff
Please be aware and report all murmurings and unusual behavior as we discussed in Faculty Meetings: facial changes, thoughtful discussion, being too alert.
Report these and any other worries to school officials.
We must keep all Terminals, and you, safe from the outside world.
13
“Abigail?” I said into the dark room. “Abigail?”
There was no answer. So she slept fine if she stayed up late enough, even without the Tonic.
The female in the commercial. Her voice in my dreams. She’d had me made for her, right? For her daughter?
I thought of Claudia. All that blond hair. Her blue eyes. Skin clear as porcelain. Used-up
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