The Undesirables

The sky shone like amethyst as Billie took one last glimpse of the outside world. She sighed and filled her lungs with cool air as she scanned the metallic barcode that was etched into her wrist against the cold turnstile entry. As she entered the hospital, she straightened her dark blue scrubs nervously and proceeded to walk down the dimly deserted narrow corridor. "Billie, is that you dear" a faint elderly voice beckoned from inside ward 4A. Good morning Mrs Martin – I can't chat for long. I'm already late for the morning handover with the warden. Billie pronounced loudly. "That's okay, dear; I just wanted to know what they are saying on the news now? No one has come to check on me in quite some time. Has the situation changed? Billie viewed Mrs Martin as more of a friend than a patient as she was one of the only authentically kind people left in her life, and she reminded her of her grandmother, who had passed several years ago.

"No, there is nothing new that has been reported, Mrs Martin. Everything is going to be just fine, I promise". Billie felt terrible for lying to Mrs Martin. The truth was no one was certain of what was yet to come. Billie knew that none of the staff had tended to Mrs Martin in weeks because of the new global screening protocol, which made it mandatory that only patients with private health cover were to be treated due to a worldwide shortage in medication. "I will come and revisit you during my lunch break, and I will sneak you one of those banana yoghurts that you like!".

As Billie left ward 4A, she heard the loud and eerie siren sound over the loudspeaker that she had grown all to used-to. She tried to stay alert as her shoes hit the hard marble floor. Upon entering the large and fluorescently bright emergency department, a familiar and slightly unnerving face appeared before Billie's eyes had time to adjust. The warden Jackie Swearse. "Thank god you're here – I'm glad to see you, Billie". Jackie was similar to a walking paradox. Her moods and behaviour seemed to change like the rising sun. "You're allocated to section three; you have four new arrivals". As Billie viewed her new row of patients curiously, she noticed that most of the work had already been done for her. Tubes and oxygen masks enveloped each new patient. All she had to do was scan their wrists and upload their medical information and family history into the system.

Billie became lost in her thoughts. If only she hadn't opened her front door the day that the military came, then perhaps, she wouldn't have been taken and forced back into her old life, being a part of the hospital system yet again. Life was almost going too smoothly before her freedom was stripped away from her, almost as fast as it had come as she remembered the view of the glistening and reflective water from the ocean that she used to view from her lounge room window. "Where have you been all of my life, stranger?". Her thoughts were interrupted as an unconventionally handsome young man beamed towards her. Jay, ten years younger, was a wide-eyed and naïve medical student that was yet to become jaded by the system and the way of the world in general. Although Billie could never return home again and had completely lost hope within her life, catching glimpses of Jay's genuine smile throughout the day was one of the only things that she had left to look forward to. "Yes, I was the one that tended to your patients, and you're welcome", Jay beamed sarcastically. Thank you, is there any new information amongst the medical team on how we can medicate the mutations? Billie cringed at how serious she had sounded. "I'll tell you about it when we visit Mrs Martin at lunch," he whispered.

Billie often wondered how she would go about explaining the current state of the world to someone from the future. Sometimes it sounded too far-fetched to put into words. The truth was, it was more complicated than the earth simply running out of resources and the population needing to be culled. Sure, the government was taking drastic measures, but what else could be done to ensure that the human race survived. Indeed, a class system was the only logical answer. If the earth's resources were in dangerously short supply, then wouldn't it be far better to remove the undesirables from society first, such as criminals, rapists, senior citizens nearing the end of their life cycle, people on the socially and academically slow side, people that push in front of you in a line. However, where does the 'line' get drawn in all this exactly? She wondered. The impact of the great economic depression caused a shortage of food, commodities, and medication. When the government could no longer print out more money – crime rates heightened, so they had to implement vast population reduction methods such as a genetically engineered gas that created genetic mutations that led to imminent death. The only problem with all this was– when the gas was released sometimes, it could affect higher class citizens by accident. Something that the government had not fully thought through but never the less a system that worked to bring about order from the chaos. Another issue was that the determined class structure was always and forever changing, forcing individuals in society to strive higher and become more elite. As a nurse, Billie knew she was somewhat safe and required. However, that could change at any given moment. There were always new changes and downloads being presented from the health administration. Individuals that did not receive a vaccination back in 2021 were more susceptible to the gas, which included her grandmother, Lily.

As Billie and Jay entered Mrs Martin's room, Jay looked at her intriguingly. "So, what will you do tonight when you return to the nurse's accommodation?" Jay ushered softly. I suppose I will sample some of the staff wine before it officially runs out for good. Billie said defiantly. Jay went silent, and his face looked clammy and white. He looked frozen in time. Mrs Martin, he managed to mutter.

Mrs Martin lay flat and pale with her eyes glazed over. Billie felt for a pulse, and her skin felt cold and limp. Tears streamed down Billie's face as she went to press the emergency button on the wall, but then she realised that she wasn't meant to be in the ward of undesirables unless to routinely check for deceased bodies, to free up much-needed hospital beds, which wasn't her role. How could this happen? Mrs Martin was the only real and genuine person she had left. Billie could tell that Jay had also become attached to Mrs Martin over time, even if she was an undesirable. Billie knew the protocol that she would have to proceed with next. They would have to promptly dispose of the body and get a body bag ready. The first part of the procedure required Billie to remove any jewellery or accessories on Mrs Martin. Billie scanned Mrs Martin. She looked so peaceful lying there. She had no rings on her fingers or jewellery except for a large and antique gold heart-shaped locket around her neck. The locket glistened and radiated a sense of nostalgia as Billie picked it up and held it tightly in her hand. Billie knew that Mrs Martin didn't have any immediate family members left. All jewellery was to be handed directly to the warden, but Billie loved Mrs Martin as though she was a family member, so Billie decided that she would pocket the locket to have something to remember her by.

Billie sat beside Mrs Martin, holding her hand as Jay went to retrieve a body bag and a wash bucket. She felt the warmth of her tears against her face. A sensation that she had not experienced in what seemed like forever. Within the silence, a loud emergency siren beckoned over the loudspeakers. This time it was louder and a much different tone than Billie had heard before. Chills surged down Billie's spine as she leapt to her feet and ran to the exit of the ward, her heart pounding through her chest as she heard screams. The emergency exit doors wouldn't budge. Confused and shocked, Billie ran in the opposite direction of the ward to try the door within the opposite direction. Locked shut, Billie scanned her wrist against the exit doors, but still, they would not budge open. Thick clouds of what looked to be smoke infiltrated the ward rapidly. The robust clouds smelt like strong clinical chemicals. Billie realised the equipment room that held the masks was located within a different ward. Adrenaline flooded Billie's circulatory system as she tried to think. Billie ran back to Mrs Martin's room and pulled at the fire extinguisher attached to the wall. With all the might and energy left within Billie's body, she hurled the fire extinguisher through Mrs Martins window. Billie hit the window again and climbed through it, feeling sharp sensations and chards of glass hit her wrists and legs as she climbed through the small opening into the courtyard. Gas piled through the window after her as she inhaled the fresh air on her hands and knees. She was relying purely on instinct instead of her logical mind. Billie crawled towards the turnstile, each movement sharp and painful. Thick clouds of gas now filling the outside area, Billie hit her wrist against the turnstile opening. There was no beep, and the turnstile would not budge. Had the system de-activated her? Why was her barcode not registering? Could this be another sweep? Had the warden known that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time and reported her to management?

The edges around Billie's sight started to darken, and she once again looked to the sky – intrigued by the hues of pink, light orange, grey, and brilliant blue. She held the heart-shaped locket to her heart and had memories resurface from her teen years. An instance when her mother had bought her an incredible pair of jeans one year from Christmas that she had longed for, that turned out not to fit her because she had gained too much weight. The grief and anguish she had given her mother as she had spent hours crying about the incident. One of the many memories that were bubbling up to her prefrontal cortex served as gentle reminders of all of the times that she had taken her absolute freedom for granted. She gently rubbed the locket with the little energy that she had left and wondered if she would soon see her mother, grandmother, and Mrs Martin soon. She felt a hook unhinge from the locket, and inside was a tiny capsule containing what looked to be a murky green formula that had become dry over time. What on earth could this be? Some kind of concoction that Mrs Martin had conjured up when she was a botanist or perhaps some dried tea leaves from her years spent on the farm? Even though Billie could feel her bodily functions shutting down – she still held her sharp curiosity. Her mouth felt like a cotton bud, but she decided to spit into the vial a few times and drank the unknown substance. God knows why she asked herself, and the outside world around her turned into darkness.

The darkness eventually turned into a colouring of pure and brilliant white. She could hear the sounds of beeping and monitors. Jay's smiling face suddenly appeared before her. "Welcome back, stranger", Jay ushered. Am I alive? Billie queried. Yes, you're being monitored because they want to know how you survived. Billie pointed to the heart-shaped locket. "Love?". Billie nodded.