I opened my eyes, looked around and there was no one in the room. I got off the bed slowly and walked to the door. Bob was sitting on the stool and said, “Good evening Lina. How’s your head?”
I said, “The pounding is gone, but I’m a little dizzy. Where is everyone? Where is Boris?”
He said, “Come sit next me. Everyone left for the night.”
I walked towards the empty stool and sat on it. I said, “I think I need a shower, new clothes and a pair of shoes.”
He said, “I can get those for you, but unless Boris approves, I can’t be of service.”
I frowned and said, “Where is Boris anyways?”
He said, “He had to go do some investigative work. He will be back soon.” He pointed at his waste and a gun was bulging out from it.
I said, “What will happen now?”
He said, “We can’t do much.”
I said, “Ok.”
I looked at the door and said, “Did you all know what was wrong with me?”
He said, “No. It seems Boris only knew but kept it to himself all these years. No one questioned him anyways.”
I said, “Ok.”
He said, “You wanted to kill him and he wanted to kill you. You two talk about killing a lot. I know you were controlled but he wasn’t. He was very close to killing you and you didn’t stop him, but felt bad. Why?”
I said, “I don’t know. I didn’t mean to create such tension. It’s not my fault I made him see something he didn’t want to remember.”
He said, “I think you did.”
I said, “What? Even if I did, it wasn’t me. It was Sara.”
He said, “How did Sara know?”
I stared at him and I said, “I don’t know.”
He said, “There were parts of your mind that were aware and remembered some things. Maybe you don’t remember your relationship with Boris, but you knew many things about him. It seems you two trusted each other.”
I said, “Was there a relationship?”
He said, “Ask Boris. He never clarified to us what he meant.”
The outer door opened and then the door to this room. Boris walked in with a screen tablet and a bag. He stared at me and said, “You’re not in a condition to be moping around and talking Lina. You need to rest.”
I didn’t say anything but stared. Bob looked at me and said, “Will you leave again Boris? Can I leave for the night?”
Boris said, “Yes you can leave.”
Bob got off his stool, took his screen tablet and said, “Good night.”
Boris looked at me and said, “Well?”
I said, “I may have changed, but I will never take orders from you.”
He stared at me and said, “It’s not an order. I’m only concerned about your health.”
I said, “I’m not leaving.”
He said, “Fine. Here you go.” He placed the bag on the table and said, “These are clothes, shoes and other stuff for you. The bathroom with a shower is down the hallway and to the left. When you’re done, I can help you with a new bandage for your head.”
I stared at him for a few seconds, grabbed the bag and got off the stool. He eyed me and said, “Are you ok?” I said, “I’m fine.”
I walked down the hallway and saw a room leading to a bathroom. I tried slowly to remove the bandage on my head, but I felt dizzy and almost fell on the floor. I didn’t think I could do this, but I had to. I need to get better. I noticed that the clothes were Red compound’s military clothes. I was like great, now I am one of them.
After I was done, I walked back down the hallway and into the lab. Boris sat on a stool and looked down at his screen. I said, “Well?” Boris looked at me and said, “Now you are officially one of us. You know what that means?”
I said, “Umm, what?”
He said, “Since I am the general of this compound, you have to do what I say.”
I said, “What if I overthrew you and removed your power?”
He smiled and said, “At least you’re capable of doing the job right. I don’t mind. I trust you.”
I smirked and said, “I need a hair comb and an elastic for my hair.” He nodded and went to another room. He came back with his hands full and put the items on the table. I will get the head bandage ready. I took the comb and brushed my hair. Boris kept looking at me and said, “You never liked long hair. You always had it short. Do you like it that way now?”
I said, “I guess. I got used to it.”
He said, “It makes you look more girly.”
I said, “Excuse me?”
He laughed and said, “It’s a good thing. Don’t get mad.”
I pulled my hair back in a bun. He took the bandage and wrapped it around my head and secured it. He said, “Done!”
I looked at him and said, “So, can I go now?”
He said, “Where to?”
I said, “Back to my apartment.”
He said, “I don’t think you can go back to the Intelligence compound. Since you are alive still, they classified as a traitor and highly dangerous.”
I laughed and said, “Do I look dangerous to you.” I stood up, pointed at my head and stuck my tongue out.
He stared at me and said, “I don’t think anyone’s gonna buy that. Not even me.”
I frowned, sat back down on the stool and said, “What do I do now. Where do I go?”
He looked at me and said, “You can stay here, or stay at my place.”
I said, “Your place? Then what?”
He raised one eye brow and said, “What? It’s not like you never did before.”
My eyes widened and said, “What? Wait. Bob said that we had a relationship. What does that mean?”
He stared at me and said, “You had nightmares, and came over to my room afraid. I know you don’t remember, but you didn’t know how to stop them. You thought that sleeping in my room will make the nightmares stop. It didn’t work.”
I said, “But you didn’t explain this relationship we had. Were we more than just friends?”
He didn’t say anything but stared at me with an empty expression.
I said, “Is that a yes?”
He said, “I don’t know. You never expressed how you felt and I never asked you.”
I looked at him wondering what I should ask next. He looked at me wondering what I was thinking. I finally said, “What about you?”
He said, “What about me?”
I said, “Umm, how did you feel about me?”
He said, “How I felt or still feel?”
I said, “Hmm, both?”
He stared at me and said, “Will it make a difference?”
I eyed him and said, “I don’t know.”
He said, “What I felt then and now is the same. Nothing has changed. I still think the world of you.”
I smiled and said, “You do?”
He said, “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” He got off the stool, grabbed the stuff, and walked to the other room. He walked back and sat on the stool. He looked down on the screen and started swiping. I looked at him and said, “I will go to the other room and lay down.” He didn’t say a word and I walked back.
I sat on the bed. Why he never married? He was not bad looking. He was handsome, tall, smart, quiet and very eloquent. Maybe he was very reserved, strict and controlling. Was he devastated because I left him? He knew it was out of my control, but that shouldn’t be the reason he couldn’t move on.
I sat up and looked through the glass panel. I was in his head. He kissed me? Was I going to the deepest parts in his mind where no one dares to cross? Did I awaken something in him that he tried so hard to hide? Did he want me to realize it too?
I walked out of the room towards him. He looked up at me and didn’t say anything. I came closer to him and I kissed him. He pushed me closer and grabbed my waist. I stopped and moved back. I said, “I never left.”