The Keras Genome

by Kurtis Eckstein

  Suddenly, Noah was shocked that he remembered that detail about Madison. He tried to compose his expression, know she would want to know what he had remembered, but she didn’t notice his briefly surprised look.

  She seemed to accept the simpler explanation he had provided. “How long have I been out?”

  Noah glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only 5:35 PM. “I guess about an hour.”

  She then looked at the IV in her arm. “We should probably get out of here.”

  He nodded in agreement, but he knew it would be better for them to follow the hospital’s rules for leaving, rather than try to sneak out.

  “Let’s let them know you’re awake. Hopefully you can convince them you’re fine and are okay to leave.”

  “Right.” She then paused to look at him. “What’s our story?”

  “Well, I told them you passed out and hit your head, but that doesn’t explain the bruising on your chest. ”

  Madison thought for a moment. “Maybe I got in a car accident yesterday?”

  “The bruising doesn’t really match what you would expect from a car accident. Maybe you could tell them you play paintball. That’s what it looks like, and it would explain why you don’t have any broken ribs.”

  Madison looked at Noah questioningly, wondering how he knew so much about being shot.

  “Err, the nurse told me getting shot with a bullet proof vest on can still result in broken ribs.”

  She seemed to accept that explanation. “Okay, and what do I tell them if they ask about you?”

  “I didn’t tell them you were my girlfriend, but they should probably know you feel safe to leave with me.”

  “Alright.” She sighed. “Let’s get this over with.” She pushed the button to call for the nurse.

  It didn’t take long before two doctors and a nurse came in. They asked Noah to step outside while they talked to her alone. He imagined they were concerned she wouldn’t talk freely with him there. Maybe they thought she was a victim of domestic abuse.

  Noah waited anxiously outside the door in the hallway. He tried to ignore everyone who walked by, looking down at the floor. Surprisingly, people seemed to have respect for him just because of his clothes. Almost everyone who passed greeted him with a pleasant expression. It was unnerving, because he felt like a wolf in sheepskin, knowing what he was capable of. They had no idea of the monster standing in plain sight in their midst, disguised as someone they could trust.

  After about five or ten long minutes, all the medical staff filed back out of the room. The female doctor looked at Noah as she left. “All right, I’m putting in the order to have her discharged. She can get dressed. We already took the IV out.”

  Noah nodded and went back into the room. Madison was sitting on the side of the bed with a clipboard in her hand. It looked like she was filling out paperwork. Her purse was on the blanket next to her, and Noah could see that the ring was already back on her finger. “How’d it go?” He asked, as the door closed behind him.

  She had a strange expression on her face as she looked up. “It went well actually. I did tell them you were my boyfriend and could take me home. They kept insisting I contact my parents, so I told them I would. They also asked why my brother hadn’t come with me, so I said that you both knew I’d prefer to have you here.”

  “How’d the paintball explanation go?”

  “Well…” She paused, seeming uncomfortable for some unknown reason. “I actually ended up telling them it was makeup for a rehearsal I had done at school. I played it off like I was really surprised it was so convincing.”

  Noah was stunned. “And they believed you? What if they had tried to rub it off?”

  She looked down at the clipboard again. “I know it was stupid, but it worked. I’m filling out admission paperwork now, since I was unconscious when I got here. They said it could take up to an hour for the discharge paperwork to be ready, but I told them I didn’t want to wait that long and would just walk out if they didn’t have it ready in the next ten minutes.”

  “Wow…” Noah was surprised by her harshness. “And they agreed?”

  “Yeah, my aunt is a nurse, so I know how it works. All the doctor really has to do is click a button on the computer, and then the nurse has to print off the paperwork and go over it with me. They could have someone out of here in five minutes if they really wanted to. They just take their time doing everything. Granted, it can take time in certain situations, but mine is a fairly simple case. Normally I wouldn’t be so rude, but we need to leave as soon as possible.”

  Noah knew she was right. They had no idea how long it would take before the military came after them. He wasn’t sure who knew about their escape, but it was safe to assume they needed to formulate a plan to avoid getting captured again. “What do you think we should do after we leave?”

  Madison answered without looking up. “Let me get this finished first, so we can get out of here. Then we can determine our next steps on the way out.”

  Noah nodded in agreement. He walked over to the window to look out at the city below. He wondered what would become of his life now. The military obviously knew who he was, and they had Madison on their radar too. He couldn’t just go back to his normal life…could he? Was there a way for things to go back to normal? Noah wasn’t su re. He began to wonder what they should do about their parents. They would begin wondering where they were soon.

  Looking at the clock, he saw it was only 5:54 PM. Since his car was in the driveway at home, his parents would likely assume he had walked over to Madison’s house, and vice versa for her parents. However, they would need to contact them later this evening and let them know they wouldn’t be coming home tonight. Really, they might not be coming home ever. Would he and Madison be on the run for the rest of their lives? They still had a year left of high school to finish, not to mention the rest of the current semester. Going to school tomorrow was obviously not an option. He wondered if they might have to leave the country entirely.

  The pessimism began to unnerve Noah as he considered the terrible situation. He hoped maybe Madison would have some ideas. Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted his train of thought. Turning around, the nurse from earlier came in with the discharge paperwork. Madison was still furiously trying to complete the admission forms. Just as the nurse walked up, Madison put the pen down in triumph.

  “Done!” She exclaimed.

  The nurse smiled at her. “Almost. I need you to sign a few of these.” She waved the pages in her hand. She then pulled up a chair and began going over some basics of things to watch out for with concussions, even though she hadn’t been diagnosed with one. Madison signed a few pages, and then it was over. The nurse got up and said farewell.

  “It was nice meeting you, and don’t forget to change before you leave,” she added with a wink.

  Madison was still in her hospital gown. The nurse walked out and closed the door. In response, Madison grabbed her clothes but then stopped to look at him.

  “What?” He asked.

  “Well aren’t you going to wait outside, or at least turn around?” Her face was turning bright red.

  “Oh, I guess.” Noah politely turned around, but then decided to tease her. “I mean, you did see me naked after all.”

  He could tell by the sound in her voice that her face was probably as red as a tomato. “Not on purpose!” She fumbled around as she tried to change clothes as quickly as possible.

  Noah turned back around when he heard her stuffing her purse full of all the things she had taken out. She then slung the bag around her shoulder and nodded at Noah.

  “Alright. Let’s go.”

  Walking side by side, they exited the room and headed down the hallway to the elevator. The nurse’s station was on the way. A man in a police uniform was leaning at the desk talking to one of the nurses.

  Oh no. Noah thought to himself. He hoped the guy wasn’t there to speak with them . Madison grabbed his arm, indicating she was worri
ed too. As they approached, the man looked at them and then stood straight up .

  Shit. Act normal, act normal. The officer was looking right at him. As they got closer, he spoke.

  “Have a nice day you two,” he said in a pleasant voice. Looking at his uniform, Noah realized he was hospital security, likely just doing his rounds. Noah visibly relaxed, letting out a sigh.

  “Thanks. You too.” He responded.

  They began walking past him towards the elevator that was only another ten feet away. Madison relaxed more too once he was safely behind them. Coming up on the elevator doors, he reached out and pushed the down button.

  “Hey! Wait!”

  Noah froze. The security officer was bolting down the hall, trying to catch up with them. His towering frame was barreling down the hall like he was on the attack. He had something in his hand.

  Shit! Had the military called and informed them they were taking care of an imposter? Did they say he was a terrorist wanted for murder? Noah wasn’t sure if he could handle any more stress. What would he do if the man tried to stop them? Reveal himself to everyone to threaten him? Kill the man in secret?

  Noah prepared himself, ready for anything, as the officer held up his hand.

  “Here, you dropped this.”

  It was a small black tube Noah didn’t recognize.

  “Oh!” Madison exclaimed. “My mascara! Thank you!”

  Noah thought he was going to die on the inside. His heart was about to explode .

  The officer nodded and wished them farewell again as the elevator reached their floor. Madison and Noah waited for an older couple to get out before stepping in themselves. As the doors closed, he slouched against the wall.

  “Are you okay?” Madison’s voice sounded deeply concerned.

  Noah could only nod in response. Madison spoke again.

  “That was kind of scary huh?”

  She didn’t know the thoughts that had run through his head. He decided to share. “As the security guy was running up to us, I thought he knew, and I felt like I only had two options. Either show everyone what I’ve become in order to threaten him, or else kill him without anyone seeing.”

  Madison abruptly threw herself on Noah, wrapping him in a tight hug. She held her lips up to his ear and whispered.

  “I’m sorry Noah. I hate this too. But we’re in it together.” She paused briefly before finishing her thought. “I love you.”

  “But that’s the problem,” Noah whispered. “You shouldn’t have to be in this with me. They should have left you out of it. Now both of our lives are ruined.”

  She looked at him with an adorable scowl then. “Now mister, I am perfectly content with being in this situation with you . I’d rather be here than safe at home by myself.” She pressed her head against him again. “I need you. I think I need you more than you need me even.”

  The elevator door opened then to the ground level .

  Dammit , Noah thought. They just needed some time alone. He wished he could stop time, so they could be together without worrying for their lives.

  With Madison’s arm wrapped around his, they walked out of the elevator and headed towards the exit. People were coming and going, but no one seemed suspicious. Speaking to Madison, he said, “Well we obviously can’t go home tonight. Can you afford a hotel?” He didn’t have a way to pay for one, with his wallet being in his car.

  Madison looked up at him and grinned. “You bet!” She seemed more excited than Noah thought the situation warranted. Granted he did realize he would be sleeping in a room alone with her tonight. Was that why she was excited?

  In response to her enthusiasm, he tried to steer the conversation away from hotel room. He was looking forward to it too, but now wasn’t a good time to ponder too deeply on the subject. “So, what about food? Are you hungry?”

  “Actually, I don’t have much of an appetite right now. I’m too stressed – my stomach feels all queasy.”

  “Yeah, me either.”

  She gave her devilish grin again, “Then should we head on over to a hotel and check in?”

  Noah smiled. “Sure.”

  Chapter 10: Hotel

  Neither of them had known where the nearest hotel was, so Madison looked it up on her phone. The closest one was only about a mile away, but it took almost twenty minutes to reach it by foot. They walked the whole way hand-in-hand. Initially, they had planned on talking, since they both had a lot of questions for each other. However, they ended up walking quietly instead, keeping an eye out for any suspicious vehicles or people.

  They were out in the open and somewhat vulnerable to being kidnapped again. Noah was especially nervous because while he knew he could probably survive a bullet from a sniper, Madison couldn’t. He hoped that if someone shot at her, he would be able to sense it like he had the first time. Although, he would need to stop it some other way. He didn’t dare try to protect her by going inside again. What if she didn’t wake up this time?

  Plus, Noah was still uncertain what he would do if the military did try to kidnap them. He definitely wouldn’t allow them to separate him from Madison. They would just end up using her as collateral again. So, if they approached him with force, he would likely have to use force back. Was there a way he could protect her without killing anyone ?

  When they got close to the hotel, Madison dug in her bag and pulled out a credit card, handing it to Noah.

  “What’s this?”

  “It’s my dad’s credit card. He let me borrow it. You’re going to have to use it to get us in.”

  “Why me?” He wondered.

  “Well, for one, I’m a girl and it’s a man’s name on the card. They might wonder why you aren’t handing them your card. Second, you know minors can’t rent a hotel, right?”

  Noah hadn’t even thought about that. It made sense though. “Well, then how are we going to do this? I’m a minor too.”

  “You’re in a military uniform. You can’t be in the military unless you’re at least eighteen. They will assume you’re old enough. You can also tell them you’re reserving a room for you and your wife . Then they’ll really believe you’re at least eighteen.”

  It sounded like a good plan, but so many things could go wrong. “What if they ask for ID?”

  “Just pretend like you’re looking for it and then say you aren’t sure where it’s at. They probably won’t refuse you service just because you can’t find your ID. At least I hope.” Madison then handed him his phone.

  Noah realized she wasn’t aware that he couldn’t use it. “I don’t know my password.”

  “No problem. I can still call you. Just get the room and then head to the back to let me in.”

  Noah was concerned. “Where are you going? ”

  “I’ll go wait for you in the parking lot behind the building.”

  Noah really didn’t like that plan. “I have a better idea. You should just go with me. I don’t have a wedding ring on to convince them I’m married, but at least you have a ring on.” He held up her hand to display the expensive ring he had given her for her birthday. “I could just say I work around heavy machinery and have to leave my ring at home while I’m on duty.”

  Her face lit up. She loved his plan. “Okay, let’s do this.”

  It was only about 6:30 PM on a Monday evening, so as they walked into the hotel there wasn’t any activity. An older woman was sitting at the desk looking at a computer. Noah tried to calm his nerves as they walked up to the counter.

  “I need a room for me and my wife please.”

  The woman looked up at them with a cautious stare. “What size bed?”

  Noah didn’t really care, but Madison chimed in before he could respond, “A king please.”

  The woman looked at Madison with suspicion. It was evident Madison was a little too excited for something that should be fairly standard.

  The lady quoted the price anyway, and then asked for payment. Noah pulled out the credit card and handed it to her. She looked at
the name and then asked for his ID.

  Dammit! Noah thought. He went ahead and tried to play the part. He reached in his pocket and then acted surprised when his ID wasn’t there. He then proceeded to check his other pockets. Finally, he pretended to remember where he must have left it.

  “Oh, I think I might have left it in my locker at the base. I don’t have it with me.”

  Madison randomly chimed in then. “Sweetie, I think one of the diamonds is loose in my wedding ring.”

  Noah caught on and tried to look at her ring with concern. “We can take it to the mall and have them look at it. Don’t worry, if one falls out the warranty will cover it.”

  Madison was actually very convincing as she seemed relieved by his words.

  Noah wasn’t sure what to do now, so he just turned back to the woman and stood their expectantly. She looked at them for a moment, and then typed the numbers on the card into the computer. The place didn’t seem to have a card-reader. “Do you want a receipt?”

  “Sure,” Noah responded.

  “Here are the keys.” The woman handed him a couple of cards with magnetic strips. “Your room number is 209. Checkout is tomorrow morning at eleven.”

  “Thanks.” Noah accepted the keys to the room and they walked down the hall.

  As they reached room 209, they both got behind the closed door as soon as possible and then sighed in relief. The room had a king-sized bed as expected, along with a decent-sized TV at the foot of the bed against the wall. There was also a mini-refrigerator, microwave, and even a small coffee pot with complementary coffee grounds. On each side of the bed was a bedside table with lamps on top. A digital clock was on the bedside table closest to the window.

  Madison spoke first. “Well, that wasn’t so bad. I’ll have to call my mom in a little while and let her know about the charge.”

  “I thought you said it was your dad’s card.”

  “It is. He doesn’t have any clue how to deal with finances though. My mom does all that stuff.”