Interlude (2)

Harley raced into the emergency room, anxious and bare faced. Well, not completely. She was wearing a rather sturdy layer of foundation that made her more common than she usually was. Behind her, her friend Ivy trailed after her, still stunned at the news that Harley had family et. al.

"My sister! My sister was admitted. Can you tell me which room?" Harley was impatiently demanding when Ivy finally caught up with her.

The nurse looked up at her and froze. Then she glanced around. The other nurses were suddenly busy. While trying to appear common, Harley was all too well known in these parts. Harley narrowed her eyes at her. Even as she tensed, Ivy glided up behind her, gently nudging her to the side.

"We've received word that a Sissy Quinlan was admitted?" Ivy asked.

"Room 304, just down the hall," the nurse said, keeping her eye on Harley.

"So, sister?" Ivy glanced at Harley as she nearly ran-walked to the room in question.

"Not real sisters. She dated that loser brother of mine ages ago but we kept in touch," Harley said as she muscled the door open. She darted into the room and then paused. "Oh, oh, my! Sissy?"

Ivy followed her in. The woman on the bed was bruised and battered. She sported casts on her left arm, right leg and a softer version wrapped her torso. Her face was nearly unrecognizable. Sissy forced one eye open to look at Harley.

"They took her, Harls. I tried, but I couldn't—"

"—Don't talk. It looks like it hurts." Harley reached out, patted her shoulder and then jerked her hand back. She stood up and then started pacing. "Who were they? Did you recognize anyone? Was it the government because I swear if that old bat—"

"—Aliens," Sissy said.

"What?"

"They were weird looking aliens. Not all adorable like Superman but ugly," Sissy forced out. She narrowed her eyes as best she could when Harley made to open her mouth. "I have to. The meds are kicking in again. They were aliens, Harl. Aliens got her."

Harley looked lost. She glanced around the room, her mouth opening and closing. Of all the things either one of them could come up with, neither one had hit on aliens being the reason Harley's play-sister was hospitalized. Then Ivy paused.

"Who's this her?" She turned to Harley who was still staring out the window.

"My daughter…Lucy," Harley replied.

*****

"I fail to see the value in the specimen," were the first words she heard after all the explosions and screaming and nasty crunchy noises she associated with bad things.

"If you feel that way, then dispose of it," another voice said.

She cracked open one eye. She was lying on a strange surface. It was springy like the mats in school but there was also a weird firmness as well. She reached out a hand and touched glass. Smooth, curved glass. It was like she was in a fish tank, like the one in Mrs. McGee's class that was just one big circle with goldfish. That made her anxious. Fish tanks needed water, after all.

She slowly sat up, fisting her eyes to wipe away the sleepiness. She glanced around. There were other tall fish tanks and a couple had people in them, women. One was sleeping, moaning painfully and the other was staring at her with a weird look that made her heart race. Then she noticed them.

They were standing near her fish tank. They sorta looked like people but then sorta didn't. The one with shiny clothes was looking at her intently. She scooted backwards.

"It's also cowardly. Gas it," the shiny one said. At least she thought it was that one. Its mouth was moving and it was making a throw-away gesture.

The other one did something and misty green gas started floating from the top of her fish tank.

That's when Lucy started screaming.

*****

"You didn't die," a young male voice said. "C'mon, wake up!"

Lucy opened her eyes and stared at the kid on the other side of the glass. Her chest felt tight and achy. She levered herself up and froze, staring at her arm. Instead of the usual rosy color, it was a pale, pale white like Mrs. Grover who never left her house and had Mama Sissy bring her groceries and stuff. She looked at both her arms and her legs. They were all the same weird shade.

"They said you were interesting, and they needed further information," the kid said, cocking his head to one side. He ruffled a hand through his curly brown hair. "I've never seen them do that before."

"Do what before?" Lucy finally asked.

"Keep someone they tried to kill. Usually they just die," the boy said. He smiled. "I'm Court. What's your name?"

"Lucy," Lucy replied. "I wanna go home."

"No one gets to go home, kid," said a weary voice. She followed it to see the sleeping woman had woke up. "We're stuck here until they're done with us."

"Don't listen to her. Plenty of people get to leave," Court argued uncertainly. "I think."

"Don't listen to him. His parents work for those things," the woman said, glaring at Court.

"That's why I'm not in a cylinder or in a pod." Court turned away from the woman and back to Lucy. "Don't worry. I'll get you out of here."

"Can you?" Lucy asked. She had recently become aware of the concept of jail and her mind was starting to equate the cylinders with it.

"Maybe?" Court replied. "It might take a while?"