For the most part during the display, Fabian stood back, taking note of his co-workers' faces as they left. He didn't receive a word of praise. Though, he hasn't been expecting to. As much as they worked together, they were all competing for the Director's attention. Some would argue that Fabian had an unfair advantage. Fabian thought that he was simply using the cards he'd been dealt with. Even if they said nothing, their looks said it all: proud, confused, unbelieving. He'd done it, he'd come to closest to success out of all of them, now he had to do it again.
The young scientists turned to Dr. Dunbar. If there was one look that pleased him the most, it was watching that triumphant smile slide into a frown then settle into a glare. Fabian didn't grin in response - that would have been ridiculously foolish - but he allowed himself a moment when his chest swelled and dopamine flooded his system making everything brighter and making his mind a little messier. After a few seconds of feeling like a young child stepping into his mother's lab, he reined in the feeling and focused the energy the man and the woman beside him. Dr. Dunbar looked less than pleased at the request but agreed nonetheless. Fabian couldn't fault him on that, after all, it was near impossible to say no to Dr. Fonda. Having already allowed himself to feel bliss, Fabian looked between the two his seemingly unaffected gaze settling on Dr. Dunbar. "My lab is always open, just drop by before you send over the experiment. Also, I would like to request the experiment's paperwork and the documentation of what you have already done. It would be a waste of time for me to repeat any experiments." Dr. Fonda shifted in her place, casting an almost weary look around the room. "We need to finish our meeting, but we will talk again, Dr. Lorenz." With a final nod, Fabian turned and scanned the room once more, while Dr. Fonda turned on her heels and left briskly.
The Storage Room was emptying out. Most did not like to stay in the room for long, Fabian couldn't find any blame in that, though the irony was rich. They had created the things that sat in this room, and yet they couldn't stand to look at them. To be watched and glared at was a small price for science, and one Fabian had learned to pay quickly and move on. After a while, he didn't even notice their gazes. Except now. Except for one. He could feel her eyes, gentle like a spring breeze or a glisten of starlight, focused on his back. It wasn't a heavy gaze, but it wasn't a passing one either. It was something that was strangely constant. Fabian finally let his eyes fall on the girl. Her expression was, per usual, unreadable, and while it didn't unsettle the scientist it sent him on edge, wondering what she could possibly be thinking. She was frozen still, presumably terrified. Perhaps, he should have taken her horse genes into consideration before this little presentation but he had been too excited too proud. He should have stopped to think for a second. He let emotion get the best of him.
While everyone else left the room, Fabian turned back to the girl. For a moment, meeting her gaze, something in his brain short circuited and he was about to apologize but their sudden intrusion, but what did he have to apologize for? He was doing his job. He had nothing to be sorry for, though she had been frightened, but perhaps that was to be blamed on her DNA. He studied the girl and almost smiled in spite of himself, almost thanked her. For what? Being easy to work with? Changing exactly as he had planned? With one small nod, almost undetectable, in her direction, Fabian started back towards the door. He had a lab to prep. He passed a small figure as he was leaving. The undeniable clutz of an intern. "Go into the staff room and grab one of the apples or pears that are in the fridge, then give it to the experiment four rows over at the end. You should know the one." Before he could listen to her response he turned on his heels and marched back to his lab instead of the meeting.
Elizabeth hadn't even bothered to step into the Storage Room. Even with half of the scientists in there, she couldn't stomach the place, the eyes, the humans (who weren't totally humans) being locked in cages. Instead, she hovered by the door, notebook and pen in hand, waiting for someone to yell at her to get moving or go back to her work. Most passed by her silently, looking at disturbed as she felt. The last one, Dr. Lorenz, was not the first to acknowledge her, but the first to stop and give her instructions. The staff room was easy to find, it being one of the few doors that was properly marked in this place. The fridge was stocked with untouched lunches, so finding an apple, a nice ripe one wasn't easy. She ended up grabbing two because she felt bad for Serenity. She made her way back to the storage room and paused at the door to let out a long centering breath, then entered the code, swiped her badge, and walked in.
All eyes were on her in a moment, and there was no one else to draw away any of the attention. She moved quickly, clutching her notebook and the two apples to her chest, as though she was smuggling them in. A light flickered above, in some far corner of the room someone screamed and rattled against their cage. Elizabeth walked faster. She found Serenity easily, it was one of the few cages she knew for memory. Elizabeth paused and looked over Serenity. The caged girl had clearly been terrified by the scientists, not that Elizabeth could blame her. Putting on a small smile, the intern knelt down in front of Serenity and held out the apples. "I was told to bring these to you. Are you alright?"