The Serum

T W E N T Y - S I X.

I wish I'd faked being sick. Sitting in the dark, dank bedroom would be yards better than this awkward breakfast with President Harper. Well, awkward for us. The president babbles on about complete nonsense while slathering undignified heaps of butter on his toast. Now I know why his potbelly seems to be larger than it was when we first met him.

"Now, enough about me," says President Harper, smiling widely. I fight the urge to recoil. There are bits of wheat bread stuck in his teeth. It's nauseating. "How was your trip?"

Trip? More like death sentence, if you ask me. A death sentence that I somehow narrowly managed to avoid. 

Oliver, the collected one, speaks for us, much to my relief. 

"We had some close calls but it was a fairly smooth trip." 

"Wonderful." The president murmurs as his hand hovers over the platter of glazed fruit pastries. I guess they only bring out the good stuff when boss man is here. 

"Oh, did Janice mention that you're coming to the capital?" I choke on my waffle. The president mistakes it for surprise and winks at me. I look down at my dirty plate. I had to refrain from licking the food off the plate; save for last night, we haven't had any real food for months. 

"We-we are?" Aria stumbles. 

"Yes, of course! We have some patients to test the serum on and since you four kiddos were the ones to bring it in the first place, you should be in the front lines!" I open my mouth to bring up the true purpose for the serum, but Oliver silences me with a look. I sit back in my seat, glowering at him. 

Oblivious to the building tension, President Harper claps his meaty hands.

"Servants? Can we have water, please?" 

The guards look at each other, then a moment later realizes the president had been referring to them. A few slip out. 

The four of us stew in heavy silence while the president finishes off his breakfast. He wipes his mouth with a delicate handkerchief when he's done, patting it around his mouth. The president eats like a pig. When he's done, he clears his throat. 

"Well then, I have some other business to attend to. I will see you four in two days." 

Great. Just another thing to add to the list of things I'm dreading.