Tempting Fate

Twenty-Four: A Starting Word

"Arietta."

"Arietta," the voice was soft but urgent.

It took some effort, but Arietta opened her eyes. Exhaustion and muted pain had been her companions for so long now that when she came to, she easily pushed them away.

Dr. Sophie Griffin crouched in front of her, concern tightening her brow. "How are you feeling?"

Arietta snorted without humor. "I don't feel much."

Dr. Griffin looked back at the guard at the door—the same big, dark clad guard from the other day. He stared stone-faced back at them.

The doctor took her vitals, as always, then shook her head. "Come on, we're moving you to the cot."

Alert now, Arietta frowned at the doctor. She had been in this chair for so long. Why would she want to move her to the cot?

But... she thought back to Reison's words. "Eight hours, Arietta. Make the right choice."

Without the binds, she could move more freely.

If nothing else, it was some wonderful luck for her right now. Unless it was them giving her a chance to rest before Reison finally killed her.

That sounded more plausible.

"Griffin," the guard at the door barked.

"She needs circulation," the doctor hissed back. "If Reison wants her to walk, he's going to need to let her out of this chair."

The guard mumbled something else, but Arietta didn't hear it.

Reison hadn't wanted to let her out of these binds. This was all Sophie.

Dr. Griffin cleared her throat. "Let me treat these wounds, then we'll get you out of this chair."

After dabbing healing cream on the worst spots and re-wrapping them as needed, Dr. Griffin pulled out a pair of scissors. "Stay still," she told Arietta.

Arietta only took in the doctor. The way Dr. Griffin pointedly looked at Arietta.

She couldn't... it wasn't possible.

She tried to push down the hope that swirled like a warm breeze in her chest. If she let the hope run free, the eventual disappointment and pain may completely cripple her.

When Dr. Griffin helped Arietta stand up, Arietta wobbled, her limbs feeling like hot static. Her legs threatened to give out on her. They'd been immobile for too long.

Dr. Griffin slung one of her arms over her shoulder and half-carried Arietta over to the cot in the corner.

After pulling the blanket over her, Dr. Griffin moved towards Arietta's opposite shoulder. "Let me check the burn on your right shoulder once more."

Arietta kept wiggling her fingers and toes, bringing circulation but also reminding her muscles how to move. Even the little action had her arms and legs screaming in pain at the movement. She'd tried to keep her circulation in the chair, but it wasn't the same, and her limbs were still on fire as she reintroduced movement.

As Dr. Griffin moved to her shoulder, Arietta stopped. There was no burn on that shoulder. At least, not one the doctor had been monitoring.

"I'll get you help," she swore she heard the doctor whisper without moving her lips.

Arietta's gaze shot to the doctor. Then to the guard in the corner.

The doctor had her back turned just right so that the guard was only seeing Arietta's head and the doctor's back. The camera in the corner would only show Arietta's left side.