CHAPTER ELEVEN #2
‘Of course.’ She paused as there was another knock on the door. The nurse handed her a small blue cup. ‘Thank you, Sandra. Nova, I’m going to have you drink this, then lie back for me. Just a quick physical and one more signature left.’
I swirled the cup, a little hesitant. ‘And this is for …’
‘Hydration,’ she said. ‘It’s only water. You were out riding your bike in today’s heat.’
I glanced at it again, then chalked it up to the hospitality of this place – along with the complimentary car rides and fancy (but uncomfortable) leather furniture.
I drank the water in one gulp, surprised by the taste of cucumber and mint.
I leaned back as Dr Orion got to work, testing my reflexes and strength.
When she pressed along my ribs, I made sure not to flinch.
They were still a tiny bit sore to the touch, but otherwise fine.
‘Remarkable,’ she muttered, then checked my lungs. ‘Truly remarkable.’
She continued murmuring it as she recorded notes in the MedChart.
I’d taken a pre-med course over the summer and had no idea why my stats were so impressive, but her reactions had me convinced.
After she asked me to sit up again, I flipped my braids over my shoulder and rubbed my eyes.
My contacts were the definition of dry. Maybe I could get oculsight if this worked out.
‘You’ll make an excellent candidate. You didn’t react to the pinches or needle pricks.’
I frowned, looking down at my arms and legs. When had she done that?
‘And no burning anywhere? The drink at the beginning was a small tolerance test of what you can expect after the procedure. Side effects of the transference are low – subtle bouts of pain here and there, but nothing stronger than a leg or stomach cramp. You’ll be able to take Dominion’s over-the-counter strength leeviate.
Or you can buy the generic version, nervxs. Neither are addictive.’
‘There was something in the drink?’ I held out my arms and really looked at myself.
I hadn’t felt a thing. I thought about how I’d never seen Estelle wince in pain, or any Pain Carrier for that matter.
Was there really something different about me?
I pinched myself and cursed under my breath. Felt that.
‘Yes. I apologize for withholding those details, but we must make sure our candidates will thrive after this process. No holding in the pain for a few dollars.’ Dr Orion placed her hand over mine.
‘You’re going to free someone of their helical disease with your generous act of service. We at Dominion recognize that.’
While she moved to the bare counter, I pinched myself again, gave my arm a slight poke with my nail. I felt everything. How had I missed the needle pricks?
She returned with a solisTablet and handed it to me. ‘This is the last agreement. It details your monthly payment based on your blood type. Yours is a rare one, with a long waiting list.’
My jaw dropped and I laughed. Estelle had mentioned how much she was getting once before. This was more than double. Five thousand dollars, deposited into my account of choice on the first of each month. The inital payment would be a paper check, adjusted for the date of the procedure.
‘This is … It’s …’ I couldn’t form words. It was more than enough. I could pay off everything – my school loans, all of it – and save for Skye’s college fund. ‘Thank you.’
‘Don’t thank me. Dominion is grateful for your gift.’
I swallowed, still unable to speak. I rubbed the now-sore spot on my arm and forgot about it.
Memories of my fake date with Cas surfaced – how light I’d felt in those moments, not worrying about bills for a few hours.
Becoming a Pain Carrier could make that feeling permanent.
Cas had given me a taste of it, a softer life.
Except this wouldn’t just be for me – my family would have it too.
One more selfless choice and my family would be set for life.
The decision was painless. I signed my name and gave my biosig, no hesitation.
‘Perfect. Once we have an available appointment slot for the transfer procedure, we’ll contact you through the Freedom System app.
We have one match on hold in Philadelphia, so hopefully they’ll commit in the coming days.
’ Dr Orion paused at the door. ‘I hope to see you soon.’ She flashed her signature grin.
I smiled right back.
Dr Orion didn’t wait for a notification to go through the app.
She called with a match less than thirty minutes after I got home and squeezed me in for the last appointment of the day.
My mouth hung open, shock dripping down my face.
Everything was happening so fast. They’d mentioned there was a match on hold, but I couldn’t have imagined this.
If this were any other establishment or system, I wouldn’t have trusted it.
But I knew Pain Carriers, and they’d given me no reason to doubt.
By the end of the night, I’d be a Pain Carrier.
I sat in Daddy’s truck, my finger hovering over Estelle’s name in my contacts.
I tried calling her twice, but she didn’t pick up.
She hadn’t answered my text from earlier about my pre-screening results either.
She usually tutored her little cousin on Tuesdays, but I didn’t want to tell her about my match in a last-minute text.
I’d have to track her down once I was done.
I checked my other messages one last time. Cas’s Nova? still sat unanswered. I sighed and typed something quick.
Nova
Everything is wrapping up sooner than expected. We should get back to our nightly talks. I miss those.
Nova
I hope you’re OK too.
I turned off my phone. Once I was done, I’d call him. Estelle first, then Cas.
‘You sure you don’t want me to go inside with you?’ said Leo. He pulled Daddy’s truck into the Crestview Freedom System Lab’s parking lot.
‘I’ll be fine. Dr Orion said it would take less than an hour. Maybe you can pick up some takeout while you wait.’
‘You still have your employee discount at Caféology?’
‘I better. Pick up extra garlic knots for Estelle.’
I slipped out the truck and went straight inside, not letting myself look back.
The waiting room for the transference was slightly different from the one earlier.
It was more spacious, with soft leather seats and little ottomans to rest your feet on.
A woman walked around with a tray of sparkling water and sugared lemon slices.
A holoscreen blared Freedom System videos, showcasing the many shops on Sunrise Avenue and Mercé Boulevard offering discounts to Pain Carriers.
I found an empty chair and pulled out my sketchpad to keep my hands busy.
I pressed pencil to paper with no direction or inspiration – just simple line work and basic forms. I let my thoughts wander.
I wouldn’t have to beg for extra shifts at Caféology.
Once I’d settled all the bills, I’d quit.
I wouldn’t have to do anything but carry the pain, and if I was anything like Estelle, that wouldn’t be much of a burden.
I’d be able to paint in my new free time, concentrate on my classes …
and see Cas. Maybe we could support each other – me as a Pain Carrier and him as a natural carrier – until he found his match.
I wasn’t sure how that would make him feel, though.
Him in pain while I barely felt anything.
That would only matter if he still wanted to see me after I’d disappeared for two days, right after his most vulnerable moment aired live.
I had to put myself first, though. My family first.
‘Nova Williams?’
The sound of my name snapped me out of my thoughts, and I realized what I’d drawn. Cas’s face stared back at me.
Really, Nova? He’s not even that cute. (Yes, stars. Yes, he is.)
I waved to the nurse and packed up my things. I followed them down the corridor from my physical screening and through a set of double doors labeled soundproof. Anxiety bubbled inside me.
Each room we passed had a blacked-out window, the same soundproof labels on every door.
I understood the need for privacy, but it felt extreme.
Anonymity of the Pain Giver was a big part of the Freedom System.
Maybe that was who was behind these doors, waiting for their Carrier match.
The soundproofing could be to keep others from hearing future Pain Givers experience their last hellflares. The thought made me shudder.
The hall was so quiet I couldn’t even hear the hum of the air conditioning.
It had to be on, though – when I entered the last room on the right, a wall of icy air hit me.
Hospitals and labs were always so cold. The door closed, and I was alone.
Goosebumps prickled my skin. A thin white gown lay folded over a metal chair.
I changed, rubbing my arms for warmth. An opaque glass door was set into the back wall.
I should’ve tried calling Estelle again. Instead, my nerves were wound too tight.
Eventually, a lock clicked at the back door and in walked a slender white man with dark hair and darker eyes. His lab coat bore the Dominion logo over the chest pocket – a fox tail curled around a bold capital D. A flash of blue spilled from the room behind him.
‘I’m Dr Janus, in charge of the transfer facilitation for this lab center.
We’re so glad you were able to come in right away.
A fast match was expected with your rare blood type, but this might’ve been a new record.
’ He scribbled a few notes on his MedChart.
‘Let’s see. I put in an order for a nurse – ah, here she is. ’
The nurse with corgi pups on her scrubs entered behind me. Her smile felt plastic now. Without speaking, she slipped a blood pressure cuff around my arm and tightened it, then took my temperature. Dr Janus recorded both.
‘Thank you, Sandra. A few more steps and we can make sure Nova is set up for those gratuity payments we know she’s excited for.’