White Noise (The Inadequate Experiments 1)

6. The Perfect Imperfection

Calliope

The Watch in my lap refused to cooperate. I wished my old one hadn't been destroyed in the explosion – I never had so much trouble with that one. The back panel of the new one had been removed and now sat on the white sheet beside me, yet no amount of talcum powder or silicone tricked the fingerprint scanner like they had on my old one. I cursed, turning it over to show the azure countdown on the screen. I growled at it under my breath.

"Listen here, asshole," I said to it, "if there's one thing on this planet I hate, it's fucking blue."

"Maybe if you asked it nicely, it would do what you want."

I jumped, my gaze flitting to the now-open door. David lent in the doorframe, just outside the threshold. Like he was waiting for permission to come in.

"If it wanted me to ask nicely," I mumbled, "it would've worked for me the first time."

He smirked and wandered across the linoleum to my bed, where he perched himself on the edge rather precariously. "What exactly are you trying to do?" He asked curiously, observing the Watch in my hands. "I've never seen one of them open before."

"I'm only trying to change the colour." I told him. "My old one was orange. I was thinking purple this time." Libby's favourite colour. I threw the Watch down in frustration. It bounced once in the middle of the mattress, and would've flown to the floor had David not caught it.

David raised his eyebrows. "You can do that?"

I smirked. "I can do that. Everyone else can't, because they don't know how."

"Well, isn't it illegal to meddle with the Scientists' experiments?" He asked, turning my Watch over in his hands.

"Don't you think it's a little suspicious that they made that law?" I countered. "Doesn't it make it seem like they're... I don't know, hiding something?"

"What would they be hiding?"

"I don't know." I admitted. "But I'm going to find out."

David's eyes seemed to light up at my words. "And how are you gonna do that?"

A sly smile made its way across my face. "When I get out of here, we're going to break into the Scientists' Compound. How else?"

David's gaze turned sceptical. "Does this have anything to do with your sister?"

I looked away. "The Scientists have security streams all over the place – if anyone caught the initial explosion on video, if anyone has footage of the perpetrator, it'll be them."

He nodded thoughtfully before meeting my eyes. "We need to get into that Compound."

"Exactly." I held his gaze for a very long time. There would be no room for error. With my injuries that would plague me for a long time, I needed someone I could trust wholeheartedly to help me. I hoped that person would be David.

I jumped as there was a knock at the door. My nurse poked her head in.

"Sorry to interrupt," she said, looking between David and I on the bed, "but it's time to take those bandages off, Miss Jackson. The sooner you start moving your damaged joints as usual, the sooner we can get you discharged and right into rehab."

David patted my left knee. "Call me if you need anything."

I nodded, staring after him. I wondered if he realised that he hadn't stuttered once throughout our entire conversation.

My nurse stepped into the room and closed the door behind her, sympathy colouring her features. "You know this is the hardest part, don't you?"

I nodded again, not trusting my voice. Part of me wished that Oliver had been there.