[[Continued from
Lyaeus]]
She’d been in her bedroom for days.
Her skin was buzzing, and it made her unsafe. Even Ephraim wouldn’t see her when she was like this. Visha lay curled up on her bed, the little owl of the bracelet Seven had given her pressed tight in the hollow of her fist. She ran that wonderful night over and over in her mind, re-lived it a thousand times. She’d promised to see him again, though she had no wallet contact to give him. But even Catch wouldn’t spring her loose when security was locked down this tight.
Her arm still throbbed from all the blood draws. They’d needed that to fix what she’d broken, she knew, but she hated it every time; fought like a desperate animal, and pleaded, and screamed, and begged. To no avail.
Time began to lose all meaning. She didn’t even watch her favourite shows, feeling it a cruel and mocking reminder of how much she wanted to return to the glamour and mystery of Kallisti.
When Ephraim was finally ready to see her, she didn’t know how long it had been. Visha sat up. She was covered from toes to throat, but she folded her limbs tighter around herself. In contrition or sulkiness, it was hard to say. Her alien eyes peeped over the top of her knees, silent. But the news wasn’t good. He explained she was going to be visiting a doctor, and her heart sank to her ankles at the prospect. She didn’t argue, though. Especially when Ephraim used the
C word.
Cure.
Kaelan curiously studied the sterile environment as he traversed its hallways. He was accustomed to laboratory spaces in general, but this was a level of Paragon’s building never before seen. Previously, he wasn’t even aware the basement levels existed.
He reflected on how he came to be given this access. Ephraim called him to his office, assigning him a new project. He assumed that it was to discuss the results gathered from one of the samples in his cue. That was indeed how the conversation began, but it seemed that it was felt additional motivation may inspire Kaelan to dig further. If he could discover the mechanism that resulted in such unusual effects, and better yet, reproduce them, his career would be escalated significantly. There was a three month deadline.
“You realize this will require redistribution of my entire workload onto this one project?”
Ephriam indicated that it was no problem. However, Kaelan did not immediately agree. His folded arms and thoughtful stance was the only thing to break the silence.
Such a deadline was nearly impossible, even for a brilliant mind as Kaelan’s. Certainly he would not be able to afford to dabble in his little side projects, and he would have to inform Victoria he could no longer assist with her data interpretation.
Ephraim picked up on the hesitation almost immediately, and in doing so, amended the offer. Should he succeed, his own laboratory he would run, with highest-clearance to any sample they contained, and so long as reports were submitted and results obtained, the freedom to pursue his own research portfolio.
“In that case, you shall have your results in three months.” He nodded curtly and immediately set to work. As he rode the elevator to the basement levels, he arranged for his personal belongings and meal services to be delivered to Paragon where he would remain 24/7. Every breath would be devoted to this work.
To this mysterious… girl.
He knocked on the door to its habitat to announce himself, but he did not wait for a response prior to swiping his credentials to unlock the system.
He glanced up from a data pad, and for all outward appearances was the pristine scientist complete with lab coat and orderly clothing and hair. There was an emptiness in his gaze when it landed upon the figure within.
He spoke the required niceties while donning safety gloves. “My name is Dr. Müller. I will be working closely with you for the foreseeable future.”
Visha didn’t like that the doctor was to meet her in her room, but the prospect of the magical C word made her pliable to pretty much anything that was asked of her. Ephraim seemed to think it would make the whole encounter more friendly, like Dr Müller was going to be more of a companion than the next white coat to be sticking his needles in her skin. Visha was highly sceptical, but she was also keen to be good, especially after the whole debacle that landed her in trouble in the first place.
She had cleaned the room, tidied away all the beautiful bits and pieces of her collections so that it was at least orderly, if clearly still a girl’s bedroom. Her most precious things were hidden away completely – the electric blue dress and Seven’s owl bracelet among them. She sat on the edge of the bed to wait, hands tight between her knees to show she meant no harm. Visha had chosen her own clothes, but was well covered, as she was always required to be around the staff and her minders. The incident that sparked her tingling skin had waned, and she was no longer dangerous. Or no more than normal.
Visha had expected someone old. Well, old like grey hair. He was still a little old, but much younger than she had anticipated. Her large eyes blinked a little, her body swaying minutely as she absorbed the information. Sight and scent. There was nothing welcoming in his facade, but she was used to that. Her heart swelled a little anyway, as she considered this man who Ephraim promised would be able to cure her. He said he was going to be working with her, and that sounded good.
“Doctor Müller,” she repeated, watching him pull on the gloves with only a small twinge of apprehension. “It’s nice to meet you.” She smiled a little, though that sometimes unnerved the minders, so it wasn’t too wide. For the same reason she did not move, unwilling to spook him. She wanted him to like her. This would all be much better if he liked her.