Chapter 10
On the other side of the door from the mallrats stood Jessup and Alana. Lourdes turned to Alana and said,
" I want them watched very carefully. If anything happens to them it will be a crime against the crown." Alana's only response was a nod. In other words it is as good as treason she thought. Alana took a deep breath. She wasn't used to being in charge.
The guards escorted the Mall Rats to the Pasteur Dorms. Alana walked in front of the group while the rest of guards kept their distance. For the first time the Amber and the rest had a chance to get a real look at where they were. They were walking though a paved courtyard surrounded by four buildings.
"What are the Pasteur dorms?" Lottie asked Darryl.
"I dunno what this place is. Looks like a school. Man I thought after the virus I'd never have to go back to one."
Jessup was now with the group walking along Darryl and Lottie.
"It was a college but now it's a little city." Said Jessup. Lottie looked up at him wanting to ask him more questions but decided against it. "Here we are" said Jessup looking up at the building in front of them.
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Those who had remained in the cell were escorted to the dorm house. Slade carried Ruby over his shoulder. The building smelled of fresh paint and was in disarray. There were drop clothes and ladders everywhere. A renovation was obviously in progress. Alana took them all up a short flight of stairs into a huge commons room. The room was pristine with three large couches and a coffee table. Amber and the others had just arrived a few minutes earlier. The smell of food was in the air. A smell that many of the Mall Rats had not smelled since Zandra and Lex's wedding; roast chicken….
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The Next Day
Ram sat in a cushy arm hair dozing. He looked up at a clock across the room.
It's strange how we take things for granted. There was no need for clocks or time in this new world. No school or work. No bedtime or curfew. No need to know when the Simpson is on. He sighed. This particular clock had been brought in just for him. Well… him and her. The medics had arrived last night like Lourdes had promised. They had a bunch of instructions on what to do to make Ruby feel better. Even impressively had some medication for her but there was a whole complicated time schedule too. One blue pill every two hours and two red every five etc. Ebony of course nominated me as nurse. Said I" was a hypochondriac and should know all about how to administer drugs". She better watch out or I might just administer her something. I wonder if those medics have any laxatives…. Better get up its time for Ruby's two red pills.
(A/N: Hypochondriac: Somebody who is excessively preoccupied with health and persistently believes that he or she is ill or in danger of becoming ill. Laxative: Look that one up for your self at quietly slipped out of the bedroom carefully not to wake Gel up.
I can't believe I got stuck with that airhead. At least I don't have to worry about her. Probably doesn't have the brain cells to kill a fly.
Now all she had to do was get through the common room and she could go scope out this place. She walked past the couches and to the doorway.
"Going for a stroll?" asked Lex. Ebony whipped around to find Lex sprawled on one of the couches.
"Yes. I am." She half hissed half whispered at Lex.
"Ebony do you have a hall pass? Cruz if you don't you really shouldn't be wandering the halls of the school." Ebony just glared. She knew he was only talking all this nonsense to make noise.
"Lex just shut up. If you wake them up I'll kill you." She said whispering a little louder this time.
"Can I come with you?" Lex whispered and now sitting up.
"No you can not" said Ebony and turned to leave.
"Why not?" said Lex loudly.
"Fine" she hissed. She could lose him later.
"Good, cuz at the front door is a whole mob of guards. For our protection." Lex had said this very matter of factly causing Ebony just to glare at him while looking very peeved. Lex took the hint. "So the window it is."
They were only on the second floor and easily climbed down the side of the building.
"Aren't ya glad I was hear to help?" asked Lex.
"Yeah, real glad Lex." Said Ebony half-heartedly.
"So…. Where too?"
"Hell." said bony as 3 guards came around the corner. "Come to take us back boys?"
"Or we can escort you to your destination" replied one of the guards.
Back at the dorm everyone was eating a breakfast of leftovers from last night and some fresh fruits brought to them. Sammy walked into the room with chocolate on his face.
"Sammy where did you get chocolate from?" asked Salene concerned. Sammy sheepishly wiped his face with his sleeve.
"Those people brought it for me"
"What people?" said Salene with a stern tone.
"Salene those people who brought us the food silly" said Gel. "They asked us if there was anything they could get us. I was like sure 'a hair dryer and some curlers'. Sammy here asked for some chocolate. I don't know why they offered though they only brought back a hair dryer. I mean how am I supposed to curl my hair with only a hair dryer?"
Salene looked over at Amber who looked a little distressed.
"I don't want you guys asking for anymore special treats. We don't want to wear out our welcome." Amber said.
"Or be in their debt" added Darryl.
Lourdes walked along the hallway and came to his door. Opening she peeked in and saw him sitting on his bed. He just sat there looking into space. Tea put down her book and got up from her seat. She walked over to Lourdes.
"He's having one of his worse days," said tea looking at Lourdes and then the man sitting on the bed.
"Well I must talk to him anyways," said Lourdes. Tea nodded and left the room. Lourdes went a sat on the bed.
"How are you doing today?" she asked softly. He didn't respond just started to sway back and forth. "We have guests here. They're mallrats. Trudy, Salene, and May and Amber are here. There are others too."
"Others too. Others too." he chanted.
"There are even little ones. Amber has a sweet baby his name is Bray"
"Baby... I had a baby once." He said looking Lourdes in the eye for the first time. "You have to take care of a baby. You take care of it. You protect its mother too. You protect the baby and the mama. That's what a father does."
"That's true"
"That's what a father does!" he yelled. "Baby, baby, baby." He started to cry. Lourdes reached out to touch his shoulder. Suddenly he was on his feet.
"Don't touch me!" he said looking her dead in the eye. He scared her when he got like this. He was back in the real world now. That was almost worse.