Dr. Nicholas Rush 100 Drabbles: Drabble # 06-"Hours"
She looked at the clock, for what seemed to be the 100th time. She watched the hands move, shifting in her seat. She glanced around the room, at everyone who was busy doing what it was they were supposed to be doing. She chewed lightly on the end of her pencil, daring a glance up at Dr. Rush. He was in his usual pose, leaning against the podium, arms folded across his chest. She could never read his face; it remained frozen, almost like a statue. No one could ever tell if he expressed any emotions. Whether he was happy, sad, disappointed. She wondered if he ever even cracked a smile. His eyes, however, did lock onto hers and there was a certain look as if saying silently "get back to work."
Looking back down at the piece of paper in front of her, she frowned, making a silent groan within her throat. It didn't matter how many times she attempted to figure out the equations, she just couldn't get it. Why in the hell did she even sign up for this course? She couldn't even fathom how these equations could somehow come into play when it came to the Icarus project. Was there even a space ship out there, or a secret base, like Dr. Rush had mentioned from time to time? The equations looked like Greek to her, and he had gone over the material time and time again. Why was she the only one, who couldn't get this stuff? After what seemed to be only seconds, she looks up at the clock as the bell rang. Panic coursing through her veins, she looked down at the one problem she had left blank. She knew a lot of them were wrong, and as the other students were getting up and handing in their exams, she scribbled what she could in a hurry. They had three hours for this exam-and they had blended into what seemed like seconds to her. For three agonizing hours, not only had Dr. Rush been watching them all, he expected results.
She was the last to his desk, now suddenly realizing that she was alone with him. She offered him a nervous smile, handing the exam over to his outstretched hands and attempted to sprint to the door. But as she reached for the handle, she heard him call out to her. Silently curses herself before turning around to face him again.
"Lily, these answers are irrelevant to the equation…"
She saw him study her exam and for a split moment, she saw confusion cross his face before disappearing again. She wanted to groan out again. That last answer was completely bogus. He obviously caught on that instead of providing the right answer, she instead just wrote simply what had been on her mind for the past three hours of the exam: 'I have no idea what it is I'm doing.' She watched him take his glasses off, and for a long while, he simply just stared at her. For the first time since taking his class, she couldn't bare to look at him. She would never admit to secretly studying him, admiring him; would she ever admit to herself that she might have a small crush on him? But now, he was studying her, and it was making her nervous. He was evaluating her; looking into the depths of her very being, as if she was another one of his science experiments or calculations.
"Let's go over the equation again. If we have to, we'll be here all day."
It was her turn to gawk at him, stunned. Was he showing that he cared, about how she progressed not only in his class, but as a human being?
"Dr. Rush, I'm not sure if I can do this equation, or ever will. Also…this class may not be for me, I was thinking of dropping out-"
"I won't let that happen. I would have never accepted you as a student, if I didn't think you had some potential."
And there, for just a split second, she caught the corners of his mouth turn into a small smile. And as the black marker was handed to her, she stepped up to the board next to him. She tried to listen as he scribbled the equation on the board, explaining what it was she did wrong. But, she simply couldn't. A small smile was plastered on her lips. Perhaps, she had been wrong about Dr. Rush this whole time. But there was one sure thing he was correct about, that they were going to be there all day.