Page 32 of The Restoration Program
“Oh, sure,” Nicole said with a tight laugh. “You should’ve seen me when I first woke up like this. Not my finest hour. I had no fucking idea what was going on.”
Darlene pursed her lips. “So, you didn’t know, then?” She blurted it like she had been wondering for a while. “I mean, I figured since we heard you weren’t waking up after the accident, that means you didn’t even know to ask for this.”
Shaking her head, Nicole pinched the fabric in her pockets to occupy herself. It felt like the support group all over again. “I had only heard of failed tests on Organ Hosts years back on the news. I didn’t know anything about this—I feel like they want it that way, to be honest with you. At least right now. Anyway, it felt like I was in the car one second, then trapped in an empty doll-sized hospital room the next.”
“Sorry,what?” Darlene leaned closer, eyes wide.
“They closed me up in a fake hospital room,” Nicole said, almost laughing now that she was explaining what happened to someone out of the loop. “It’s to help make sure that patients don’t go into shock immediately after waking up. Supposed to keep us in a safe, familiar setting while they explain everything. Well, I sort of forced them to skip that part. I banged on the walls and screamed my lungs out until they let me out.” She smirked. “I guess I’m one of the first to wear them down like that.”
A small smile quirked on Darlene’s shocked pout. She glanced at Ryan slyly. “You didn’t warn them who they were dealing with?”
Nicole was relieved to see Ryan relaxing into a pleased look of his own.Proudof his fierce, unstoppable girl. “From what I heard, she practically had her whole medical team cowering in a corner while she told them off.”
Nicole planted a hand on her hip. “Can you blame me? I thought I’d been abducted by mad scientists! Turns out this was all above board. Mostly.” She avoided Ryan’s searching glance at this statement. “The important thing is… I’m here now. What was lost has been restored, and all that.” Darlene made a face, and Nicole laughed as she added, “It’s this thing the Restoration Program says. You think it sounds weird now, you haven’t heard it in unison at the support group.Thatis freaky. Real cult-level vibes.”
“You’re in a support group?”
“Partners with Prints.I think it’ll help in the long run, but it’s as funny and horribly sad as it sounds.”
Darlene dabbed at her eyes, smudging her mascara slightly. “Then you’ll need to give me a full report, notes and all next time.”
“Yes, boss.”
The two of them snickered, and Nicole felt a surge of gratitude. For a split second, she was back in the office next to Darlene, cracking a joke during their lunch hour.
“Oh, I don’t know if you saw—I brought you guys something.” Darlene shot to her feet and eagerly retrieved the gift basket from the hallway. She set it by the coffee table and unwrapped the iridescent cellophane. “It’s not much. But a few of the others from the office chipped in. Some of them wanted to come by today too, but…” She paused, sizing Nicole up discreetly. She didn’t need to say why they hadn’t come. “Anyway, I hope you like it. I got some of that fancy Seville orange hand lotion you like, a bottle of wine, a gift card to Tripp’s Bakery downtown.” She faltered. “You do still eat food, right?”
From anyone else, a question like that would have been wounding, but Nicole smirked. “Happy to report my sweet tooth is still completely out of hand.” Standing at the edge of the table, she peered down. “This is incredible. You didn’t have to do all this.”
“I wish I could have done more. I heard about how Wilson dismissed you—it wasn’t right, the way he did that over the phone. No one loves this shitty nine-to-five as much as you.”
Nicole’s smile weakened. She’d been trying not to think about that. Clawing her way to a successful career without a degree, only to have it torn away from her.
“Speaking of, it’s Friday. I’m sure they’re gonna be missing you soon,” Nicole said.
Darlene peered at her watch and sighed. “I could try to talk some sense into Wilson, but you know the guy’s practically allergic to the stuff. Who knows, maybe I can get him to come around, now that I’ve seen you and all.”
“You don’t need to put yourself at risk like that,” Nicole said quickly. But she was torn. On one hand, a good word from Darlene could be a chance to get her life back on track if Wilson agreed to allow her to work remotely. On the other, she felt sick at the thought of ever attempting civil conversation with her former employer again. “Don’t worry about me losing my head. The Program has a few jobs for NüPrints. Maybe I can even help them out with their marketing once they’re through with being so mysterious.”
Darlene nodded. After a beat of deliberation, she leaned forward, hand outstretched. Her finger and thumb paused just short of Nicole—an offering. Nicole reached out and rested her hand on Darlene’s index finger, keeping her cool as Darlene squeezed her hand with intense gentleness.
“You may have not been gone, but it sure felt like you were,” Darlene said. “I’m glad our very last conversation wasn’t about whether Joyce secretly brings her cats to work.”
Nicole giggled. “I’mtellingyou, I saw a tail sticking out of the bottom drawer of her desk.”
“And I’m tellingyou, you’re out of your mind.” Darlene looked at the ceiling haughtily and let go of Nicole’s hand, but her eyes hid laughter. “I’ll come back sometime soon.” She glanced at Ryan. “If that’s okay.”
“More than okay,” Nicole said. “Anytime you want.” She gave Ryan a pointed look over her shoulder.
Once Darlene and Ryan had exchanged cell numbers, Darlene stood and smoothed her jacket. There was something far less intimidating now about the way that she smiled down at the table. “Well. I’ll see you around, then.”
“Only if you bring me a gift basket every time,” Nicole quipped.
“What, like I’m not gift enough?”
Nicole found her smile sticking even after Darlene stepped away from the sofa.
After Ryan showed her out and shut the door, he let out a sigh as if he hadn’t taken a full breath since she arrived. He crossed the room, rubbing the back of his neck. Nicole watched him carefully, wondering how much the terse look on his face had to do with the unexpected visit and how much had to do with his interrupted phone call.
