THREE

The cell door opens into darkness, and Adam, still known to the narrator only as her cellmate, thinks they may be allowed out. The narrator explains that it is shower time and urges him to hurry, warning him into silence as an alarm begins and the door starts closing.

The narrator pulls Adam through the institution’s dark corridors, revealing that the place functions less like a hospital than a prison. She reflects on months of filth, hunger, screams, violence, and isolation, and notes that boys and girls are never placed together, making Adam’s arrival suspicious and possibly deliberate.

In the shower room, the narrator shares scavenged bits of soap with Adam and instructs him on how to wash quickly in the two minutes allowed. Adam asks for her name, but the narrator avoids answering; she remains frightened of skin contact and thinks he may have been sent to harm her, though she also feels protective because he does not understand the institution’s dangers.

Both wash and dress rapidly, then the narrator leads Adam back to the cell. His fingers briefly skim near her back through her clothing, overwhelming her because she longs for touch but fears what her skin can do.

Back in the cell, the narrator worries that Adam has kept her bed and blanket, which could leave her cold and sick after showering. Instead, Adam gives her both blankets, apologizes for acting badly, introduces himself as Adam, and moves her bed frame back to her side. Exhausted and unsettled by the familiarity of his name, the narrator falls asleep.