Free Broken Protocols by Dale Mayer Page B

efforts at first, then all of a sudden the lock released and it opened. She really didn’t want the two men rushing in here to find Charmin screaming like he was. But the poor thing did need a square meal. So did she.
    When she stood on her feet, a chill settled in. Already? How did that work? She cast another glance at the pod. Charmin had collapsed on the top of the blanket, and the most god-awful sound was coming out of his mouth.
    “Food. Fooooooood,” he moaned and rolled over sideways in a dramatic movement. He was proving to be a major prima donna.
    “I’ll go and see what I can find.” She tugged the blanket from the pod and wrapped it around her shoulders before she stumbled forward, her gait unsteady. She leaned against the wall and made her way to the unusual doorway. Tall, almost to the ceiling, the doorways were narrower than she was used to. Maybe the people were skinnier today than in her time. Lord knows that would be an improvement.
    She staggered into the next room, trying to sort out the layout. How had she gotten into this place? And where the heck was the kitchen? Her stomach growled loud enough that if anyone was in the apartment, they’d hear her coming.
    Good. She slipped her hand over the wall, but there was no light switch. “Of course. That would be too easy.”
    With one hand on the wall, she kept moving forward. The hallway opened up into a large spacious room. Something along the lines of a living room. “A big ass living room,” she muttered. For some reason, she’d thought the apartment was tiny. She hadn’t seen much of the apartment since she’d been here, but where was the damn bathroom again? Then she needed food. And so did Charmin.
    Slipping around the corner, she stopped. There was another bathroom. A monster-sized room and different from the last one she’d used. She used it, then after washing her hands, she stared into the mirror and shuddered. God, she looked pathetic. Even seeing that, she straightened her spine and tried to put a smile on her face. That looked better. She took a couple of deep breaths and smacked her cheeks lightly to put some color on them. Having done what little she could do, she opened the door and shrieked.
    “Whoa. Take it easy.” Levi reached out to stabilize her. “Come on, let’s get you back to bed.”
    “I need clothes and food. So does Charmin,” she whispered. “I’m so hungry.”
    “I’m preparing food. Wait a second.” He disappeared, only to reappear with a long flowing robe. He quickly dropped it over her head. Immediately, her body warmed.
    “Now, hold onto my arm and I’ll take you to the kitchen. After you eat, it’s back into the pod.”
    “I do feel better and warmer. Thanks for the robe.” She gave him a small apologetic smile. “Just not that much better.”
    “The pod will do its job, but it’s going to take some time.”
    “Like a lifetime?” She stumbled forward, every step a triumph.
    He laughed. “Shouldn’t be that bad.”
    “I hope not.” She managed a tiny laugh. “Thanks for helping.”
    “Not an issue. I’m just sorry that you’re hurting.”
    By the time he’d finished talking, he was helping her into a chair at a table. She stared around and realized the kitchen was more or less normal-looking. After Milo’s talk about shakes and nutrients, she was scared to imagine what food he’d come up with. “I’m just so hungry. I wonder if it’s a side effect of the time travel,” she said.
    “Maybe. You need it for healing.” He opened a section of the wall before she had a chance to see what he’d done. “Is that a refrigerator?”
    He turned to look at her. “It’s a cooler.” He placed a clear plastic jug with eggs and something resembling cheese on the counter. Her mouth started watering. “Could I have a piece of cheese?” she asked, her voice faint with hunger.
    He brought a thick slice over for her. As if he knew she had food, Charmin started meowing steadily from the back