Quack Doctors

[A month ago. 18 days after the arrest.]

Zella doesn't have time to think about being a rebel. She had a lot to think of today, especially that they're breaking out of the prison, running away from the punishment she didn't deserve. Zella checked the door, and it's still intact. They only had minutes before the officers in the surveillance system found out two prisoners were trying to escape.

"Jaina, I don't know if I should do that." Zella shook her head. Jaina hitched her shoulders, looking her straight in the eye. Zella could feel the eagerness in it, the anger behind those stares, and the regrets. She must have wanted to do something, but she would never be able to do it again.

"Don't you want the future generations to see what kind of fight you fought of?" Jaina asked. Zella pursed her lips, paying attention to her words. She is somehow right. The only difference is that she's clever, and Zella was a little slow. She took time processing statements, and if she does, she'll cherish those words close to her heart.

"I'm not fighting for everybody, Jaina. I'm fighting for myself. Only me could set myself free," Zella pointed out. Jaina shook her head, begging to disagree.

"Go out there and spark the change. Don't stop, alright?" Jaina tapped her shoulder, and left her hanging. Zella creased her forehead, staring at her back. She shone the flashlight inside the tunnel, and nodded. It must be intact. They could slide out of the tunnel smoothly.

When Jaina motioned for her to go inside the tunnel and sit down, she took a huff. Zella let herself inside the tunnel. Jaina saw her out, and hitched the cabinets, hiding the small crease of the hole, and let it stay hidden for a while. Jaina slid down, too, careful not to make any noise. It was long, similar to a drainage system attached by the sewers.

Zella rolled her body down a steep mound, and found herself at the back of the infirmary. No officers were present, but by the time Jaina went out of the tunnel, she saw someone patrolling. Zella pushed Jaina inside the tunnel once again, and squeezed herself in. Jaina turned off the flashlight, and grappled at each side, but there's nothing to hold onto.

Zella held onto the edges, careful not to get seen. Even a flick of her shadow, they're going to be captured and beaten. Zella tried to keep it low as the officer went to the back of the infirmary, checking the trash bins if they're taken out to the bus. She bit her bottom lip, knowing the trash bin in front of the tunnel will eventually lead to where they were.

Jaina hitched her breath, not even saying a word. The rustled footsteps of the officer at the lawn grinded right in her ears, it was deafening. She gritted her teeth, prayed to a thousand Gods and Goddesses, that the two of them will not get captured. Jaina grunted, tilting her head back, and holding on to the tunnel's walls.

Zella whispered furiously, "Hold on there, Jaina."

The officer checked the surroundings, holding his rifle close to his abdomen, and nothing emerged in his sight. All's well. Zella stared at his long limbs, the newly-shined leather shoes, and well-ironed slacks. His wife must have taken care of him that good.

As she gone back to the bubble of her memories, she saw her mother making the tie for her father. Zella will be on the corner of the door, watching them, both lovely in the dapple of the sunlight. The day's radiant, and her father was running late to work. Zella could still remember how he always planted a kiss on his forehead before rushing to the door, and saying goodbye to her.

"That slacks. It reminded me of my father," Zella muttered in a low voice. She's buying time for them to hold on, for them to have a reason to go on, and out of the prison. Zella swallowed, blinking several times, fighting back the tears. Jaina didn't answer, and just stared at the back of her head.

"When he became a rebel, or when I found out he's a rebel, he stopped wearing slacks." Zella didn't know what the reason is, but one day, he halted. My mom had to give the slacks to a neighbor who needed it the most. Zella couldn't do anything but to just watch. She wondered if that was her father's favorite, but then, her mother wouldn't give it if it was his favorite.

"That police officer is wearing slacks. I wish it was my father." Zella longed for their presence. Before she can even realize, she missed them too much. Zella had a plan in her head to run, as far away as she could, to be a fugitive, and wonder what happened to their home. Zella knuckled her fists, waiting for the officer to walk away, and when he did, she turned to Jaina with tears in her eyes.

Jaina pursed her lips. "It's enough to miss your father, isn't it?"

Zella didn't answer, and puffed her cheeks. She extended her legs, went out of the tunnel, and narrowed her eyes. Zella checked her wrist, and the Tempus Moneda was still deactivated. Nothing's on the mountain, or even at the side of the lawns. The infirmary must be busy with the prisoner's condition.

She helped Jaina out of the tunnel. They both stay low, crouching down. Their eyes gawked like an eagle. Zella clasped onto the tiny piece of paper, and checked the 'cover' one. Jaina peeked behind her, asking, "Did it say any mnemonics?"

"It has. The Cover, but I couldn't distinguish what it is." It's hard to survey the surroundings when the Tempus Moneda is acting like a cuff, and every officer has a rifle, ready to shoot you in the head. Zella skimmed the paper, sighing, and closed her eyes. She checked the building, back on the paper, on the building, and back on the paper once again.

Cover…

Cover for…

"The coat," Zella uttered. Jaina raised her eyebrows.

"We need to pretend like doctors, Jaina!" she exclaimed, and folded the piece of paper inside her pockets. Jaina nodded. Zella checked the infirmary's back door, and squinted her eyes. She knew that at this moment, that door was already open. It was to prevent the emergency cases to get blocked or any delay will cause their death.

"How will we do that? We need to hitch a coat to one of the night-shift doctors and wear a mask." Zella have been there a few times, but she's too observant to see everything. The head doctor always has a spare room for her coats, for the things she needed, the medicines the patient had. The nurses' station is placed right at the front of the building.

So everyone wouldn't bother the back door, because the doctors believed that they're on guard, and the police weren't going to abandon the medical workers. The issue would be how to distract them.

"Distraction is the best way to check their attention. We need to be doctors."

Jaina and Zella set out their plan, and after five minutes, they decided to play hide and seek. Zella was the first one to set out to the back door. She opened it slightly, but nothing was behind. No one was there to welcome them with open arms, rifles, and cuffs. What worried Zella the most is the Tempus Moneda.

They must have taken a whole lot of minutes, letting them locate where they were. In a matter of minutes, the sirens will blare, discovering the open gates had been an opportunity to go out of the prison. Jaina closed the door gently. Zella's eyes landed upon the rooms, and went inside the storage room she's talking about.

No time to panic.

"The head doctor must be attending someone inside the ward. We have to be careful, Jaina. Slip on your coat," she ordered. The beads of sweat trickle down her forehead, and she retrieved one of it in the rack.

J. Malone, M.D.

Zella never imagined being a doctor and working inside a bunch of people with their unforgivable sins. Jaina hitched the box of masks, throwing it to Zella. She fixed her hair, too, and retrieved a tissue paper to wipe off the sweat out of her forehead. She's worried about their prison smell. Jaina and Zella haven't taken some showers for about 4 days.

They're too busy to break out of the prison. They're going to exchange that with a warm, sweet rush of water down their body. Scrubbing off the dirt wouldn't help them get out of this nightmare. Jaina fixed her spectacles, and cascaded her hair upon her shoulders.

"Are you not worried about the smell? We should smell like the doctors out there, something sterile." Zella turned to the boxes of perfumes and powders. They must have used that for patient's relief. Jaina helped herself on one of the bottles, spraying it all over the parts of her body, even in her lower extremities.

Zella indicated, "Too hard to lie about your identity, but at least, we're here now."

"Too hard to stay in the truth when you can break from the reality for free," Jaina chuckled. She threw the perfume bottle at the trash bin. But after Zella got prepped up, combing her hair, the door clicked.

Jaina and Zella stood there, frozen.