The Rainbow Maker's Tale by Melanie Cusick-Jones

  * * *

  At the top of the stairs I paused, to wipe my sweaty palms down the outside of my daysuit and re-adjust my bag. I had taken several packages of pain relievers, as well as muscle relaxing injections, before nerves got the better of me and I had found myself bolting for the storeroom door whilst stuffing the contraband into my bag.

  You need to calm down.

  If I walked out into the main entrance hall right now I would look crazy: my heartbeat was erratic and, even though I’d only run up a flight of stairs, I could barely breathe.

  Leaning against the wall, I closed my eyes and forced myself to breathe more slowly. In through the nose, out through the mouth, I intoned silently. It didn’t take long to calm down then, although I was still ridiculously excited with what I’d managed to pull off.

  It’s not over yet, I reminded myself.

  “Let’s go,” I muttered, pushing away from the wall and opening the door. The entrance hall was completely empty this time, except for Olivia’s friend – Kerry, I recalled – at the reception desk. I headed in that direction, fixing a smile on my face as I drew closer and she looked up from the viewing screen.

  “Hi!” Kerry beamed as I drew up to the desk.

  “Hello again.”

  “I was just speaking to Olivia – she couldn’t believe you were back here so late.”

  I gave her a sheepish smile and a shrug. “It was a wasted journey, Mother had already left.”

  “That’s too bad,” her head tilted to the side, as if she was giving me sympathy for some terrible accident.

  “Not to worry, I’ll head home now and see her.”

  “OK.”

  “Oh – I found this on the floor in the corridor.” I pulled the swipe card from my pocket and placed it on the reception counter.

  Kerry picked it up and looked at it for a few moments, and I wasn’t sure she realised what it was.

  “It’s a Medic pass,” I prompted. “Someone must have dropped it – I found it on Level Seven.”

  “Oh, right. Thanks. I’ll hand it in and we’ll get it back to the right person.”

  “Great!” I smiled, genuinely now. Every piece of my plan had fallen into place. “Thanks for your help Kerry, it was nice meeting you.”

  “You too,” she nodded. “I’ll say hi to Olivia for you.”

  “Sure,” I agreed, not really listening now. I was already thinking about getting the medicine to Cassie, and I left The Clinic in my own happy little haze.

  I buzzed the door intercom at Cassie’s apartment and waited. It was hard containing my excitement – I was feeling very proud of myself and wondered what Cassie would make of my present. It felt like I had waited ages, and was just about to press the panel again when the door slid open.

  A slightly dishevelled looking Cassie stood in front of me. Her hair was wet, and looked darker than usual, hanging around her shoulders in thick lines. She had obviously showered and looked better for that, although I could see the lighter scratches on her face more now. I wondered if I had woken her up. She was wearing a long-sleeved sleepsuit and looked a little bleary eyed. I beamed at her.

  “What are you doing here?”

  It wasn’t exactly the greeting I’d been hoping for, but it made me sure that I had just woken her up. After everything she’d been through today Cassie was more than entitled to be a bit grumpy – she was probably in agony with her shoulder.

  “Don’t worry, I’m not staying,” I promised, holding out my hand to show her the small capsule of pink tablets I’d brought from The Clinic. “I just brought you these, I thought they might help.”

  “Thanks,” Cassie murmured, reaching out for the packet.

  I was quite surprised when she didn’t say anything else. Surely she recognised the tablets from our work at The Clinic? Wouldn’t that seem strange to her? She didn’t look at me again, and I wondered perhaps whether my gift had scared her. What if she had recognised them and was worried about what I’d done to get them?

  This wasn’t how I’d planned it at all. I was hoping Cassie might have hugged me or done something so that I might have been able to give her the muscle relaxant injection I’d brought for her.

  Sneak injection?

  At first I couldn’t believe I’d even thought it, but in the next instant I’d already convinced myself it was exactly the right thing to do. Judging by Cassie’s reaction to the tablets she’d be even more concerned with how I’d managed to get a syringe and high-strength, opiate-based drugs.

  Cassie wasn’t even paying attention to what I was doing when I made my decision. I leaned in quickly, dipping beneath the damp curtain of hair she was trying to hide behind. If she was shocked by my sudden closeness, she was even more surprised when I pressed my lips to her cheek a second later. Thankfully, she didn’t move and at that same moment I slid the thin needle into her shoulder and depressed the plunger.

  Colour immediately appeared in two rosy spots on Cassie cheeks and I could almost feel the heat coming from her skin. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I whispered, leaning into her body for one brief – but fantastic second. My lips were so close to her ear I could have kissed it too, and her neck and…

  Not today, I told myself firmly and snapped away, taking the empty syringe with me, unnoticed. An apartment corridor had never felt so long, as I ran away from Cassie.

  You kissed her!

  I don’t think I’d ever heard my mind scream before – certainly not in that excited, slightly feminine tone, at least. Yes, I’d kissed Cassie; but I’d also injected her with drugs without her knowing. It was for her own good, but I was pretty sure she wouldn’t see it that way if she ever found out.

  I turned as I reached the staircase, wondering if Cassie might actually be angry with my unexpected show of affection, deceitful as it was. The expression on her face – a giddy grin – suggested that she was anything but annoyed. When she got caught watching me her face flamed brighter red than it had when I kissed her. I couldn’t help but grin myself, and feeling suddenly brave shouted out to her. “You didn’t say goodbye.”

  Cassie bit her lip and I knew she was trying not to giggle. Sucking in a deep breath, she held my gaze as she called back. “Goodbye Balik!”

  I smiled to myself as I dropped out of sight into the staircase. She might have tried to show me otherwise, but I knew my kiss had had an effect on Cassie.