CA Chapter Twenty-three (Patreon)

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Amythyst asked as Ava walked down the hall toward the lab. She had asked the same question a hundred times since they realized that Quinn had probably slipped something into the reservoirs of Ava’s pod when he opened it to ‘check’ on them, and whatever he’d put in there had made Ava sick, at least for a little while.

No doubt his intention was to make sweet, innocent Ava Shaw believe she was allergic to something in the biogel, so she would quit. When she didn’t say anything, he decided to come by her table and plant the idea into her head, just to make sure she got it. If Amythyst hadn’t been ‘watching’ and noticed the entry in the pod’s security logs, Ava might even have bought it, at least if she kept feeling worse each time she went into immersion.

Ava sighed, and muttered, “Yes,” under her breath, just loud enough for the implant in her jawbone to pick it up. Realistically, what were her options, anyway? Run away? Tell Carl Landon and Dr. Veralt no thanks, and just take off, leaving Amy behind?

While she could do that, especially now that Amythyst had contacted Uncle George, the odds were good that if someone who knew about Amy suddenly quit, then vanished from the face of the earth, Carl Landon’s paranoia would cause him to cut his losses and flee. No doubt it would cost millions to do so, but Carl had millions to spare, and now that Amy was stable, he didn’t really need the elaborate medical care they’d set up for her, so he could go anywhere in the world within a few hours of realizing his little secret could be exposed.

No, either Ava had to follow through on the original plan and figure out how to smuggle Amy out, or she had to wait until George Short came in like an avenging angel to save his beloved ‘niece’. No matter what she did, it all started with walking down this hall, and getting back into the pod that was waiting for her.

Lifting her screen, she thumbed it and then pressed it to the pad in front of the security guard. The woman glanced at the screen beside her, verifying that Ava was allowed into the lab, and nodded. Ava passed through the swinging doors and into the parallel dimension where the sprawling Landon House was actually a fully functional hospital.

By now, Ava knew how this worked, and she crossed to Exam Room One. LeeAn was already waiting there for her, and gave her a professional smile. This time, they got Ava into the nanofiber bodysuit and ready to go in less than thirty minutes. As LeeAn finished sealing Ava’s sleeve around her new IV, the woman murmured, “Are you feeling better?”

Ava blinked. “I… Yes?”

LeeAn’s efficient fingers stilled on the sleeve, and she glanced over at the screen that glowed silently above the nearby table. “You just didn’t look like you were feeling well. When you got out.”

Ava shrugged, pulling her arm from beneath LeeAn’s fingers, and smiled brightly when the older woman looked up. “I think I was just hungry. When I got back to my suite, I just ate and slept. The pod keeps me healthy, but that doesn’t mean it’s like actually eating and sleeping.”

For a moment, something that looked like frustration flashed across LeeAn’s usually imperturbable features, but then she smiled and said, “That’s good. Do you want me to put something to eat in the locker with your things? Some chips or cookies?”

Ava almost frowned, but forced her face into an even broader smile and said, “That would be so nice! Thank you, LeeAn!”

Stepping back, LeeAn smiled, too, and Ava couldn’t tell if it was real or not. The nurse raised her voice to normal levels. “All right, you’re ready, Ava. I’ll put your things in your locker, and they’ll be ready for you in two weeks.” She leaned over and picked up Ava’s neatly-folded stack of clothes, and both women left the room, though Ava went left, while LeeAn crossed the hall to the locker room.

Drawing in a fortifying breath, Ava walked down the hall and opened the door to the room where the two pods waited. This time, there was already a small crowd inside, including Dr. Veralt himself. The man hadn’t bothered to be there when Ava got out of immersion, but now he crossed the room and stood in front of her.

A tiny attempt at a smile twitched at the corners of his thin-lipped mouth, and he said, “There you are, Ms. Shaw.” He lifted the screen he held in one hand, and one eyebrow lifted minutely as he glanced at it. “No doubt your preparation time will improve as you become more skilled.”

In other words, she’d kept him waiting. Ava let her shoulders slump and twisted her fingers together nervously. “Yes, Dr. Veralt.”

The smile broadened, and Veralt flicked his wrist, rolling up the screen so he could tuck it into his pocket. “Good. Now, our little experiment seems to have been a success.” The smile twisted into a sneer. “Amy has shown more interest in and interaction with her environment over the last two days. Not much, unfortunately, but enough that we called in Mr. Landon shortly after she was taken from immersion. He’s very hopeful that she’ll continue to improve.” The doctor’s hooded eyes were inscrutable, but he definitely didn’t look like he was actually pleased with the results.

“I want to remind you that if you see any indication that Miss Landon is actually cognizant of her surroundings, you are to report it immediately. Mr. Landon was quite clear that he didn’t want to miss any chance to speak to her.” His cold brown eyes bored into her own, and Ava nodded.

“I understand, sir,” she said, trying to insert a little fearful awe into her tone.

Looking pleased, Veralt motioned to Quinn and Dean, who were standing nearby. Quinn stepped forward immediately, looking like an eager dog who heard his master’s voice, but Dean lagged a half step behind. “Quinn, and, ah,” Veralt hesitated, “Don? Get Miss Shaw into her pod. Quickly, we’re running behind.” He sent one last dismissive glance at Ava, and walked over to where several other people were cleaning and double-checking Amy’s pod.

Hard fingers grasped Ava’s upper arm, and she was grateful for the muscle she’d developed at her job stocking shelves, as well as the improved tone from using the pod at Amythyst’s house. If her arm had been as soft as it had been when she was in school, she’d probably have bruises.

“Here we go,” Quinn said. “Do you need a little help getting in, or can you handle it, now?”

What would Ava Shaw do? Ava thought desperately. Ava Shaw definitely wouldn’t punch him in the throat or kick him in the crotch, so she lowered her lashes, hoping he couldn’t see the disgust in her eyes.

“I’ve got it,” she managed, though her voice was tight. She barely resisted the urge to yank her arm from his grasp as he walked her over to her pod, only releasing her when she was trapped between his body and its ovoid shape.

It was actually Dean who kept Ava from losing it and at least ‘accidentally’ stomping on Quinn’s instep. It wouldn’t do much, since she was barefoot, but it would at least be cathartic. And completely out of character. But as Quinn started to lean in, opening his mouth to say something undoubtedly noxious, Dean reached out and grasped Quinn’s arm in much the same way Quinn was grasping Ava’s. When Quinn glanced at his friend, Dean flicked his eyes around and shook his head. No one was really paying attention to them, but if Ava made a scene, everyone would witness it.

Quinn’s lip curled in the now-familiar snarl, but he stepped back, releasing Ava. She refused to rub her arm, instead staring into his eyes with a defiant glare before turning toward the pod and climbing inside unassisted. She saw confusion flash across his face, and though she knew she shouldn’t have shown even a hint of rebellion, it was deeply satisfying, and she smiled as she settled the mask onto her head.

The bed dropped away as the gel rose up around her, and when she fell into blackness, gasping out her last breath of air for two weeks, she barely even cared.

(===||:::::::::::::::>

Myles was waiting for her when she opened her eyes. Alpha sat up, piled up furs falling away from her body, and Myles stretched out an arm to help her up.

“Did it work?” she asked, as she clasped his forearm and let him pull her to her feet.

He grinned. “Slick as a whistle. Poor Aspen had to dig Lady Ava out of the garden and put her in your bed for a few days, but he enjoyed having some time off. Silus has been waiting outside the city walls, and I sent her to notify Aspen you were logging on a couple of minutes ago. Right about now, he should have your Zombie stuffed under the bed, and be getting ready to put Amy’s Zombie into her wheelchair so he can head out for the day.”

He held up a finger, eyes flicking away briefly. “Ah, Silus is back, and she says Aspen didn’t want to send a [Report] when ‘you’ just logged in, but he’s fine. Veralt and his minions should still be busy getting Amy into her pod, so Aspen should have plenty of time to get back into character before anyone checks on him.”

Alpha nodded. “Veralt said Amy was noticeably more responsive after immersion.”

Amythyst grimaced. “I thought that might happen. It’ll take several real-time days for the last of whatever Veralt has her on to leave her system. One week wasn’t really long enough to get her clean and be able to thoroughly evaluate her, so it was safer to keep her on a light dose of the drugs last time.”

Alpha nodded. They had hashed this out several times, and agreed that they needed a full two week immersion to be able to tell how much of Amy’s deficits were caused by the meds, and how much was a result of her injuries. Still, Amythyst felt guilty for not immediately stopping the drugs, and it showed.

“Did you decide if you’re going to taper her off, or stop them completely?” Alpha asked. They’d talked about this, too, and Amythyst went back and forth on it. Her medical training told her it was safer to taper a patient off of most psychotropic drugs, which were probably a large part of the cocktail Veralt was giving Amy. On the other hand, she hated watching Amy struggle to simply focus or speak.

Sighing, Myles shook his head. “I’m… going to compromise. I’ll taper them more quickly than I really should, but I’ll be right here to watch for withdrawal symptoms, and I can use the pod to alleviate some of them. Just watch for mood swings and irrational behavior as she comes out of it.”

Alpha glanced at the tent where, presumably, Vexxx and Tessle’s Zombies lay. It was time for them to be at school and work respectively, and Alpha was grateful for that. It was easier to talk when she didn’t have to worry about saying the wrong thing.

“What about them?” she asked, tilting her head.

Myles shrugged. “Just… be careful. Tessle will only be a problem if she thinks Amy needs help, and she trusts you. Vexxx,” he snorted a laugh. “He’s a teenage boy. He’s a good kid, but he’s a bundle of hormones and angst, without a lot of space left over for anyone else’s problems.”

Alpha rolled her eyes. “He’s not that good,” she muttered, but she didn’t argue. In the end, it was the AI’s decision to make.

Myles’ eyes shifted to look at Amy’s still form, lying in her own nest of fur and miscellaneous material. “She’s here,” he murmured, and stepped away from Alpha so he could kneel beside Amy. Alpha crossed over and crouched down across from him. Amy didn’t move, but her eyelids flickered very slightly, indicating that they were no longer looking at an empty avatar.

Reaching out, Myles laid his hand on Amy’s, where it rested on her chest in a pose eerily similar to that of a corpse that had been prepared for a funeral. “Amy,” he murmured, then cleared his throat. “Amy, we’re here to help you. You’ve been… You were hurt. Do you remember? But you’re better now, and we’re going to make sure you get to see Bridget, and Hank, and Bree again. Uncle George is even on the way.” He smiled, but it was strained, and a tear trickled down his cheek and dripped onto his hand. “They all love you, Amy, and they miss you more than you know. So just wait a little longer, because I’m going to send you home.”

Alpha laid her own hand on top of Myles’ and squeezed gently. “We’re going to send you home.”

Myles looked up, and his gaze glimmered like dew on a mossy stone as he smiled into Alpha’s eyes. “Yes,” he said softly, “we are.”