Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 110757 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110757 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
A prickling sensation creeps up my spine. “Is that what they do now? Kill those women right away?”
His expression darkens. “Usually. They do public executions to deter women from using birth control.”
My stomach hollows out. “Public executions?”
“Fertility rates have dropped in the past couple of years. No one knows why.”
I glance at Nova, whose expression is stoic, as usual.
“If we set you up in a space, are you able to check the wounds of the other prisoners and give basic medical care?” she asks Wendell.
“You mean the incision sites where your nurse practitioner took out the devices that were implanted in us on the boat?”
“Yes, and whatever else comes up. Our usual provider is unavailable.”
“What happened? We heard someone was kidnapped.”
“This is a one-sided Q and A,” Nova says. “You’re on the A side, so yes or no?”
“Yes. I mean, I’ll do my best, but I’m just a dentist.”
I give him a reassuring smile. “We work with what we have, and we just ask that you do what you can.”
He pushes his broken glasses up again. “I will. Also ... there’s a woman in the cell with us who is experiencing very heavy vaginal bleeding. I’m concerned for her.”
“For how long?” I stand up.
“The past two days. I told one of the guards, but he said it’s probably just her period. It’s worse than that.”
Annoyance flares in my chest. I’ll be finding out which guard that was.
“Take me to her,” I say. “We’ll do whatever we can to help.”
Wendell leads Nova and me back to the large holding cell we keep new arrivals in before we question them to determine if they’re safe to be in our camp. Marcus and Nova usually do the questioning, but because of what happened with Ellison, they’re behind.
And now Marcus is gone, which only makes things worse. He didn’t discuss it with anyone, even Nova. Now I’m helping her with questioning people, even though I’m supposed to be working in the lab with McClain.
The holding cell was carved out of a small cliff, so the crashing of ocean waves is a loud backdrop as we go into the cell. In one darkened corner, a slight woman is curled up in a ball, blood soaked into the dirt beneath her.
I go to her, getting to my knees. Wendell already told us her name.
“Cheyenne, I’m Briar. I’m sorry it took us so long to come. What’s going on?”
She focuses her eyes on me. “I don’t know. I just can’t stop bleeding. Nothing hurts.”
“Has anyone done anything to hurt you?”
“No. It’s like I’m having three periods all at the same time or something.”
Her clothes and her palms are smeared with dirt and blood. There’s even some clumped and dried in her blond hair. Three other prisoners, all men, are standing on the other side of the space.
I look up at Nova, who’s keeping an eye on the men.
“We need to get her cleaned up and into a bed. I’ll talk to McClain about treatment. And I think we should pair a security team member with each of the last three. They’ve been in here long enough.”
Cells don’t build loyalty. With Marcus gone, we have to divide our time as efficiently as we can.
“They’re getting food and water,” Nova says, the clip in her tone telling me she disagrees.
I stand my ground. “We could use them in the farm and the garden.”
“I’ll do whatever you need,” one of the men says. “Anything to get out of here.”
I should wait for Nova to make the final call, but when she doesn’t say anything else, I consider the decision made. She picks Cheyenne up from the ground and we all leave as a group.
Carissa, one of the kitchen workers, is exceptionally warm and gentle, so I ask Vadim if I can borrow her for a few hours. She gladly agrees to help Cheyenne get showered, dressed in clean clothes, and into a bed.
“I need to get to the lab,” I tell Nova once we’re alone.
“If those prisoners hurt anyone, it’s on you.”
I knit my brows together, surprised by her attitude. “Fine. I’m just trying to make the best use of our time.”
“I’ll decide how to manage my time.”
“I know you’re pissed at Marcus, but what did I do?”
“It’s what you did to Marcus.”
I hold her fiery gaze. “And what did I do to him?”
“You broke him. He’s not the monster you seem to think he is.”
I sigh inwardly. “I don’t think he’s a monster. But he’s not innocent, either.”
“No one’s hands are clean here. Not even yours, so get off your pedestal. He’d burn the world down for you.”
I open my mouth to respond, but she puts her palm up, cutting me off. “If you don’t even want to understand him, you don’t deserve him.”
Her words slice through me, tears flooding my eyes as she turns her back and walks away. I take a deep breath to steady myself.