The nurse who had administered it had been surprisingly pleasant. She didn't ask where I came from, only wanting to know that I was okay now. I assured her I was fine. The man who had watched over the door left and she showed me towards the showers at the end of the hall. “Just down that way. They'll dispose of your clothes and give you something new to wear.” I walked inside the women's shower area. I put my clothes in the hazard waste as I stripped down, leaving the metal bracelet on my wrist. I would keep it until they told me otherwise. For now I'd pretend it was forgotten. I stepped forward and the water turned on. The sensors triggered by movement weren’t equipped with temperature or pressure controls. The system had the water hot and forceful, washing away any trace of blood on my skin and contamination. I closed my eyes, the burns on my hands and arms were scalding under the fire. Grateful for my privacy I imagined the pain away, wished it away and watched my body begin to heal.
