Rikki knocked on the door to room 114, before entering. She doubled checked her supplies and put on a fake smile.
“Hi, Ms. Taylor. I’m Rikki. I’ll be taking your blood pressure before Dr. Kelvin gets in.” The elderly woman turned her head from the window to nod at the arrival of her attending nurse for the day. What number is this one? 21? 22? Ms. Taylor turned back to the open window, letting her right arm fall to the armrest exposing her inner arm.
Rikki nodded a modest smile and sat down in the chair beside her new patient. She unfolded the bag on a small table beside them and produced a small blood pressure band and stethoscope. Adjusting her rubber gloves, Rikki lifted Ms. Taylor’s sleeve and grabbed the band readying it to fit her arm, but stopped. Right above the elbow on Ms. Taylor’s arm was a small tattoo: a yellow bowl that balanced on the tip of a hollow triangle. She shook her head and looked a bit closer. Could it be?
“I’ve never seen this in person before,” Rikki said. Ms. Taylor’s head snapped to face Rikki’s. She looked down to see the exposed tattoo. God, how stupid, she thought.
“In person?” she asked. Ms. Taylor relaxed her muscles and looked around the room for an exit without moving her eyes.
“Yes,” Rikki said, turning over Ms. Taylor’s arm in her hand. “Only in books. We were told that all the Derelicts were destroyed due to their disobedience.” Rikki’s eyes met Ms. Taylor’s then. Ms. Taylor grinned.
“Yes, well, do give my best to your master, Shogun. I’m sure he’ll be surprised by the news.” In one single quick movement, Ms. Taylor reached for her left ear, grasped her earring, and a cloud of black smoke engulfed her body. Rikkie grabbed a pen that was sitting near by and brought it down to stab the top of Ms. Taylor’s head, but found only the bottom of the chair she’d been sitting in.
When the smoke cleared, Rikki was left alone in the room, the window hung open, and a sense of dredge upon by the thought of telling her master what had just happened.
