Page 70 of Beyond The Maples
"And if someone sacks the room again and finds the pain powder hidden?"
"I'll tell them it's an old trick we used for my mom when she was sick, which is true. We used to pull apart and dissolve her meds in water so they absorbed quicker and the pill form was too hard for her to swallow."
He says nothing, and I take that as a solemn agreement. We work silently, until all the capsules are carefully locked together with the mystery herbs.
I hold one up to the light streaming in the window, doubt sneaking in that this is, in fact, a horrible idea. I pop one in my mouth, swallowing it dry before I can think better of it.
"Will you two stop fussing? You're driving me mental. I'm fine," Farra hisses, batting away Leo's hand.
I snicker. Berkley and Leo have been obnoxious nursemaids, taking turns changing bandages, bringing water and food. Farra is healing well, considering. Apparently Berkley never did send up that med kit, and it unnerves me that that means her interrogators did. Some kind of sick mental game to break someone down only to make sure they're alright afterwards, perhaps.
"I'm gunna head down to the seamstress and see if we can get you some different clothing to wear while you heal." The scratchy jumpsuits are going to be a nightmare on those wounds, and there's no way she can wear a bra. It wouldn't be a problem for someone like me, but absolutely will be a problem for her.
We'd also been informed that, although Farra was healing, she was still expected to attend classes and the last of the training. She could opt out of combat for a while, but that was it. Apparently, being brutalized in the name of our country only offers you so much.
It made me furious.
Berkley grunts, "Good luck. She's a nightmare."
I roll my eyes. This was not a surprise. Apparently, during his first stint here, he'd made quite the impression on everyone. Which was interesting, considering I just watched him actually try to fluff up the pillows on Farra's bed for her, before she scolded him. Not to mention, I'm positive he snuck his own pillow in here too. We only get one each and somehow shenow has three.
I walk down through the building, remembering vaguely where this woman's office is. I find the closed window cut into the wall, and knock twice.
"One second!" she yells.
I hear a click, and then a chain clattering through something, before the thick metal window lifts with a thunk. The woman, around forty, stands looking frazzled.
Her auburn curls are wild around her head, held up by several pencils. Her glasses perched low on her nose. She's beautiful, in a chaotic sort of way.
"What can I do ya for, kid?" she asks pleasantly.
Berkley is an idiot.
"Hi, I, um, have a bit of a weird request. I was wondering if we could make alterations to my bunkmates clothing, or if you have anything for this type of injury she has... Her clothes will be torture with her wounds." I feel myself hesitate. I'm not sure how much information to give. Or if she'll be at all sympathetic.
"Well, what kind of injury?" she asks.
"She's got lacerations all over her upper back. They're bandaged right now, but we don't have enough supplies to wrap them for her to move around all week."
Sadness flits across her features briefly as she purses her lips.
"Who's your bunkmate?" she asks gently.
"Cadet Denver."
Recognition passes over her.
"That's unfortunate... We've met. I had to alter her suit for her. She's a tiny little thing," Loretta says with sincerity as she pulls out one of the pencils holding up her wild hair. She grabs a notebook out of her apron. She twirls, and I look down over the counter to see her sitting on a chair with wheels. There are racks of mismatched fabric behind her.
"Give me a couple hours. I'll whip something up for the girl," she says, tearing apart the fabric of what looks to be a pillow. These people are the true geniuses of our time. To make something, again and again, out of leftover garbage, will always be impressive to me.
Taking another glance at herwild hair, I remember something.
"Oh! And I've been wondering if you have anything different for hair ties? My hair is heavy and thick, and the regular ones always fall out during sparring."
She hums thoughtfully, not looking up from her work.
"I'm not sure, love. We're clean out of almost everything but fabric right now. That's all I've been using. We used to have elastic, but it's a rarity these days. If I think of anything else that we can use, I'll send it your way," she says.
