Pandemic Spy School

Chapter Six

Chapter Six - Hospitality

Capital Regional Medical Center

Tallahassee, Florida

April 21

9000 hours

"Do you see this?" Erica waved her hand around the hospital room, indicating to all the people in the beds.

"I do. And I wish I didn't." I replied.

We had left the forest, and spent the rest of the day walking down streets. Erica had memorised the way to the medical center when she had brought Cyrus the first time.

We tried to stay obscured in the plants to the side of the roads until we reached the human populated streets, as not to conjure attention. We were both covered in dirt, and in the middle of crowds filled with people all going to work or coming back from work in nice outfits, we stood out. Erica insisted we put on new outfits. She stopped by a clothing store, and got new clothes for both of us.

"Thank you Clarice." She had said, pocketing the stack of bills she held in her hands. She had clearly stolen some from the battle in the forest.

We spent the night taking turns watching, while the other slept on the hard ground. We had found a somewhat hidden place in an abandoned sketchy part of the town.

Then in the morning we had gone straight to the hospital.

A nurse popped up beside us, with a smile so wide that it practically touched her ears on both sides.

"How may I help you today?" she asked in a chipper voice.

"My Grandfather's here, and I was wondering if I could see him." Erica said. A flicker of worry settled in her eyes.

"Of course! My name is Sophie, and I am a nurse in training at this hospital. Come right this way if you please." She stepped into a side room, and closed the door behind us. It was a dark room, and it didn't look like a place sick people would go. Instead, it looked like a surgery room. Sophie walked to the back of the room, and picked up something on a table. With her back to us, I couldn't see what it was. And I wouldn't have been prepared for what it was if I hadn't seen the sparkly pink scrunchie in her hair under her nair net. I turned to tell Erica, but by the look on her face, I could tell she had already noticed. And she was already on the move. Before I'd even finished turning my head to look at her, she had grabbed a syringe from the shelf over her head, and crept up behind the nurse.I stayed rooted to the ground where I was, knowing that if I got into the fight, something bad would happen.

"Hello Ashley Sparks." Erica said tauntingly. She was now hovering over Ashley, who looked like a 6 year old from her height and size. Ashley froze, as if deciding what to do next. Then she turned around on her heel, with a super confused look upon her face.

"I-I'm sorry. I told you my name is Sophie. You can look at my ID card for proof. I swear I have no idea who Ashley Sprinkles is, and I don't want to be punished for it."

At this point I was laughing. Ashley's eyes fell to mine, and a frown appeared on her face.

"Why are you laughing?" She demanded in a high pitched squeak. It reminded me somewhat of Dolores Umbridges's voice.

"SPYDER may have taught you how to do gymnastics karate, but they didn't teach you how to lie. And if they did, you suck at it." I replied, still laughing. And that was what pulled the trigger.

"That's it!" She cried, lunging herself at me. Erica caught her in mid-air, and then pushed against the back wall. Through barred teeth, Ashley continued yelling.