Chapter 31

 

THE DOOR, A door, was in front of her. Frei narrowed her eyes at the digital lock as it flickered. She’d hacked it, twice, but as soon as she’d opened it, it snapped closed again.

She hacked it again. Ripped the lock off. It fell from her grasp to the floor. No sound? She looked down. Why hadn’t it made a sound? Fog under her feet. The lock had vanished. She looked back to the door. Three locks flickered where there had been one.

What?

 

“It’s okay. Take on some water. You need to drink something.” Frei opened her eyes. The new doctor was sweet, caring, she wasn’t like the previous doctor in Caprock. Frei tensed. Jäger had gotten rid of him.

This doctor looked like she should be beautiful but her large nose and chin threw off the balance. She had a wart on her cheek with hairs growing out. She had creases on her forehead but her eyes glowed with gentle warmth.

She rubbed Frei’s back as she tried to suck in the air, clinging to the sink. It hurt moving. Her ribs were in agony and her cheek, and her legs . . . the only place he hadn’t hurt were her hands.

She’d been sick since. She couldn’t stand food. Flashes of his questioning hit her every time she slept. A month and they still hadn’t found her sister so it was worth it. Suz was taking care of her, that’s what counted.

Harrison had come to her rescue. Vague blurry memories of her warning Jäger, of her carrying Frei to the medical ward. Had she imagined it?

Jäger had left her alone since she’d been brought into the medical ward. Harrison had visited once. She’d turned away, ashen. The doctor had been furious. She’d not been conscious enough to take it all in but Harrison hadn’t argued back.  

“Come on.” The doctor lifted Frei to her feet and helped her through the ward, to the bed. The nurses paid no attention. They were busy filling in forms. They were as scared of Jäger as everyone else.

“Water,” the doctor said, handing her a glass.

Frei took it as she watched the doctor watching her. Unlike the nurses who knew they were slaves, she didn’t think the doctor did. Some staff had no idea.

“Will you tell me what happened to you?”

Frei scanned the ward. One kid in the ICU, two out cold with braces around their necks. It was a quiet week. The closer to gala night, the busier the ward would become.

“I fell.” She heard the thick German lilt in her voice. She couldn’t disguise it. Most of the kids made fun of her for it. Most of them had American accents. Especially the gold group. 

The doctor furrowed her brow, the deep wrinkle lines cast in shadow. “That’s what every child in here has done.” She glanced over at the nurses. “Clumsy school.”

Frei sipped her water—sugar, salts, some kind of medication in it by the taste. Whatever it was, it helped her. She needed help. At the rate she kept being sick and not feeling hungry, she needed all the nutrients she could get.

“Someone has done this to you.” The doctor smiled a warm smile. “I want to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Frei wanted to tell her. She wanted to tell her everything she’d known and held in. She wanted to ask for help, to say that they were slaves, that she was owned, that her sister, that Suz had to run. She wanted to say that Jäger had killed someone, that his men had shot at Suz, that he’d beaten her and half-drowned her . . . that he’d . . . he’d demanded to know where her sister was . . . but she couldn’t. What could this woman do? All it would accomplish was the doctor getting hurt too. “I fell.”

The doctor sighed. “If you’re able to keep your food down, I won’t have any reason to keep you here. I’ll have to send you back to class.”

Frei gripped the glass, water slopped onto her lap. She clenched her jaw at the giveaway reaction. Stupid.

“If you tell me why you’re so scared, I will find a reason to keep you here.” The doctor raised her eyebrows, open honesty in her eyes.

“Jäger . . . he . . .”

The door slammed open. The doctor placed the covers over Frei’s legs as Jäger stomped in. “Huber wants her back in class.”

Frei felt the glass shudder in her grip. The doctor placed herself so she was in front of her, like she was protecting her. “She isn’t fit enough.”

Jäger put his hands on his hips. “Like all the affected kids here, she’s just milking it. You mustn’t listen to them. They’re needy.”

The doctor raised an eyebrow. “I’m listening to medical science, Mr. Jäger. She suffered substantial damage. There is an internal bleed.”

His face dropped. “A bleed? Stupid kid.”

“I’d be more concerned about who hurt her.” The doctor narrowed her eyes. Jäger backed up. “If I find out who caused that damage, they will need permanent care.”

Frei felt the doctor’s strength, felt comfort from it. Comfort that made her chin wobble. She hid it by drinking her water.

“Who would bother with her?” He waved it off, charm in his eyes. “She’s a weedy little girl.”

“Indeed.” The doctor kept her gaze hard, Jäger’s usually dominant posture slumped in response. “What pathetic excuse for a person would need to harm a child to feel better?” Her tone filled with derision.

He sucked in his chin.

Frei had never seen anyone, let alone a woman, look at him like that.

“I’ll inform Huber.” He glared at one of the nurses who scuttled out of his way.

“Very well.”

He turned and stomped out.

Frei knew she must have looked stunned by the amused smile on the doctor’s face. “When you’re a bit more mobile, I’ll teach you how to deal with bullies who think their size makes them stronger.”

Frei blinked, knowing tears dribbled down her cheeks.

The doctor touched her knee.

She flinched.

The doctor frowned. “Did he do anything else to you?”

Frei stared down at her water. “No.”

“Good, then we can get to work sooner.”

Frei looked at the nurses filling in paperwork. They were more interested in what financial impact the treatment would have so that the owner would cough up. She noticed none of them had filled in a form on her. “How won’t they notice?”

“Nasty procedure to stop that bleed. I don’t like distractions when I work.” The doctor tapped the glass, motioning for her to drink up.

Frei finished the water and the doctor went to leave. She reached out, touched her hand. “I’m not really bleeding, am I?”

The doctor looked down at her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. “No, but the next person who tries to hurt you will be.”