Remainder (10 page)

"You should get some rest. Come on, I'll show you to the bedroom."  He extends his arm toward the hallway with a motion showing me that he intends me to go.

"No. I've already put you out enough tonight. I should go back to the house," I protest.

"It's too late. You’re staying here. I'll take you back in the morning."

I really want to protest more, but I am so tired. Today has been a roller coaster, and I'm exhausted. I nod and stand to follow Alec to his bedroom. It consists of a large platform bed and a dresser. Like the rest of his apartment, there is nothing about his bedroom that is unique. Just bare walls and bare floors. It is nothing like the grand house in which Killian lives. I don’t know what I was expecting. I’ve never thought of Alec as someone who appreciates extravagance. There is nothing about his place that I would consider to be soft and warm. I can’t understand this because I feel that there is something soft and warm about Alec.  I really hope I am right about him and not just dazed from Felix’s attack.  Alden and Enforcer-150’s warnings are still bouncing around my head.  

"I'll go get you something to drink," Alec says awkwardly. He seems uncomfortable with having someone else in his bedroom or maybe just me in his bedroom.  I crawl under the covers of the big bed and get comfortable. I am flooded with a feeling of warmth.  As I nuzzle into the pillow, my nostrils are filled with a pleasant smell that is surprisingly calming.  Alec comes back and hands me a glass of red liquid.

"What is it?" I ask sitting up.

"It's just an herbal concoction. It helps with pain and it will help you sleep."  He still looks a bit uncomfortable.

I take the glass and drink all of its contents. It tastes tangy, but not bad.  “Where will you sleep?”

"I'll sleep on the couch.”  He gets up and walks toward the door, before he shuts it, he turns to me and says, “Let me know if you need anything."

"Alec, I really appreciate you helping me."

"No problem," he says with a small smile. The first smile I have seen from him tonight.  Then he turns to leave.

“Alec,” I call. He turns around to face me.

“Yes?”

“Would you…..” I look down unable to finish my question. It seems silly to ask, but I decide to ask it anyway. “Would you stay with me? Until I fall asleep?” I look back up to gage his reaction and a surprised look encompasses his face. He seems a little stunned, like he doesn’t know what to say. His mouth opens and closes several times, like he is searching for his answer.

“Sure,” he replies, though he sounds unsure. He walks to the other side of the bed and spreads out on the bed beside me on top of the covers. I lay on my side facing him, and he is on his back staring at the ceiling. An awkward silence hangs in the air, so I decide to break it and ask something I have wanted to know since we went to the Draining.

“Can I ask you something?” I inquire, shredding the silence into pieces. Alec actually jumps a little, like I startled him, but he turns his head to make eye contact with me.

“Yes.”

“At the Draining, when I closed my eyes, you told me to open them. You said I had to watch. Why did you do that? Why did you make me watch?” I ask with melancholy as I remember that terrible day.

He closes his eyes as if he is collecting his thoughts to form a coherent response and then opens them again before responding. He turns on his side towards me.

“Because you needed to see what it is really like for clones. To see the type of world that you woke up in. You needed to fully understand the danger that surrounds you, simply for being a clone.” He took a deep breath and released it while running a hand through his thick black hair. “I’m sorry. I know it seemed harsh, but I didn’t force you to watch out of malice.” I know what he has just said is true. Alec is not like Roderick. He doesn’t take pleasure in the suffering of others. I truly believe that he would never do anything to hurt me. I have seen Alec’s sincerity and I know that I although I don’t completely trust him, I am starting to.

“Thank you. I didn’t know that at the time, but I do now.  I am sorry I didn’t understand sooner.” I smile a weak smile. “You are right. Even though I didn’t want to see the Draining, I needed to witness it. I needed to understand the danger and the cruelty of this place.”

“I would never hurt you, and I never want to be the cause of your pain.”  His voice is almost pleading.

“I know. It’s not you I’m worried about.” I look down at my hands that are scrunching his soft comforter. I am caught by surprise when I feel his hand on my cheek, gently lifting my head to look at him.

“I’m not going to let you get hurt again,” Alec declares as his thumb caresses my cheek.  “I wish you would tell me who attacked you.”

“It’s over and done with. There’s nothing you can do now,” I say determinedly.

“Oh, I can think of a few things I can do.” He smiles and it is genuine, but I see the darkness in his eyes. He means what he says. Alec would definitely hurt Felix if I tell him who attacked me. The thought of Alec hurting Felix actually pleases me and a small chuckle escapes me.

“Thank you. Really. That means a lot.” Alec smiles, and then suddenly frowns as if he has come to a very unpleasant realization. He removes his hand from my cheek, and I have a sudden feeling of emptiness inside. His serious demeanor returns, and he turns over on his back.

“You should get some sleep. You’re safe here and I will stay with you until you fall asleep. I promise.” I nod and yawn, suddenly remembering my exhaustion. The red liquid concoction Alec gave me to help me sleep must be working or tonight’s activities have taken a toll on me. It is possibly a combination of both.

My eyes grow heavy, so I close them, inviting sleep to take me over. Alec and I do not touch, but I feel his presence. I feel safe lying next to him and after all that I have witnessed, all that has happened, I want, no I need, to feel safe.

“That’s very good, Remy.” I sit at a small table fit for a child, coloring a princess in a book. I concentrate hard on my pink crayon as I use it to bring color to the plain white dress the princess wears. I trace the lines of the dress meticulously with the crayon and move inward, careful not to get any pink outside of the lines. I can’t be more than four years old. A woman crouches beside me watching me color and rubbing my back. She has long blonde hair and blue eyes. When I look at her, I think she is the most beautiful woman in the universe. Her smile is gentle and she smells of lavender and vanilla. I finish my picture and hand it to her excitedly.

“For you, Mommy,” I exclaim and beam up at her. She smiles, thanks me, and takes the picture. Then she bends down and engulfs me in her arms.

“I love you, Remy. So much.”

I wake and light is pouring into the bedroom window. I open my eyes and find Alec still there. He is on his side facing me, his arm is around my waist, and our faces are inches apart. His breathing is even; his muscular chest gently rises and falls. His handsome face is relaxed and I can’t help but smile. I like seeing him in this state. He is not serious or on guard. He is just Alec. It feels good to be close to him. I frown at that thought. It shouldn’t feel good to be close to a pure blood. Any romantic relationship is against the law and is punishable. He stirs and his eyes open slowly. His eyes get wide when he realizes our proximity and that his arm is around me. Quickly, he withdraws his arm and gets off the bed.

“Sorry,” he says, embarrassed.

“It’s okay,” I say and I try to hide a blush.

“We should get back to the house. They are probably wondering where you are. The last thing you need right now is to be labeled as a runaway clone. When we get back to the house, we are going to have to see Killian. Please let me do the talking.”

“Okay,” I say.

“Do you trust me?” he asks.

“I wouldn't be here if I didn't."

I get up and go to the bathroom. Looking at myself in the mirror, I see that my face is no longer red from where Felix slapped me. The swelling on my lip has gone down and the cut on my head is barely noticeable. In fact, my wounds look almost completely healed. I am relieved. I don’t want people asking me questions about what happened to me. It is doubtful that Felix will tell anyone what he did to me. I won’t say anything to anyone for fear that they will think it is my fault and punish me. I wash my face and get ready to face Killian.

We arrive back at the house and immediately head to Killian’s office. Alec knocks and we hear Killian telling us to come in. Killian immediately stands, anger boiling out of him as he looks at me. I haven’t seen him since the night I saw him with Enforcer-658 in his bedroom. I can barely stand to look at him.

“Where have you been?” he demands looking at me. “I’ve had Enforcers looking for you all morning. Something is wrong with your tracker.” I look at Alec puzzled. The news about my tracking device doesn’t seem to have surprised him.

“She was with me, Sir,” Alec interjects. Killian gives him a puzzled look.

“Explain,” Killian demands.

“At the party last night, she went outside for some air and was attacked. She ran, got lost, fell and bumped her head. She was a little out of it when I found her this morning. I cleaned her up and brought her back here.”

“Who attacked you?” Killian asks.

"I don't know," I lie.

"Probably some ruffian, Sir. The streets are full of them these days," Alec exclaims.

Killian nods his head in acknowledgement. “There needs to be an Enforcer with her and with Bailey at all times. She has to be protected in order to supply Bailey with blood. She can’t be lost to us again.”

“Yes sir,” Alec responds.

“Alright then. You may go.”

Alec and I turn and leave Killian’s office. When we are outside in the hallway, I turn to Alec.

“Why did you lie?” I ask him.

“Two reasons. One, it’s obvious that you don’t want to talk about what happened last night, although I don’t know why you are protecting the jerk who attacked you. Two, I would be in a load of trouble if he knew you stayed at my place last night.”

“Oh…..thank you. You didn’t seem surprised that my tracking device wasn’t working. Did you have something to do with that?” I whisper.

“You’re not the only one who is tracked.” He holds up his right wrist that contains his Enforcer tattoo and aleuron. I am a little surprised that a pure blood would be tracked. What would be the reason?

“I have to get to work.”

“Yeah, me too,” I sigh. We part ways and for the first time, I am sad to see him go.

I go to my room and freshen up, then head to the kitchen for breakfast. To my surprise, no one asks me about my whereabouts. Maybe Killian only told the Enforcers I was missing, though I'm sure Bailey will interrogate me.

"Are you nervous about today?" Zareh asks me at breakfast.

"About what?" I ask perplexed.

"The transfusion?"

I give her a puzzled look.

"Oh they haven't told you. Today we all go get or give, in your case, blood transfusions. It's your main duty as a clone."

"Oh, I didn't know that was today.” My heart skips a beat. Although Bailey has been getting my blood for quite some time now, I have never had my blood taken from me while being awake. I don’t want to give my blood and I don’t know what to expect. My mind races with questions. How are they going to take it? Is it going to hurt? How much will they take?

"Don't worry. You will be fine dear. We are going to the Researcher district for the procedure after breakfast so eat up," Zareh says happily.

“Oh” I have not been back to the Researcher district since I was brought to Bailey, and I really have no desire to go back.

I know I should eat in order to give me strength, but I have lost my appetite. I have a nervous ache in the pit of my stomach. I think about resisting, but I know that is not a good idea. All I can do is go along with it.

After breakfast, I follow Zareh to the foyer where Killian, Bailey, and Alec are waiting. Bailey doesn’t ask me where I was last night. In fact, she does not even acknowledge my presence. Maybe Killian told her what happened. Or maybe she just does not care. Killian and Bailey take a separate MR2 with Alec than the rest of us. I am glad. I am really not in the mood to listen to Bailey’s incessant whining. Zareh, Enforcer-150, and I hop into another MR2. On the way to the Researcher sector, we ride in silence as my stomach turns.

I can tell we are entering the Researcher sector by all the people in white lab attire. The main facility is a tall glass building that is made entirely of square glass windows. The tinted windows shield the sun and guarantee privacy from outside onlookers. The way the bright sun reflects off the glass gives the building the impression of sparkling like a jewel. It is beautiful in that light, however, looks can be deceiving. It's funny to me how something so beautiful on the outside is so ugly on the inside.

The interior of the building is drenched in white. White walls, white furniture, white marble floors, white carpet, and of course, white lab coats. We wait in the white waiting room until we are greeted by Alden, who beckons us to follow. His wide, genuine smile brings me some sunshine on this otherwise gray day.

Alden escorts Killian, Enforcer-150, Bailey, Alec, and me to a white room that is empty save four reclining chairs. A young female orderly escorts Zareh to a different room. Alden has Bailey and me sit in two chairs that are side by side. Killian and Enforcer-150 occupy the other two chairs across from ours. Alec stands against the wall behind Killian facing Bailey and me. I try, but I can’t read his expression.

Alden raises my chair so that I am elevated above Bailey.  He sets up a small silver table beside Bailey and places an IV bag on it. He goes over to Killian and Enforcer-150 and does the same. A nurse, followed by another orderly, come in and places an IV in Killian's arm so that his blood flows freely into the IV bag on the table beside him. The nurse then goes over to Bailey and hooks her to her IV bag. Alden comes over to me holding a tube with a needle attached to each end. He gently takes my right arm and ties a tourniquet around my upper arm. He touches my vein at the crease of my elbow.

"I have a vein," he says and turns to look at the nurse. She comes over and places the needle in the vein in my arm. The initial prick stings a little and I wince. My blood starts to fill the tube. She takes the needle on the other end of the tubing and places it into the vein that Alden found on Bailey. I watch as my blood flows through the literal lifeline into Bailey.

"You watch and count the blood flow," she says to Alden.

"Take two pints," Killian orders in an authoritative tone. The nurse pauses and turns and looks at him.

"Mr. Buchanan, we only take one pint," the nurse exclaims in a tone that matches Killian's.

"Take two. I want my daughter to be protected."

"Sir, this clone is quite small. We don't know how she will be affected if she loses that much blood," she explains.

"She'll be fine. Do it or I will have a word with your supervisor." He glares at her, and she protests no more. “She also needs her tracker checked,” Killian adds. The nurse nods and hooks up Killian’s IV to Enforcer-150 and tells the other orderly to count the blood flow. Then she exits the room.

I am nervous now even more than before. They are taking a lot of blood from me. How is my body going to react? I look at the tube again and watch as the blood leaves my body. I can’t help but remember the dream I had my first night after I woke. There was a boy who was being drained of all his blood. Then Dr. Kendall was about to drain me. A sense of panic rises in me. What if they take it all? I fight my insecurities to reach my rational mind. They can’t take all of my blood. Bailey needs me alive. She needs my body to produce more. If they take all of my blood now, there will not be enough to get Bailey through the rest of her life.

Alden stands behind us watching the blood flow, concentrating. I look at Alec and see he is looking at me. His normally tan complexion looks pale, especially in contrast to his black hair. I wonder why he looks pale. Does blood make him queasy? I wouldn’t think so. I would think he would be used to it by now.

“Why does this take so long?” Bailey whines. “You would think with all this technology we have, there would be a faster way to do this.”

“Faster, sure,” Killian answers. “However, not nearly as efficient as the old fashioned way. This is what keeps you alive, Bailey. Never forget that,” he warns.

Bailey puffs out a gulp of air. She begins to pick at her fingernails out of boredom. I lay my head back on the headrest of my chair and close my eyes. I try to relax my body. I think I drift in and out of sleep. I am not sure. Coldness attacks my body suddenly. My eyes bolt open and I sit up.

"I'm going to be sick!" Alden runs to get a bedpan and hands it to me. I take it and expel all of my breakfast into it. I lay my head back again. I feel so cold that I start to shiver. Black spots invade my vision until the white room is submerged in black.

I am in some type of long oval contraption, almost like an incubator. The light is bright and my head is foggy. It is always foggy, like I am in a never-ending drug induced state. My mind tries to free itself from the influence of the drugs, but it never wins. They are too strong and my mind is not yet strong enough to fight the stupor. My eyes open and close and I fight to keep them open, but my eyes never win the battle. I feel a hand on my head. The hand pushes my hair back and trails fingers down my face. I open my eyes long enough to see who it is. It is Killian, but why is he wearing red? Killian wouldn’t be wearing red. It’s Enforcer-150 who stands over me, rubbing my head.

“This is not the life I want for you, my baby girl. I will protect you. Don’t worry.” He speaks with deep sadness. He bends down and places a kiss on my forehead. A slamming door startles him and he jumps back, breaking all contact with me. The grogginess wins again and my eyes shut for good.

My eyes flutter open and I see I am back in my room in my bed. A soft knock on my door arouses me from sleep. For a minute, I am confused as I wake from my vivid dream.  All the dreams I have feel so real. I wonder if everyone’s dreams are like that. It is strange that I always seem to be in a laboratory in my dreams. I can never see much of the room I am in due to always feeling like I am drugged.  Another knock on my door helps to snap me back to reality.

"Come in."

The door slowly opens and Zareh enters carrying a tray of food. She sits down on the bed and places the tray beside me.

"How are you feeling?" Zareh asks with concern in her voice.

“Good, actually," I say and force a little smile. She runs her hand over my hair and tucks a lock of hair behind my ear.

"You do look better. It’s usually harder on everyone their first time. You have recovered quite quickly. You should eat for strength. Killian shouldn’t have had them take so much. I think his concerns as a father got in the way of his better judgment. Don’t be angry with him. He loves Bailey and wants what’s best for her. It will be better next time, easier. You will get used to it.” She rises from the bed. “I should get back to work. Let me know if you need anything.”