Strangelets Read Free Page B

she’d never been ill. Suddenly, Sophie wasn’t tired anymore. If anything, she felt like jumping out of bed and turning somersaults down the hall.
    But it would probably be a good idea to clear that with a nurse first.
    Sophie took a deep breath, then called out, “Hello? Anyone?”
    No response.
    Here goes nothing
. One at a time, she eased her legs off the bed. Wiggled her toes, then rolled her ankles. So far, so good. She lowered her feet to the floor, clutching the bed rail in case her legs buckled. She hadn’t walked in over a month. Her legs felt weak, wobbly, but they held up. She took one shuffling step forward, then another. Inch by inch, she made her way across the room.
    By the time she reached the door, Sophie was panting, and her legs shook. She’d never exactly been an athlete, but this was pathetic, like being a toddler again. She clung to the handle and leaned against the wall, catching her breath. Summoning her last reserves of strength, she pulled the door open.
    More weirdness: the corridor was dark and empty. Sophie braced herself against the frame and squinted ineither direction. There was nothing but a long line of doors, no nurses’ station in sight. What kind of hospital was this? Besides being
a)
poorly lit and
b)
negligent about monitoring critical patients? She would have expected to find at least a couple of nurses hanging around, maybe a doctor on rounds or a security guard.
    “Hello?” she called out again tentatively. “Anyone here?”
    From somewhere behind the walls she heard a muffled exclamation, followed by the quick pounding of feet on linoleum. The door beside her suddenly flew open. A tall girl darted out, whirled, and spotted her. She was nearly six foot, and older than Sophie, maybe seventeen or eighteen. Wild black curls tumbled past her shoulders in waves. She didn’t look sick, and wasn’t wearing a hospital gown or pajamas. Instead she was dressed head-to-toe in a long-sleeved black shirt, pants, and combat boots.
    Spotting Sophie, her dark eyes narrowed. The girl lunged forward and jabbed a finger into her chest, barking something in an accusing tone. Sophie shied back. She wasn’t sure what language the girl was speaking, but it wasn’t English. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand you,” she said meekly, holding up her hands.
    The girl made a face and spat, “American?”
    “Yes?”
    The girl glared up and down the hall, as if someone who could understand her might be lurking in the shadows. She turned back to Sophie. “Let me out,” she hissed in menacing, heavily accented English. “I promise I won’t say a word. If the tunnel was built by the CIA, then we’re on the same side.”
    Sophie blinked, thinking,
I’ve accidentally been transferred to a psych ward
. “Why don’t we try to find a nurse,” she saidin a soothing voice, hoping that the girl wasn’t dangerous. “I’m sure they’ll help us sort this all out.”
    The girl erupted in a rapid-fire stream of what sounded like invectives and stalked back to her room, throwing Sophie a final glare before vanishing inside.
    “Great,” Sophie muttered. So much for finding the people in charge. She would gladly have traded the fancy room for a competent staff. She considered checking the adjoining wing for a nurses’ station, or maybe trying to see if there were any sane patients in the other rooms. But a wave of exhaustion swept over her.
    With effort, Sophie managed to stumble back into her room. She collapsed on top of the bed, then flopped over and closed her eyes. The fatigue was like an anchor dragging her down. She gratefully succumbed to it. If this was a nightmare, fine. If not: also fine. After all, her family would probably be there when she woke up. They’d be able to explain what was going on.
    Declan tried the door again. It was proving to be a beast. Ever since he’d woken up in this sodding hospital, he’d been working at the lock. He’d rarely encountered a bolt he couldn’t