"Right now diet is crucial, so I've had Marcelina prepare you a healthy
broth of soy extract and buckwheat and rainforest herbs that--"
"What kind of rainforest herbs exactly?" I was starving, but no way in
hell--
"Medicinal ones. Part of your program of wholeness." He turned, with
that faraway look of his, and opened the window slats. Beyond them I
could see foliage, now alive with flocks of multicolored birds. The
forest was in full cry. "You know, so many drugs are waiting to be
discovered up here." He was gazing out. "Beyond this window is a giant
pharmacy, but if it goes like the rest of the Peten, it'll soon be
bulldozed to make way for more cattle ranches."
He came back and picked up the syringe. That was when I noticed it
didn't seem to be entirely empty. It appeared to contain traces of a
yellow substance, though maybe I was imagining. . . .
"Look, about the blood test. I don't think--"
"Consider it a free medical screening." He firmly gripped my arm as he
plunged the needle into a vein. Seconds later he was capping off the
syringe, red with my blood. "I'm running a batch of tests this
afternoon, so one more sample won't make any difference."
While he swabbed my arm with alcohol, I looked down again at the bowl
of broth he'd brought. Forget about it. I'd find something in the
kitchen later.
"I want to go down and see Sarah." Get started immediately. Push and
maybe I could catch him off guard. "I'm very worried about her."
"Of course." He nodded. "Whenever you wish."
"I was thinking, as soon as possible."
"Then I'll send Marcelina to take you, the minute she's finished
downstairs. But I assumed you might want to at least unpack first."
With that he disappeared as quietly as he'd come.
I walked over and stared out at the birds flitting past the slatted
window, feeling my hopes go up. The colors and the
freedom. I wanted to be one of them, to take Sarah and just fly away. .
. .
Then, feeling vaguely drowsy, I settled myself down on the edge of the
bed. The next thing I knew, though, the chaotic music of the birds had
begun to sound amplified as though they were swirling down a long,
echoing hallway. In spite of myself, I felt my consciousness begin to
drift.
Shit, that needle he just slammed into my arm. It wasn't to take blood
you idiot. You suspected that, but he was too fast. Shit. Shit. Shit.
Don't let him do it. Stay awake.
But now the tunnel was growing. I pulled myself up and staggered in
slow motion to the door and tried it, but it seemed to be locked. I
couldn't really tell, though, because the tunnel was swallowing me.
No! I banged my head against the door, hoping the pain would bring me
back, but the room just swirled even more.
The tunnel. Now it was all around me, shadowy and dim. I thought I
glimpsed Sarah at the end of it, wearing a white shift, beckoning me,
but when I reached out for her, to take us away, all I could touch was
empty mist.