Shadows of Sherwood (36 page)

A Medical Miracle

The first person through the door was Merryan Crown. She wore a red-and-white volunteer smock and was accompanied by a short, thick-haired doctor. The doctor held a long MedTab clipboard in his hand and he was studying something on it while giving Merryan a series of instructions. “. . . bone splint and a medium blood pressure cuff—the one in room 22 has been acting up,” he was saying.

Merryan made it around the desk first. She gasped and drew back at the sight of the girls crouched there. Her expression widened in recognition. She glanced between Robyn and Scarlet and the powered-up computer and Robyn's backpack, bulging with pill bottles. She paused in the space between the desk and the wall, such that the doctor behind bumped into her.

“Oh! Sorry, doctor,” Merryan exclaimed, taking him by the arm and gently spinning him around. “I forgot. One of the nurses asked me to tell you something. Mrs. O'Leary,
down in room 42, was complaining of some new aches and pains. She's not sure the cream you prescribed is strong enough. The nurses are sure she would feel better and perhaps we can get her out of here sooner if you could just . . .”

Merryan chattered away alongside him until they were well out of the room.

“That was close,” Scarlet breathed. She raised her screen and started typing again. “Was that a coincidence, or did that intern girl really cover our butts?” she asked with wonder.

“Not a coincidence,” Robyn murmured.

Moments later Merryan returned. This time, she closed the door behind her before she raced around the desk.

“Robyn? What's going on?” She reached into the bag and picked up one of the stingbug med bottles. “Are you
stealing
these?”

“What are you doing here, Merryan?” Robyn snapped, all the while knowing she should be nicer to the girl who just saved her skin.

“I-I work here.” She fingered her clinic volunteer badge.

“Just get out of here,” Robyn told her, “and pretend you never saw us.”

Merryan didn't go. “You know, I heard what you said back in T.C.,” she said. “When I saw you in here, I knew . . . I thought . . . maybe I could do something to help.”

“Well, you showed up at exactly the right moment,” Scarlet said, still typing away. “That was awesome.”

Merryan blushed. “Did you think it was convincing?”

“Very,” said Scarlet.

Merryan looked at Robyn. “It's not right what they're doing, keeping people out of the woods so they can't get bitterstalk.” Her broad shoulders shivered. “It's just the worst thing.”

“Nowhere near the worst,” Robyn muttered.

Merryan gave her a quizzical look. But there was no time to explain.

“We have to get out of here,” Scarlet said. “I'm in, so I can jam the door signal now, but it might only last for a few seconds. You should get over there and wait.”

“What about you?” Merryan asked.

“I can go out the front,” Scarlet said. “It's getting the pills through that matters.”

“Hang on—” Robyn said. “Will the clinic notice them missing?”

“Eventually.” Merryan shrugged. “I don't know how long. Could be hours. Could be days.”

Robyn pulled the green sticky notepad out of her pocket.

“What are you doing?” Scarlet asked. “You're wasting time.”

“I always leave a note,” Robyn explained. “I can't let them know who I am, but I want them to know it was me.”

Scarlet cocked her head, confused.

“I don't want anyone else to get arrested for something we did,” Robyn clarified.

Dear Sherwood Clinic,

Looking for the stingbug antibiotics? People needed them. You must be so happy to have been able to help.

Sincerely,

Robyn

She handed the note to Merryan. “You want to help? Put this in the pharmacy, okay?”

“Side door,” Scarlet said. “Go now. Run.”

Robyn did. She tore down the hallway, mindless of the heads that turned. She got to the side doors, nearly breathless. When they opened, both at the same time, and quivered in the walls, she darted through the opening. Free and clear and into the sunlight.

She'd made it!

Robyn ducked into the alley across the street to wait for Scarlet. Instead, it was Merryan who came out through the doors. She glanced left and right.

Robyn waved and held up her hands in question. Merryan darted across the street. “Scarlet says to tell you she needs to borrow the modem. She'll get it back to you.”

Robyn felt a burst of annoyance. “She could have asked me.”

“I-I tried to stop her,” Merryan said. “She just took off.”

“It's not your fault.” Robyn kicked at the ground. She continued aloud, though the next thought should have remained quietly in her head. “I hope she'll really return it. Otherwise how am I ever going to find Centurion Gate?”

Merryan's face paled. “Centurion Gate?”

 

CHAPTER SIXTY

Centurion Gate

“Where did you hear of that?” Merryan asked. “No one is supposed to know about Centurion Gate.”

“What is it?” Robyn asked. She tried to make her voice sound innocent, not desperate. She wasn't sure she succeeded.

Merryan's mouth formed a small round
O
. “I-I can't tell you,” she said. “I'm not even supposed to know.”

“But I already heard of it,” Robyn protested. “It's not like you'd be telling me for the first time.” She led Merryan into the alley, making her way toward Nottingham Cathedral. If Scarlet was gone, she was long gone. And Robyn couldn't very well stand around in front of the clinic with a bag of stolen meds.

Merryan took a deep breath. “What do you know about it already?”

“Just that it has something to do with the missing Parliament members, and . . .” Robyn glanced around and lowered her voice. “Crown.”

Merryan's expression turned confused. “Missing?”

“Is Centurion Gate a prison?” Robyn asked. “Is that where Crown took them?”

“Took who?” Merryan said.

Robyn fought the urge to shake her by her shoulders. “The Parliament members. There's no diplomatic trip, Merryan. Crown kidnapped them.”

“He didn't take them anywhere,” Merryan said. “What are you talking about?”

Right. Merryan didn't know the truth. Well, if she was going to be hanging around Sherwood, it was time she knew. “Crown. When he took over the city and ousted the dissenters in Parliament.”

Merryan frowned. “Are you talking about the restructure?”

“I'm talking about the Night of Shadows,” Robyn said. “When Crown took over the city.”

“Why do you make it sound like that? He's not as bad as people around here think,” Merryan said. “Everyone in Sherwood seems to hate him.”

“He's exactly that bad,” Robyn informed her. “Haven't you seen his broadcasts? All he does is threaten people.”

“For people in Castle, it's different,” Merryan explained. “People like the changes he's making.”

“He kills people!” Robyn cried. Merryan looked about to protest, so Robyn added, “Or throws them in prison if they don't go his way.” Merryan closed her mouth and looked at her shoes. “He's taking our food and being generally
horrible,” Robyn continued, lowering her voice because other passersby were starting to look at them.

“I know he's not the nicest person,” Merryan admitted quietly. “But I'm sure he doesn't kill people.”

The announcement videos Robyn had seen said otherwise. “Or throw them in prison . . .” Robyn paused. Her eyes narrowed. “But you already know about Centurion Gate. Where is it? One of the prisoners there is—”

Merryan's cheeks turned red. “It's not a prison,” she insisted. “It can't be. I mean, it's right . . . ,” her voice trailed off.

At the edge of the cathedral, Robyn checked for onlookers, then let herself and Merryan inside.

As their eyes adjusted to the dim church, Robyn tried again. “Who told you not to talk about it?”

“No one had to tell me,” Merryan said, glancing around the sanctuary in awe. “We don't discuss anything that goes on inside the governor's mansion with anyone outside.”

“The governor's mansion?” Robyn echoed. “What?”

“Well, I live there,” she said. “With my uncle.”

Robyn's stomach became a sinking, tightening knot. “How could I forget? You're Crown's niece.” How had she expected Merryan Crown to actually help her or the people of Sherwood? And, adding insult to injury, now Robyn had just let her into the cathedral! What had she been thinking?

“I can't help that,” Merryan blurted. “No one can change what she was born into.”

“Tell that to your uncle,” Robyn said, not too nicely. Merryan's words hit a little too close to home. Robyn, too, felt like she was born into something she couldn't get out of. “The people of Sherwood can't help being poor any more than you can help being rich.”

“You act like you're so much better than everyone,” Merryan said. “I used to think you were cool. I always wanted to be your friend. But now I see you're just mean. I don't know what I was thinking.”

“Fine,” Robyn snapped. “I never wanted to be friends with you anyway.”

Merryan spun back toward the door and ran off. Robyn could only hope that their secrecy pact would stay in place.

 

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE