My eyes fluttered open and hindering my view was the doctor and 130 standing next to her, they're staring at me.

'Morning' the doctor says with a soft voice, her eyes are caring, 'you're very badly injured and I'm afraid you will have to spend today in the hospital wing'

'Yes – Miss' my voice sounds strangled and when I move my body to get up a searing pain electrocutes my body.

'Do you think you will be able to walk to the hospital wing?' the doctor asks worriedly.

'It doesn't look like he can' 130 crosses his arms and sighs, 'but I have to excuse myself and get to my lesson now'

With that 130 walked to the door, bowed at us before he left the bedroom. It was only then that I cocked my head to check the time and it is nearly time for the first lesson, 130 didn't wake me up. I suspect, he was probably the one who called the doctor.

'Do you think you can walk there?' the doctor presses the back of her hand against my forehead and examines my porcelain body. 'Actually, I think I can radio a nurse to bring a wheelchair for you-'

'No thank you, I can walk' I bite my lip, holding back the pain pulsing through my body. After struggling to stand up I begin to limp towards the door. The doctor supports me as I hobble all the way to the hospital wing, wincing at every step and holding back the urge to stop walking and drop.

Finally, we reach the hospital wing and the doctor guides me to a wheelchair to sit down.

She helps me get onto the hospital bed once we reach a free room, the bed is hard but at least we've stopped moving. The doctor asks me to take off my shirt; I am hesitant because I know that if my body feels this bad, it'll probably look worse. Fortunately, the cuts have subsided to bruising and red marks but it doesn't look as horrible as I thought.

The doctor further examines my body and bruises; I try not to wince at her every cold touch but I still inevitably wince a few times. After a few minutes, the doctor excuses herself and leaves me in the room alone. I lie down on the hard bed and look in the mirror facing me; my tattoo is flashing bright red but the blade and snake still look deadly.

I hear something from outside my room and it must be the doctor but after a few minutes I realise she's not coming inside. Curious, I fumble out of the bed and put my ear against the door – it's the doctor and she's talking to someone; I don't recognise their voice but it's a man.

'Do you want me to take care of this one?' the man soothes the doctor.

'Yes, if you wouldn't mind' the doctor responds, my face drops, 'sometimes it's hard to forget that they're just children, his body is covered in cuts and bruises and he has a tattoo and piercings. I just can't take it, he looks a bit like my son they're about the same age too and I can't stop imagining my son in that condition, it's not right!'

'I know but Maggie but we have a job to do' the man says while my doctor seems to be crying.

'He literally dragged himself here through all that pain. This is just cruelty, the whole God damn thing' Maggie sobs.

'It's okay, I'll see to him. Take my patient, she only has the flu' the man says and I hear footsteps retreating from the door. I quickly limp to my bed and lie back down unable to steady my heavy breathing.

The new doctor comes in with a nurse and during the course of the day they smooth cream into my bruises and cuts. They speak to me as well but I don't talk back much; I just close my eyes and pat a rhythm with my fingertips on the bed. I don't ask about my other doctor.

My bruises and the pain have subsided to a dull sting when I stand up but my body tingles with the need to stay active. I mustn't think about what the doctor was talking about and how she condemned me and the system or whether her views are. I lie back down onto my stomach and start doing push ups. The first twenty hurt a lot but the rest come easier and easier, until I just have to stop and rest. I start doing sit ups after a while out of boredom and need for a distraction.

Interrupting me from my distraction my old doctor walks in slowly and cautiously towards me. Her eyes look pained as if it hurts to be in the same room as me so it is hard for me to look directly at her so instead I look just passed her.

'How are you feeling?' the doctor murmurs, her voice shakes.

'Fine. I'm just bored.'

The woman sighs, 'you can leave soon'

'As soon as possible, please' I reply.

'So, what lessons are you missing today?' the doctor asks which is strange.

'I was supposed to have Geography, Skills and Computing' my voice is nonchalant.

'Skills? What's that?' the doctor looks puzzled, she obviously isn't aware of our curriculum.

'You choose a topic or an object and you learn about it and master it. For example, I chose weaponry and I am going to learn all different types of guns and master how to use them and clean them correctly'

The doctor's face drains of colour and she forces herself to smile, 'that sounds er – interesting'

'Yes it does but I'm missing it now' I roll my eyes. There was silence for a brief moment, I looked at my doctor it was obvious she wanted to say something but was holding it back.

Until she finally whispered, 'Have you ever thought about what's outside the gates – y'know the real world?'

'Sometimes but then I realise that there's no point' I respond almost surprised that I didn't lie and tell her I never have.

At the end of the day the doctors discharged me and I was allowed to return to my room but I'd missed all my classes. The cream had stopped my body from hurting and it was fast acting too. I got to my room and 130 was lying down on his bed with 147; they were kissing.

'Oh, so he's not dead?' 147 asks 130 breaking away from their kiss.

'No, I'm not dead' I roll my eyes, 'but, I am going to have a shower'

'Thanks' 130 smiles at me.

After my hot shower I decided to go for a walk in my pyjamas which are just softer material of my normal clothes but I'm not wearing a top because it's warm. I stand in the elevator with the doors shut and before I press a button to move and I think about how physically only a floor separates each sector but mentally the difference is apparent.

I decide to go outside because I just needed some air. Sometimes I feel like I've been breathing this air, the same air for my entire life. As I'm walking after about ten minutes, a moving figure catches my eye and I walk towards it stealthily. As I closed in on the figure I realised that it was the girl from combat class – Chloe, shocked and embarrassed I turned around and waltzed back inside the dormitory building. I feel cowardly for my actions but I don't want to talk to her or see her after what happened today.

I return to my room and 147 is gone, finally.

130 is asleep on his bed but wakes up startled when I enter the room.

'Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you' I apologise and slump onto my bed.

'It's okay, I wasn't sleeping' 130 yawns his last words.

I laugh weakly, 'sure you weren't'

'So, how was your day with the doctor?' 130 asks.

'It was definitely interesting' I say.

'My day was interesting too' he scoffed, 'but I'm most looking forward to combat class tomorrow'

A lump sits on my throat as I think about combat class but I suppress it and weakly agree with him, 'yeah, me too'

In an instant 130 is beside me, it's creepy that his footsteps don't make a sound but I guess no one's do after Stealth class was added as an extra-curricular. 130 and I attended for a straight two years and now we glide around soundlessly.

'You better not repeat what happened with that girl from the white sector in tomorrow's lesson' he warned with all the compassion drained from his voice.

'I won't, I don't really intend to speak to her' I shudder at the thought.

'No, you have to speak to her because you have to bond with her' his voice remained bleak.

'Yeah, of course' I agree but sigh at my dilemma.

'Well, good night 145' his voice sounds warm and sincere now as he slips back into his bed and goes to sleep.

'Night' I whisper then relax onto my bed and fall slowly into sleep.