Chapter 32
Thirty-Two
My meeting with Hilary was to take place in her room, which was on the second floor.
“Guess I should just get this over with,” I muttered to myself.
I still didn’t knock, but instead waited, staring at my wristband. Avoiding this meeting was impossible, but that didn’t mean I was going to give this woman even one extra minute of my time.
When my wristband dinged, indicating it was four o’clock, I finally rapped my knuckles against the door. A second later it opened, revealing a grim-looking Hilary.
“Miss Murphy,” she said as she stepped aside. “Thank you for being prompt.”
As if I had a choice, I wanted to say, but chose to keep it in. That bitch from last night had already complained about me and I shouldn’t do anything to make the situation worse. No matter how much I wanted to tell this woman to go to hell.
I said nothing as I stepped into the room, passing Hilary, whose sharp, brown eyes were narrowed on me.
As usual, she seemed to take my lack of response as a personal attack, but since it was a hell of a lot better than saying what I was actually thinking, I remained quiet.
She couldn’t have her way all the time, and it wasn’t like I was causing problems by staying silent.
Hilary’s room was bigger than mine. A suite, most likely. A king size bed sat to my right, while to my left was a small sitting area, complete with a stiff looking old couch, a matching chair that had some very unfortunate stains, and a coffee table. I wondered if all the minders got suites.
“If you want to take a seat,” Hilary said, letting the door swing shut and motioning to the sitting area, “we can get this over with quickly.”
I obeyed, taking a seat on the couch, but still said nothing, something that caused my minder to press her lips together.
She, too, was silent as she lowered herself onto the stained chair, sitting on the edge like the thought of being on the thing disgusted her.
I wasn’t sure what had been spilled on it, but I hoped it was something really nasty.
“I know you have a lot of questions and concerns,” Hilary began, “and let me assure you that I’m here to address them. First, however, we need to go over some of the changes Sergeant Collins and Minder Campbell brought up this morning during the briefing.”
Hilary picked up an accordion file folder that sat at her feet, opened it, and pulled out yet another stack of papers. Seeing them made me want to groan even if I wasn’t at all surprised. I’d known that I would have to sign more of my life away, but that didn’t make the process any less irritating.
Once she’d set the folder down, Hilary drummed the papers against the table to make sure they were uniform and went on.
“As the sergeant said, our number one priority is making sure you and all the other women in the program stay safe, which means keeping you away from the general population until this pandemic dies down. Since there’s no way to predict how long that will take, we cannot give you a definitive timeframe, but rest assured that you will be well taken care of. ”
She droned on, talking in circles, and telling me very little while reiterating what I already knew. Which was that I was stuck here for an indeterminate amount of time.
The pandemics of the past had ranged from around two years long to RNAB-40, which had gone on for four long years and killed around three billion people. That meant I could expect my stay at the Stanley Hotel to last at least two years. A thought that made me sick.
“Do you have any questions?” Hilary asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
I’d only been half listening but didn’t think it was that big of a deal.
Like every other time she’d gone over the rules with me, I didn’t exactly have a choice in anything that was happening, so what was the point of any of this?
The contract only existed to make them feel better about what they were doing since I couldn’t refuse and they could change the terms for anything. It was a waste of time. Idiotic.
“No,” I said when Hilary frowned.
She scribbled something on the paper at the top of the pile, then passed it to me. “I need you to initial and sign where indicated, please.”
I signed without even bothering to look the paper over, then slid it back to her.
Hilary set it aside and went on. “The sergeant alluded to consequences last night, which is what I want to go over next. While we are here to keep you safe, we do need to maintain order. There are a lot of you, after all, and being in such close quarters, we need to make sure everyone is doing their part. Which means following the rules and staying out of trouble. To ensure that happens, everyone will be given a job. You’ve been assigned to breakfast cleanup duty, which means you’ll be expected to help clean and clear the dining room each morning. ”
I didn’t bother holding in my groan. I hated mornings. Still, at least this answered my question about who did the cooking and cleaning up. We would.
Ignoring my outburst, Hilary went on. “You’ll have a supervisor you will check in with each day, and who will dismiss you when your job has been done to her satisfaction. Failure to follow these rules will result in loss of privileges and possibly worse consequences if the behavior continues.”
“What kind of consequences?” I asked.
Hilary had been staring at the paper in front of her but looked up at my question.
“It will start small. No dessert when we have it, no phone calls to loved ones, withholding of any mail you receive. Things like that. If the poor behavior persists, you will be confined to your room or even moved to a different wing where your contact with the general population will be cut off. There is, of course, also the possibility that you will be sent to one of the government hospitals to wait out the pandemic. Do you understand?”
She meant prison.
I managed to get out, “Yes.”
Hilary gave me a tight smile, scribbled some notes, then once again focused on me.
“I’ve already had a very upsetting report about your attitude from one of the other minders, which is why I’m going to take a moment to issue you a stern warning.
Watch yourself, Miss Murphy. Do as you’re told and stay in line, or you’ll be sorry. Do you understand?”
I swallowed, but it wasn’t easy to find my voice. Even when I did, the word came out soft. “Yes.”
“Good.” Hilary held my gaze a moment longer before making another note and going on.
“You’re to follow the schedule you are given as well as continue in the program the way you would have if you weren’t here.
That includes taking any and all medicines you’re prescribed, getting lots of rest and drinking plenty of fluids, watching your diet, and doing everything in your power to stay healthy.
We also want you to know that while forming relationships is understandable, fraternization beyond casual acquaintance with the Department of Fertility soldiers is strictly off limits.
We’re in close quarters, which is bound to make things complicated, and we don’t need any more drama than we already have. Is that understood?”
“Yes,” I said, thinking of Marc and how while I hadn’t crossed that line, I’d walked right up to it.
Hilary again made a few notes then pushed the paper toward me to sign.
Once I had, she snatched it up and set it with the others, then slipped the entire bundle – minus one page – into the accordion folder. When it was shut, she picked up the remaining paper and held it out. I took it, scanned it, and frowned while Hilary continued her speech.
“This is your schedule. It tells you when group meetings are, when your private counseling session is, when you will meet with me, and when you are to report to work. It also outlines when you have free time and what is and isn’t allowed.
Your wristband is programmed with your schedule and will remind you where you need to be and when, but we thought having a printed copy would be useful as well. ”
The comment about my wristband being programmed reminded me of the conversation Bette and I had earlier, and I couldn’t help asking, “Still no WIFI?”
I watched Hilary closely for any signs that she got what I was implying, but her expression didn’t change.
“Not at the moment, no. Although you’ll be happy to know that the sergeant expects to have the phones lines up and running in the next few days, and everyone has been assigned a weekly time when they’re allowed to call home. You’ll find yours on your schedule.”
Again, I scanned the paper. I’d been given two o’clock on Monday. Today was Friday, which meant I had three days before I could call Trevor. I wished it was sooner, but since I hadn’t been expecting to be able to contact him at all, I was thankful they were at least allowing this much.
“Don’t miss it or you will have to wait another week,” Hilary added. “Understand?”
I scanned the other events listed, but knowing a verbal response was expected, also said, “Yes.”
“Good.” Hilary got to her feet, signaling the meeting was coming to an end, and I copied her while she resumed talking.
“I will continue to get updates on your health and reproductive cycle via your wristband. The twenty-four-hour block has been suspended now that you’re here, which means that when you are fertile you are to go straight to the clinic on the first floor.
I will meet you there to ensure you’re cooperating and that you have the sufficient support. ”
“Thanks,” I mumbled because I didn’t know what else to say.
Hilary gave me a forced smile. “We’re all in this together, Miss Murphy. Don’t forget that.”
I swallowed my scowl as I tightened my grip on the schedule she’d given me, crinkling the paper. Hilary noticed and lifted her brows knowingly but didn’t comment. Probably she would add the reaction to my long list of transgressions after I left.
My minder and I didn’t trade goodbyes before I slipped into the hall, and the second the door was shut, the click of the deadbolt sounded. Apparently, Hilary was as thrilled for me to be on my way as I was to be out of her company.
The meeting had been short, less than fifteen minutes, and was pretty much what I’d expected.
The information had been as vague as I’d imagined it would be, and Hilary just as unpleasant and displeased with me as usual, and while I hadn’t anticipated a schedule quite like the one I now held, it wasn’t much of a surprise to have it.
Meals and counseling sessions were blocked out, as was my work time, and there were also medical appointments and group sessions and private counseling.
All of it started at eight in the morning and ended at eleven o’clock when we were supposed to return to our rooms. That we had a curfew was no surprise since I’d expected it, although I was a little shocked it was so late.
Dropping the hand holding the schedule to my side, I blew out an irritated breath. I never walked away from a meeting with Hilary feeling particularly good, but after this one, I was more annoyed than ever.
Thinking about the list of possible consequences if I didn’t cooperate had me on edge.
On the surface, the things Hilary had listed sounded innocent enough, although totally insulting.
We weren’t children, and we didn’t need to be grounded or sent to bed without dessert.
It was laughable. Until I gave it a little more thought.
How long could they confine us to our rooms?
I had no idea, but even one day locked in my room would be torturous since there was nothing to do.
If there had been a television at one time, it had been removed, and without WIFI or cell service, our phones were useless.
Since we’d only been allowed to bring one suitcase, very few of us had any other form of entertainment either. I’d packed two books, but that was it.
Even worse was the idea that I could be sent to a whole other wing where I’d be cut off from the general population or, more terrifying, one of the prison hospitals.
I shuddered at the thought. No, I could not let that happen.
Even if I had to swallow every snarky remark and stifle every eye roll, I had to cooperate with the minders.
And I had to be careful with Marc. We could be acquaintances, but that was it.
All of it would suck, there was no getting around that, but not as much as being sent away. This place was no palace, but I wasn’t stupid. It had to be a hundred times better than the alternative.