It was morning, that much Ashley could tell but only by the type of meal they brought. The dinner the night before had been soup, a broth with a spoonful or two of barely. Breakfast was another bowl of oatmeal. But unlike her first, given to her kindly, this one was kicked forward while someone had a shogun trained at her head. The faces were blurred by what remained of the fevered vision, but the sneer seemed supernaturally clear.
There was no doctor. No drugs. By the time the door screeched closed, the top of the oatmeal had cooled.
Her fingers ached as she reached for the bowl and pulled it towards her lips. Before she could take a bite nausea swarmed in her gut. After retching again and wiping her mouth clean, Ashley relaxed against the cool cement wall. The oatmeal remained untouched.
The chill of fall reached her, even in her dank cell. Her fever broke in the night and that’s when she’d wrapped herself in the blanket. Although the warmth helped, her body still cycled through the predictable and unnatural motions. The black blood that had oozed from her shoulder wound now blotched her sick on the ground. A good sign that it was making its way out of her.
Sleeping helped. Sleep always helped, but it hadn’t been fitful. Not to mention the drugs, she thought before poking the bowl again. The sound of her makeshift “shackles” on the floor boomed around the room but didn't pound like they had last night. She was recovering and it scared the hell out of her.
Sitting away from her sick, Ashley tried a second time to put something real in her stomach. She gulped the food with conviction, doing her damnedest to keep it down. Twice she coughed it up into her mouth but on a third swallow, it settled in her empty gut with the dull pang of nausea.
It could be worse. She remembered greater dangers beyond the walls of the encampment. But out there she could plan and prepare. Out there, in the wilds, she could keep herself safe. She knew and understood the predictable dangers. But did I?
Ashley remembered his face, the shock that wasn't an act. Reid had been as surprised as she was when the ambush happened. Even Shannon seemed caught off guard. The kindness, the attempt to let her go, wasn't entirely washed away by the walls around her, and she smiled tiredly before placing the bowl on the ground.
“We'll keep our end. We'll tell them you're dead and we couldn't bring back the body.”
Bringing her knees to her chest Ashley looked at her feet, pulling off the mucky boot and the long thick socks. Her feet sported pruned skin from trudging through the river and blisters common enough. They ached as she massaged them, a dull burning from overuse creeping up to her scraped shins. Working out the tense muscles in her own feet helped her fingers too, but that familiar ache still lingered in her joints even after she'd stopped.
Despite the chill, Ashley left the boots and socks off to dry, closing her eyes for just a while.
It must have been a few hours that she dazed in and out of sleep when the doctor showed up.
“You're awake,” Helena said softly but the sound was still loud and Ashley felt her face contort.
Curling her body closer Ashley nodded.
“Good.” Helena sat on the ground eying Ashely’s boots and socks. “I'd like to talk to you now that your head's a bit more clear.” She opened her bag and pulled out a few needles and bandages. “And I need to see how you're fever is going.”
A shiver passed over the doctor and she frowned. She turned to the door. “Go get some hot water and a few towels.” It wasn't a request and after some muffled grumbling behind the door, heavy steps made their way down the hallway.
“Hopefully that comes soon enough. I'm sure you could use a good soak on those feet to get them clean.”
Ashley glanced down at her feet again. Though they’d dried a little, the blisters and callouses were red and raw.
“Are you in any pain?”
Ashley shook her head and tucked her feet closer, draping the blanket over her legs. “Just headaches and…” She looked to the pile of sick a few feet away. “Not keeping much down.”
“I'd like to clean your shoulder, but last time-”
A wry smile touched Ashley's lips. “I won't bite you if that’s got you worried.” A small chuckle followed but Ashley’s body couldn't handle it and a cough rattled in her lungs.
Without hesitation, Helena leaned forward and touched Ashley's leg to help steady her. “Okay then, let’s get this over with.” Helena pulled the blanket away from Ashley’s injured shoulder and peeled back the old gauze.
The flesh underneath was unbroken, just pink and marked with the usual bite pattern. The dark tinge to the flesh that had oozed the night before was now sealed and dissipating, the dark veins looking more like a bruise.
Helena's mouth gaped. The gauze she’d pulled back was stained with the black blood, but there appeared to be no wound site for it to have come from. There was no break in Ashley’s flesh. Soon there would be nearly no evidence a wound had ever existed.
“I don't...” Helena murmured, resting back on her knees.
Ashley replaced the blanket over her shoulder with a bit of effort. “You can save that for someone else.” She nodded to the clean gauze and the other medical supplies.
“But... Last night you were-”
“I told you,” Ashley's eyes narrowed on the doctor “Helena… right? I'll be fine.”
“You can't get infected.” Helena swallowed and, with trembling fingers, replaced the clean gauze in her bag. “I thought it was the fever talking last night but…” Her shoulders sank a little and her body deflated showing her age and inexperience. “That's not the case, is it?”
Ashley shook her head. Leaning back into the wall, she sighed. “What's the deal?”
Helena looked taken aback. “What do you mean?”
Despite the fog that had clouded her mind, Ashley stared intently at the doctor. “You know exactly what I mean.”
Helena sighed. “The council is managing the details-”
“The council?” The indignation in Ashley's voice was unmistakable, her head shaking in disbelief.
“Yes, the council. But as far as I know, it's a simple trade. You in exchange for our safe transport out of here.” Helena didn’t meet Ashley’s glare.
“Sounds like a good deal for you.”
“That's all of us,” Helena said. “Including the kids you brought here. We all get out.” The words were meant to comfort Ashley but they didn't in the least.
They have no idea who they're dealing with. No one gives a shit about these people. Ashley retreated into her blanket.
The door groaned as it opened. Eric, clear from his stature, stepped in and ushered another figure inside. His arms were laden with blankets and a bowl of steaming water as well as a canteen of sorts that dangled from his hip. It took a moment for Ashley to recognize him. Reid looked much the same as before but a cleaner version. His hair was cut shorter and his face was cleanly shaved. For a hesitant moment, he stood by the door, his eyes on Ashley. She thought it might be guilt, but let herself look away.
“You needed these?” Reid said.
Helena nodded and motioned for him to put the water down. The bowl still steamed and Ashley wanted, so badly, to dip her cold toes in it.
Though his eyes wandered to her several times, Reid didn't speak to Ashley. I should give him a break. But under the blanket she touched her tender wrists, remembering the tight zip ties and felt less inclined.
“Just leave them there.” Helena picked up a small towel and soaked it in water, but she too was clearly avoiding Reid’s eyes. “Can you and Eric go for a walk?”
“I can ask. Why?”
“They won't let me take her to one of the other buildings and she needs to get clean.” Helena held out the warm wet cloth to Ashley’s arm. “I think a little privacy is due.”
Reid backed out of the room and talked in hushed tones behind the door.
“I'm sorry this couldn't be more private,” Helena said quietly.
Shuffling, Ashley turned her back to her doctor. Helena ran the warm doused cloth over the wound site, cleaning her skin tenderly. Taking in a quick breath Ashley tried to relax her muscles.
“Maybe in another day or so I can get you into one of the dorms for a real bath, but for now this will have to do.”
“Thank you,” Ashley started, replacing her dirty shirt over where Helena washed. “For yesterday.”
A small smile lit Helena's lips as she rinsed the cloth in the bowl and moved to her feet. “I deal with worse on a daily basis around here.” She rinsed off some of the dirt and scrubbed what she could, kind to Ashley's sensitive skin. “But I'm more curious about what you said.” Helena’s voice dropped low. “That you can't get infected.”
Breaking eye contact, Ashley stared off at the wall while Helena switched feet. The declaration wasn’t the smartest thing, she shouldn’t have said it. Knowing doesn’t make it easier. No matter how true it was. But a thought needled her. The antibiotics and sedation saved my life. Maybe I owe her at the very least an explanation. When her eyes returned to Helena she was finishing up with the rag, the water barely lukewarm.
“It's probably better that you forget that,” Ashley said honestly. “You have a deal in place and the less you know the better.” The idea of going back spawned a shiver in Ashley she wasn’t sure she could shake off.
Helena frowned, her confusion expected, but didn’t ask for an explanation. “You sound resigned,” she said.
A laugh escaped Ashley’s lips, this time without the hacking cough. “I'm cuffed and locked up. If you want to see determined take them off and open the door.” The chill in her words seemed to make Helena flinch and put down the cloth by the bowl.
With slow, careful movements, Helena returned to her medical bag. Pulling out an empty syringe Ashley knew what was coming.
“Don't tell them you have it,” she warned.
Helena frowned and still reached for Ashley’s arm.
“I'm serious. If they ask, don’t tell them you took blood. Tell them I didn't speak a word.” Ashley swallowed. “The kids too. If they think the kids know something-”
“Who is this ‘they’? The government?” Helena slid the needle into Ashley’s arm with a slight pinch.
It won't work. It never works. You’re going to get yourself, get everyone here killed. But Ashley didn’t say so. Not yet.
“Just... keep tight-lipped.” As the word left her lips a knock on the door sounded and Eric stepped inside.
“Evelyn wants to see us,” he said.
Helena frowned. “Right now?”
Eric nodded and Helena stood, leaving the bowl and towels behind.
“I'll talk to her about getting you a bath,” she assured Ashley before leaving the room. Behind the door there was some more chatter, four voices now, not three, and despite the echo, Ashley was sure three left and only one had stayed.
Taking the chance, she let herself doze off into sleep. Pulling another blanket around her shoulders, she leaning into the cold wall.
[MAD Wendigo - Prologue Narration]
Thank you for reading! As always, I love being able to share this story and I am so h appy to have active readers. If you have any comments, feedback, hype, etc, I'd love to hear from you!
