involved.”
The man blushed and she was sure there was a fair dose of rage involved. Her parents had already told her she was too demanding. But she refused to be locked out now.
He moved away, dialled a number on his mobile phone and started talking to someone in low tones. Ones she couldn’t make out, but the slump in his shoulders at the end and the sigh knotted her stomach once more.
“All right. They have agreed to that.”
The questions ricocheted through her head. “Excellent.” Then his previous words impinged. “And?” She demanded, leaning forward towards the man before her. “How does this affect me?”
“He is insistent that you be seen by their healer. They seem to think they can somehow speed up the healing process.”
He’d done a deal…it didn’t matter why. Others would benefit, she reminded herself. “Okay. What do I need to do?”
“I’ll send in a nurse to ensure you are dressed. We’ll leave as soon as you are ready. They refuse to see any of our patients until you are there.”
“All right then.” The agent smiled again, and once more the man made her stomach pitch and churn. “Wait! Did they mention Seth?”
The agent smiled over his shoulder, reaching for the handle of the door. “Yes. He’ll be there too.” With that he heaved the door open and entered the corridor beyond. Jessa waited for the sound of his footsteps to die away as excitement mounted. The reality of his reasons came back to her with a rush.
They needed breeders.
But in the back of her mind, a little whisper irritated her. What if he wants something different from me? What if it’s just one part of his story? She snorted at the fanciful notion as the nurse sailed into the room.
“They told me you are being released into the care of the government. I’m not sure I like this.” The woman had muttered the words as she bustled around, raising the bed and dropping Jessa’s foot from the sling. “Normally we would keep you a little longer…”
Jessa let the woman mutter while she stripped out of the bed clothes, hauling on the blouse and skirt she had been wearing before. At least they weren’t jeans. The thought caught her off guard and she giggled.
The nurse looked up. “Are you okay?” Her tone and face suspicious and Jessa schooled herself back to her usual calm exterior.
Once dressed, the nurse gave her a crash course in how to use crutches, making her do circuits of the room before she declared herself satisfied. After everything was packed into the small overnight case her parents had brought with them, a wheelchair was brought in and Jessa settled into it. Her purple cast stuck out from under her light floral skirt.
The agent returned then trundled her down the hall and out to the waiting car. He and an orderly settled her into the front seat of the SUV. She reclined the seat after pushing it back all the way. He checked her seat belt was in place as they drove down the drive. Flashes of light caught Jessa off guard and she turned, noting the knot of bodies holding cameras and microphones. “What’s going on?”
“Everyone wants to know about Jessa Bankia. Why she was able to make first contact and what happened after a night on the spaceship.”
The drive through the streets was uneventful and soon they turned off to the access road. Another knot of people waited, but this time some carried placards with phrases such as ‘ Aliens Don’t Believe In God ’ and ‘ Don’t Trust the Aliens. We Don’t Know Why They Are Here ’ emblazoned across them. Jessa gulped. “Have they been here long?”
The agent smothered a laugh. “Ever since your friend arrived.”
She squirmed in her seat looking beyond the shrubbery, now that they had cleared the security post. There. In the distance she could finally see the ship.Her chest loosened and the pain began to disappear.
A line of ambulances waited outside the building and they drove closer, slowly. “They wish to see you before they
The man blushed and she was sure there was a fair dose of rage involved. Her parents had already told her she was too demanding. But she refused to be locked out now.
He moved away, dialled a number on his mobile phone and started talking to someone in low tones. Ones she couldn’t make out, but the slump in his shoulders at the end and the sigh knotted her stomach once more.
“All right. They have agreed to that.”
The questions ricocheted through her head. “Excellent.” Then his previous words impinged. “And?” She demanded, leaning forward towards the man before her. “How does this affect me?”
“He is insistent that you be seen by their healer. They seem to think they can somehow speed up the healing process.”
He’d done a deal…it didn’t matter why. Others would benefit, she reminded herself. “Okay. What do I need to do?”
“I’ll send in a nurse to ensure you are dressed. We’ll leave as soon as you are ready. They refuse to see any of our patients until you are there.”
“All right then.” The agent smiled again, and once more the man made her stomach pitch and churn. “Wait! Did they mention Seth?”
The agent smiled over his shoulder, reaching for the handle of the door. “Yes. He’ll be there too.” With that he heaved the door open and entered the corridor beyond. Jessa waited for the sound of his footsteps to die away as excitement mounted. The reality of his reasons came back to her with a rush.
They needed breeders.
But in the back of her mind, a little whisper irritated her. What if he wants something different from me? What if it’s just one part of his story? She snorted at the fanciful notion as the nurse sailed into the room.
“They told me you are being released into the care of the government. I’m not sure I like this.” The woman had muttered the words as she bustled around, raising the bed and dropping Jessa’s foot from the sling. “Normally we would keep you a little longer…”
Jessa let the woman mutter while she stripped out of the bed clothes, hauling on the blouse and skirt she had been wearing before. At least they weren’t jeans. The thought caught her off guard and she giggled.
The nurse looked up. “Are you okay?” Her tone and face suspicious and Jessa schooled herself back to her usual calm exterior.
Once dressed, the nurse gave her a crash course in how to use crutches, making her do circuits of the room before she declared herself satisfied. After everything was packed into the small overnight case her parents had brought with them, a wheelchair was brought in and Jessa settled into it. Her purple cast stuck out from under her light floral skirt.
The agent returned then trundled her down the hall and out to the waiting car. He and an orderly settled her into the front seat of the SUV. She reclined the seat after pushing it back all the way. He checked her seat belt was in place as they drove down the drive. Flashes of light caught Jessa off guard and she turned, noting the knot of bodies holding cameras and microphones. “What’s going on?”
“Everyone wants to know about Jessa Bankia. Why she was able to make first contact and what happened after a night on the spaceship.”
The drive through the streets was uneventful and soon they turned off to the access road. Another knot of people waited, but this time some carried placards with phrases such as ‘ Aliens Don’t Believe In God ’ and ‘ Don’t Trust the Aliens. We Don’t Know Why They Are Here ’ emblazoned across them. Jessa gulped. “Have they been here long?”
The agent smothered a laugh. “Ever since your friend arrived.”
She squirmed in her seat looking beyond the shrubbery, now that they had cleared the security post. There. In the distance she could finally see the ship.Her chest loosened and the pain began to disappear.
A line of ambulances waited outside the building and they drove closer, slowly. “They wish to see you before they
Similar Books
