Regression (16 page)

“
Thank
you.”

She added an extra steak to the
marinade. “How do you like your steak?”

“
Medium rare. I’ve
never been able to cook one myself, never seem to get it
right.”

“
My husband taught me
how to do the best steak on the barbecue. I’ll show you the tricks.
Would you like a drink? I haven’t checked the stock in the bar, but
everything else seems to be well supplied.”

“
I always make sure
there’s a full pantry for each regressee.” She shrugged. “But, I
don’t think they spend much time in their cottages.”

“
You prepared the
cottage for my arrival?”

“
Yes, anything related
to regressees is my responsibility. Abraham won’t trust anyone
else.”

“
And yet, you’ve never
told him how you feel…”

Jennifer’s face flooded with
colour, her eyes dropping. “Please don’t say anything to him, I
couldn’t bear it. I’m happy with my position and I know he relies
on me. If I do the best I can, someday…”

“
Meanwhile, time is
passing by…perhaps you should impress upon him his duty to…how did
you put it, to ensure the propagation of the species?” Adya giggled
as Jennifer blushed more deeply. “I’ll let things be for now, but
sometime you are going to have to let him know.” They moved outside
where Adya checked the barbecue. “The trick to grilling the perfect
steak is to watch the blood…when you see blood on the top of the
steak, it’s time to turn it over. Watch it like a hawk after
flipping, don’t let it grill for quite as long on the other
side.”

“
Oh, are you giving
grilling lessons, Adya?” Mark stuck his head around the fence
before bringing the rest of his self. “I have tried for years to
get Nora to listen to me. Perhaps she’ll listen to someone else
telling her how. Who showed you?”

“
My…Dad was the
ultimate barbecue chef.” Nora joined them, ruffling Mark’s hair.
Adya laughed, “Are you going to let him get away with that? Does he
know how to do laundry?”

Nora sighed, “We’re lucky we can
send the laundry out or I wouldn’t have a stitch of clothing
left.”

“
I wouldn’t mind
that…” His reply left Nora blushing as she jabbed him in the
ribs.

“
Mark, there are
minors here, keep it clean.” Jennifer playfully reminded
him.

“
Oh, right, sorry
Adya.”

“
Gee, what are you all
talking about? Is there something I’m missing here? Innocent little
me, I don’t know what you are talking about.”

The neighbour across the yard
waved from his doorway. “Hey, what’s all the noise over there? Are
you having a party without us?”

Mark beckoned the man over. “C’mon
over, Prateek…oh, Adya, you haven’t met the boy next door. Prateek
and his brother Khalid share the place. Whatever you do, don’t go
in there though, you’ll never come out alive–they’re
slobs.”

“
Hey, now, don’t go
scaring her off before we even get the chance to dazzle her with
our great wit and awesome physiques.” The dark-haired young man
smiled at her, offering his hand by way of introduction before
striking a parody of a weightlifting pose.

Fanning herself with her spatula,
Adya gushed, “Oh, stop, I’ll swoon with your magnificence, Prateek.
A pleasure to meet you.” She turned to the taller of the two,
meeting an almost identical pair of mahogany eyes in the similarly
rounded brown-skinned face. The defining difference between the two
was Prateek wore his thick black hair long while Khalid has his
close cropped. “And you as well, Khalid.”

“
The pleasure is most
definitely all mine.” Khalid’s exaggerated, leering smile had
everyone laughing. “Smells delicious, don’t tell me you can cook?
Let me see your hand.” He grabbed her left hand, inspecting it
closely for a wedding ring. “Ah, you aren’t spoken for. Will you
wait for me? I just need a promotion then I’ll buy a ring for that
finger. I love a woman who can cook.”

“
Sorry, Khalid, I saw
her first.” Prateek removed her hand from his brother’s grasp,
letting her pull it back after a brief tug.

“
I need to flip those
steaks, you don’t want me to ruin Jennifer’s supper, do you? Anyone
want a drink? I can throw on some extra vegetables and make more
salad, but I don’t have any more steaks. Had I known I was going to
be hosting a block party…”

“
I’ve got steaks, do
you mind…”

“
Throw them on, Nora.
Where’s Stephanie tonight?”

“
She’s visiting with
her grandparents for the week, back in Connecticut, so we can get
everything ready for the move. It’s good for her to spend time away
from us overnight,” she turned a shy smile on Mark, “and good for
us, too. This is our first night alone together since she was
born.”

Adya shooed them away. “Oh, why
are you here, then, you should be out somewhere for a romantic
dinner.”

“
This is just as much
fun, we’ll go out later. We’re going to a movie.”

“
There’s a theatre on
the island?” Adya queried over her shoulder as she headed to the
kitchen, returning with salad, vegetables, and a table cloth to
spread over the patio set.

“
Yes, would you like
to see it?” Khalid smoothly attempted to wheedle a date out of
her.

“
Thanks for the offer,
we’ll have to see if Three Eleven gives me enough free
time.”

Mark, Nora, Prateek and Khalid
brought lawn chairs from their respective cottages, and joined the
two women for the meal. After Mark and Nora left, Adya started a
fire in the pit behind her cottage and the rest spent a pleasant
evening chatting, joking and getting to know each other.

Jennifer stood after casting an
amazed glance at her watch. “Wow, it’s almost midnight. I need to
go home and get some sleep. We work in the morning, Adya,
appointment first thing remember? I’ll see you at the office at
nine. Thank you so much for supper, the steak was delicious and
maybe next time I’ll be ready to grill it myself.”

“
Thank you for coming
over, see you tomorrow.” She walked the older woman to the front
door. “Thanks also for making me feel welcome, I really do
appreciate it.” As she closed the door, she bumped into Prateek,
standing close behind her.

“
Hey.”

“
Hey.”

“
You know…”

“
Prateek, I don’t know
how long I’m going to be here on the Island. Mark didn’t mention to
you I’m applying for an internship? If I don’t get it I won’t be
here long.”

His face fell. “Internship…really?
I thought Mark was joking. They never take women. I…uh, well, if
you want to go out for dinner or a movie some time, I’m game. We
don’t have too many neighbours…our age.” They walked back
outside.

“
Prateek, you didn’t.”
Khalid fumed. “I told you I was going to marry her.”

“
She turned me down,
anyway, so you wouldn’t stand half a chance, you’re not half the
man I am.”

“
Is that a
challenge?”

“
Don’t be making me
the challenge, boys. I have to work in the morning. I am going to
bid you good night as well. Don’t get into an argument over me
while I’m gone. Shall I tell you I have a tall, dark, handsome guy
waiting at home, will that help ease the pain?” She shepherded the
men back to their own yard and waved good night from her doorway.
“See ya, nice meeting ya.”

The second day of non-essential orientation was spent with
nutrition services. Jennifer escorted her through the security gate
on the main floor and straight down the corridor to the proper
Department. She glanced at Adya from beneath lowered
eyelashes.

“
What did you think of
Prateek and Khalid?”

“
They were nice boys
but remember, Jennifer, they really aren’t my age. I’m not looking
for entanglements anyway.”

“
But they seemed like
they would be a lot of fun.”

“
I think you need to
have some fun. Perhaps they have an older brother.”

“
Don’t be silly, you
know that’s not what I want.”

“
But, getting out and
having some fun might help you…and him…put things in perspective.
Perhaps you’ve forgotten what it’s like. Is there a time people
normally set aside just for having fun? Fridays or
Saturdays?”

“
You know, I don’t
even know. I haven’t paid attention to the social life on the
island.”

“
I’ll find out, and
then you’re coming out with me. Girl’s night out.”

“
I don’t know, Adya. I
don’t do that sort of thing.”

“
Don’t forget, you’ll
be with me. I’ll cover for you if you slip up. You do the same for
me.”

“
I’ll think about
it.”

“
Good enough for
now.”

The Nutrition Services department
head, Eva Morrison, guided Adya through the maze of preparation
areas while explaining the operations of the corporate menu system
during her orientation to the department. The morning was spent
reviewing menus, observing food preparation procedures, and
chatting with food services staff. She was impressed with the
morale and overall satisfaction exhibited by the
employees.

She slipped up to the recreational
facilities. Top notch, the twenty third floor venue boasted
strength training rooms with free weights and work stations, a
studio with a wide range of fitness classes, an elevated 280 metre
indoor track including cardio equipment strategically located
around the rubberized track, two squash courts, and various other
amenities to promote wellness. Staff could use the facilities any
time, twenty-four hours a day at their own discretion. Fitness
instructors and consultants ensured all equipment was properly used
and helped develop individual fitness plans.

The roof level recreational
facilities included a lap pool, children’s wading pool and warm
water therapy pool. Saunas and hot tubs were available for
relaxation and therapy. An additional pool facility located
elsewhere on the island offered family fun with slides, wave pools,
and other activities for families to enjoy together.

Medical Services provided regular
medical care and emergency services for island residents. There
were seventy-three doctors on staff plus a complement of nurse
practitioners, nursing assistants, medical technicians, and other
support staff. Adya’s orientation the next day involved meeting the
lead doctor, Maleeha Pinder, and undergoing a number of physical
examinations. A tour of the medical facilities included
introductions to many of the staff before Maleeha brought her to an
examination room.

“
All candidates for
internship complete a physical examination. I must admit, I am
surprised a female is being brought through. Abraham mentioned
contenders have a certain attribute which makes them appropriate
for the positions they achieve. It is not a specific physical
attribute that I can tell.” The doctor paused. Adya declined to
fill in the unspoken question.

“
I only hope I’m
accepted into the Corporation, it’s very exciting to be here
completing the orientation. What do you need from me for this
examination?”

“
We do a simple
physical, blood work and a few physical fitness tests. Could you
please change into the hospital gown, but you may keep your panties
and bra. Just let me know when you are ready.” She left the room,
closing the door.

Adya quickly slipped her clothes
off and passed her arms through the sleeves of the gown, cringing
at the thought of being back in hospital attire again. She opened
the door to beckon Doctor Pinder, in discussion with a group of
practitioners. One of the regressees introduced during the meeting
in the board room was conversing with the doctor, and turned to
greet Adya.

“
Hello Adya, how has
your orientation been so far? We were introduced before but you
might not remember me with all the other faces.” He extended his
hand. “Doctor Babak Tehrani. You’re in excellent hands with Doctor
Pinder. I’ll see you later in the month for your orientation to my
projects.” The doctor’s accented speech spoke to his Iranian
heritage. Having completed the greeting, Doctor Tehrani resumed his
conversation with the other physicians as they walked
away.

The medical examination was
routine. Adya flinched during the drawing of blood. Bad memories of
the regular blood tests when she was a child. “I should give you a
heads up. I have a genetic abnormality. There is extra-nuclear DNA
in my cells.”

“
I’ll make a note on
the sample. I’m sure Peter Merten will be interested in hearing
more. His area of study is inheritance and genetic manipulation, at
Sanctum.” The woman finished her notations and led Adya back to the
examination room. She changed out of the hospital gown and emerged
in her shorts and tee shirt.

“
Do you know what they
do at Sanctum?”

“
The human genome
project, some projects involving immunology and epidemiology. Quite
a few others. I really don’t know.”