“Good morning, sunshine.”
Jaz groaned. “Oh god, not today, Carr, please. I'm really not in the mood for lugging wood.”
He grinned. “Good, 'cos you're not doing that today. You're going to the gym,” he announced, a sly smile on his face. He watched her reaction with laughter in his eyes.
She shook her head, her eyes pleading. “Nooooo. I hate the gym, it's boring and everyone watches you, judging you on how incredibly unfit you are. And I'll be the most unfit person there. Please don't make me go.”
“No one's going to judge you.”
Jaz didn't budge, burying her face in her hands.
“Come oooon, I'll make it fun,” Carr goaded.
“What d'ya mean you'll make it fun?” she asked uneasily.
“As of today, I, am your personal trainer.”
Jaz glanced at Edda for confirmation. Edda nodded with a light smile tinting her face. Jaz looked back at Carr. “Wait- what about the site, who's gonna be managing it?”
He wafted his hand carelessly. “Don't worry about that, Garth will manage.”
Jaz watched him, thinking hard for some excuse not to go. “I'm still not well- s-since last night I uh-”
“Yeah, I heard. Congrats, you've popped your pre-Change Attack cherry. And I think you broke the record for the longest one yet. As far as we know anyway.”
Jaz furrowed her brow, eyeing him with puzzlement.
Edda gave him a sharp look.
He grinned and changed the subject. “Edda told me you were feeling better, which I can see, so no excuses. Come on, get on some sweats and let's go.” He clapped his hands twice and Jaz groaned again.
“I hate the gym!” she growled and turned on her heels, hustling to her room.
*
They got to the main building at nine o'clock, walking through the dome hall and going straight on, to where Carr led her down several corridors with doors either side. Some were offices. There were plaques with first names, or sometimes nicknames, stuck to each of the owners' doors. Jaz saw her Uncle Garik's name on a plaque. It was on her left as she passed. The door was shut and she wondered if he was there or at the site.
A few people she didn't recognize passed her down the wide corridors. Most of them avoided her. Apart from one man who was very handsome in a pretty playboy sort of way. He fixed his flirtatious eyes on her and flashed her a teasing smile. She stared bewildered for a second before locking her gaze straight ahead until he passed. He'd practically undressed her with his eyes.
They reached the end of a corridor which seemed to head towards the front of the building: the front of which she had never seen- at least while conscious. She told herself not to dwell on that any longer. Or the woman doctor's examination -on a side thought she wondered if she'd ever be properly introduced? After all, the doc has been more intimate with me than anyone has ever been, she thought darkly. She also told herself not to be resentful or squirm anymore at the knowledge that Driver had been present at the time. It was hard to forget about something like that, but she hoped in time she'd get over it.
Straight ahead were two double doors with rectangular glass panels down the inside. She could make out people walking back and forth in swimming costumes. There was also the telltale flutter of water from the swimming pool below, reflecting the light from the glass wall behind it. From where she stood she could make out the trees outside parted by a dirt road that must have led to the exit. Though she could see nothing more beyond that.
They didn't go through those doors. Instead, they entered the double doors to their right just before the swimming pool entrance. Carr led the way and because he was so big and tall, he blocked her view of the glass panels, so it wasn't until she stepped inside that she saw what was behind it.
The gym was enormous. As big as a football pitch if not bigger.
On her right hand side there were exercise bikes, rowing machines and treadmills, each grouped together by type in three, long neat rows. On the wall by the entrance, there were lockers and metal storage cabinets. Yoga mats were rolled up in a big metal basket in the far corner, with another smaller one holding different kinds of balls; basket, foot and sacks of tennis balls. At least fifty lockers stood beside the baskets, running the full length of the wall.
On the other side of the entrance doors were benches that formed a long L- shape, stopping a few feet from a closed door. A big window with partially open blinds was to its right. An office, she guessed.
In the middle of the room was a wide mat which at that moment was being used for wrestling, or karate or some form of martial arts; she had no idea which. To Jaz, it looked like the two opponents were killing each other.