“I’m in trouble,” she whispered.
I shook my head. “You’re not. We’ll get this cleaned up and you won’t be in trouble.”
“I’ll go to hell,” she continued.
I scoffed, attempting a smile to lighten Tatiana’s panic.
“No you won’t.”
She clearly didn’t believe me.
“But how about this. If you do, I’ll go with you.” I held up my pinkie to her.
She nodded, solemnly wrapping her smallest finger around mine. “You promise?”
“Cross my heart and hope to die,” I said.
Her eyes widened; she took those words extremely seriously.
I glanced at Massimo, who watched us with an impassive, unreadable expression, his hands swiftly collecting the broken shards of crockery and placing them on the tray.
“Katarina, I’m afraid we need to talk,” Dr. Blackwood said from above me.
Just wonderful.
He waited as I straightened up reluctantly.
“What?”
“Sister Vera has indicated to me that she’s worried you’ve been skipping medication.”
“I haven’t,” I argued.
“I can vouch for that. I’ve been administering her medication myself.” Massimo rose smoothly to his intimidating height.
Dr. Blackwood wasn’t a particularly small guy, but standing next to Massimo, he resembled a gangly teenager.
Dr. Blackwood studied Massimo and considered his words. “Well, in that case, this is a behavioral issue, and you know we have protocols for that. I’m afraid I will have to send you to solitary to reflect on your actions.”
I swallowed a protest. I hated solitary. It was a mindfuck like nowhere else. Still, it was worth it to stop Tatiana from being abused by Sister Vera.
“Alonso,” Dr. Blackwood called over his shoulder.
Alonso approached, his hand in his pocket, walking stiffly. His eyes darted to Massimo and then down. Had he hurt himself? His hand seemed awkward jammed in his pants.
“Take Katarina down to solitary.”
“I’ll take her,” Massimo cut in. “I haven’t seen that area of the institute, if you’d be so kind to show me, Doctor.”
Blackwood nodded.
“Alonso, you clean up this mess for the little lady and replace her lunch,” Massimo ordered, nodding to Tatiana, who had stopped crying but was still crouched over her dropped tray.
Alonso bobbed his head jerkily and turned to Tatiana, lowering to his knees beside her.
She looked at me. I gave her a cheerful wave.
“Thank God I get to go back to bed. I’m so tired today,” I confided to Tatiana and winked.