4M4L13 (A novella)

Chapter 4

As with every surgery she had, she healed. The scientists were very particular about her health, monitoring her very closely. They had too much money invested in her to let anything destroy their research. During the recovery of the open chest surgery, the scientists began watching how Dr. Ross interacted with her, noting little things they saw.

"Dr. Joseph, six years ago you were granted special access to educate the subject, realizing that such would enable better interaction. However, it is becoming obvious that you're forming an emotional bond with the subject. This is not an acceptable scenario," Dr. Rudolph said.

"Dr. Rudolph, I have not strayed from the purpose of this experiment in any way," Ross said.

"But you have strayed from the protocols," Dr. Rudolph challenged.

"I disagree, doctor," Ross replied. "When I leave this facility, I leave my work here. In no way have I violated protocol, which was established to insure no employee attempted to steal the subject away," Ross argued.

"Your assessment is correct, on the surface, but there is a greater purpose for the protocol. We want no one to bond to the subject, as such a bond could taint the test results," Dr. Rudolph said.

"I am not involved in the testing, doctor, so any interaction I have with the subject should have no bearing on the test results," Ross said.

"Ah, but it has. The subject resisted going into the procedure room recently, expressing fear, a thing not previously done. How do you explain that?" he asked.

"The subject is still human, with human emotion. Although it is repressed, and growth of those emotions is discouraged, they are still there. Considering this is the first manifestation in thirteen years is rather incredible. You should also consider, the subject has entered adolescence, a time well documented for alterations in behavior, and emotional upheaval," he said.

"You make a good, and potentially valid point in that. I'll take it into consideration, but there is an appearance of an attachment forming. Be careful that does not happen," Dr. Rudolph said, as he stood up. A moment later, Ross not having replied to that, he left.

Once he was able, he made his way to the cage. Walking in, she was looking a lot better, but she was still weak. He would say she looked pale, but she was always pale.

"Amalie, how are you feeling, sweetheart?" he asked, once the last technician left. When he called her sweetheart, her face lit up, just a little, and she smiled.

"I hurt, but it's getting better," she said.

"Amalie, I think they're going to stop me from coming soon. They're getting worried that I'm forming an attachment to you," he said.

"Attachment is something that connects you to me?" she asked, and he nodded. As she looked, trying to see the attachment, he laughed. She took many things absolutely literally, a product of her learning her communication skills from scientists.

"No, sweetheart. Our attachment is an emotional one. I love you, and although it's not a physical attachment, it's just as strong," he explained. She thought about it a surprisingly short time before her face showed understanding.

"I understand," she said, using that phrase for the first time since he'd started working with her.

"They put a thing inside me to terminate me if they want to," she told him, changing the subject without any warning. What she said told him just how worried they were about his influence on her.

"I had hoped that I'd be able to get you out one day, but that makes it impossible," he said, not having meant to tell her that.

As he said that, Amalie looked at him, feeling his thoughts, which she sometimes did. There was a deep unhappiness in him, something that made her hurt in a way she wasn't used to.