Jacqueline Druga: Reset

“Now that is the million dollar question. And the answer to that is…” He lifted a finger and flashed a closed mouth smile. “I don’t know.”

When Nora was six years old, she had her tonsils removed and suffered an odd reaction to the anesthesia. She woke foggy from it, slightly sickened, but in spiral of so much confusion, Nora didn’t recognize her mother. Eventually it all came back.

She likened what she was experiencing in ‘The Hall’ to that day. She christened the place ‘The Hall’ because that was all she saw. One long well lit hallway, with doors every eight or so feet. Each door was like hers, with a small window. But the rooms were dark.

Or at least she couldn’t see inside.

There were two doors at each end of the long hallway. It was strange because she had no desire to go to those doors, no desire to do anything. She dreamt of having a family. Deep within her she felt it wasn’t just a dream, yet why didn’t she feel any emotional urgency for them?

She had no overwhelming sensation to get out of The Hall. It was as if she either was just born or somehow knew why she was there. She just didn’t recall. In fact there wasn’t much she recalled at all. She was from Ohio. She knew her name.

The buck stopped there.

A gnawing feeling filled her gut, frustrating Nora because she could feel the memories, pulsating in her brain, yet unable to surface. On the tip of her tongue, like she was trying to remember a name. It was there, right there. Nora supposed once she had a breakthrough then she would scream to get out. Until she knew why and where, there was nothing she could do.

It would come.

Until then, she felt safe in that room filled with supplies and began to see what all was there.

Jason said he was going to walk the hallway and see if anyone else happened to be around.

He had lost just as many memories. In fact he didn’t even know his last name. Nora knew hers, at least she thought she did.

Jason didn’t know if he was married, had children. Unlike Nora, he didn’t remember being lowered into that fluid.

He did, however say he remembered a phone call. That was his last memory. A phone call. What that call entailed… he was lost.

Did Nora receive a call and not remember? Clearly Jason was lowered into fluid. Maybe together, the bits and pieces they did know would fit together like a puzzle.

She could hear him trying the doors, knocking on them. Her focus was deciding on what to eat. She was still weak, her legs didn’t want to move much.

Nora checked out the boxes. There were so many, lined up, stacked high. From what she could see, some were marked.

She grabbed a box, marked protein, and opened it. It was filled with four inch, airtight sealed silver packs. She grabbed one.

“Someone’s up,” Jason called into the storage room. “The light went on.”

The protein pack slipped from her hand and Nora stood. She lost her balance as she turned to face Jason who stood in the doorway.

“You all right?”

“Yeah. Yeah.” Nora moved to him. “Did you look inside?”

“I did. I didn’t see anyone or that fluid.”

“So they’re waking up now.” She walked with Jason.

“Maybe their video will work. This way.” He pointed. “Number Twelve.”

She quickly followed him. “Do you think the door is still locked?”

“I don’t know. I just want to get there before he comes to.”

“And falls out of the contraption. Like I did.”

“Me, too,” Jason said and stopped to the door. “I just splashed out with the ooze. Woke up choking. Of course, you did, too.”

They stopped before Door Twelve.

Jason looked at her then peeked in through the window. “It’s a man.” He reached for the door and it slid open.

They rushed inside.

Clearly, to Nora, things were happening different with the man.

Small red dots of lights blinked on the top of the box contraption. The naked man was suspended by a ring clamp that wrapped around his waist. There was a respirator tube in his mouth and his eyes were closed as the fluid slowly lowered.

“Is he dead?” Jason asked.

“I don’t…” Nora shook her head and stopped. Her eyes lifted. “Heming.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Heming. The name under the red lights. Heming. Do you think that’s his name or the name of the machine?”

Jason shrugged, “Do you remember having a breathing tube?”

“No. Then again, I didn’t grasp anything until I was face first on the floor in a puddle.”

“Choking,” Jason said. “Yeah. Me, too.”

Nora stood a few feet from the encasement, her eyes shifting from that to the monitor on the wall. The gel like fluid drained completely from the man and the red lights turned blue. A hissing noise was released and the encasement filled with a steam. So much so the man could not be seen.

The lights turned green, the vapor disappeared and then it did, the man’s eyes were open. The tube ejected from his mouth and the clamp released him.

He became aware.

That was evident.

In a panic, he swiped his hands frantically up and down his arms, shifted left to right and as the door began to open, he grew impatient, shoving it and slipping through.

He didn’t fall face first to the floor in a puddle of goo. However, with rubbery legs, he lunged forward, nearly losing his balance. He was a man in his forties, maybe older. It was hard to tell. His hair was thin and gray, balding on top. He seemed oblivious to the fact he was naked his awakening was more mentally traumatic. At least it seemed that way to Nora. Physically he seemed fine.

His temper flared and angrily he blasted, “What did you people do to me? Where am I?”

“Sir…” Jason spoke softly.

He grabbed for Jason, yanking and holding on to his shirt. “What did you do? Oh my God. My wife. My family.”

“We did nothing.” Jason fought the man’s grip. “We are in the same boat as you.”

“Boat? We’re on a boat?” he asked.

“No.” Jason shook his head. “Figure of speech. I …”

“I’ve got to get out of here.” He took a single steps and the monitor came on catching his attention as well as Jason and Nora’s.

The image wasn’t quite as bad as Nora recalled, he same man in a lab coat, speaking to the camera. “Good morning. By now you have awakened. Please, for your health, as quickly as possible, relieve your bladder and wash any remaining residue from your skin and hair. You will find we have provided you with clothing. At this point, you are wondering what is going on, All those questions will be answered when you…”

It was the same message Nora received with only a few more words.

“When?” the man asked, his body began to shiver and his voice trembled. “When will it be answered?” He stared hard at Jason.

“I don’t know. I really don’t know. My message cut off right after he said to shower.”

“Well, she knows,” the man pointed at Nora.

“I don’t.” Nora answered helpless.

“Really?” He asked with sarcasm, his voice increasingly trembling as much as his body. “I find that hard to believe. You were there. I know that face.” He reached out. “You were the last person I remember seeing.”

Then the man collapsed to the floor.

“Do you think this is why they said to wash?” Nora asked Jason in a near state of panic, staring above Number Twelve as he lay naked and motionless on the floor.

“More than likely,” Jason reached for the man. “He’s breathing.” He then hoisted him to his feet, bracing the man’s back to his chest as he dragged Twelve toward the bathroom. “Get the water. Turn it on.”