All That She Can See(65)

22





Professionals





Cherry awoke, her skin prickling with cold and her eyes streaming. She blinked a few times. Everything was a blur and when she reached a hand up to wipe the tears away, her other hand followed. Handcuffs, she registered. They were cold, tight and, in her opinion, unnecessary. Cherry blinked again and again but still couldn’t figure out why her eyes were stinging.

‘It’ll wear off in a few minutes. Your eyes just need to get used to the lenses.’

The lenses. They’d fitted her with lenses. Cherry felt an immediate sense of loss. She couldn’t imagine a world where she couldn’t see Loneliness or anyone else’s feelings. Strangely, without Loneliness in her sight, she felt its presence all the more.

‘Chase?’ Cherry croaked. ‘Chase, is that you?!’ She could only see a blurry outline of someone across what she thought was a corridor. The more she rubbed at her eyes the clearer the image became.

‘Yeah, it’s me. I wish it wasn’t, though. I wish I wasn’t here and I’d really rather you didn’t see me like this.’ Chase sighed.

‘Oh God. Oh God, oh God, what have they done to you? Are you hurt?’ Cherry gasped. ‘Did they electrocute you?’

‘No! No, no, I’m fine, nothing like that. They haven’t hurt me yet. I’m just…’

Cherry’s vision was starting to clear and Chase came into focus. He was wearing what looked like a pale green hospital gown that came halfway down his thighs. He was sat with his back against the wall, and his hands were handcuffed too.

‘It’s worse when I stand up,’ he admitted. ‘It’s not really long enough but it helps that you came dressed for the occasion too.’ Chase tried to laugh but it sounded hollow. Cherry looked down at herself and saw the reason why she was so cold.

‘Oh, how lovely. Matching outfits. I’ve always wanted to be in one of those couples.’

‘That makes one of us.’

‘At least I’ve still got my underwear on,’ she said, groaning as she pulled herself up to sitting. The feeling was starting to come back in her legs.

‘Lucky you. My bare balls are touching the floor over here! They’re the coldest they’ve ever been.’

‘Then please, I beg you, don’t stand up.’

Their attempts at humour were falling short of the mark but Cherry did find a little comfort in hearing his voice again. He was alive and he seemed to be OK. That was a start.

‘How did you land yourself in here?’ Chase asked and instantly Cherry’s face flushed with embarrassment.

‘I… er… I kissed George,’ she said fiddling with the end of her gown.

‘Oh…’ Chase’s face fell. ‘I see.’

‘Not because I wanted to! I was trying to bake cakes again so that Happy or whoever would turn up but no one showed. They just weren’t having it unless I truly interfered with someone’s feelings. George just happened to turn up at the right time.’

‘Right.’

‘Don’t be like that. I did it so they would bring me here, so I could save you.’

‘Really?’ Chase said. ‘You did that for me?’

Cherry nodded. ‘I couldn’t leave you here.’

Chase sighed. ‘I just wish it could have happened a different way.’

‘I was running out of time. All I could think about was getting to you.’ She smiled feebly and she could see him smile too. Cherry could now make out that she and Chase were in separate cells that were divided by a corridor, like dogs in a pound waiting for someone to come and take them home. Except the first person to approach their kennels wasn’t a happy, homely family looking for a new member. It was a man in a white coat with a clipboard whose skin reflected the colour of the mint green floors.

‘How are you feeling, 601?’ the man said, avoiding eye contact.

‘601?’ Cherry asked Chase.

‘I’m 598,’ Chase explained wearily. ‘Two other people were brought in before you, which means you’re 601.’

‘They’ve numbered us?’ Cherry was incredulous. ‘Right. Well, I’m wonderful, thanks. Aside from being naked, handcuffed and not being able to see properly, that is.’

The man didn’t react – he simply scribbled on his clipboard. He jabbed a full stop on the page and said, ‘Your examination will begin shortly,’ before walking away.

‘They’re a cheerful bunch, aren’t they?’ Chase tried to move his legs underneath him without exposing himself.

Cherry crawled to the bars to watch the doctor walk away. ‘He hardly seemed human,’ she said.

‘The examination is pretty standard,’ Chase said. ‘They prod you a bit. Weigh you, take some measurements. There’s nothing too scary involved so don’t worry too much.’

‘It’s what comes after that, that I’m terrified about,’ Cherry said. ‘Is there anyone around here that can hear us?’

‘No guards or anything that I’ve seen,’ Chase replied. ‘There are other cells around here but I reckon everyone in them will be on our side.’

‘You got that right!’ an Australian accent called from somewhere along the corridor.