Ash fell asleep at the keyboard again. He'd been doing it again lot lately, staying up late and worrying about the future. Jade found him asleep at one in the morning, last nights research displayed on the big round hologram screen in the middle of the lab; she draped a blanket over his sleeping form. He was cold to the touch when she took off his glasses and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear oh so tenderly, like a mother tucking in her child for the night.
He was jolted awake when Julia came down to the lab with her husband, Kane. Kane was a police officer in the nearby city of Miami, and sometimes shared cigarettes with Ash; much to Julia and Jade's dismay. Ash sits upright as they walk into the lab, rubbing his bleary eyes.
"Wake up sleepyhead" Julia began as she flicked Ash's forehead. "it's nearly nine in the morning."
"Why is Kane here?" Ash questioned the Latina as he looked around for his glasses.
"There's a situation downtown that needs to be attended to urgently" Kane explains as Julia slides Ash's glasses onto his face, nearly poking his eyes out twice.
"You sent me the files?" Ash glances over at Kane once his glasses are secured on his face. Kane shakes his head, "We don't have any. We've never seen a creature like this before. It's massive!"
The corner of Julia's lips quirk upward at his exclamation. "You wanna know what else is massive?" She giggles, her shoulders shaking. Ash makes a face and feigns throwing up, rising to his feet. He needed to at least eat something before checking out whatever Kane wants him to handle.
Ash barely spared the married couple a glance as he left the lab and took the elevator up to the main floor. His chest felt tight, like it wasn't getting enough air. He felt his hands shaking, and he leaned against the wall of the elevator for support, closing his eyes and focusing on breathing.
It wasn't long before the doors opened up on the main floor, and he feigned normalcy. He didn't want to scare the kids and students here.
"Ash Ash! Look!" A kid with cat ears and a tail ran up to him, a piece of paper in his hands. "I drew this for you!!" The kids tail swished side to side with excitement.
Ash took the paper with the kids drawing on it and examined it, his expression softening. "Wow you're really talented. I'll make sure to put this on my office wall, okay?"
The kid nodded eagerly and ran off to go play with his friends, glancing back at Ash.
Ash looked back down at the drawing and let out a sigh, folding it neatly and stuffing it into his pocket as he headed for the cafeteria. His girlfriend, Jade, was already there at one of the tables, a stack of papers nearby. Ash gets a tray and fills it up with some hashbrowns, bacon and eggs with orange juice before sliding into the seat beside her.
"Hey." Was all Jade said in greeting, barely sparing him a glance. Her pen scribbled things on the papers. Ash looked over at the stack, noticing its test papers she's grading.
"Hey baby" Ash greets, nuzzling his nose into her neck and kissing her. He can feel the goosebumps rise on her neck from his touch.
"Ash!" She shoves him away, her face flushed red with embarrassment from the public display of affection. "Not in front of the kids!"
Ash pouts and bats his lashes at her, the tension between them thick before Jade gives up and pulls him closer by the collar of his shirt to give him a nice satisfying kiss on the lips. Ash kisses back, one hand finding itself on Jade's hip and the other cupping her cheek. A few kids eating breakfast nearby fake throwing up, not unlike Ash in the lab with Kane and Julia earlier.
The kiss breaks in a fit of giggles and laughs from the kid's reactions. Ash dips his head to eat some of the food off his tray, otherwise Jade and Julia will have his ass later. Nutrition is still important when you're experiencing chronic organ failure or something.
"So what are you working on?" Ash asks through a mouthful of bacon. He made a silent note to give the chefs a slight raise.
"Just some tests from last Friday."
"What kind of tests?"
"English? I heard Kane's an urgent situation. I could check it for you."
"No no, I think he needs a scientist to study this new specimen."
Jade puts down her pen and looks over at Ash. "At least let me accompany you."
Ash stares directly into Jade's eyes. Neither of them blink for the next minute as they have a silent battle of wills.
"I don't want you to get hurt" Ash argues.
"I won't get hurt. I can take care of myself." Jade counters.
Ash opens his mouth to argue back but closes it when nothing comes to him. "Damnit" he curses under his breath. Jade only grins mischievously in return.
YOU ARE READING
Escaping Death
Science Fiction[NULL] Ash's life is on a timer. With his superpowers slowly freezing over his internal organs, he's got a year left to live, maybe less. But he's the headmaster of a school for other people like him, superpowered individuals. And he's got friends a...
