Things that Go Bump in the Night

Chapter 50: Part 3: Knowledge is Power

With a deep breath I swallowed by pride and started to descend into the depths of the laboratory.

As I entered the room, I was momentarily distracted again by the scope of John's work. In the days of my absence, the mass of papers and charts seemed to multiply. He obviously had not been idling broodily down here. 

 My lips pulled in a rueful smile.

My thoughts went back to when I fist met John. The man meticulously refining security algorithms, while eating a sandwich, and casually answering questions, knowing my gun was pointed at his head."

Nothing kept this man from being industrious.

My ears perked at the soft sounds of computer keys tapping in rapid succession. I followed the sound to the back of the lab, where I knew his cot to reside.

As predicted, the man was sitting in his cot, papers surrounding him in a half moon shape while he continued to read through something on his laptop. At first, I thought that he had not noted my appearance, but then had to roll my eyes at myself as I noted the small monitor to the left of the cot with a security camera feed of the stairs to the lab.

Like I would be able to sneak up on John level of paranoia.

"John, I need to talk to you." I started, forcing his attention onto me. He paused from his reading and looked up to regard me. I realized it had been a couple of days since I had actually looked him in the face. The expression I found there was enough to make me suck in a deep breath.

I expected him to be angry with me. To have a look of indifference or distain.

What I did not expect to see was sadness and defeat.

Dark circles shadowed his eyes, his shoulders were slanted under some unseen weight, and those expressive emerald eyes started up at me with quiet acceptance. He broke eye contact, looking back down at his laptop screen tiredly.

"Ok."

I gulped down my discomfort and tightened my hands into fists.

"It is about the conversation we had the other day." I explained, not knowing exactly how to begin. "About your past...and your father."

John closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Shocking me by closing his laptop and half hazardly tossing it beside him on the cot. He leaned forward, running his hands through his short hair in obvious discomfort and frustration.

"I'm sorry. I know that my answer may not make sense to you." John sighed; the slant of his shoulders weary. "I don't really know how to explain my feelings toward my father- "

"You don't have to." I interrupted.

John looked up at me, his emerald eyes sparking with shock and confusion upon my interruption. I sighed and smiled at him ruefully.

"May I sit?" I asked, pointing to the chair across from his cot. He nodded, gesturing to the chair in question. I sank into it, my gut feeling heavy.

"You don't have to explain your emotions. You are not the one that needs to apologize. I am."

John regarded me in silence for a moment, his expression unchanging. I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced myself to continue.

"My mother died before I ever really knew her. She developed a brain tumor when I was just at toddler." I confessed, forcing myself to keep eye contact with John as I spoke. I watched his expression change from confusion to sadness and concern.

"I am so sorry Juniper." He began, but I raised a hand to silence him.

"It is ok. My only memories of her are good ones." I assured him, smiling sadly. "My parent's love was mutual and deep. My father was a good man that cared for and supported her and me. It was a werewolf that took him from me." While my voice was level and clear as I spoke, I still felt my heart clench as I confessed this to him.