"Don't be insubordinate." She nodded at the buddies. "Take Teal to the infirmary immediately"
M'Ladies One and Two moved forward and lifted Teal from our shoulders. Then they scooped her under her legs and carried her up the stairway, Dr. Foreman stepped aside and opened the door for them.
"Are we home?" I heard Teal ask.
"Yes," M'Lady One said, and laughed.
The door closed behind them and Dr. Foreman turned back to us. "I want the two of you to shower and change back into your coveralls and wait for further instructions in your bunkhouse. You may rest while you wait." She turned and walked into the house before either Robin or I could say another thing to her.
"Let's go," M'Lady Three said.
We turned and crossed the yard to the showers. Both of us were actually looking forward to the cold shower. We couldn't swallow enough water and it felt wonderful on our bodies. Soaping up, scrubbing our hair, revived us both.
"Enough, girls. Move it." M'Lady Three shouted.
I looked for Mindy and Gia and didn't see either of them in the gardens or the pigpen. We slipped on our shorts
and blouses and battered sneakers before going to the barn bunkhouse. Both of us stopped dead on entering.
Our three cots had been stripped of their mattresses, blankets, and pillows. Our coveralls and old blouses were on them and our clodhopper shoes beside them.
"Why?" I asked, turning to M'Lady Three.
She shrugged. You had demerits. You have to earn what you get. remember?"
"This stinks. It's unfair!" Robin cried.
"Welcome to the real world. You have to learn how to deal with unfairness. Not that this was unfair. Rest up. girls. You'll need it, believe me." she said, and left.
"Look," Robin said, nodding at Gia's and Mindy's bunks, Mindy's was stripped dawn as well. "I wonder what she did to deserve her unfairness."
"I don't care anymore." I said. "I'm too tired to care about anything, even this."
I went to my bunk and swept the coveralls and blouse off. Then I thought again and rolled them up to use as a pillow. Robin nodded and did the same.
In minutes, we were both dead to the world. asleep. Soon after, however, we were poked and prodded until we woke up. M'Ladies Two and One were there with notebooks in their hands, the same sort we had been given at orientation.
"You've slept enough. girls. Dr. Foreman wants you both to start on your journals. She wants you both to write about your experience out there and what you have learned from it. She expects details and honesty," M'Lady One said, and handed me a notebook with a pen.
Robin was handed hers as well. We both just stared blankly at the notebooks.
The buddies smiled, then left.
"She must be kidding." Robin said.
"I strongly doubt it." I said.
"I can't keep my eyes open, much less write something." We looked at each other and came up with the same cry: "What more can she do to us?"
I put the notebook down and sprawled out again. Robin did the same and we were asleep almost as quickly as we were the first time. We slept well into the late afternoon and woke this time when we heard the door open.
Gia stood there looking at us. I sat up quickly.
"Gia. Where's Mindy?" I asked, seeing she was alone.
"Mindy's gone."
"Gone?" Robin asked, sitting up. "You mean she was sent home?"