What can I say beside I'm sorry and it's summer? I know this wait has been incredibly long, and I'm sorry. Lately, when I haven't been busy, I've been lazy. Thank Ashley-Magnus for getting me motivated again. There is also a quote from Shelley's Frankenstein, which I take no credit for.
Comments = LOVE.
Part 7:
The day had been trying; the week had been impossible. Absolutely, nothing had gone Helen's way, or according to plan. She and Ashley had returned from a mission a week ago to find that the Sanctuary had not been well run during their absences. To put it bluntly, the thug Mr. Jones and his so-called Bat Boys had trashed the place.
Like many other abnormals, some the gang had been living at the Sanctuary. They were free to come and go as they pleased. They had taken advantage of the hospitality by storage drugs, stolen goods and other unsavory things in their quarters. Magnus was friends with the chief of police and the Sanctuary was given a great deal of privacy from the authorities.
Terrene Wexford had been left in charge and had just thrown them out without their belongings. They had returned a few days later with an army to retrieve their things and then rioted through the streets of Old City. There was damage done to the facility and no one was hurt seriously hurt, but there was all the aftermath to deal with, which Wexford had drop squarely into Helen's lap as soon as she walk in the door.
She had been gone for two and a half weeks and would have been dreadfully behind in her work no matter what, and Wexford had tripled the amount. He stayed a mere two days to 'help' before returning to New York. The whole crisis had happened while Helen was in remote location, not impossible. She could have been reached had Wexford bothered. He was so set on handling the situation his way.
Helen shoved the pile of paper covering her desk away from her. The motion was more forceful than she intended. The mound nearly knocked over picture of Ashley. She lunged across the desk, half standing, to grab the frame, and returned it to its place.
It was a combination of her exhaustion and Wexford's infuriating nature. She normally did not let him get to her this way. Normally, she did not let anyone get to her this way.
However, Helen and Wexford had never really seen eye to eye. He was good at his job, even Helen had to admit that. He just did it differently than she did.
She took a deep, calming breath. She was not going to get this work done tonight, at least not right now. She stood up, surveyed her office. She went to the kitchen and returned with a good cup of tea. She eased herself onto the sofa in front of the fireplace. She rested her elbow on the chair's arm and her chin in her hand. Some times she just needed to be quiet; to take a real break, even if it was only for five minutes. She watched the fire crackle.
The Sanctuary was quiet. It was late, but not too late. She knew the others were still awake. She wondered vaguely where Ashley was. Helen had hardly seen her daughter in the place past since they returned from the Himalayas. Helen had seen Ashley tonight for about a minute when her daughter got home. She had been in the tunnels under the city and had headed straight for the shower. She was in the Sanctuary and that's all Helen knew.
Ashley was nineteen and after the last few mission, especially the latest, Helen had realized that Ashley was almost grown up. She was still learning, but Ashley was an integral piece of their work that Helen couldn't image doing without. It had quickly become clearly that Ashley had only the smallest interest in the scientific side of Helen's work. She was a Magnus, so she had the skill, but Ashley loved the rush of the capture, using her body and her mind in conjunction.
Helen had given her daughter complete rein during this last mission. Ashley had planned and executed every aspect. Helen had been a simple participant, or gentle reminder.
A Megascops Himalaus Otusingens, or the Himalayan Screech Owl, had descended from its hunting ground in the peak of the mountains and was terrorizing the villages in the valley. These owls were enormous birds with a wingspan that could reach up to fifteen-feet wide, powerful talons, and a bone-crushing break. However, what made the species remarkable was their screech. The birds were able to focus sound waves powerful enough to stun their prey.
The particular specimen had been something of a runt. It had an injured eye and missing feathers, but it had still been strong enough to carry away goats and kill a man. The mission had been to capture the owl and bring it to the Sanctuary in New Delhi for rehabilitation.
Ashley had planned the flights, organized the men and supplies, and led the chase. Ashley was a good leader, even though Helen had been able to tell how nervous she had been. The mission had gone off with only the expected amount of problems, and the owl was now settling into its habitat in New Delhi.
Ashley was done with school. She was done with sleeping in her mother's bed after a nightmare. She was done with naptimes and midnight bottle feedings. She no longer needed her mother's protection. They watched each other's backs, as equals. Helen would always have more experience, but she still found herself asking Ashley for help solving problems. Ashley wasn't a little girl anymore. And she hadn't been for a very long time. What stuck Helen was how quickly it had happened. Ashley had been a toddler, then Helen turned around and her daughter was suddenly a young woman.
Helen swirled the dregs of her tea in the cup. Maybe she should try to get more work done. She got heavily to her feet. She stoked the fire and added a log. She moved to her desk. Instead of sitting in her high-backed, leather chair, she gathered an armload of patient files and settled back on the sofa.
She had barely finished reviewing the second file, when there was a soft knock on the office door. Helen looked up to see Ashley leaning half in the doorway. She was wearing yoga pants, an old t-shirt, and her blond hair pulled back on a loose braid. She carried a book under her arm.
"Mom? Am I interrupting?" she asked.
Helen noted her slightly cautious tone. She sighed silently. She unnecessarily snapped at Ashley earlier for disturbing a phone call with Wexford. She had not meant it, of course. She had been angry with Wexford, not her daughter.
"There is always time for you, darling, despite what I said earlier," Helen said with a broad smile.
Ashley was reassured. She crossed to sofa and slid onto the empty half of the loveseat She tucked her knees underneath her and leaned her cheek against her mother's shoulder. Helen kissed the top of her head. Ashley's hair was still damp from her shower.
"Whatcha looking at?" said Ashley, reading over Helen's shoulder.
"I'm reviewing files of patients who have been in the network for a while. I'm making sure all their needs are being met. This is for a fire elemental in London," answered Helen.
"Very exciting," Ashley said, still scanning the file.
"It is more exciting than what I was working on: bills and apology letters."
Ashley made a face that echoed Helen's feelings.
"My thoughts exactly," said Helen with a laugh. "How did the hunting go tonight?"
Ashley made another face, "It was disgusting down there and we lost the trail after about an hour. We spent another three hours trying to find it again."
"Bad intelligence?" said Helen.
"No, there is definitely something giant and snake-like down in the tunnels. We just couldn't find it."
"Did Sylvio end up joining you?"
"Yeah, he caught up with the Big Guy and me, but after we lost the trial, so he didn't stay long."
"I see."
They were both quiet for a while. Helen was still pretending to read the file in her hands. 'Ashley was not a little girl anymore,' she repeated to herself. The idea made her feel slightly sad, and there was an ache for the feel of a small, chubby baby hand in her own. However, at the same time in filled her with joy and pride. Ashley was beautiful, graceful, and intelligent young woman. Her future was bright. Helen was excited to see where her path led.
"Ashley?"
"Yeah, Mom?"
"Things have been so crazy around here, we haven't had a chance to talk since we got back. I've bee meaning to tell you what an amazing job you did during the Himalayan mission," said Helen.
Ashley shifted so she could see Helen's face better. "Really?" asked Ashley. She was suddenly unsure, almost shy.
"Of course. You know I would not say so unless I truly meant it," said Helen.
"That means a lot."
"The only real problem we had was coordinating the flights to New Delhi with the abnormal crate. That section could have been better organized so the creature didn't have to spend so much time sedated. Those sort of logistical issues get easier with practice."
"That's good to know that I'll get a 'next time,'" said Ashley.
"Of course," Helen kissed the top of Ashley's head again, "I say this without the partiality of a mother: that was one of the most successful first mission run by one of my protégés."
"Honestly?"
"Of course," answered Helen. Of course, there were some biases. Helen was a mother, so she couldn't really help it.
Again, they fell into the comfortable silence. Neither feeling the need to move, or even speak. However, Ashley now had an unmistakable grin on her face. Ashley watched the fire; Helen continued to flip through the patient files. Half way through the pile, she gave up. She just wasn't in the mood to concentrate. Eventually, she notice the book tucked under Ashley's arm. Her hand covered the spine.
"What book is that?" asked Helen after another long pause.
Ashley scoffed at herself as she handed the book to Helen. "Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley," Helen read from the cover. "I know read it about ten times," said Ashley, preempting her mother's question. "There is nothing wrong with returning to a favorite book," said Helen as she flipped through the pages. The book was worn. Corners has been dog-eared and unfolded. There were a few stained pages and marks in the margins. It was clearly well loved. "Read to me," said Ashley, half laughing, "Like you used to when I was little." "Did I ever read this one to you?" asked Helen, still flipping the pages. "Yeah, when I was about seven or eight. We had a movie marathon after we finished," said Ashley. Helen laughed softly, "And you walked around the house like the monster in the film for weeks afterward."
Ashley laughed too, "I forgot about that."
Ashley watched as Helen found the bookmark. Ashley had always loved listening to her mother read aloud. Her accent was so perfect for the words of classic literature.
Helen cleared her throat and began at the top of the page, "No one can conceive the variety of feelings which bore me onwards, like a hurricane, in the first enthusiasm of success. Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world. A new species would bless me as its creator and source…"
