My hand hurt from hammering away at the door to little avail. The woman across the corridor had simply stood and stared dumbly at me, eyes devoid of anything resembling life. Some form of shock, I assumed.

Heck, I had to assume because it wasn’t like anyone was telling me anything.

When it soon became apparent even to my stubborn ass that no one was coming no matter how much of a racket I made, I stomped over to the cot and sank down on it. I leant back against the cool wall and did the best I could to assess my situation.

My injuries, while superficial, had been taken care of. However, I’d not been given a change of clothes and the idea of sitting in just my underwear wasn’t appealing, so I had little choice but to keep the soiled jeans and t-shirt on.

The light jacket I’d been wearing, I folded as neatly as I could and left it on the end of the cot.

I had no towel, but it was warm enough for me to at least wash the blood from my face as best I could and let myself air dry. Without a mirror, there was no way to tell how good a job I had done, but not like there was anyone with me who might care.

With that done, I quite literally had nothing to do but stare at the wall and wait. My head still hurt too much to sleep and I wasn’t really comfortable doing so in case I missed someone coming by the room with answers.

So, all I could do was sit, and stare, and think.

I was bored within minutes.

It did allow me to notice a couple of things about my new home for the next seventy-two hours. First, was how new it was. The walls were clean and white, with just a faint aroma of paint still clinging to them. Painted not long enough ago to have that fade fully.

Then there were the bolts. The cot was bolted to the floor while the toilet and sink were bolted to the wall. Each of those bolts still shone and hadn’t had time to build up the layer of grime that accumulated on everything over time.

Add to that, the toilet and sink had pipes set into the wall and not floor. That suggested they had been added long after the scuffed concrete floor had been laid. Likely taking waste away to a separate tank that would be emptied manually.

Everything pointed to the small rooms being a new addition to the building, and likely purpose built just for keeping people in quarantine.

Once I realised that, I felt a fresh wave of fear and panic.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

What the hell was so bad that they needed to quarantine people?

That thought kept me occupied for quite some time. Long enough that I was startled awake by the door opening.

The big fellow who had shown me the way earlier came in first and I couldn’t fail to notice the extendable baton in his hand. Once he was satisfied that I wasn’t about to do something foolish, he stepped aside to let a nurse into the room.

She was pretty, though there were dark smudges beneath her eyes and the best she offered by way of greeting was a wan smile.

“Caleb, isn’t it?”

“Cal,” I corrected primly. “Any chance you’re gonna tell me what’s going on?”

She half turned her head towards the door before stopping herself and shaking it instead.

Ah well, I had to ask.

“How about a name at least?”

“Abbie.” Her smile was a little warmer and she lifted her head, seemingly pleased that I wasn’t about to shout at her.

“So, what’s the plan, Abbie?”

She pulled a digital thermometer from a pocket of her scrubs and ran it across my forehead before making a note of the reading. Then out came the light that she shone directly into my eyes, causing me to blink rapidly as they began to water.

“I need to take some blood.”

“Feel free.” I glanced at the big guy by the door. “Doubt I have much choice in the matter.”

Another smile from Abbie, though the big guy’s brow furrowed. I flashed him a smile and then looked away as Abbie jabbed a needle into my arm.

“Don’t like needles, huh?”

“Not a fan, no.”

“Well, you’re doing great.” She removed the first vial of blood and began filling a second. “Soon be done.”

I doubted that she would be. In the corridor, I could just make out the cart that carried her equipment and there were a heck of a lot of empty vials on it. I wondered how many people were in quarantine, not that I expected I would be told if I asked.

“How many times have you done this already today?”

Hey, I had to try.

“You’re number twenty-four,” she said absently as she wrote my name on the vial’s tag. “Now open your mouth, please.”

I did as instructed, watching curiously as she swabbed the inside of my check before depositing the cotton swab into a plastic container. She wrote my name on that too.

“Okay, I’ll be back tomorrow, same time,” she said, rising wearily. “Don’t go anywhere.”

Oh, ha-bloody-ha.

“I’ll be here.” If my smile was forced, she didn’t seem to notice. “Any chance of something to eat, or read? Kind’a dull in here.”

Abbie glanced at the big guy who gave the slightest incline of his head in response. “Yes, a meal will be served shortly and-“

She cut off as someone began to scream further down the corridor. A long, drawn out sound of pure pain, turning to madness. The two of them shared alarmed looks before rushing out the door which closed behind them with the loud click of the electronic lock engaging.

Great.

I headed over to the door and pressed my face against the glass but saw little. I stayed there for a while though and was rewarded with the big guy and two other men dressed in the same white scrubs, carrying out a bound and hooded figure.

They didn’t look my way as they passed, not that I cared. All I could really focus on was the blood staining the naked figures chest, spilling out from beneath the hood.

Whatever had happened to that guy, it wasn’t good.

I couldn’t help but wonder if that was my future I had just seen. Screaming in agony before orderlies rushed into my room, binding my hands and feet while pulling a hood over my head. Why the hood was even needed, I had no idea, but the very fact that it was scared the hell out of me.

I didn’t fall back to sleep.