I was dried and changed, slipping on my sneakers just as the rest of the team were heard making their way to the shower room. I grabbed my rucksack and darted down the locker room before anyone saw me.
I was dreading this moment now as I trudged the hallways towards the principles office. It was in the other building opposite the sports complex, so the dreaded walk was much shorter than I would have liked.
I approached the Secretary who instructed me to take a seat in the hallway until Principle Vickers was ready to see me. Now I would have to wait until he called me in, which would probably be as soon as my dad arrived at the school. This wasn't going to be my day, all manners of trouble could be heading me way now. The wrath of my dad, the principle, Mrs Collins was likely to be present and explain the whole ugly scenario, and let's not forget the police. I could end up facing a criminal charge if Amber decides that her traumatic experience is worth punishing me further. I wouldn't blame her at all if she did to be fair to the bimbo.
I heard a voice asking for directions to Principle Vickers office. It was a voice I recognised, it wasn't Dad that was for certain.
The person came into view as the came down the corridor and towards me.
It was Doctor Watkiss, he beamed a smile the second he saw me.
"Where is my dad?"
"Your father is on his way, I'll go speak with the principle first. Don't worry, I will sort this out, it will be okay Melanie." His smile reassured me, but I doubt my dad, or even Amber's parents would be so understanding as Doctor Watkiss.
Even so, within a few minutes Principle Vickers had requested me to enter the office. I was told to take a seat at his desk as we waited for my dad.
Doctor Watkiss was stood next to the desk and my left, he was still smiling strangely enough. Vickers had a face like thunder, which wasn't out often ordinary. A few silent minutes passed but I dare not speak, not until I was given permission.
My dad arrived and darted into the office, breathless and instantly concerned about me.
"Are you okay?" He cupped my chin and looked into me eyes with deep concern.
At this point Principle Vickers decided to finally speak. "Melanie is perfectly fine Mr Wilson. However, the same cannot be said for poor Miss Hargreaves."
Principle Vickers was a stern man in his late fifties, neatly combed dark hair and was always clean shaven. His face was weathered and his skin sagged around the cheek area, suggesting he was maybe once a much chunkier man in his younger years.
My dad gave the principle a narrowed glare, he had once too often been called in for incidents involving myself and Amber. Only this time, Miss Hargreaves had been on the receiving end, most likely for the first time in her teenage life.
"If Miss Hargreaves had been dealt with long ago, maybe my daughter would not have to resort to defending herself in such a way."
Principle Vickers didn't like my dad's tone, not for one minute, and he wasn't about to let it continue.
"So you condone your daughter's actions towards a fellow pupil at my school?" Vickers had stood up.
Oh no, this is not going well at all. I stood up to prevent my dad potentially launching himself over the desk to sock Vickers in his smug mouth. Well, that's what I had envisioned as about to happen.
Luckily, Doctor Watkiss spoke out trying to defuse to situation.
"Miss Wilson is deeply sorry for her actions, there is no doubt in my mind that this whole thing can be settled without any disruption to your school or your students." He seemed to raise an eyebrow in the direction of Vickers, who then seemed to back down from his bold stance.
Principle Vickers took his seat and straightened his collar, "Very well. But if the Hargreaves family charge in here with demands, then on your head be it Mr Watkiss."
Watkiss smiled and turned to directly face the principle. "That would be Doctor Watkiss, if you please."
Wow that took guts, which this doc clearly had.
Vickers corrected himself and readdressed the doctor.
"Doctor Watkiss. I do apologise."
Not judging by the sarcastic grin you gave afterword’s, those were my thoughts as I studied the mini destruction of my principle at the hands of my dad and my doctor.
The principle led us to the door and bid us all a farewell. All three of us moved down the long corridors and found a quiet spot to talk.
"Melanie. I know I said to drop by my office tomorrow, but given the circumstance I'd suggests your father brings you today after school. Would that be okay Mister Wilson?" He turned to my dad.
"Yes, absolutely. I'll pick Mel up from school and we will head over to you right away."
"I'm concerned that Melanie is changing from a placid teenage girl into a force to be reckoned with. I need to run some more tests, and Melanie." He turned now to me. "You will need a second injection of the serum. It seems your previously untroubled life suddenly has many triggers in it. Which may be causing a flare up of your condition. We have to control it before it controls you."
I smiled faintly and gave a gentle nod, but I didn't express my true concern. I had a monster inside that seemed to want to break out. I would soon have no control over the levels I would go to, I certainly did not want to go down that route.
After school dad was indeed waiting for me, he drove me to the offices where Doctor Watkiss worked, seemingly working during strange hours.
The building was made up with tinted mirrored glass, sleek framework and a number of secure doors. Security passes required at almost every door all the way up to where Doctor Watkiss had been busy working upon our arrival.
"Ah. You're here, excellent." Watkiss seemed overjoyed at our arrival. The burly security guard left us and made his way back out of the pristine lab where Watkiss was examining some kind of strange liquid, the coloured liquids were passing from beaker to beaker through thin glass tubes. Bubbles and smoke making up an arrangement of mind boggling colours and scents.
"What is all this?" I asked with curiosity.
Watkiss turned off the gas to a Bunsen burner under a large glass flask, which slowed the entire chemical process to a halt.
"Just another strain of an antidote I have been working on. Nothing of importance right now. How are things?"
I shrugged and continued to examine the glass flasks to my left. "Oh you know, psychotic episodes and pounding headaches. Pretty normal for me lately."
Watkiss forced a laugh from deep in his throat. My dad, however didn't find it amusing, he still looked me up and down with real concern.
"The serum should help with any aches and pains, but my concern is how quickly the last one word off. I am certain that stress and anger is accelerating your current state."
The doctor gently examined my eyes, making sure there were no weird signs of yellow or reptilian design. "All seems okay at the moment. I'd like to take some blood samples if that is okay? I have a few tests I need to run, it should help me determine what can be done to minimise the way the virus is working against your body."
I had a genuine question of concern that didn't seem to surprise the doctor.
"If I have had this virus since I was young why is it only surfacing now?"
He smiled at me and then turned to look at my dad, "You have a guardian angel, ever since you were exposed to the virus your father has been medicating you against the possible effects the radiation may have caused. Without even knowing it, your body has been fighting the ill effects of this whole thing, and reporting back to me on a regular basis."
"Wait, what?"
"At first you needed medication twice a day. But as years went by that was reduced to every few days, then weekly, then monthly. Of late it has been barely a few times per year. That was until this nightmares began messing with the chemicals in your brain and the virus in your blood stream."
"But how? I think I would have noticed a needle jabbing in my arm every couple of days."
Watkiss grabbed a plastic tub from his work station. He rattled it and tossed it in my direction, I caught it milliseconds before it was going to hit my face. The doctor and my dad gasped ever so slightly.
"Nice catch." The doctor seemed pleased, did he mean to aim for my head? Was that a test?
I popped the top of the small orange tub and poured the contents onto the palm of my hand.
"Your father would put those in your food whenever signs began to show of your condition. They are not as fast acting as the syringe and their dosage is much lower. But they do the job they need to, that keeps you from being consumed by the illness."
My throat was dry, but I had to ask. "Will I ever be cured?"
The doctor seemed to pause before answering, I could tell that he didn't want to lie to me, I had heard enough lies for one week.
"We are confident that a cure can be found. The radiation levels you suffered may never be able to be reversed, but the virus in your blood stream can be controlled until we reach a day where we can eradicate it completely."
"What about Doctor Hemson?" Again, a question I felt needed an answer.
"What about him?" Watkiss asked with an sense of concern.
"Where is he now? This despicable human being."
"Hemson is locked in a secure facility, you do not need to concern yourself with him." Watkiss answered with a firm and honest reply.
"Will he never be allowed out of there?" I wanted the answer to be no, I was begging for the answer to be no.
"Melanie, the main concern is that he will continue to pay for what he did. No judge alive would grant his freedom. The world does not need men who are willing to sacrifice human lives in the name of science." His face was set hard, Watkiss definitely set against Hemson ever being released. There seemed to be a real air of hatred towards him.
Watkiss had now begun to take samples of my blood, but I continued to ask questions regardless of whether or not he wanted to answer them.
"Where is this facility?" I flinched as the small needle pierced my skin.
"He was transferred back to Scandinavia. I believe somewhere in Finland."
At this point my dad decided to chip in, to add extra layers of reassurance.
"Mel. Doctor Hemson is a vile and twisted human being, he will never be forgiven for his extreme actions. But it does not mean you cannot lead a normal life, we will all continue to help you with whatever you need."
I paused for a moment, pursing my lips as I narrowed my eyes. I glared at my dad and then towards Watkiss.
"I think I need to meet this Doctor Hemson. Can you help me with that?"