Morven wasn’t in her little, tidy office, but Nina saw her distinctive handiwork in the careful arrangement of medical books, chart folders, and the flasks and bottles in the locked medicine cabinet with all the labels facing front. Nina stood for a while longer surveying Morven’s office. Certainly an improvement on some of the other doctors she’s had to work with.
Soren turned to look at Nina, his face lit by the artificial light. His cheeks and chin seemed to catch the screen's light more like a dagger now than ever before. And his eyes… eyes that had seen more pain than they deserved.
“India,” Nina murmured, measuring the word softly in her mouth. “My tattoos, perhaps.”
She smiled. The day will come, Soren. But it will be on equal terms. You will trust me. One of these days. But now is not the time.
“I admit that surprised me when you looked at my arms. And frankly, I’m very curious about that lake in the Himalayas, too. I know you’d like to be left alone and this was an opportunity to find Morven, Soren. You lost your friend, after all. Are you and Morven from the same hometown?“
“But it’s totally up to you to tell me things.”
Nina turned her back on Soren and wandered the length of Morven’s office. She let herself through a screen door at the end. There, to her surprise, access led off into a small bed. The bed was made up and empty. Gleaming surgical tools, stainless steel tables, and a sink for disinfecting sat in corners. Nothing personal.
Nina frowned. Like Soren, she had no illusions as to what clues this place would offer. She doubted she’d have to stop by again to inspect, and she doubted too that this office would remain unused much longer. It was inevitable.
She closed her eyes, and for a moment she could see the floor drenched in blood; soiled sheets; the moaning, screaming faces. And the silent ones. Her nose seemed to detect blood and rotten flesh for a second, but it was just the rubbing alcohol.
Just the alcohol.
Soren turned to look at Nina, his face lit by the artificial light. His cheeks and chin seemed to catch the screen's light more like a dagger now than ever before. And his eyes… eyes that had seen more pain than they deserved.
“India,” Nina murmured, measuring the word softly in her mouth. “My tattoos, perhaps.”
She smiled. The day will come, Soren. But it will be on equal terms. You will trust me. One of these days. But now is not the time.
“I admit that surprised me when you looked at my arms. And frankly, I’m very curious about that lake in the Himalayas, too. I know you’d like to be left alone and this was an opportunity to find Morven, Soren. You lost your friend, after all. Are you and Morven from the same hometown?“
“But it’s totally up to you to tell me things.”
Nina turned her back on Soren and wandered the length of Morven’s office. She let herself through a screen door at the end. There, to her surprise, access led off into a small bed. The bed was made up and empty. Gleaming surgical tools, stainless steel tables, and a sink for disinfecting sat in corners. Nothing personal.
Nina frowned. Like Soren, she had no illusions as to what clues this place would offer. She doubted she’d have to stop by again to inspect, and she doubted too that this office would remain unused much longer. It was inevitable.
She closed her eyes, and for a moment she could see the floor drenched in blood; soiled sheets; the moaning, screaming faces. And the silent ones. Her nose seemed to detect blood and rotten flesh for a second, but it was just the rubbing alcohol.
Just the alcohol.