General Novak strolls past Dominic quite pleased with himself.
He says, "Nurses, you are no longer needed here. You have done well today...all of you. Please tell Dr. Patel that I intend to show him the full extent of my gratitude when he returns." All their energy spent, the nurses slink away to the break room to gather themselves.
The General adjusts himself, ready to give Anemone the smooth, syrupy tones of his baritone voice. He tells her, "Anemone, I am well pleased with you. Hurry on over to the barracks. You will need your rest for tomorrow's mission. My special girl won't let me down now... will she? You know what happens when I'm disappointed."
Shaking, frantically smoothing and twirling her hair, she responds, "Yes Dewey!!! Anything for you! I'll get prepared right away!"
Anemone quickly scurries out the medic bay doors, and briefly cuts her eyes at Dominic as she passes by. The only two who remain in the medic bay are Dominic and General Novak.
With his inspection complete, General Novak turns to leave the room. His eyes quiverin, on the verge of tears...Dominic salutes the General with the gusto of a deflated ballon. General Novak smirks, widens his eyes, and gasps saying, "Oh! Dominic I didn't see you there. You have my apologies."
Dominic mumbles, "Thank you, sir."
The General continues, giving Dominic a light pat on the shoulder. "Old friend...after what you've seen today, you must be pleased wiht the progress of our grand vision, no?"
Dominic responds, "Anemone will never be the same."
General Novak waves him off. "No, it will never behave quite the same...but this is war. The medical treatements suit it just fine."
Shocked and full of disbelief, Dominic pleads, "Sir, Anemone has a personality of her own now."
General Novak nonchalantly says, "Good day, Dominic. Our little conversation has been a pleasure. Would you join me for lunch sometime? Kitty and Katherine would love you company.
"Sir, it would be my pleasure but I have other plans."
General Novak turns to face the door, looking at Dominic out the corner of his eye. He tells the young man, "You know, its a shame that I don't have much work to keep you busy these days. With all the cuts in funding, there's no telling what may happen to some of our crew. How sad. We're almost like family. Wouldn't you agree, Dominic?"
Dominic mumbles, "Nothing would please you more..."
The General cuts off Dominic's statement quietly hissing, "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"I said Sir, Yes Sir!!!"
General Novak replies, "Excellent, my thoughts exactly." Quite pleased with himself, Dewey Novak whips around then marches out the door.
Alone and utterly defeated, Dominic paces the floor a few moments and takes a deep breath. He runs a hand through his hair and slumps against the wall. He turns and slams his fist straight through the wall. Unfortunately for Dominic, one of the nurses finished her lunch break in time to witness hi outburst. Fearful for the safety of herself and her comrades she rushes back down the hallway to the nearest telephone.
The next morning Dominic rolls out of bed and drags his body into a nice warm shower. He can hear music form his alarm clock floating across the room. Through the window over his bed, the sunrise shimmers gold and red on the horizon. Reality slaps him in the face as he sits down to a breakfast of cold barley meal. Lying on the table beside his bowl is a pink slip. He would be court-marshaled in immediately for destruction of government property. The severity of his swift punishment was no surprise at all. Sooner or later the general's flunkies were bound to latch on to something to use against him. What hurt the most was that he would have no means of protecting Amnemone from the wiles of a snake like Dewey Novak. With her fragile sanity stretched thin by the DIazo drugs, poor Anemone had been turned into an instrument of death. Dejectedly Dominic stirs his barley meal hoping, almost praying for the salvation of his loved one. Who could save her heavily scarred mind? Furthermore who would believe that the great Dewey Novak, "champion of the people", would destroy the existence of a young girl in order to gain power?