She awoke to the sound of loud voices just outside the door, two unfamiliar males and one all too familiar female. Fear instantly seized her nerves, and before she could give a second thought, she rolled off the bed and dropped to the floor, ducking behind one of the countertops. Her head was pounding, but she forced herself to ignore the pain and focus on the situation at hand. She watched as three people entered, glancing around the room furtively. One was a tall and strong man who seemed to carry himself with a confident and commanding aura, immediately making him stand out as the leader among his companions. He wore a devilish smile and a glint of mischief sparkled in his deep blue eyes. The second was another man, this one with short red curls all over his head and of a skinnier build. His shifty eyes scanned the room carefully as he peered over the larger man's shoulder, clearly on edge. The third was Inara, her dark brown hair hanging loosely around her shoulders, stopping just at her sleeveless top which showed off her pale, slender arms. She appeared neither pleased nor agitated, but stayed close to the two men, as if waiting for them to say something.
Her breath hitched from where she was hiding as she watched them begin to rifle through the cabinets, tugging violently on the ones that were locked.
"Damn, looks like Doc locked his shit up this time," the blond remarked, following his statement with a slew of curses.
The red head examined the cabinet doors closely. "I could probably pick it if you give me a few minutes. Hold up."
Her hands gripped the edge of the counter, her heart racing in her chest. Why were they trying to steal the medicine? Should she stop them? She knew that she shouldn't just sit back and watch, but at the same time, there was nothing she could do, especially against the three of them. She'd just have to wait until Doc got back, hopefully sooner than later.
Inara's sharp eyes unexpectedly sweeping across the rest of the room caused her to duck behind the counter again, wrapping her arms around herself to try to stop herself from shaking.
"What is it?" one of the men questioned.
Inara frowned. "I think someone's here."
The sound of a blade getting unsheathed made her blood run cold. As quickly and quietly as she could, she crawled on the floor to put more distance between her and the intruders and to find a better place to hide. Turning a corner, she found two doors, the closed one leading to Doc's personal quarters and the slightly ajar one leading to a large storage closet. Glancing over her shoulder, she caught one last small glimpse of Inara before scrambling into the closet, squeezing herself through the open gap. She was about to shut the door but froze as the other girl appeared in view, not looking in her direction but near enough to hear the door close. Her heart still hammering in her chest, she backed deeper into the closet with her eyes glued ahead of her. Inara held a silver blade in her hand, the metal glinting in the light as she further searched the room.
"You're just being paranoid," one of the men scoffed, his sudden voice causing her to jump.
"I know what I'm doing, Tycho," Inara sneered in return, approaching the closet with painful slowness.
Her heart was beating so loudly in her ears that she feared it was audible to the others in the room. As she was scooting further into the closet, her back collided with something and it fell to the floor with a clatter. She clamped a hand over her mouth, her eyes widening as fear immediately paralyzed her, permeating every fiber of her being. It must've been a miracle that the moment Inara's hand touched the door handle, Doc's voice rang out, his anger and annoyance filling every crevice in the room. Inara promptly backed away from the door, sheathing her knife and disappearing from sight, much to the hidden girl's relief.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Doc bellowed, glaring at the intruders.
"Beauregard, my man, think you could help us out? We're a bit in a fix."
"Pryce Ryan, don't you dare call me that. And you've gotta be kidding me if you think I'm just going to let you steal drugs again."
"C'mon, it's not like anyone else is using them. Nothing happens around here anyway."
Even without seeing him, she could tell Doc was seething with anger. Crawling out from where she was hiding, she peered around the corner, watching the scene unfold but not daring to get any closer. The one named Pryce leaned back against the counters haughtily, a smirk plastered on his face. Inara stood to his left with her arms folded across her chest.
"Get the hell out of here you good for nothing scum, or so help me, I'll make sure you die if you ever need me for anything."
The smaller boy—Tycho she assumed—stepped closer, standing a good couple inches taller than the doctor. Unexpectedly, he snatched up him by the lab coat, pulling him in until their faces were mere inches apart. "What, is that a threat, old man?"
"It is indeed a threat, Tycho. And what are you going to do about it, huh?" Doc retorted, not even a tinge of fear evident in his voice.
Tycho hissed, raising his hand to hit Doc, but Pryce swiftly caught his fist. "Easy, easy. My apologies, Doctor. We'll be going now." The way his voice was so sickly sweet now as opposed to the rough tone she had heard earlier made her skin crawl.
"What—" Inara attempted to protest, but a look from Pryce quickly silenced her.
Tycho shoved Doc roughly before exiting, followed by the other two. Doc's eyes didn't come off of them until they had all left the room after which he promptly slammed the door shut, locking it with a click. Sighing and running a hand through his hair, he set to work examining the cabinets for any damage and cleaning up his counters, meticulously placing everything in their correct spots. It was not for many long minutes that he snapped his fingers, realizing he was missing something glaringly obvious.
"Girl, where are you? Come out now," he bellowed.
She timidly arose from where she was hiding, wrapping her arms securely around herself. "A-are you alright?"
Doc scoffed. "These kids don't intimidate me and wouldn't dare hurt me that seriously. That's the one plus to being the most knowledgeable in my field."
"Oh. Well...that's good, I suppose."
Doc hummed, placing both hands on the counter. "Did they see you?"
She shook her head. "No, I hid as soon as I heard them coming in."
"Wow, it appears you do have some sense."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. Come here and let me look at your injury."
She complied, making her way over to him and taking a seat on the edge of the bed. He settled down next to her after putting on some gloves, gingerly unwrapping the bandage from her head in a quick but professional manner. The cool air coming in contact with the tender area caused her skin to tingle slightly, and her fingers squeezed the edge of her shirt once again.
"How does it feel?"
She thought for a moment. "A little sore, but it's not too bad."
"Good. It doesn't look too bad either. When is Kairo coming to get you?"
"He didn't say."
Doc sighed, standing up and padding over to the sink. "Fine. Guess you're staying here a bit longer then."
"I apologize for causing you trouble. I would leave on my own if I could."
"I know, I know. I just don't like being around people much."
She frowned, surprised by his answer. "Why not? It does not get lonely?"
"Nah, I prefer being alone. It's better that way."
"I...I don't understand."
"What's there to not understand?"
"Why would anyone voluntarily choose to be alone all the time?"
"Well, if you're surrounded by people you don't like, it's better to be alone than have to force yourself to act all fake just to make them like you more."
"Do people not like you as you are?"
He snorted, turning off the faucet and drying his hands off. "What do you think?"
She bit her lip, shifting slightly in her spot. "I think that it is hard to believe that every single person here doesn't like you. The odds are too unlikely."
"It's not too unlikely considering most people wouldn't want to be around a grumpy old geezer all the time."
"I was under the impression that you are this way as a result of your alienation, not because of it."
Doc was silent for a moment, her words hanging in the air as if they were taunting him. And then they rushed at him, trying to reach deep past his defenses and reveal a part of him that had been hidden from everyone, including himself. But as he always did, he put up his walls, shielding himself from anything that could expose his vulnerability and conflicted state.
"What would you know?" he spat. "You're just a Blank, and a prisoner at that, so how could you possibly know anything?"
His response felt like a slap across the face, and she immediately diverted her gaze to the floor. She could still feel his eyes on her, causing her to tremble in her spot out of fear of what he might do next. "I apologize. I forgot my place."
Another spiteful response almost rolled off his tongue, but he bit it back upon seeing the fearful look on her face. Exhaling slowly, he turned and stomped off to his room without another word, slamming the door behind him. He sat down on the edge of his bed heavily, holding his head in his hands. How dare she assume that of him. He hated the way she said it, hated the way she looked at him, her innocent eyes full of pity. How dare she talk down on him like that. He had successfully thwarted that advance, but cracks in his shell had started to form, and although small, offered a glimpse of change in his enclosed world.
***
"You ready to go?" Kairo asked, trying to keep his cool after being on the receiving end of another one of Doc's sarcastic remarks.
She nodded silently, standing up from the bed and heading toward the door where he was standing. Before she stepped out, she glanced back at Doc who had busied himself with straightening the countertops jars for about the fifth time that day.
"Thank you," she squeaked timidly, but he acted as if he didn't even hear.
Kairo touched her arm gently. "Come on."
Without another word, the two slipped out of the white, sterile room, shutting the door behind them softly. It was in the evening, though not as late as their secret outdoor excursions, and the hallways were dark and vacant. Kairo offered his hand to her, and she took it as he began to lead her back down to the lower levels of the base. Her hand felt tense and stiff in his and casting a quick glance over at her, he could see the deep frown that had settled on her face. He wondered what that was about, but opted not to say anything until they weren't out in the open anymore. Stopping just outside the cell door, he instructed her to wait while he turned off the camera loop he had set to make it seem like she was still inside. She hadn't moved an inch when he returned, her eyes glued to the floor as if she was too afraid to even look at him. Once he had unlocked the door, she entered without a word, heading straight to the little corner where she usually stayed.
"What's wrong?" he finally asked, closing the door and leaning against the wall.
She shook her head, sitting down with her back against the wall and bringing her legs up to her chest. "Nothing. I was not able to sleep well is all."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
His eyebrows furrowed as his lips curved into a frown. "You really did mean it when you said that you can't lie. Come on, what's bothering you?"
She hesitated. "It's nothing important."
"Was it something that Doc said?"
"Why does it matter?"
His jaw clenched, expressing his anger though not directed toward her. "I knew it. That bastard—"
"It was nothing bad."
"If it wasn't bad, you wouldn't be acting like this." She shook her head again, still not looking at him. Sighing, he walked over, taking a seat on the floor across from her with his legs crossed. "Hey, I can't help you if you don't talk to me."
"Why would you need to help me?"
He blinked, dumbfounded. "Why? Because I care, obviously."
"Because you're attracted to me?" The words flew out of her mouth so fast that she didn't even have time to think them through. Staring at him with wide eyes, she immediately clamped a hand over her mouth, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment. "Forgive me. That was improper of me to say."
Kairo was immediately stunned by her response, but broke out laughing a few seconds later, not even trying to hide the wide grin on his face. "Damn, what has Doc been telling you?"
She stuttered, struggling to form a coherent sentence amid his amused noises. "I-I suppose he just incorrectly came to that conclusion based on how you act and such..."
He chuckled, getting that last of his laughs out before somewhat regaining his composure, straightening up and looking at her again. "Well, who said he was wrong?"
She blinked. "Pardon?"
He smiled, shaking his head. His heart rate had picked up, and his stomach was suddenly filled with butterflies as he tried his best to hide his flustered state by joking lightheartedly. "Forget it. Damn, that's what was bothering you?"
She shook her head. "No, no, I did not even mean to say that."
"But you still were thinking about it."
"I—"
"I'm just teasing. So, what's really up?" he asked, quickly changing the subject.
Feeling a little more at ease, albeit somewhat embarrassed, she fiddled with her shirt, thinking about all the different things Doc had said to her over the time they were stuck together. To say that he confused her would be an understatement. His constant animosity seemed without reason most of the time, and she could not understand why always lashed out at every person who tried to talk with him. Had she said something wrong? Kairo certainly didn't and he still got yelled at.
"Do you not pity Doc at all?" she finally asked, eyeing him cautiously.
"Um...interesting question. Do you?"
"I do, though I feel like I shouldn't."
He titled his head. "Why not?"
"I'm already in an inferior position, so it feels wrong for me to pity someone else. And I'm sure he would see it as demeaning."
"Well, it's Doc we're talking about. He tends to find a way to be insulted by everything."
She frowned. "Do you know why he's like that?"
Kairo shrugged. "I gave up trying to find out a long time ago."
Her genuine concern for the doctor surprised him, especially the fact that she didn't even know him much at all. But somehow, from those fleeting hours they were together, she had developed a worry for him and his well being, one that was weighing heavy in her mind. Yves was right when she said that this girl was sweet and genuine, perhaps too much for a world like this. He wondered how it was possible to still think like that after all the horrors she had probably been through.
"Personally, I wouldn't lose sleep over it," he added. "There's not really much to do to change him anyway."
She nodded, though she didn't seem fully convinced. She knew that there was absolutely nothing she could do to help, but at the same time, she couldn't suppress the innate desire to at least try. If only the circumstances were different...
Kairo exhaled loudly, running a hand through his hair and rubbing his eyes. "I gotta go soon, but I'll be back tomorrow as usual."
"Alright. Have a good night then."
"You too."
Offering her a gentle smile, he stood and made his way over to the door. As he was about to step out, she called out to him again. He glanced back her way, seeing her laying down on the floor in a sleeping position. Her big dark eyes were fixed on him, staring straight into his soul and causing his breath to hitch in his throat.
"Thank you," she said simply.
His lips parted, but he hesitated before responding, suddenly speechless with her strong gaze on him. For no apparent reason, he felt a strong urge to hug her, to hold her in his arms and comfort her and protect her from whatever would hurt her and take advantage of her. But that would be too sudden, too out of line. So he stayed where he was, looking at her from a distance, a gap that he could never close no matter how much he wanted to.
"Of course, darling. I..." he trailed off. "I'll see you tomorrow."