“Just talking to you helps,” Elizabeth replied softly. The intern sniffled slightly but didn’t wipe her nose or dry her eyes. There were no tears to dry, yet. Despite her humanity, which was still a warm light inside of her, tears were harder for the girl to come by. That was more a defensive measure than anything else, an end to a vicious cycle of crying and yelling that lead to more crying.
Elizabeth was about to say something else – she couldn’t really recall what – but one look at Serenity’s face had her frozen, mouth closed, eyes focused. Elizabeth glanced at Serenity’s ears, so horse like she sometimes forget that they weren’t a headband, and watched them twitch and twist. For a brief moment, Elizabeth wished she could hear was Serenity heard, but upon remembering what pain that heightened sense was brought about by, she cursed her thoughts.
Listening to Serenity’s soft warning, Elizabeth rose slowly, brushing nonexistent dust off her thighs. “We’ll speak later,” was all the young intern was able to say. Two guards turned the corner and started down their aisle. Clutching her notebook to her chest, Elizabeth started towards the door, mimicking the other scientists she had seen with her chin up and shoulders back. She passed the guards. They said nothing, only continued to march forward as though every step was a step closer to leaving the Storage Room. Elizabeth let out a quiet breath of air and hurried out of the room. As much as she wanted to, she didn’t look back.
As Fabian fiddled with the wiring and the conditions of the machine, he listened to the other scientist’s words. Humming when appropriate, the young scientist thought very little of the darker moments in Dunbar’s speech. It seemed logical that the older man was envious and spiteful, Fabian would probably have felt the same if someone came and snatched his experiment out from under him. Though, he couldn’t quite understand why Dr. Dunbar would hang on to such spite. With Fabian taking his experiment, Dr. Dunbar was open to start something new. Perhaps that one would actually be successful.
“Certainly dumb like one.” Fabian was snapped back to reality upon the words. He stared at the buttons under his hands as something hot bubbled just below his sternum and spread first across his chest and then down his limbs. It wasn’t a pleasant heat, it was a like a wildfire moving through him uncontrollably. For a moment Fabian considered turning around and reminding Dunbar of how successful the girl was, of telling him how brilliant she was how and how he’d never understand because he had looked at her for all of two seconds and had never had a conversation with her.
The heat turned cold very quickly, and Fabian’s hands moved way from the machine. Why was he angry? When was the last time he had truly gotten angry? And over an experiment no doubt. Dr. Dunbar was speaking again, Fabian tried to listen but his mind was messy. He was angry, so very angry. Or at least he had been angry, he wasn’t sure what he was feeling now. Dr. Dunbar mentioned something about saliva and poison. It would be fine. He said to have fun. “Thank you,” Fabian said, never turning around. His own voice sounded like a stranger’s. It was still cold, seemingly unaffected, but it didn’t sound like his own. It was too distant.
The door closed. The coldness didn’t fade or melt. It remained, a dim throbbing ache. His thought muddled together. Anger, questions, confusion, all underlined with a quiet sense of fear. In a sudden movement, Fabian snapped the panel he’d been working on closed, and the bang and clank of metal on metal was enough to pull him from his thoughts. The young scientists spun on his heels and marched over to the counter. Paperwork, he had paperwork to look at, being angry wouldn’t help with paperwork. He picked up the papers, scattered messily over the counter, and let out a breath, shoving any emotions and useless thoughts off in some far filing cabinet in his brain. Once the mess in his mind was cleared, he turned his attention to the notes in his hand and then the clock above his desk. They should be here-
There was a knock at the door. Fabian looked up, pushing the glasses back up the bridge of his nose. “Impeccable timing,” he mumbled. “Come in.” The door opened and two guards walked in, flanking a young man, eyes unfocused and hands bound. The experiment. He didn't look much like one at first, but when Fabian's gaze met serpentine eyes the scientists knew he was the one. Standing a bit straighter Fabian glanced over to the lab bench along the wall. "Step him down there. I can handle the rest."
Elizabeth was about to say something else – she couldn’t really recall what – but one look at Serenity’s face had her frozen, mouth closed, eyes focused. Elizabeth glanced at Serenity’s ears, so horse like she sometimes forget that they weren’t a headband, and watched them twitch and twist. For a brief moment, Elizabeth wished she could hear was Serenity heard, but upon remembering what pain that heightened sense was brought about by, she cursed her thoughts.
Listening to Serenity’s soft warning, Elizabeth rose slowly, brushing nonexistent dust off her thighs. “We’ll speak later,” was all the young intern was able to say. Two guards turned the corner and started down their aisle. Clutching her notebook to her chest, Elizabeth started towards the door, mimicking the other scientists she had seen with her chin up and shoulders back. She passed the guards. They said nothing, only continued to march forward as though every step was a step closer to leaving the Storage Room. Elizabeth let out a quiet breath of air and hurried out of the room. As much as she wanted to, she didn’t look back.
As Fabian fiddled with the wiring and the conditions of the machine, he listened to the other scientist’s words. Humming when appropriate, the young scientist thought very little of the darker moments in Dunbar’s speech. It seemed logical that the older man was envious and spiteful, Fabian would probably have felt the same if someone came and snatched his experiment out from under him. Though, he couldn’t quite understand why Dr. Dunbar would hang on to such spite. With Fabian taking his experiment, Dr. Dunbar was open to start something new. Perhaps that one would actually be successful.
“Certainly dumb like one.” Fabian was snapped back to reality upon the words. He stared at the buttons under his hands as something hot bubbled just below his sternum and spread first across his chest and then down his limbs. It wasn’t a pleasant heat, it was a like a wildfire moving through him uncontrollably. For a moment Fabian considered turning around and reminding Dunbar of how successful the girl was, of telling him how brilliant she was how and how he’d never understand because he had looked at her for all of two seconds and had never had a conversation with her.
The heat turned cold very quickly, and Fabian’s hands moved way from the machine. Why was he angry? When was the last time he had truly gotten angry? And over an experiment no doubt. Dr. Dunbar was speaking again, Fabian tried to listen but his mind was messy. He was angry, so very angry. Or at least he had been angry, he wasn’t sure what he was feeling now. Dr. Dunbar mentioned something about saliva and poison. It would be fine. He said to have fun. “Thank you,” Fabian said, never turning around. His own voice sounded like a stranger’s. It was still cold, seemingly unaffected, but it didn’t sound like his own. It was too distant.
The door closed. The coldness didn’t fade or melt. It remained, a dim throbbing ache. His thought muddled together. Anger, questions, confusion, all underlined with a quiet sense of fear. In a sudden movement, Fabian snapped the panel he’d been working on closed, and the bang and clank of metal on metal was enough to pull him from his thoughts. The young scientists spun on his heels and marched over to the counter. Paperwork, he had paperwork to look at, being angry wouldn’t help with paperwork. He picked up the papers, scattered messily over the counter, and let out a breath, shoving any emotions and useless thoughts off in some far filing cabinet in his brain. Once the mess in his mind was cleared, he turned his attention to the notes in his hand and then the clock above his desk. They should be here-
There was a knock at the door. Fabian looked up, pushing the glasses back up the bridge of his nose. “Impeccable timing,” he mumbled. “Come in.” The door opened and two guards walked in, flanking a young man, eyes unfocused and hands bound. The experiment. He didn't look much like one at first, but when Fabian's gaze met serpentine eyes the scientists knew he was the one. Standing a bit straighter Fabian glanced over to the lab bench along the wall. "Step him down there. I can handle the rest."