The Rabbit Hole: Chapter 4
March and I had always been close, more so after our splice.
He hadn't reacted as well as I had... which is understandable. Our splice had never been tested by the Red Queen before she forced it on us. I was just lucky enough to be compatible to it, if you can call it luck.
I made my way back toward my room but didn't stop there. A few meters past that was Marchs room. It was a large wooden door with a small carving of a hare near the top. I paused only for a small moment before opening and entering into the dark. A small stair case lead down further underground and to another hare emblazoned door. At this door i paused a little longer. I could hear March laughing behind it.
His therapy was going good today. That made me happy.
I fixed a smile on my face so as to not upset him and turned the heavy brass door-nob to enter.
Even though his room was the second lowest point in the Installation, it was as bright as Kat's room, only more green. Toys and crayon drawings where scattered around the floor. March was laughing with his teacher, who he called "Dodo", for reasons only known to him.
But he did look slightly like a bird.
March looked up when he heard the door open. As soon as he saw me a huge smile broke over his face.
He looked a lot like me. A tad shorter and with sandy-blond hair that reached his massive shoulders. Even though he was young, March used to be a powerful solider and a master strategist.
He was 19.
His mind was 3.
"Hatta!" he shouted at seeing me. With quick fluid motions of a trained acrobat, he stood and ran to me to give me a hug hello.
"Ow!" was the only thing i could think to say. Unfortunately his mind told his body that he was still only 3. But he could hit with his full force. Which hurt.
"Oh! Sary Hatta. Aw you otay?" He frowned and eyes began to well in his eyes from genuine remorse and concern.
"Yea March, I'm fine. But if you don't let go soon, that may change. Your about to break me in half."
"Oh! Sary Hatta."
He released me and smiled even wider.
Dodo stood and walked over. He was wearing an all black three piece suit like always. His angular features stood out more because of the contrast between his dark cloths, and his almost florescent white skin and tan hair. He was one of the luckiest members of the Tea Party. He didn't need Tea. No splice. He was in fact a rouge doctor who had worked under direct orders from the queen. He wouldn't really talk about his past, but he never faltered when it came to giving everything to help a splice victim.
"Atter." He had a thick and deep accent that reverberated in his chest. He reached out his hand for me to shake and I took it. Even though we had known each other for years and he had been March's' doctor for most of that, he still treated me very formally and with a great deal of respect.
"Dodo."
I liked to tease him a lot though. He never liked anyone but March calling him that.
Dodo paused and gave me a look. A "talk in private" look.
He turned to March, "Mawch. I zink zat is enough vor today. Vhy don you go an play?"
He didn't pause at the idea. March immediately turned and began putting together a castle with a pile of building blocks at his feet.
Dodo turned to me and said in a small voice, "He is doing bettaw. He still cawnt remmember anyting bevor ze splice but he is stawting to understand more. And he is staying calm. Chess is still hiz favorite ting to do. And I have yet to beat him."
"That is amazing. Thank you doctor. Anything I can do?"
"Continue to be zhere. His progress depends on his appyness."
"Thank you doctor."
The doctor turned and left the room.
The door closed with a heavy thud and I looked toward March.
"Hey March. I have to go to the training area. We picked up a fugitive last night. We need to see if she is worth keeping."
"Otay Hatta. Have fun, otay hatta."
He smiled at me, and turned back to his blocks.
"I will. Take your Tea and have fun yourself March."
I ruffled his hair and he shrugged off my hand in a playful way.
I walked out and locked the door behind me. Something I had always hated doing. But if he lost control in the Instillation, the Tea Party would suffer major losses. Mainly in people. March was my brother, but he was also a serious risk. A serious deadly risk.
I popped a Tea pill and made my way to the training grounds.
"She had better be worth it."
