Chapter 9
Kes arrived at Zi's apartment at 6:45 am. She parked the car in the visitor's space and stayed inside the car. She called Bo who answered immediately.
"I am here. I will knock on her door at 7. But I would rather you called her first," Kes suggested.
"I am going to call her after we finish talking.... What do you think? Two days?"
"I hope so. I will call you once I give her the first course," Kes reassured her.
"Right. You do that," Bo seemed to want to say something more.
Kes waited. Kes always waited silently.
"There's some news," Bo continued.
"What is it?"
"It is Y314..." Bo trailed off.
"What happened?"
"He struck out and he should have quit. Instead he turned subject." Bo needed a moment.
Kes waited.
"He died." Bo finished.
Both women observed a few moments of silent mourning.
Kes never volunteered so Bo continued, "Such a waste really..." a long pause. "You don't have to go check on him. All the paper work is clear. There is no one to contest anything. The term benefits will go to the next of kin if she can be found. Or it will be moved to the recovery pool for other subjects. I am going there to take care of things. You watch over Zi."
"I will," Kes continued "call me if you want to talk." Bo was slightly surprised. She understood the intent behind the gesture.
"Thanks. I will call you later. Bye."
"Bye."
Kes took her time crossing the parking lot and climbing the stairs. She walked past Zi's door when she heard a sleepy muffled voice. She continued to the window at the end of the hallway. She gazed outside for a while. Thankfully, her phone vibrated. It was a text from Bo: "Knock on the door".
---
Zi didn't have time to think anything through. Almost as soon as she ended the call with Bo, she heard a knock on the door.
A petite woman, probably a foot shorter than her, wearing specs smiled at her pleasantly. She had a back pack on her shoulder.
"Hi, I am Kes," the woman said.
"I am Zi. I just spoke to Bo. I am still not awake fully. Sorry, come on in."
"Thank you", said Kes, walking in. "This is the longest we could wait." She took off her backpack and placed it on the kitchen counter. "I will explain to you what is going to happen once you freshen up. But I want to give you a detox pill right now. We should not waste any more time. Is that OK?"
"OK...", Zi agreed. It didn't sound like she had a choice.
"Good. You won't feel any different for an hour. So you can go get yourself ready. I will stay here." Kes handed a pill from her medicine box to Bo. "You should eat something. If you have the supplies I can have breakfast ready for us both."
Zi rummaged in the fridge and shelves listing the things she had. It was all surreal.
"That will do" declared Kes. "I will take care of it."
"Okay", said Zi. She swallowed the pill and drank some water. She appreciated the few quiet moments that it offered. She decided to take her time in the shower. She took her stuff and locked herself inside the bathroom for half an hour.
Breakfast was soothingly good. That immediately brightened things up. So far all she had heard were Kes's to-the-point instructions and leading questions. What is she? A professional mother?
"How long will I have to do this?" Zi said and worried for a moment that she was being too blunt.
"We'll know in about an hour," was the matter of fact reply. "Let's just wait. The detox will starting showing its effect in about ten minutes. You might have some chills. You'll have to drink a lot of water and use the bathroom. That's about it. I am here for support."
"I could have done that myself... I mean, you being here is worrying me."
Kes knew that there was no way around this. She just said it: "There have been deaths recently... and one last night... after taking the medication. They have all been men." Kes stopped herself before she could say "A bit ironic considering the target demographic."
She continued, "We are still not sure what is the cause and we are encouraged not to speculate." She didn't say "They were all living alone."
Zi sat quietly for a moment. She didn't know what to think. She collected the plates and Kes followed her with the other utensils. They silently washed the dishes and dried their hands. Kes sat at the foot of the bed and Zi took her chair and gazed out the window and started feeling a bit warm, especially over the nose. She felt the perspiration with her finger. Her mouth tasted funny.
Kes observed her from the corner of her eye. She used her phone to scan the trial medication which Zi had. Then she scanned the detox which she had given her now. Entered the time and a few other details along with it for the log.
Through the course of the day it did not escape Zi's notice that Kes's phone was built for discretion. It would go silent whenever Kes was looking right at it. It only rang once when she was away in the restroom. She noted the clever usage of face recognition and proximity sensors. She shivered in appreciation.
Bo had been appraised. There was nothing to worry. Two days will be enough.
Both of those days passed in virtual silence and total discretion. Kes would read something on her phone. Zi would sleep or be on the phone herself. She took the pills three times a day. She suffered no more black outs. She seemed to be her normal self.
On the third morning, Zi was ready to go biking and Kes was ready to leave. Zi gave her a cursory hug and they parted at the parking lot.
Kes had no particular opinions about her most recent work experience, her report said.
Zi was thankful for her presence but raced away on her bike before Kes got in her car.
Kes made a mental note to read the last known palm leaf manuscript by the scrivener, at home.
Kes arrived at Zi's apartment at 6:45 am. She parked the car in the visitor's space and stayed inside the car. She called Bo who answered immediately.
"I am here. I will knock on her door at 7. But I would rather you called her first," Kes suggested.
"I am going to call her after we finish talking.... What do you think? Two days?"
"I hope so. I will call you once I give her the first course," Kes reassured her.
"Right. You do that," Bo seemed to want to say something more.
Kes waited. Kes always waited silently.
"There's some news," Bo continued.
"What is it?"
"It is Y314..." Bo trailed off.
"What happened?"
"He struck out and he should have quit. Instead he turned subject." Bo needed a moment.
Kes waited.
"He died." Bo finished.
Both women observed a few moments of silent mourning.
Kes never volunteered so Bo continued, "Such a waste really..." a long pause. "You don't have to go check on him. All the paper work is clear. There is no one to contest anything. The term benefits will go to the next of kin if she can be found. Or it will be moved to the recovery pool for other subjects. I am going there to take care of things. You watch over Zi."
"I will," Kes continued "call me if you want to talk." Bo was slightly surprised. She understood the intent behind the gesture.
"Thanks. I will call you later. Bye."
"Bye."
Kes took her time crossing the parking lot and climbing the stairs. She walked past Zi's door when she heard a sleepy muffled voice. She continued to the window at the end of the hallway. She gazed outside for a while. Thankfully, her phone vibrated. It was a text from Bo: "Knock on the door".
---
Zi didn't have time to think anything through. Almost as soon as she ended the call with Bo, she heard a knock on the door.
A petite woman, probably a foot shorter than her, wearing specs smiled at her pleasantly. She had a back pack on her shoulder.
"Hi, I am Kes," the woman said.
"I am Zi. I just spoke to Bo. I am still not awake fully. Sorry, come on in."
"Thank you", said Kes, walking in. "This is the longest we could wait." She took off her backpack and placed it on the kitchen counter. "I will explain to you what is going to happen once you freshen up. But I want to give you a detox pill right now. We should not waste any more time. Is that OK?"
"OK...", Zi agreed. It didn't sound like she had a choice.
"Good. You won't feel any different for an hour. So you can go get yourself ready. I will stay here." Kes handed a pill from her medicine box to Bo. "You should eat something. If you have the supplies I can have breakfast ready for us both."
Zi rummaged in the fridge and shelves listing the things she had. It was all surreal.
"That will do" declared Kes. "I will take care of it."
"Okay", said Zi. She swallowed the pill and drank some water. She appreciated the few quiet moments that it offered. She decided to take her time in the shower. She took her stuff and locked herself inside the bathroom for half an hour.
Breakfast was soothingly good. That immediately brightened things up. So far all she had heard were Kes's to-the-point instructions and leading questions. What is she? A professional mother?
"How long will I have to do this?" Zi said and worried for a moment that she was being too blunt.
"We'll know in about an hour," was the matter of fact reply. "Let's just wait. The detox will starting showing its effect in about ten minutes. You might have some chills. You'll have to drink a lot of water and use the bathroom. That's about it. I am here for support."
"I could have done that myself... I mean, you being here is worrying me."
Kes knew that there was no way around this. She just said it: "There have been deaths recently... and one last night... after taking the medication. They have all been men." Kes stopped herself before she could say "A bit ironic considering the target demographic."
She continued, "We are still not sure what is the cause and we are encouraged not to speculate." She didn't say "They were all living alone."
Zi sat quietly for a moment. She didn't know what to think. She collected the plates and Kes followed her with the other utensils. They silently washed the dishes and dried their hands. Kes sat at the foot of the bed and Zi took her chair and gazed out the window and started feeling a bit warm, especially over the nose. She felt the perspiration with her finger. Her mouth tasted funny.
Kes observed her from the corner of her eye. She used her phone to scan the trial medication which Zi had. Then she scanned the detox which she had given her now. Entered the time and a few other details along with it for the log.
Through the course of the day it did not escape Zi's notice that Kes's phone was built for discretion. It would go silent whenever Kes was looking right at it. It only rang once when she was away in the restroom. She noted the clever usage of face recognition and proximity sensors. She shivered in appreciation.
Bo had been appraised. There was nothing to worry. Two days will be enough.
Both of those days passed in virtual silence and total discretion. Kes would read something on her phone. Zi would sleep or be on the phone herself. She took the pills three times a day. She suffered no more black outs. She seemed to be her normal self.
On the third morning, Zi was ready to go biking and Kes was ready to leave. Zi gave her a cursory hug and they parted at the parking lot.
Kes had no particular opinions about her most recent work experience, her report said.
Zi was thankful for her presence but raced away on her bike before Kes got in her car.
Kes made a mental note to read the last known palm leaf manuscript by the scrivener, at home.
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