into me as he speaks the word ‘savior’. “Me? The savior? No, I'm not a savior.”
“Miss Owens, your modesty suits you. But it is unnecessary here. We have been waiting decades for your arrival.”
I am confused by the moniker Dr. Milton has adorned me with. The title carries so much weight and feels incredibly overwhelming. The fact that this man, and clearly others as well, have me pegged for a savior doesn't sit well with me.
“Why are you the Chief of Staff if this place is called The Himanski Clinic? What happened to Dr. Himanski?” Zoë interjects.
“Dr. Himanski passed away six years ago. I was named his successor by the board of directors. Now, since you have no interest in watching the ‘creepy’ video, please come with me. We may as well being the tour of our facility.”
My face reddens with a fiery embarrassment.
He begins to climb the stairs again. We reluctantly leave our seats and follow him.
“I think it will interest you most if we head straight to the pod room.”
“The pod room?” I ask.
“Yes. It is the medical facility where our extended walkers reside. It is really quite interesting.”
Over the next ten minutes we travel a seemingly never-ending maze of halls behind Dr. Milton. Most of the rooms we pass are offices belonging to physicians and scientists. Dr. Milton points out the way to the library, the cafeteria, and a lounge along the way.
As we wind through the hallways, I can’t help but stare at his perfectly pressed three-piece suit, his artfully arranged gray hair and his brown-rimmed eyeglasses that sit high on his nose. He is short in stature, but his strong presence makes him seem much larger and intimidating.
"From the outside, this place looks so small. How does all of this fit inside?" Zoë asks.
"The majority of the facility is built below ground level. The floors that are above ground are mainly on the rear of the building. It was specifically constructed to look small and unassuming, like a home situated off in the woods."
After passing through an unexpected security checkpoint, we come into a small room, completely encased in glass walls. It doesn’t take long to realize that we are surrounded by the pod room. I am instantly taken aback by its magnitude. Oversized hospital beds line the walls and medical staff work methodically at each station.
“This area we are currently in is strictly observatory. We use it mainly for our tours. Before we actually enter this room, we will need to take you into the decontamination area. You will each shower in a private wash room and wear the clothing provided you.”
“Why do we need to shower?” Zoë asks.
Dr. Milton answers sharply, “it is for the safety of those who are currently in pod. I assume you will expect the same courtesy from our staff while they care for you during your journey.”
Zoë nods her consent and her cheeks flush with pink.
“Once we go inside you will be able to see everything in great detail and speak with the staff. We currently have seventy-four residents in pod. This particular room has one hundred and fifty beds. There is another smaller, more specialized facility for the long-term walk that houses an additional twenty-five beds. It currently has seven occupants.”
“So there’s different levels of extended walking care?” I ask, puzzled.
“Yes. There is extended care and long-term care. Extended care is for periods of time less than one year. Occasionally we have to move someone who is in duress from extended care to long-term care, but it doesn’t happen often.”
“What’s different about long-term care?”
“Our care procedures are slightly more invasive, more aggressive. You most likely won’t need to worry about that.”
He trails off and seems to lose his train of thought for a moment. Recollecting himself, he announces, “the showers are right this way.”
He leads us back through the security checkpoint and down a short hallway into a locker room. A female attendant stands waiting for us, holding two sealed white plastic bags, emblazoned with the word ‘sterile’ in all capital letters. “Veronica will assist you in the dressing room and show you your way out when you are finished. I will meet you in the pod room shortly,” he says gesturing at the woman who is a model of perfection.
Veronica smiles slightly and nods her head at Dr. Milton. Her black hair is pulled tightly into a flawless bun on the top of her head. Her pale skin and berry lipstick make her features stand out.