CHAPTER FIVE

A Shower

Jeremy was presiding over coffee again when I was shown into his office the next morning.

'I want to know why I'm here.'

Jeremy looked at me. I found myself sitting down and meekly accepting the coffee he held out.

'First, we want to take a sample of your blood for DNA analysis and do some basic brain scans. And then we want you to work with the clinic to promote our interests in the CSC.'

I was somewhat surprised and pleased at his prompt answer. The DNA thing I had come to think of as a given. The brain scan was unexpected but maybe, provided it was a routine type of scan I could work with the idea. However, I had no idea what the CSC was.

'The what?'

'The Council of the Supernatural Community. Although it is a very misleading title. It implies it represents the whole of the supernatural community. It does not.'

'You mean it's not representing your interests.'

'It is not representing the clinic's interests. But there are other minority groups which the CSC chose to exclude too.'

'Why?'

Jeremy shrugged and settled back into his chair. 'For political reasons which you will learn of as you spend more time with us and them. I would rather you met them with an open mind and form your own opinions of what the CSC is about. And why they are so selective. We intend to tell you only enough to allow you to be effective.'

'I see,' I lied. 'What is it, exactly, you are wanting me to do?'

'The CSC has a meeting scheduled in the next few weeks, we want you to attend and... advance our case.'

'You're after funding you mean.'

Jeremy smiled. 'No, we don't need money. We want acceptance. Being on the outskirts is hampering our progress considerably. We want a voice in the CSC and until now we have found... well let's just say that none of our previous candidates have met with their approval.'

'And you think I will?'

'Yes. At least I believe you are our best hope.'

'How am I meant to represent the clinic when I don't know the first thing about it?'

'You'll learn as you go along. Besides the first hurdle is being accepted by them. Do that and the rest will come with time. Do you accept?'

'Do I have a choice?'

'Of course.'

'But?'

'If you refuse we will conduct our tests anyway and you won't get to meet the CSC. If you choose to work with us you will find the process much more to your liking.'

'That sounds like a threat.'

'We need your DNA, Grace. A lot of people can be helped with it. One way or the other we will have it, I make no apologies for that. Agreeing to represent us with the CSC however will prove your commitment to the program and go some way to developing trust between us.'

'So if I agree to be your representative I will be able to come and go as I please?'

Jeremy tilted his head from side to side, 'Hmm.. you will be treated as an honored guest.'

'But restricted to the clinic.'

'Yes. At least for the time being.'

There was a pause while I looked at the carpet, the view from the window, the paintings, anywhere but into Jeremy's eyes. I found it very hard to be objective when I looked into his eyes. And I didn't find it a particularly pleasant experience. Whichever way I analyzed my situation I was not going to be able to walk out of here any time soon. Much better then to have the chance of learning and planning than being locked in that room.

Finally I said, 'On one condition.'

'Oh?'

'If for any reason this doesn't work out or the CSC don't like me or I can't stand them, I will be free to go. And this enforced stay at the clinic is just for a week, two at the most. I have my own life to live.'

'I make that two conditions but,' he held out his hand, 'agreed.'

I shook his hand and didn't believe him for a second.

The medical suite I was shown into later that day was as white and clinical as any other. This one, however, had a bank of medical equipment you would only expect to find in private, very expensive medical facilities. If then. Who knew what these machines were designed to do. To my relief I was taken to an ordinary chair and had an ordinary tourniquet tightened around my upper arm and a very ordinary looking needle inserted to take a sample of blood. After the nurse had collected various other bodily fluids, for which I was sincerely grateful it wasn't considered necessary for Ross to be present, I found him at the door to the clinic waiting for my exit.

'You still find it a worthwhile occupation trailing around after me?' I asked when I joined him in the corridor.

'I wasn't aware that I was.'

'Thought you would have been out of a job by now. I've been given the freedom of the er... building.'

'Congratulations. I'm here to take you to your new room.'

'I'm happy with the old one. I won't be staying that long.'

Ross looked sidewards at me.

'What?' I asked.

'Nothing. But a room upgrade usually means our guests are making themselves at home.'

'Really. Well, this is most definitely temporary. As soon as they take their samples and I mess up at their meeting with the CSC I'll be gone. So, I'm going back to my room but you can follow if you want.'

'Okay.'

'You're following?'

'I'm leading.'

I snorted, 'You know if you really wanted to make yourself useful you could arrange for me to take a shower and have a change of clothes. I'm feeling less than fresh here.'

The slightest hint of amusement flitted across Ross' face then was gone. 'Your new room has a private shower and there is a selection of clothes you can choose from. Or I can take you to the public shower area and get you a jumpsuit.'

No need to be ungrateful I reasoned. 'Okay, you win, the new room sounds lovely. Lead on.'

The room Ross took me to was on the floor above my old room. It was basic but it had carpets instead of lino, a few pictures on the walls and, thankfully, a door handle. There were still no windows and though the camera wasn't obvious I had no doubt it was there somewhere. But most welcome of all, as Ross had promised, was a small shower cubical and a plain, plywood wardrobe with a selection of clothes in more or less, my size. Even the toilet was behind a closed door. Bliss. I squeezed into the toilet-come-shower-room and bolted the door on the premise that it was the least likely place to have a camera, stripped off and had a shower. Feeling much better I wrapped the bath towel around me and chose a pair of jeans and a cotton top from the wardrobe that fit tolerably well. Then I returned to the shower room to get dressed.

It was early evening by the time I was done and I wondered what the arrangement would be for meals now I had been promoted. I decided to take advantage of my relative freedom and go look for myself. At the end of the corridor I took the stairs up and met Karl coming down. His broad, muscular body almost filled the narrow staircase.

'I was just...' I started, but Karl cut across me.

'This way.'

'Where're we going?'

'The dining hall. It's mealtime.'

'Yes, that's what...'

'You shouldn't wander around by yourself. You could get hurt.'

'Oh. By whom?'

Karl snorted, 'You mean by what. You name it, we got it and none of it is cuddly. Stay in your room if you know what's safest for you.'

Despite knowing there was probably some truth in Karl's words I bristled at his manner. 'I can go where I like. There is no lock on my door now in case you weren't aware.'

He shrugged, 'Suit yourself.' He pushed open the door to the landing several floors above mine and waved me through. 'Third door on the left,' he said. 'And just remember that locks are good at keeping things out as well as keeping things in. You never know who might visit you in the middle of the night.'

I shivered at his smirk and squeezed passed him trying not to let our bodies touch. I felt his eyes on me all the way to the dining-room door. At the door we repeated the maneuver and I was relieved when I finally left him in the hall.

Inside only Lewis and Clair were still at table. They beckoned me over when they saw me. I groaned silently. Oh for a tray in my room.

'You decided to stay then,' Clair smiled. 'That's good. It means we can see each other more often. Go choose your meal and join us.'

Feeling guilty at my ungracious thoughts I took a selection of food from the buffet and returned to the table sitting as far from Lewis as I could.

'You have decided to help?' Lewis asked.

I cut a piece of the steak and nodded. 'Yes, not sure what I can do though.'

'There must be loads you can do or Jeremy would never have asked you here, especially while his mum is away.'

'He didn't ask me here. And what does his mother have to do with it?'

'This is his mother's clinic. She's the boss. Apparently, Jeremy and his sister aren't allowed to do anything without getting her approval first. If he brought you here without his mother knowing you have to be important.'

'Maybe she told him to get me before she left. How long has she been gone?'

'A week maybe,' Lewis said. 'She'll be away for another two at least from what I heard. So him and Pippa are in charge.'

'Pippa's his sister,' Clair offered.

'So things are likely to get very interesting around here,' Lewis whispered leaning over the table toward me. 'They hate each other and two weeks can be a very long time.'

The fork stopped on its way to my mouth when I looked up and caught the gleam in Lewis' eyes. My spine tingled.

'They'll be fine,' Clair said. It's natural there'll be a bit of rivalry. Tina has made it very clear that the one most capable of running Meridian Clinic will be the one to take over when she opens the new place.'

'You're lucky it's Jeremy you're with and not Pippa though,' Lewis said shuffling in his seat and pulling at the neck of his shirt. 'Pippa's mean. She wouldn't have let you come meet us or sit here to have your meal.'

'Oh?'

'Lewis is right,' Clair whispered. 'You'd be best to stay away from her if you can.'

The steak and chips were beginning to stick in my throat. I scooped up some peas, 'Why, what's so bad about her?'

Clair shrugged and Lewis scratched at his chest.

'She's cruel,' Clair whispered. 'Her patients are all... well they don't... she doesn't have a very good success rate. The rumors are that most of those down in the cells are hers.'

'But I'm not sure if they aren't the lucky ones,' Lewis said with a small laugh.

'Lewis! Don't say that. Remember when you were there? It's not a safe place to be and you know it.'

'I'm just saying when they are there they're mostly of no more interest to her, that's all. Too dangerous. She likes creating them, not mending them.'

My eyes must have shown my horror because Clair added quickly, 'But you're with Jeremy so you'll be fine. He isn't like his sister. Is he, Lewis?'

'No, he prefers to fix people. He's even fixed a few of his sister's monsters...'

'Lewis!'

'...from the basement and they can almost be trusted to be let out. Almost.'

'Don't worry,' Clair said looking into my eyes a small frown creasing her brow. 'If Jeremy got his orders from his mother then Pippa wouldn't dare touch you. You're perfectly safe. I'm sure of it.'

'And if he didn't?'

'Stay away from Pippa,' Lewis grinned.

'So you've said you'll help?' Sylvia asked.

We were at the table in my new room. I had buried my nose in a magazine someone had thoughtfully left out for me. Sylvia was hovering opposite me looking as though she were unsure if she wanted to be there.

'Yes, at least for a while. It appears that they really are trying to help people but something just seems...' I trailed off unsure how to explain what it was I was feeling about the clinic and its purpose. 'Why would they bring me here the way they did if everything was as innocent as everyone's claiming it to be?'

'You really should cooperate you know. I think you'll be in more danger if you tried to leave than if you stayed.'

'There, see! That's what I mean. Danger? What danger.'

'Well, they aren't going to let you go once they find out you know about the Seekers.'

'The Seekers? Oh, the Seekers of Emancipation you mean. I can't see how that would.....'

'It is a very secret society and if the Suppressors found out about us it would be very dangerous for us all.'

I wanted to point out she was already dead but managed to stop myself. Barely. 'Dangerous how?'

'Well they aren't going to be pleased we know that our god-given powers are being suppressed at birth are they?'

'I...'

'And that the clinic is restoring them. So once Jeremy finds out you know about the Seekers you will never get out of here. Not that I think you have much chance anyway.'

'You know, I am a bit confused. I'm being told this is a clinic for supernaturals. Where do the Seekers fit in.'

'The clinic is for supernaturals, but it belongs to the Seekers of Emancipation. Jeremy told us that they keep their real goals low profile so the Suppressors don't hear of us. He said it wouldn't go well for us if anyone found out the clinic knows about the birth suppressions and were working to reverse them. The Blyths' won't risk letting you go once you know about that.'

'Lewis told me to stay away from Pippa. He said there are a lot of people Pippa has messed up in the basement. Is that true?'

'Maybe. I heard rumors.'

'Do you think that young boy is one of them?'

'Richard? I don't think so. He seems like a natural. Besides, Pippa's failures usually end up dead. Or wishing they were.'

'Were you one of her...'

'No.'

'Right.'

'Richard isn't in the basement anyway,' she added.

'Yes, he is, he's a few doors down from someone called Margery.'

'Margery? The telekinetic? Is she still alive? She's probably staying alive just to spite them.'

It was the first real amusement I had seen her show.

'You think she really is telekinetic then?'

Sylvia shrugged, 'Well she came to the clinic with the ability. She isn't the easiest person to get along with.'

'You tried?'

'Until she almost killed me. But what I'm saying is; that isn't the basement. The basement is way below the cells where Richard and Margery are.'

'There's another level?'

'Are you kidding? It goes way, way deep. Some of the most dangerous...things, are down there. Out of sight out of mind I suppose.'

'Worse than the boy?'

'Jeremy says the people down there are that way because of a botched suppression. That instead of their gift being suppressed at birth, it was warped somehow. Some of them can be helped but there are a lot more who can't.'

Sylvia glided across the room and back again distracted. I followed her with my eyes not daring to turn my head and openly stare at her in case I was being monitored. I muttered into the magazine. 'What about the CSC? How do they fit into all of this? They don't seem to have a very good impression of Meridian Clinic from what I understand.'

She shrugged. 'Pippa gives the clinic a bad name. It's impossible to keep rumors about her experiments from getting out. But Jeremy and his mother are not like her. They really care.'

I raised an eyebrow.

'No, really they do. But the things Pippa does blinds the CSC to all the good stuff. And the clinic doesn't dare put the record straight because to let the CSC know about the Seekers and the great work they are doing will alert the Suppressors we are onto them.'

'Sylvia, the Seekers killed you. They injected you with god knows what and they...'

'No. They didn't,' she snarled, surging toward me. I shot back in my chair dropping the magazine, startled at the abrupt change. 'I wasn't worthy. It wasn't their fault, it was mine. The Seekers are an amazing organization. They...' she threw up her hands. 'Go to the basement. The real basement. See the mess the government is causing. See what the Seekers of Emancipation are having to deal with. But whatever else you do, do not interfere with the Seekers if you know what is good for you.'