Eighty-five - Streaming exam results (2)

Vaguely, Stacey heard the mentors talk and congratulate the trainees on completing the streaming exams. Streams for each trainee were chosen upon the results of their streaming exams and their personalities. Their streams weren't completely set in stone with some chances of changing streams later on if they wanted. Most of them had been accepted into two streams.

Video clips of each trainee, their exams and an interview on what they were hoping for was played. Following that, they were invited to the stage to receive little badges to pin to their clothes, signifying which stream and mentor they would now be taught under.

Every now and then, Stacey would be prompted to change positions and her roommates took turns supporting her or giving her their laps to sleep on. They would tell her when she needed to sit up and pretend to be normal, clapping with everyone else when someone in her area had to get up to go down to the stage.

"Stacey, Stacey," Zanity pinched Stacey's arm to help her wake up. "It's almost your turn to go down to the stage. Wake up. Get ready."

Stacey sat up and swallowed a groan, rubbing her face with her hands. Pearl helped her over to the aisle where she was sat on a step. Pearl supported her while Tonton cleaned her hands, fixed her makeup and tugged her clothes straight.

Stacey was given a warm sweet drink and helped to the toilet and back.

Dr Jin took her temperature again and gave a relieved sigh.

"It's gone down a bit," Dr Jin said. "How are you feeling?"

"A bit better," Stacey said, rubbing her tight shoulders. At least she could sort of sit up now, although she still needed some support.

"Allow me," Pearl said, giving her neck and shoulder a bit of a massage. It hurt but the pain seemed to wake her up a bit more.

"Thanks, Pearl," Stacey patted Pearl's hand.

Stacey returned to her seat, ready to be called.

"And last but not least, Stacey. Anastasia Wright, please come on down to the stage for your results," called Beryl.

A camera swung in Stacey's direction and Stacey got up carefully. Concentrating on keeping each step steady, Stacey made her slow way out of her row and into the aisle. A lot of the trainees helped to support her when she passed by so that she wouldn't fall on them. In the aisle, she wished there were rails to hold on to. The steps were difficult to navigate when she was feeling so giddy and off balance.

Stacey's montage of video clips from her exams played on the screen while she made her slow progress down toward the stage. Telea hurried over to her with High to help her down the aisle stairs before she missed a step, and then they supported her up the steeper stage steps.

"Are you alright?" Telea covered her mic and asked in a soft voice.

"Better than I was earlier," Stacey gave a small smile, feeling herself sweating heavily. "Don't worry."

"Get her a chair," Beryl recommended, coming over and waving at Landen. "There's no way she's going to be able to stand long enough. Look at her. She can barely walk straight. Let her have a seat."

The video had just finished playing when a folding chair was carried onto the stage and Stacey helped down onto it. Telea sat by her side on another chair to act as a support in case Stacey lost her balance and fell off her seat. Stacey couldn't help leaning on Telea a bit.

"Stacey's come down with a fever after all her exams," Beryl told the camera, "but has insisted on joining us today. That's why we've given her a chair to sit in on the stage. She has had a particularly difficult journey compared to many of the other trainees, coming from a very disadvantaged situation including a mild head injury with amnesia when she first arrived. Then there was the battle in Whistledown where she sustained further injuries which had some serious medical complications and where she completely lost all her memories again. She was lucky to have survived."

Short clips of Stacey's journey so far were played on the big screen, making Stacey shift uncomfortably.

"During her rehab process and journey on the way to CC, because doctors advised us that airplane travel wasn't recommended for her type of wounds, she came under attack by more beastmen. The attack set her back and she had to restart her rehab process all over again. By the time she rejoined our program, she had only been able to recommence her studies for less than two weeks before she had to sit for all the exams. Her diligence and fast learning speed have impressed us all, particularly in subjects we are certain she has never had any exposure to before, like Tadpole, acting and dancing."

Beryl took a moment to take a breath and catch Stacey's eyes, before sweeping her gaze across all the other trainees. Telea brushed some hair out of Stacey's face, helping Stacey reposition herself before she accidentally slid off the seat.

"Stacey, the trainees, mentors and staff - all the people involved in the running of this program would like to acknowledge your perseverance and hard work. No matter what your results, you have done and achieved things some of us thought were impossible. I know I certainly would never be able to achieve the written grades that you have if I had only studied the same subjects for a week and a half. Nor would I be able to pick up a completely new language and learn it to good HSC standards in the same amount of time. This is all while feeling lost and displaced on top of the stress of participating in a difficult national competition like this where even your daily life is filmed. Stacey, we applaud you."

Applause broke out throughout the auditorium. Many people shouted encouragement.

"The trainees also have something they want to say," Hugh said into his microphone, gesturing to a male trainee that Stacey couldn't remember the name of.