“’Scuse me ma’am,” Dante began as he tried to push himself into a sitting position. “This isn’t necessary.” To his confusion, he couldn’t push himself up. “Let me just take a shower, okay? ” The woman ignored him. From the cabinet underneath she pulled out a clipboard. She examined it closely for a few moments.
“Let’s see”, she went on, her lips pursed, oblivious to Dante’s continued struggling. “Dante Willis. Been here since 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time.” She looked at Dante pityingly “You poor thing, you’ve been here for nearly eight hours. ” she clicked her tongue. Fear began to well up in Dante.