My period of unconsciousness is much shorter than the last. Beeping machines and a smell of disinfectant is the first thing I'm aware of. I assume I'm somewhere in the medical area of the complex, although not a part I've been in before.
I don't hurt anywhere, and I'm hydrated by a drip in my arm, but my mouth still feels dry and there's no water nearby.
The air is deliciously cool, the bed is soft, and the lights are dim, so I let myself doze again.
I'm not sure how much time passes, as the room is windowless. It could be day or night.
"Oh good, you're awake."
A doctor, her speech heavily accented, but perfectly clear. She pours me a water and I drink it greedily.
"Slowly! Your stomach is still going to be tender."
I dip my head in apology and sip instead.
"Any pain?"
"No, Mistress."
Her eyes soften a little.
'Doctor' is fine.'
She places a button next to me,
"If you need anything, use this to call a nurse."
"Yes Doctor, thank you."
I'm left to my own devices for a day or so. Soon I'm able to use the bathroom and take a shower by myself - it feels like too quiet:
I try not to feel angry but the uncertainty is unbearable. My injuries are superficial - bite marks, bruises and scrapes that are healing well..
Beyond knowing I'm relatively unscathed, I'm in the dark. I might not be owed an explanation, but that doesn't stop me wanting one.
So, when someone finally comes for me, our 'yoga' Mistress is not who I expected to see. She only speaks in fluent Arabic, but that doesn't stop her fussing over me and exclaiming at my cuts and bruises. She gives me a light dress and sandals to exchange for my medical gown - the doctor seems frustrated that I'm being removed from her care, but I find the silence of the medical wing oppressive, and I'm relieved to leave the stillness behind.
At the end of a corridor, we descend a couple of flights of stairs, then begin our walk down a seemingly endless passage way. Marble tiles, white walls, but I suspect we're underground - the desert sun makes walking any distance almost impossible..
The only area I know other than the camp is the medical facility we just left behind us. Any visits would involve a short drive there and back in a flatbed with my fellow slaves
When we reach the opposite end of the passage, the stairs are identical to the previous ones. The heavy, windowless door locks behind us. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this.
A beautiful atrium, softly lit. with a fountain in the middle. Hallways lead off both sides, and from the first and second storey landings, which are reached by a wide marble staircase on either side of the room. Double doors and high windows open out onto a long terrace, shaded with greenery, and beyond that I can see lush gardens, filled with flowers and trees. An oasis in a sea of sand. It's wonderfully cool, despite the heat outside. The sky outside is streaked with pink and gold - evening, fading into night..
The Mistress leads me to a room on the first floor. The room is lightly furnished, but the bed is large and covered with turquoise silk. A door leads off either side, one to a bathroom with a walk in shower. There's towels, toiletries... even a mirror, that I don't bother to look in.
The other door is closed, and when my Mistress leaves, I have no desire to investigate it further. I'm uneasy about my unfamiliar surroundings, but suddenly lacking the energy to worry about it any further. I fall into bed, but it's still too quiet so I open the small window, and fall asleep to the sound of tinkling fountains and chirping crickets.
