Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me, this is fan fiction, not for profit.
Any references to people, places, businesses etc is entirely fictitious.
9.7 In London
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This was so not how Friday morning should start thought Abby as she looked from Lester to the minister in disbelief. The official had never actually come to the ARC before as far as Abby knew. You could usually tell when Lester was going to meet the minister. Lester tended to wear his light gray Gieves & Hawkes suit for those important meetings. Today he was dressed in a dark blue Armani suit, light blue shirt and a geometrically patterned tie of dark and light blue. Abby gulped.
"Pleased to meet you," she replied.
Abby started to back up, intending to exit the office, but the minister was rising from his seat, as was Lester. The minister turned to face Abby and extended his hand towards her.
"Lester's told me so much about you and your work with the creatures," said the minister. He smiled at her, blue eyes twinkling. "Jimmy insists we need your input on the new facility at the Forest of Dean."
Abby blinked as she realized the minister had just referred to James Lester as Jimmy. She swallowed again, and shook the minister's hand.
"Um… yeah," she stammered "great. What kind of input exactly?"
Lester stood behind his desk and rolled his eyes. He jerked his head sideways. Abby followed the direction of his gaze. Lester's hand was sitting atop the huge menagerie operations budget file that Abby had given him earlier this week. Abby's eyes widened as she finally understood.
"Perhaps we could start with a tour of the menagerie," suggested Lester. "You could give the minister the first hand input he needs to allocate funding."
"Yeah," agreed Abby. She backed out of the doorway to Lester's office. "Right this way."
The minister and Lester followed her out of the office into the central hub.
"Would the two of you go ahead and start towards the menagerie?" asked Abby. "I'll meet you at my office. I just need a minute…"
"Certainly," agreed Lester. With an expansive wave of his hand, he directed the minister down the corridor.
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Abby watched the two men walk away, then she turned to face the field coordinator. Jess was sitting at the Anomaly Detection Device, intently monitoring half a dozen computer screens. She didn't seem to be aware of Abby's presence. Abby stepped closer and laid her hand on the desk.
"Jess," said Abby softly "about yesterday…"
The dark haired young woman turned her gaze to Abby. Her serious expression didn't change.
"I just wanted to say…," continued Abby "sorry."
Jess swung her seat around to fully face Abby. Her long legs were crossed at the ankles. The red sparkles on her white heels caught the overhead light and reflected little dots of pinkish red light which danced across the floor.
"You're not the only person who misses someone," said Jess.
"I know, I never said I was," replied Abby hastily. "It's just… I want to be responsible for the choices I've made… and it bothers me when I feel that I'm letting everyone down… then…when you said I should cut back work…"
"That's not what I said!" exclaimed Jess. "And you are not letting anyone down… except maybe yourself… by being so hard on yourself."
Abby looked at her friend.
"Then what did you mean," Abby asked "when you started talking about your sisters… and how one doesn't work and the other waited to go back…?"
Jess opened her mouth, and then shut it. She drew in a deep breath and began again.
"All I meant," answered Jess "is there are lots of different ways to juggle family and work."
"Connor and I had a plan," replied Abby. "This trip wasn't part of it."
"Plans sometimes need to change… and a good balance… one that works for you and your family," said Jess "something that doesn't leave you stressed out and crying in the ladies… is what you need."
Jess reached across the desk to give Abby's had a friendly squeeze.
"Yeah… I know you're there," said Abby with a warm smile. "Right this minute, the best balance is Sarah at childcare, and me giving Lester and the minister a tour of the menagerie."
Abby turned away from her friend and started towards the corridor. Jess called after her.
"Just remember, if you need something…," Jess replied "you're not all alone."
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The minister turned his gaze from the Columbian mammoth to the elasmotherium in disbelief.
"I saw pictures," the minister said "but they don't give you a feel for how big these creatures are… not really, not at all."
Abby smirked. She held out a list of food supplies.
"This is how much Elton eats," she explained "in the course of one week."
"Rather expensive," commented the minister.
"No, not compared to the food requirements for carnivores," replied Abby.
She handed the minister another list and pointed at the smilodon circling in the containment area further down the walkway.
"Meat for Kitty there costs a lot more than hay. Also, carnivores really shouldn't be housed near herbivores…" continued Abby "it's added stress on both creatures."
At the end of the tour, the minister shook hands with both Abby and Lester.
"Construction restarted at the last month at the Forest of Dean facility," said the minister, "but I understand now why Lester has been pushing for a budget increase. I'll do my best to see that the ARC gets the necessary funding."
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Later that afternoon, Abby stopped by the hub for a word with Jess before leaving work. Lester's newest office assistant interrupted them.
"Mrs. Temple," called the young woman from the corridor. The plump woman with bright red streaks through her dark hair hurried towards them. She was clutching a handful of pink papers.
"Kayleigh," replied Abby "I'm on my way out the door. I've got to pick up Sarah before the childcare closes. Can this wait until Monday?"
"But Mrs. Temple," said the young woman earnestly, shaking the pink papers in front of Abby's nose, "I've got messages for you."
"What messages?" asked Abby, taking the pink slips marked URGENT MEMO from the woman's hand. Abby began reading the phone messages.
"You're supposed to transfer the calls Kayleigh," said Jess. "Not take written notes."
"Nobody told me that," exclaimed Kayleigh. "How do I transfer calls?"
Abby looked up at Jess. Her blue eyes were wide, panicked.
"What's wrong?" asked Jess.
"I've got to pick up Sarah," replied Abby "and Connor's Mum at the train station. I can't be two places at once."
"No," agreed Jess "you can't. You go get Sarah, I'll arrange for Connor's Mum to get picked up."
Abby smiled in relief.
"You're a lifesaver Jess!" Abby said as she raced down the corridor heading for the car park.
"Not a lifesaver," Jess replied with a chuckle. "Just the best field coordinator around."
She then turned to Kayleigh.
"Now, let's go over the phone system," said Jess. "This button activates the intercom."
Jess pressed one manicured finger on the button.
"Yes, yes," replied Lester's voice "what is it?"
"You're needed to greet a VIP guest arriving at the train station," said Jess "track twelve, 5:30 PM."
"Who?"
"Connor's Mum," answered Jess "and then take her to Connor and Abby's flat."
Lester's groan was audible over the intercom. Jess and Kayleigh exchanged a glance. Both women clapped their hands over their mouths to suppress a giggle at their bosses discomfort.
"Jess, you can leave early," offered Lester "if you wouldn't mind picking the woman up."
"I'd be glad to," replied Jess "but then you'll have to show Kayleigh how the phone system works."
A buzzing noise indicated the intercom was disconnected. Lester appeared at the door of his office clutching his hat and greatcoat.
"I'll pick up Mrs. Temple," said Lester "you show Kayleigh how the phone system works."
Lester strode off down the corridor, putting his hat and coat on while he walked. Jess chuckled, then turned to Kayleigh once more.
"He doesn't know how the phone system works either," Jess told the young woman conspiratorially.
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The middle of Monday morning, Abby and Jess met in the break room. The two women compared notes about their weekend while fixing their morning beverages.
"Actually," said Abby as she stirred her tea "it was rather nice having Connor's Mum for the weekend… it was our first time really just the two of us… and Sarah of course. And... it was especially nice not having an anomaly alert."
"Didn't Connor call?" asked Jess. "I thought you two usually arrange to chat on Skype whenever he's away."
"Yes," replied Abby "we talked briefly each night… but going out on Lake Neuchâtel each day has been exhausting. The weather has been really odd. Friday it was warm most of the day, and then it came a rainstorm. Connor was soaked."
"Yeah," said Jess nodding "Hil told me Connor wouldn't come into the wheelhouse… when the storm started… kept taking water samples from various depths of the lake."
Jess picked up a little pink packet of sweetener and ripped it open. She then stirred it into her frothy coffee. She took a tentative sip, wrinkled her nose and set the cup back down before reaching for another pink packet.
"Saturday evening we got to talk a little longer," continued Abby "the team had to come back early because the detector and the sonar both were acting up during the lightening."
"Lightening?" asked Jess in surprise. "When I spoke to Hil, he said it snowed Saturday."
"It did both," replied Abby "it was really weird… Connor called it thundersnow. He said it doesn't happen often. I just wish it didn't delay their search."
Jess nodded in agreement.
"It was so cold Sunday," said Abby. "Connor was tired after being out in the boat all day, so we didn't talk much. The lake is huge and deep…"
"Hil said they hadn't fully searched the surface yet," said Jess "and it might several more days…"
"Connor and Professor Bertrand are supposed to be going out in the university submersible today," added Abby with a sigh.
"Hil told me that woman has an attitude problem," added Jess.
"Conn just said he thought the woman was frightened," asked Abby "She knows something dangerous is in the lake and she wants to protect the students, the townspeople… it's a lot of stress for someone who never knew about an anomaly before."
"I've seen frightened people before," replied Jess "they don't always act rude."
"Rude?"
"Didn't Connor tell you how Professor Bertrand acted when they arrived?"
Lester stuck his head in the break room. He looked at the two women sitting together at the small round table. Their heads were bent down and they were speaking quietly, stirring the cups on the table in front of them.
"Ahem," said Lester as he entered the room. The orange file folder he was carrying was readily visible and recognizable.
Abby looked from the Health and Safety Report folder to Lester's face. His serious expression did nothing to reassure her.
"What's happened to Connor?" Abby asked.
"It's not Connor," replied Lester.
He looked at Jess. Her face paled suddenly at the implication of Lester's words.
"Jess," said Lester gently "I need you to go to Neuchâtel for me… take a copy of Becker's medical records to the Neuchâtel Hospital."
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