6

Chapter Six: Testing

They went into another room farther down the hall, and this one looked more like she would’ve expected a doctor’s office to appear. There was an exam table covered with some kind of waterproof fabric, a large light overhead, and myriad medical supplies stacked neatly in a shelf.

She’d never had a blood test before, but she was pretty sure that was what was about to happen as she watched Kira prepare a needle and syringe. She was woozy, so she decided to lie back on the bed instead of sitting up for the blood draw.

“Just a little poke now.” A millisecond later, the needle pierced her arm, and while it was uncomfortable, it wasn’t as bad as she had psyched herself up to expect.

After another moment, Kira pulled out the needle and quickly bandaged the spot. “There we go. Now open your mouth, North.”

North complied, allowing Kira to scrape the side of her cheek with a long swab. The other woman stored it in a clear tube before turning to Carol to repeat the process. “