Botanicaust (31 page)

Levi looked helplessly at Dr. Kaneka,
then
scanned the room for anyone else. Several people watched him with interest, but no one was the least bit disturbed by Rosalee
’
s behavior. She and her companion exited through another door at the other end of the room.

Dr. Kaneka stood shaking his head. He shrugged his shoulders and said a few words Levi couldn
’
t understand.

“
Where is Tula?
”

“
She is okay.
”
The doctor nodded once. That much Levi understood.

The man gestured into the room, leading the way to a stainless steel cabinet covered with steaming food. The smells Levi had been ignoring caused his stomach to rumble audibly. Mashed potatoes, beets, salad greens, and some kind of little bird roasted golden and crispy. Dr. Kaneka handed him a plate.

“
I want to see Tula.
”
But Levi
’
s eyes wouldn
’
t leave the food. How long had it been since he
’
d had a real meal?

“
Eat.
”
The word was familiar from his time in the Blattvolk prison. It brought up images of the cage and the plain metal canister. This spread was no plain metal canister.
“
Tula
…
medicine,
”
Dr. Kaneka said.

At least, that was what it sounded like. She
had
said the Fosselites could help her. And Josef. Perhaps he should relax and trust them. What if they were protecting Tula from the crazy Rosalee? He licked his lips and reached for the serving tongs.

T
ula fought against the big man to no avail. Her captor continued down the hall and branched left into a darker corridor.
“
Put me down!
”
she ordered, but he didn
’
t act like he heard her. Tula
’
s eyes required a few minutes to adjust. The hall wasn
’
t completely dark. Every few dozen feet, a meager spot of light shone from what appeared to be emergency ceiling fixtures. She stopped thrashing, waiting for a better opportunity to fight back.

The man halted and she craned her head to see around him. Tugging at the lanyard around his neck, he bent to stick a keycard in a lock. With a click, the door pivoted open. He set her on her feet inside the room. Beyond sat an exam table dangling restraining straps. Monitors and instruments on carts surrounded the table and lay on gleaming steel counters. A few portable gurneys waited along one wall, and another door led through the back wall. Three radiation suits hung from pegs near the opposite door. One cart held what looked like a telomerase drip system, much like the ones used back home for conversions. A computer and gamma pad rested on a cabinet in one corner. The man pointed to the exam table.

She didn
’
t move.
“
No way.
”
What did he have planned for her? She looked around for a weapon. A scalpel lay on a steel countertop. If she made a move for it, would he stop her? She backed further into the room until she reached the cabinet. Behind her, her fingers found the scalpel. He didn
’
t move, just looked at his feet as he shuffled. She asked,
“
Why did that woman attack me?
”

The man looked up at her with sagging brown eyes and then dropped his chin to avoid her gaze. His long, horsey face was hard to read. Hard to look at, and yet she couldn
’
t drag her eyes away.
“
Do you understand me?
”

To her surprise, the man nodded. What had Dr. Kaneka called him? Michael?

“
Michael, what happened back there?
”

Michael
’
s shoulders raised and lowered in a shrug. He glanced at her and away again,
then
pointed at his mouth.

She thought of Jo Boy, and how shy he was around new people.
“
You don
’
t talk?
”

He shook his head.

“
Can you take me back to Levi?
”

Again he shook his head. His mouth turned down into a deep frown. He pointed into the room.

“
I
’
m worried that woman hurt my friend. Please?
”

He didn
’
t look at her. His left hand crept to his temple and with the heel of his palm he pounded his own head as if in frustration.

“
Does your head hurt?
”

His brows drew together as if he might cry. He shook his head and balled his fist, dropping it to his side. Leaning out the door, he stared down the hall, as if searching for
someone,
then looked back at his feet.

“
Maybe there is some medicine in here to help your head.
”
She scanned the cabinets and cupboards.

His eyes scrunched.

How could she communicate with a mute? Her eye caught the gamma pad. She smiled. The interface was slightly different than she was used to, but she activated the screen and found the manual illustration mode.
“
Do you like to draw?
”

His shoulders rose and fell.

She put the stylus to the screen and drew two stick figures holding hands. Her artistic skills left much to be desired, and she wished Levi
was
here.
“
See? This is
me
and my friend, Levi.
”

Michael nodded, but didn
’
t reach for the pad.

“
Can you draw a picture?
”
She held the gamma pad at arm
’
s length to him.

His big hand rose slowly, taking the pad and the stylus. He held the unit cradled against him. After a moment, he put the stylus against the screen and drew a big stick figure next to her smaller ones.

“
Wow! Is that you?
”
She gushed enthusiasm, hoping to win him over.

The long lines of his face creased in a shy smile and he met her eyes for the first time.

“
What else can you draw?
”

He erased the screen and drew again.
He
’
s intelligent enough to know how to use the device
. Maybe he could write? He turned the screen to her and she smiled. A green face with circular eyes surrounded in lashes could only be her.

“
Me. Tula.
”
She looked at him for confirmation.

He smiled softly and flushed, his attention sliding to his feet once more.

“
Can you write?
”

His frame stiffened and his sagging eyes grew round. The gamma pad slipped from his fingers, clattering to the floor. Taking a step back, he shook his head rapidly as his whole body seemed to curl in on
itself
. He wrung his big hands against each other.

Tula assessed his reaction. Why would he worry or lie about being able to write? She picked up the pad. Carefully clearing the screen so he could see what she did, she placed the pad back exactly as she had found it. In a low voice, she said,
“
Are you not supposed to write?
”

His eyebrows drew together like he might cry. With a tiny shake of his head he turned to face the hall.

“
It
’
s okay. I won
’
t tell.
”

Overhead, a
com
system came to life. Dr. Kaneka
’
s voice echoed through the room.
“
Michael, where are you? Report to Medlab immediately with our guest.
”

Michael flinched
,
then his shoulders fell as he looked at Tula. Apparently, this wasn
’
t the Medlab.
“
Can I walk this time?
”
she asked.

With a shrug, he nodded.

Medlab looked much like the room she and Michael had just been in, except no radiation suits and only one gurney. A small woman with dark skin and close-cropped hair surveyed the screen on a diagnostic unit next to the exam chair. The sight of her white lab coat put Tula at ease until the woman turned and considered Tula with blood filled eyes like Dr. Kaneka
’
s.

“
You must be Tula. I
’
m Dr. Rice.
”
She extended a hand.

Trying to not let her repulsion show, Tula forced her arm forward in a jerk to shake.
“
What
’
s going on? And what happened to Levi?
”

“
I
’
m not sure what you mean? Michael, you can go back to your regular duties.
”

The big man shuffled his feet and gave Tula a parting glance. She smiled encouragingly at him.
“
Thank you for saving me.
”
She assumed that
’
s what he
’
d been doing, rescuing her from the crazy woman.

Dr. Rice patted the recliner under the diagnostic unit.
“
Take a seat and we
’
ll give you a quick once over.
”

Too tense to sit, Tula moved to the unit but didn
’
t lower herself to the seat.
“
That woman back there. Why did she attack me? Is Levi all right?
”

“
Rosalee is sometimes afflicted with delusions. I apologize on her behalf. Your companion will be along shortly. Dr. Kaneka said you
’
ve been in the desert for some time?
”
The woman looked Tula over, much the same way Dr. Kaneka had, and Tula tried not to squirm.

“
Our skimmer crashed. We
’
ve been walking for days.
”
Settling into the seat, Tula put her arm in the pulse-rest, but couldn
’
t relax. Should she tell this woman the entire story? Would they help without contacting the Protectorate?

“
I
’
m surprised to see a Haldanian traveling with one who is unconverted, as you call them.
”
Selecting options from the exam screen, Dr. Rice activated the arm of the scanner and stepped back.

Tula imagined her skin tingling in response to the imaging radiation, although she knew her cells would not react to this low dose.
“
Yes, well, it
’
s a long story. And it
’
s Levi
’
s, too. I
’
d like to wait for him.
”
She struggled with a plausible way to ask for help without condemning them both.