Back from the Materna

In a split second, the Materna was emptied of all its visitors. Some of them, like the young outsider, had already lost consciousness and had to be carried by the fit and healthy people. Colette was busy organizing the evacuation. Her efficiency commanded everybody's respect, and Mona often simply passed her orders on. Both the Shadow Girls and the Materna staff worked hand in hand. Saving lives was a women's business here.

The arkian denizens, rebels or law-abiding citizens, had not immediately felt the effects of air poisoning. Maybe they were more accustomed to the polluted or even contaminated atmosphere of the city. Mona was deeply indebted to Flora's unfortunate companion who fell first. He had enabled them to detect the poison and quickly raise the alarm. Without him, perhaps none of them would have survived. Mona sincerely hoped that the most affected ones would survive and recover.

Once in the open air, the group needed a new building for the Operations Center. The leader of the Shadow Girls took the time to consider the various options. It was impossible for them to return to their secret hideout, the soldiers' movements blocked off the roads at ground level and the wounded could not be easily transported on the rooftops. Moreover, if Doctor Nicolas' small laboratory – a very suitable place – was safe and close to impregnable, it would not be large enough to treat all the victims, they needed a well-equipped medical center.

Mona then glimpsed a solution to this problem and hastened to give her instructions for the group to set forth. The course was set: they would settle at the clinic, it was the best compromise and they didn't have many options, but they had to move quickly while the way was clear. She also ordered some uninjured Shadow Girls to go quietly but quickly to their hideout and then come back. The unusual agitation of the arkian soldiers kept on worrying her, her envoys might get more detailed information from the Shadow Girls that had stayed behind, in the den.

A brief glance at the crumpled face of Doctor Nicolas who walked past her and a wave of sadness washed over Mona, eating away at her already wounded grieving soul. Clara, the little girl, barely born and still so fragile, seemed to be in a critical state.

The situation was becoming very serious for the victims. In a few long strides, Mona joined the leading group, already headed towards the clinic. She wanted to accompany Doctor Nicolas, who held the little one close to his heart. Protecting them was all she could do. The rest was out of her control and, once again, she knew she had reached her own limits, her heart was filled with bitterness.

She loathed her lack of knowledge and every day she struggled against this sense of inadequacy and insecurity which she attributed to her lack of education. Her height and her physique gave her the upper hand over anyone. By concealing her uncertainties and doubts, by reading, working, studying, taking advice from the knowledgeable ones, she had managed to overcome her shortcomings and lead her group. Few really knew her, even fewer trusted her.

Mona usually preferred to be in the "flying" category. She had a first-hand view of the overall situation and she could lead her troops in a more efficient way from the rooftops. However, the urgency of the situation as well as the safety of the victims prevailed. Her sense of duty had never been lacking, sometimes in contradiction to reason and wisdom.

All the wounded were transported on stretchers carried by the strongest Shadow Girls. The staff of the Materna, who lacked training and stamina, rode on the shoulders or the back of some rebels. They managed to move very fast with a swarm-like overbearing presence. What looked like a real invasion of Shadow Girls spread through the streets of Ark City.

The "flying" girls were sliding from roof to roof on zip-lines, while the "spiders", hanging on their chains like real spiders on their threads, were running on all fours on the vertical facades, checking each window. The rebels couldn't run the risk of becoming a target for snipers of the Special Forces, elite police or guards. The injured and the frails carried on the streets below were protected to the best of the rebels' abilities. Mona should have been proud to lead this army of female warriors, but she did not take the time nor could she allow herself this luxury as she often felt overwhelmed by so many responsibilities.

The outlaws, both the Shadow Girls and the fleeing arkians following Colette Sanders, arrived safely at Doctor Nicolas' clinic. It was deserted and easy to defend if the entrance was properly monitored. Reluctantly, Mona left the wounded to those who could help them and tackled the task of securing the overcrowded building.

Upon returning to the main hall, she could see that the staff of the Materna had naturally and efficiently taken on the treatment of the patients. Whole bags of colorful pills passed from hand to hand in the process of giving the drugs out to the victims in the beds, so that they could recover some of their strength. Doctor Nicolas, the brightest chemist of his generation, was back to work. Duty above all else. Mona's thoughts went out to little Clara, who hardly breathed when they arrived at the clinic.

She stopped for a moment, observing the comings and goings around her. The other victims were quickly recovering, the gas was not as harmful as she had feared, and Mona breathed a sigh of relief. She was surprised to see the young Nikodem, already very lively, giving water to the weaker ones. He turned out to be sturdier than his slender constitution would suggest. She looked for Flora but, unexpectedly, didn't find her.

Mona continued to go downstairs to reach the hall where she found Mathilde who was trying to comfort Doctor Nicolas. He was still wearing his white coat and gloves, and Mathilde had probably interrupted him in the middle of work. He had cried a lot as evidenced by the wet stains on his clothes and those of his old friend. Violent hiccups mingled with sobs were still shaking his frail silhouette. He was a wimp but Mona had always accepted him as he was and this had not prevented Daphné from loving him. He had other qualities.

Out of modesty and to respect the distress of the young father, those who walked through the hall looked the other way, spoke in a hushed voice, and kept a safe distance. On the contrary, Mona went directly to him. Mathilde raised her head. She, usually so cheerful, also had her eyes all red and swollen. If the doctor was in the hall, crying his heart out, it could only mean one thing: Clara had not survived.

Mona felt her heart ache. She sat on the other side of the father and put her hand on his shoulder. It was a very small gesture but it expressed a world of compassion that words could not say. They remained silent and grieving for several long minutes and two doors opened simultaneously, startling them all.

Mona's gaze was immediately drawn to the entrance to the clinic. Armed Shadow Girls had already surrounded an arkian in uniform as soon as he had stepped into the hall and, stunned, the leader recognized Dolick.

At the same time, Colette came out of a room, grumbling about the clinic's equipment. She was followed by Flora who listened to her in silence while she lamented having to leave the high-tech facilities of the Materna. Doctor Nicolas merely raised his head. Overwhelmed with pain, he watched without moving this talkative intruder who had just burst into his ocean of despair.

Mona felt uncertain. Her gaze passed several times from one to the other, Dolick, Nicolas... Finally, she reached a decision. "Take care of him," she whispered to Mathilde, without even looking at her to see if the old Shadow Girl had heard. Duty above all else. There would be time to mourn Clara later, perhaps.

She motioned her underlings to lead Dolick into an adjacent room and called Capitan Gili before following them. It was a former bedroom converted into an administration office. Piles of abandoned files had been gathering dust since the departure of the staff. Mona sat down behind the desk, one of the rare pieces of furniture in the room, and watched Dolick in silence.

The arkian soldier had been left with the others soldiers – with the exception of Gili – at the secret hideout, under guard. If he showed up, by himself and free, something serious had happened over there.