Who: Daniela Diaz and an NPC Patrolman Where: outside a supply storeroom at the UMCB What: an innocent encounter triggers something Dani’s been ignoring for too long When: 5/8, around 10:30AM
Felt it in my fist, in my feet, in the hollows of my eyelids Shaking through my skull, through my spine and down through my ribs
“Diaz, we’re getting low on tubes for the rocker. Can you pop over to the supply room and bring us back another box?”
At the sound of her co-worker’s voice, Dani paused in checking over a sheet of test results to roll her eyes skyward. For the most part she liked the other people who worked in the lab, but seniority was still a bitch. Everyone else in the room was just as capable of running errands as she was, but as one of the lower people in the pecking order, she still occasionally got stuck with the grunt work.
“I’m busy,” Dani replied, flipping to the next page in the report. “Send Fordham.”
“Fordham’s out with the flu.” A moment later, her co-worker reached over to gently take the papers out of her hands. “Which you would know if you ever looked up from your work. Go on, Dani. You need to get out of here sometimes.”
“The toilet wine flu is more likely, but fine.” She stood up from her chair and stretched out the muscles in her back, which were stiff from sitting for so long. The errand wouldn’t take more than a minute or two, and it would probably waste less time to just go, rather than keep arguing. “Anyone else need anything while I’m there?”
Out in the hallway a few moments later, Dani set off with a purposeful stride on a trip she probably could have made blindfolded. It took only a few steps before until she was running on autopilot, mentally reviewing some information on leukocytes and tissue injury from one of the research books she’d brought back from the lending library rather than paying attention to her surroundings.
She was so caught up in her own thoughts as she approached the storeroom, in fact, that Dani didn’t realize she was being addressed. The halls were always busy with people talking, but so few of them spoke to her, specifically, that the sound of one more voice didn’t even register as something unusual. Not even the second time, when the speaker raised his voice to try and get her attention. She reached for the door to the supply room.
A strong hand seized Dani’s arm from behind. Every muscle in her body tensed immediately in response, the danger sensors in her brain over-loading from the sudden rush of information coming from every nerve-ending she had. She pulled back reflexively, wanting nothing more than to get away from whatever asshole had decided it was a good idea to put his hands on her. Except that whoever it was didn’t let go.
Dani twisted in his grip, saw a flash of something out of the corner of her eye—shit, was it happening again?—and then …
Nothing. The patrolman let go and stepped back. As he held both his hands up to placate her, she saw the only thing he held was a clipboard, not a knife. The glint of the overhead light on the metal had simply made her think, for a split second— It didn’t matter. After eight months, this sort of thing wasn’t supposed to happen anymore. Still wide-eyed and panting for breath, she clenched her shaking hands into fists and willed her heartbeat to slow down again. Pull it together, Diaz.
“Sorry if I startled you, miss. I just need to make sure you’re on the list of approved personnel before I can grant you access to the storeroom.”
“You grabbed me. Startled isn’t exactly the word— ” Her voice was too shrill, too frantic, and Dani faltered, swallowing hard before she tried again. When had she started trembling? “Is this a new policy? I’ve never had to check in before.”
The patrolman grimaced, his expression shifting to one that men the world over had worn when they were dealing with a woman they considered hysterical. “It’s been in effect for almost a month. In light of recent discrepancies in inventory, Dr. Grunman— ”
“Fine, I get it. Nevermind.” This time she was the one who held up her hands and took a step back. Dani couldn’t stand to hear another word. Her heart was still racing, along with her thoughts, and suddenly she just needed to get away from this conversation, from this hallway, from this patrolman who was starting to look at her like she might be unhinged. Her co-worker in the lab could come get his own damn blood tubes.
Dani spun on her heel and retreated, practically running in her haste. Not back to the lab, though. The thought of standing there with that particular entrance to the air vents hanging overhead made her skin crawl. No, no way in hell. She wasn’t sure where she was going, actually, until she found herself in front of the door to her room. Bea wasn’t home, thank god, so no one saw when Dani climbed into bed—without even bothering to take off her shoes or her lab coat—and covered herself completely with a blanket.
She just needed to stop shivering. It would only take a few minutes, and then she’d go back to work.