LUCIEN didn’t know how long he sat there, absently drumming his fingers against the edge of the flat, metal bed, its thin mattress offering no barrier against the cold, sterile atmosphere of the room. But he was sure not even half an hour had passed before the door opened to emit a cheerful Dr. Kim. Half an hour of doing nothing but eyeballing his narrow-eyed, white-garbed reflection in the mirror across the room. Alone or not, Lucien could still feel their eyes on him, watching his every move. It had gotten worse lately — like they could sense the change in him and acted accordingly, treating him with suspect whenever he was assigned a certain task.
AND, well, maybe they had cause to worry, since he’d already begun to falter where it counted. Not once, not twice, but three damn times. Three strikes and you’re out of there. He was a little surprised no one had given the order to ground him yet. “MORNING, DOC,” Lucien greeted brightly, hiding his own unease behind a wide, buoyant smile. “CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, I’M A MORNING PERSON, SO I DON’T MIND THESE EIGHT A.M. APPOINTMENTS.” Better to get them over with than to stew over them all day. “SO WHAT’S ON THE AGENDA FOR TODAY, HM? GOING TO CHECK IF I’VE GROWN A TAIL IN THE LAST TWO DAYS OR SO?”
The other’s smile was a true relief as he entered the room, sliding the door shut and hearing the automatic lock click into place. It was a comfort, these glistening white walls, how they seemed to hold in the good and push out all ill and evil, and for a child, raised more on the streets than in a home, he was amazed how comfortable he was here.
“Good morning,” he countered cheerfully, resting his clipboard on the countertop. “I guess you’re one of the lucky few, huh?” With a soft laugh, he grabbed hold of a chair nearby, moving it so that he was sitting next to the examination bed. “How’d you know we were checking for tails?”
Instead, however, he crossed his legs one over the other. “Just a standard checkup, I’m afraid. None of the fun stuff today -- of course, you know, unless you want something fun then I can...have a random blood draw ordered,” he joked. “First and foremost, though, I want to know how you’re doing. How’re you feeling?”