" Hey Doug" the voice over the inter com said,
I ignored it and continued soldering the fine metal wire,
"DOUG!" The voice went again,
My hand slipped and I smelt burning flesh as the metal stick pressed to my finger,
"What!" I asked putting my fore finger in my mouth,
"Old man Johnson wants to talk to you" he laughed as I sighed, "Sounds like you're in trouble again".
I stood from my table and took off my head gear with the several lenses strapped to it. I left the office and walked down the surprisingly quiet corridor; I saw this as a chance and took the pill bottle out from my lab coat pocket. I emptied 2 pills into my palm and tipped them into my mouth, I'd need them. When I got Cave's office I was surprised to not see Caroline sat behind her desk next to the doors, but I ignored the observation and flattened down my hair and clothes. I quietly knocked my knuckles on the door, but the sound seemed to echo loudly,
"Come in!" I heard,
I swallowed a final time and entered. His office was like a completely different world to the rest of the facility.
"Sit down Douglas" the CEO said,
I rushed to his desk and sat in the chair opposite his own, that despite was in the same room, was terribly less comfortable.
"I'm guessing you have no idea why I called you hear?" he asked,
"No uncle" I replied, immediately regretting this as he shot me a stare, "I mean, no, mister Johnson",
"That's better. If I'm honest with you Douglas, I need to ask a favour, a big responsibility".
"But you're always calling me a disappointment and saying I need to work harder" I replied, my voice shaky and scared as to what the favour could be,
"I know, but there's no one else I can really turn to, and believe me, I checked. But anyway, this is…Chell" Cave said turning in his chair to face the side door.
I turned as well to see a little girl, only about 2, maybe just about 3, stood in front of Caroline.
"She's your cousin, but I need you to…" he paused as Chell began to walk over on stumbely baby legs,
She got very close to my chair and I found myself panic stricken as the child reached out for me, with a tiny smile on her perfect face. I looked up to see Caroline stood next to uncle Johnson's desk holding her heart gently and watching us.
"Go on" she whispered when she realised me staring at her dumfounded.
I looked back to the little girl, and slowly and unsurely reached back out for her. She walked between my hands and I took her up sitting her in my lap. I gasped silently as she dug her head into my chest, grabbing my tie and hugging it close,
"I need you to sign these forms" Cave then said pushing a piece of paper and a pen across the desk,
I took the piece of paper and looked over the title of the form,
"But… these are adoption forms" I said looking up and curving one arm around Chell's body so she wouldn't fall,
"Yes, you're going to adopt Chell" he said bluntly,
"What if I don't?"I asked,
"I'll fire you" my uncle replied,
"Fire me? For not taking the responsibility of a child?" I shouted,
But Chell stirred in my lap and grabbed the now crumpled fabric of my tie even tighter.
"You should be happy, I'm trusting you to look after her" he said with a glare.
Then I figured it out, Chell had a head of very dark brown hair like Caroline's. If Caroline and Cave couldn't look after their own daughter, she would go up for adoption, and she wouldn't be my cute little cousin any more. I then grabbed the paper and pen and signed the line, now she'd be my cute little daughter…
That night when I left the facility Chell walked along side me, squeezing my fingers…
She grew into a clever little girl, I taught her everything I knew about everything I knew about, and it turned out I was a good single dad, even if I did have my uncle, my daughters true father over my shoulder the whole time. She was top of all her classes and incredibly intelligent. She had great understanding of everything and as I hoped, since the first day she's clutched my fingers, she was more like me, than her real father…