Status: NaNoWriMo Novel
The Outlier
Chapter Ten
Anita walked into Dr. Walsh’s office nervously. He had a nurse come and collect her and bring her down at this late hour in the night.
“You wanted to see me?” Anita asked quietly while tugging anxiously at her sweater.
“I did,” he replied, closing the file he was writing in. “Please, take a seat.”
Anita closed the door behind her and moved to seat down in the chair in front of the desk. “Did I do something wrong? Is everything okay?”
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong. Everything is fine, Anita.”
The teen finally sat down, still fiddling with her sweater.
Vincent sighed and folded his hands on top of his desk. “I know that Rasha’s procedure scared you. It was a terrifying thing to watch. But I want to try it for you.”
Anita froze in her spot, sweater between her fingers and in the middle of a breath. “What?”
“We want to try it again, but with you.”
“You want to shoot electricity into my brain? Are you crazy?!”
“Anita, what happened to Rasha was a mistake. Marcus Bennett wasn’t even supposed to be in the technical room, and he wouldn’t be for your procedure. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Was Rasha the first?” she asked, even though she already knew the answer.
“No, she was not the first to undergo the procedure. We tried it with three others as well.”
“And what happened to them?”
“The first boy died due to complications with the procedure. The second is still alive and doing very well, and the third killed himself because after he could hear thoughts properly, he found out she was cheating on him.”
“But only one person died because of the thing?”
“Yes, only one. And even Rasha will probably pull through after that ridiculous stunt.” Vincent sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “The bastard should be fired for what he did.”
“Have you talked to my parents?” Anita asked. “I can’t consent without them, I’m still a minor.”
“I know,” he replied. “I called them a few hours ago to sort things out. You father said he would be for it only if you were.”
“Then why did you wait until almost one in the morning to talk to me about this?”
“Because I’ve been looking over your file since I got off the phone with him. It’s only been two hours since he and I spoke. I just...I wanted to make sure that we were making the right call before asking you what you wanted.”
“Isn’t what I want the ‘right call?’”
“Always, yes,” he replied. “But keep in mind, I’m trying to look at this from a medical perspective instead of as your friend.”
The teen nodded. “I guess I understand that.”
“But everything looks good,” he added quickly. “If you want to go through with this, you would be all set and in the clear.”
Anita nodded slowly, taking it all in. “Let’s do it.”
“You wanted to see me?” Anita asked quietly while tugging anxiously at her sweater.
“I did,” he replied, closing the file he was writing in. “Please, take a seat.”
Anita closed the door behind her and moved to seat down in the chair in front of the desk. “Did I do something wrong? Is everything okay?”
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong. Everything is fine, Anita.”
The teen finally sat down, still fiddling with her sweater.
Vincent sighed and folded his hands on top of his desk. “I know that Rasha’s procedure scared you. It was a terrifying thing to watch. But I want to try it for you.”
Anita froze in her spot, sweater between her fingers and in the middle of a breath. “What?”
“We want to try it again, but with you.”
“You want to shoot electricity into my brain? Are you crazy?!”
“Anita, what happened to Rasha was a mistake. Marcus Bennett wasn’t even supposed to be in the technical room, and he wouldn’t be for your procedure. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Was Rasha the first?” she asked, even though she already knew the answer.
“No, she was not the first to undergo the procedure. We tried it with three others as well.”
“And what happened to them?”
“The first boy died due to complications with the procedure. The second is still alive and doing very well, and the third killed himself because after he could hear thoughts properly, he found out she was cheating on him.”
“But only one person died because of the thing?”
“Yes, only one. And even Rasha will probably pull through after that ridiculous stunt.” Vincent sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “The bastard should be fired for what he did.”
“Have you talked to my parents?” Anita asked. “I can’t consent without them, I’m still a minor.”
“I know,” he replied. “I called them a few hours ago to sort things out. You father said he would be for it only if you were.”
“Then why did you wait until almost one in the morning to talk to me about this?”
“Because I’ve been looking over your file since I got off the phone with him. It’s only been two hours since he and I spoke. I just...I wanted to make sure that we were making the right call before asking you what you wanted.”
“Isn’t what I want the ‘right call?’”
“Always, yes,” he replied. “But keep in mind, I’m trying to look at this from a medical perspective instead of as your friend.”
The teen nodded. “I guess I understand that.”
“But everything looks good,” he added quickly. “If you want to go through with this, you would be all set and in the clear.”
Anita nodded slowly, taking it all in. “Let’s do it.”