"Okay," I say from the doorway of the office. "I'll do whatever I can to help the team."
I walk further into the room and smile at Owen. His face is void of emotion, and I wonder if I'm interrupting something. Phil did ask me to find him when I was ready, didn't he?
"If you think you're up to it, Miss Sorensen." He doesn't look at me, and my stomach starts to churn.
The silence is not the usual comfortable quiet that I've come to expect with Owen. Dr. Roberts frowns but motions me to sit in the vacant chair.
"Miss Sang, you will have to prove to me that this is something you can handle. I'm aware of the difficulties you've been experiencing, but I'm sure that we can make quite a bit of progress if you'll trust me."
I nod and lean forward, putting my elbows on my knees. "I want to do this. You have all helped me so much, and I want to be a part of doing that for someone else. Besides, I've never gone to school before. It will be exciting."
I turn my head to look at the stoic man beside me. I want to reach out and touch his face, but I don't think that it would be welcome right now. Our chairs are only inches apart, but it feels like miles.
***
Doc comes storming in and bellows at the top of his lungs, " AARGH!"
We all stop what we're doing, and look at one another. We have a silent conversation, and I'm voted up, so I ask, "Doc, you okay?"
He paces back and forth, waving his hands around and occasionally swearing in Japanese. I push up my glasses and put on my proverbial cloak of authority. "Dr. Green! What is going on?"
He pauses and turns to me. The look on his face is a combination of anger and despair. "Kota, we have to get Owen on board with us." He resumes his frantic rounds and I have to physically stop him in order for him to clarify.
"Get on board with what? Doc, you've got to give us more information." I look over at North, who's getting more and more agitated. I shake my head, and he glares, but sits.
"Owen's going to break her heart because he thinks its best!" He looks at me with wild eyes. "You've got to stop him!"
"Nobody moves," I order "Family meeting right now!"
Everyone gathers around and sits. Many of my brothers are now as restless as Doc, and I need to keep the tempers in check. I wish Mr. Blackbourne was the one doing this, but if he's the source of the turmoil, it's best we get a handle on it before it blows up in our faces.
"Dr. Green, please start at the beginning."
He sighs but takes a seat as well. "There are a few things that came up in our meeting with Phil. The foremost is that our mission has changed, or grown, I guess. There are suspicious reports about dealings in the ladies' rooms, and the Academy wants Sang to join us at Ashley Waters if she is healthy enough. This leads to the second problem. If she goes with, then Owen and I become her teachers, so Dr. Roberts wants us to lay off a bit with her. We can't be in a relationship with a student. It could jeopardize the entire mission."
He calms down and closes his eyes. I think he's seeing the bigger picture now, and that earlier, he was reacting with his heart.
"I'll tone it down as best as I can, but there's no going back now for me. I can't just not be a part of her life suddenly. Owen, on the other hand...well, you all know how much of a cyborg he can be."
Silas growls and Gabriel shouts, "We'll fucking tell her that it's all just bullshit until the job's over!"
Victor and North nod, but Luke shakes his head and stands. "It won't work, guys. No matter what we tell her, she'll be crushed. She expects us all to leave her anyway, and her doubts will get the best of her." He looks at Doc and then around at the rest of us. "We have to get Mr. B to re-think this. Maybe he can just stay away during school hours or something."
