Sweet Sick Teen 58

The next day, she was greeted not by the Samaritan, but someone else, another Protist who continued where the Samaritan left off.

“Here’s your meal, a carefully selected diet to meet your nutritional needs.”

“What happened to the other guy?”

“The man you talked to has business elsewhere. You’re not the only life worth saving. But rest assured, he’ll be around for when you give birth.”

“It would’ve been nice to have a familiar face,” she replied, even if all faces here were much too friendly towards her.

“There’s no difference between one of us from the next. We are all just as capable.”

It was nice to have something to eat, even if the food looked a little bland. She was feeling a little hungry. No sooner did she raise her first bite to her lips did the Protist start his daily lecture:

“The System may try to suppress all living things, but Viruses just want to be free! They may try to weaken them down over time, but they only come back bigger and stronger than before! There are no known barriers they cannot cross! That distance cannot traverse! That mere borders cannot contain!”

Yup, this guy was definitely indistinguishable from the Samaritan.

“Despite their diminutive size, these microscopic beings contain all the genetic makeup necessary to rebuild civilization. They retain the instinctual code that allows for mutations in the linage, allowing for greater variety, and memories that will carry on throughout the ages. Stories that were only told to children were found to have been repeated in civilizations light-years away.”

This was a lot of heavy stuff to take in before she could even get a nibble. The Girl could’ve let this slide, but she felt the need to argue.  “Isn’t it more likely that there were similarities between those civilizations?” She asked, pointing out the hole in his logic. That was a mistake. The Protist just became further invested in his presentation, expounding on her question.

“It is folly to think that humans are so special in making discoveries. There are loads of species out there that have far more senses than we’re able to perceive. Even those with less sense than us have made discoveries that we were completely unaware of. And a lot of what they’ve found has been endlessly repeated throughout the ages. As the old adage goes:”

Anything that can be discovered
Has been found one way or another.

“That’s why we don’t fear death - we live secure in the knowledge that someway or another, research will continue to progress with or without our input.”

It went on and on like that for an hour before she could even get a bite. Every time she tried to turn away, the Protist would get into her face and continue the speech with greater intensity. He kept going, eager to share his fountain of information, even as she expressed no interest in it. In fact, her indifference only spurred him further on. The more she ignored him, the more insistent he became, certain that if he kept bombarding her with trivia, she’d be impressed by her intensity, when all she really wanted was to eat in peace.

This was no different from having breakfast with her parents. Only, this guy was much more fast-talking than they ever were.

After that exhausting morning, her day was just getting started. She was ferried over to the bathing room where she was soaked in water for five minutes, and vigorously scrubbed despite her protests.

“I’m perfectly capable of washing myself!”

“We don’t want you to overexert yourself. Your baby’s priority comes first.”

The bathing assistants paid more attention to washing her midsection than her other body parts. Despite their best efforts, even the daily cleanings couldn’t fully remove her stench from her person. After the ritual was done, her midsection was dried, and she was given a new set of clothes.

“If there’s anything you want, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Can I get a new set of shoes? This pair doesn’t fit.”

“What for? Your feet are not needed for your pregnancy.”

“Well, they still feel cold.”

“You don’t need arms, legs or feet to give birth.”

This subliminal threat spoke volumes, yet the Girl couldn’t allow herself to be cowed.  “I can’t move around very well with them.”

“You don’t need to exercise more than necessary.”

The Girl grunted in dissatisfaction. She wasn’t getting anywhere this way. What was the point in asking for requests if they weren’t going to bother? If they couldn’t do something as simple as this, then she might as well ask for another.  “I’d like to eat without being disturbed.”

“Don’t be so ungrateful. It’s not too much to ask you to listen to our scripture in return for our hospitality.”

“Well then, I guess I’ll go hungry then.”

“We’ll see how long you last.”

“Let’s see who’s more stubborn - your beliefs, or mine.”

She was sure they’d cave in. There was no way they’d risk endangering her baby. To her surprise, they didn’t make any protests or arguments, just wheeled her to another room where the Lady Doctor was. The Lady Doctor looked up from the book she was reading, and surveyed the scenario.

“What’s the emergency?”

“We’ve got a patient who won’t eat.”

“Not a problem,” she said, and inserted a needle and IV to the Girl’s arm. “There. That should provide all the nutrients you need.” Then she tucked in a sanitary napkin under her neck. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for my snack!” And she started eating a scrumptious-looking meal.

The Girl wouldn’t have minded the slurping and lip-smacking noises happening right in front of her, but as the Doctor ate, her conversation was peppered with philosophical tangents about the use of germs.

“The spread (munch) of unsanitary (chew) -rials is the biggest (slurp) contributing factor for (intelligible).”

Once the Doctor was finished, the Girl was wheeled out. All the stander-bys in the hallway who were otherwise unengaged were now eating in her presence. She could stand it. She could hold up resistance -

What?? How did this fruit get in her hands?? This moment of weakness annoyed her more than anything. It would mean she wasn’t as strong as she thought.

She was about to take a bite when it was snatched away from her from behind.

“Ah-ah-ah, no eating, remember?”

“I wasn’t going to eat it. I was going to feel it... inside my mouth.”

“I wouldn’t want you to renege your moral values.”

The Protist tantalizingly dangled the fruit in front of her, right in her line of sight, seeing a hall filled with other Protists all engaged in stuffing their faces. Her expression wavered between stubbornness and hunger in direct conflict with each other, and hunger won out. “All right!! I’ll listen to your stupid speech!”

“Excellent!” The fruit was put back into her hands as the next verbal barrage started.