Cosima was so upset it didn't even cross her mind that it was less than appropriate to barge into the professor's office like that, but as soon as Scott told her about the incident the first thing she thought about was to warn Delphine. Cosima didn't know if the blonde knew what had happened, however the reaction she got from Delphine confirmed her suspicion that the professor was completely oblivious about it.

"Cosima, what exactly happened?" Delphine asked, getting up and holding Cosima by the wrist, pushing her more inside her office, closing the door.

"I... I'm not sure! Scott... He told me and..." She was fighting the tears forming behind her eyes. Dr. Palmer was someone she trusted from the beginning, when she was out of the security of her house and on her own for the first time. The old professor became her mentor, specially after, against her will, her capacities were known. She never thought this news would upset her so much, but she never even consider receive them, Cosima always thought the old professor would be a constant in her life.

"Calm down, sit and tell me exactly what Scott told you." Delphine guided her to a chair and made her sit, crouching in front of her and putting her hands on the younger woman's knees, perhaps in an attempt to keep her connected with the reality.

"Just that, he doesn't know anything else." The desperation Cosima was feeling transpired into her voice, tired to fight the tears back, she let them fall freely. "I'm sorry, I really shouldn't have come in her like this. It was stupid..." She started to get up.

"Cosima, mon amour, don't be silly. Where else would you've gone?" The professor applied a little pressure on her knees, keeping her in place. "Let's see if we can find out more!" Delphine got up, but her eyes were fixed in the upset woman's. "Stay!"

Cosima simply nodded, blinking a few times, she saw Delphine reach for her phone, which was on her desk and call someone, inquiring about Dr. Palmer. She listen for a while, her eyes never leaving Cosima, a concern expression on her face. This was probably the most upset she has seen her student. Until there was a moment she raised her brown to something the person on the other end said.

"You better come onto my office, then!" Delphine said before ending the call and getting closer to the student again.

"Who was that?" Cosima asked, realizing she wasn't fine, at all. Her voice sounding foreigner to her own ears.

"Alison." Delphine got hold of her hand. "Cosima, you're freezing... I think you're in shock."

"No... I'm just worried." And to solidify her statement she tried to get up again, not that Delphine was about to let her do it anytime soon, with her hands on the brunette's shoulders, the French woman pushed her back down.

"Please, don't get up. You're white and cold. Stay where you are!" The seriousness of the voice was accompanied by the softness of the stare.

"Gosh, I must really look like crap, if you're so worried." Cosima said, leaving behind the idea of getting up and giving a weak squeeze on the other woman's hand.

"I am worried! You've never..." Delphine started to explain, but was interrupted by a knock on the door and her attention was directed elsewhere. She moved to the door, opening it to let the other professor in.

If Alison thought it was weird for Cosima to be there, she didn't say anything, just looked at her and after brief seconds looked at the blonde. "So, the students have heard already."

"I wasn't aware it was a secret." Delphine said, confused.

"It's not. But Dr. Leekie revealed some interest in keeping this away from them as long as possible" Alison explained.

"If he has something to do with this, I swear..." Cosima's voice raised for the first time since she heard the news.

"Cosima, calm down. We don't know that, how could he?" The French woman tried to put some breaks on the student's words. "What you said on the phone..." She cryptically asked her colleague.

"It seems that way!" Alison confirmed.

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Cosima's patience for mysteries was non-existent.

Alison looked at Delphine as if asking for permission and when the other professor gave a silent consent with a discreet move of head, she explained. "It looks like Dr. Palmer has been in the hospital since last Wednesday night, when it happened." Alison gave a few steps and leaned against the desk. "He was leaving late, getting to his car and that's when he had the attack. Just in front of his car, trying to get his keys out of his briefcase."

"Who found him?" Delphine asked.

"One of the students. You know her, Alex Robinson."

"What was she doing so late here and in the professor's parking lot?" Cosima was finding her grip again, her brain gears restarting to turn.

"I don't know that, Ms. Nieahaus. I don't think anyone has asked that." Alison said, looking at her again. "Everyone's just happy she happened to be there and was quick about calling for an ambulance."

The student twisted her nose. "I don't believe in coincidences!" She was getting up, finally feeling much better, the initial shock fading.

Delphine was used to this kind of reaction from the younger woman, perhaps was even expecting it or at least it looked like it, judging by the slight wrinkle on the right corner of her lips. But this was new territory for the other professor, who seemed a little taken aback from the sudden burst of energy.

"That's some very serious accusations you're throwing out there."

"You wouldn't think that if you knew what we do!" The brunette said. "Alex and Leekie are creeps who would do just about anything to get what they want!"

"Cosima!" Delphine's worried voice stopped her.

The blonde was looking hard at her, obviously more than upset about the student's unthoughfull words, while the other professor's confusion only seemed to grow.

Alison's eyes were taking turns, now looking at Delphine just to get back at the young woman. Something very close to acknowledge passed by her sight, for just brief seconds, before a very silent "oh, dear" escaped her lips. Then there was a smile and a very loud. "I knew it!"

This startled the two other women. "You did?" Delphine was the one who voiced their surprise.

Alison's back relaxed again the desk. "Well, not this!" Her hand moving from one woman to the other. "But I knew you had to be with someone and that it was complicated, but this..."

"Alison, this can't leave this room!" Delphine said fast.

"Of course not! C'mon Delphine, I wouldn't do that..." A vague sense of hurt crossed her eyes, but then she puffed out and smiled wide. "Well, Delphine you are much more interesting than I gave you credit for."

Cosima couldn't help her throaty laugh. "She certainly is..."

The Frenchwoman made no comment on the sudden interest looks she was getting from the other two women, the older with a grin on her lips, while Cosima's face was lighter than earlier, but still with a deep concern behind her big spectacles.

"I want to go see him!" The student finally said, cutting short the weird silence set on the small office.

"We go after school. You can't be missing classes." Delphine said.

"Like hell you are." Alison surprised them by saying with an indignant face. "If you two go alone, together, it will look weird." She explained.

"It's not like Leekie doesn't know. He has been making our lives miserable on account of it." Cosima said.

"I see..." Alison murmured.

"Nevertheless, it's wise to be careful." The other professor admitted. "Cosima, why don't you bring Scott with us. And Alison, you should come too." Delphine said, turning to her co-worker. "If nothing else, I'm sure Dr. Palmer will be glad to see us all."

It was agreed then, Cosima was to take Scott, who was more than happy to go along, and the two students would meet the two professors at the end of the day, by Delphine's car. Once Scott realized he wasn't going to be alone with Cosima and Delphine he raised an eyebrow at his friend, who shrugged, but had the good judgement of not saying a word.

An awkward pause when Cosima and Alison both went to the front passenger door, until the student realized it was probably better to let the professor take that seat and move to the back, next to Scott, and they were on their way. More than once, Cosima caught the blonde's eyes looking for her in the rearview mirror, the professor trying (and failing) to hide a small smile.

The younger woman could feel it too, even through the hard circumstances, this was as normal around other people as they ever been. No lurking being shadows, no whispered words, no looking over their shoulders afraid someone might caught them in a compromised situation. And if this was what normal felt with Delphine, Cosima was more than happy to get more of it.

She never realized until now, how much of the blonde she has been missing. Sure, Cosima loved to have the professor all to herself, to be able to explore her without intrusions, but Delphine was more than that. A lot more. She was kind and graceful with other people, the soft tone of her voice as she casually talked with Alison, making the student wonder if Delphine's calm nature was something she was born with or if it was something she picked up along her life.

It also didn't escape Cosima that there was a side Delphine reserved for her alone, at least as far as she could tell. The playful teases the professor sometimes graced her with seemed to be on hold when she was in public. Delphine might share some jokes with others, but Cosima had the feeling she was not the type of person that would be easily accessible, Delphine had a side she wouldn't share with just about everyone else. A small sense of pride rose in Cosima's chest when it hit her that the Frenchwoman choose her to show that side to.

While these thoughts formed on her head, during the way to the hospital, Cosima was uncharacteristically quiet and when they got out of the car she had to hold herself not reach, at least, for Delphine's hand as she so desperately wanted. Instead she gave the professor a gentle smile, which Delphine returned with a confused expression, obviously unaware of what had consumed the brunette's mind during the short drive.

Alison took the lead once they were inside the facility, going directly for the reception and asking for all the information they needed. Apparently, the others, like Cosima, we're not contemplating getting in the way of Alison and her proactive manners, the three of them staying back and sharing amused glances, as the woman threatened to make a scandal if they were not allowed to see their co-worker and professor just because of the simple fact that they were not on the guest list.

"And who made that list?" Alison's irritated tone demanded from the young man in charge of controlling the entries.

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to release that information." He answered with a genuinely intimated expression.

"That only means it was not the patient and if that is the case, then this is a serious violation of his rights." The professor was not willing to take no for an answer.

"I think she's worse than my mom." Cosima couldn't resist saying in a low voice, to the tall blonde next to her. Delphine looked down at her, her lips in a straight line, trying to conceal the smile creeping up.

Cosima had no idea how the demanding woman accomplished it, but the truth was they were already going up in the elevator, reaching the 9th floor where the old professor was staying. Once there, however, they were informed the visitations was limited to two people at a time and that was when Cosima put her foot down. Through Alison's protests she forced them to take the pairs she wanted, proving it was not only the human genetics professor who had a flair for the stubbornness.

Cosima and Delphine's went first and nothing could prepare the young student for what she was about to see. In her mind the old professor was always the man she met almost four years ago, vibrant, full of energy, even if in the last few months Dr. Palmer had been a little less of the enthusiastic men she met, there was still always a little sparkle in his eye, proving the intelligent mind was still there. But now, seeing him, laying on a hospital bed, his complexion whiter than anyone's she has ever seen, he seemed impossible small and fragile.

She stopped at the entry, as soon as she saw him, something emptying her mind. Delphine sensed her hesitation and, placing one encouraging hand at the small of her back, pushed gently forward and closed the door behind them, so they could have some privacy.

Dr. Palmer opened his eyes, clearly noticing the stir in his room. "Who is there?" A small voice cut in the rhythmic bip of the machine marking his regular heart rate.

Cosima gave a few tentative steps in his direction. "It's Cosima, Dr. Palmer. Delphine's here too."

"How are you feeling?" The younger professor asked.

"Like I just had a heart attack..." He said with the same small voice and started to laugh until a cough fit stopped him.

"Yes, imagine that..." Delphine said, a gentle smile on her face. Moving around the room, getting to the foot of the bed and taking off the medical chart from its place and start reading it, raising a brow. "You should have been taking it easier."

"Oh, don't give me that crap, Dr. Cormier. For a man at my age, taking it easy its synonym of dying." He raised his hand dismissing her concerns. "What have you done with Cosima? It's the first time she has stayed quiet for longer than two minutes."

"I'm here..." Cosima started, giving a few steps in the bed's direction. "I'm just..."

"Don't worry, dear. I'm not dead yet. It takes a lot more than this to take me down."

"Dr. Palmer, do you remember what happened?" The student was now closer, looking down at the man in the bed, with soft eyes.

"I remember being in my office and looking at the hours..." He stopped for a shaky breath. "Seven twenty-three and thinking I should leave."

"Do you remember walking out to your car?" Delphine asked, putting the chart back in its place and getting next to Cosima. "Feeling a pain in your chest or your left arm getting numb?"

"I know the signals of a heart attack, thank you very much, doctor." Dr. Palmer joked. "And no, I don't. But that doesn't mean anything... Everything after what I've told you it's a blur."

"And you're sure it was a heart attack?" Cosima pressed on.

"The doctors are convinced on that, Cosima. And by what I've seen in the chart, it makes sense." The Frenchwoman assured the student, resting a hand over her shoulder. "Let's not read too much into this."

"Right! And Alex being there was just a coincidence." Cosima said sarcastically.

"Who's Alex?" Dr. Palmer asked, confused.

"Ms. Robinson, I believe she's one of your students." Delphine said looking at Cosima for confirmation. "She's the one who found you in the parking lot."

"We should thank her, then..."

"No, we shouldn't..." The student said bitterly. "She's in bed with Leekie..."

"Like... Literally?" He questioned.

"Fuck... Who knows..."

"Cosima... Don't!" The blonde followed her with the eyes, as Cosima was starting to pace around the small hospital bedroom.

"Doing a good job, controlling her?" The older professor asked humorously.

"Piece of cake..." Delphine breathed out.

"I don't need controlling..." Cosima pouted.

"Of course not!" Dr. Palmer laughed. "How's that bruise healing?"

"Fine!" The brunette said flatly, not enjoying the conversation a little bit.

Delphine was fighting back a smile. "What's important it's that you recover fully... We should leave, Alison wants to see you and... Well she's demanding..."

"Of course... I'm very happy that you came."

"Yeah, we obviously would, as soon as we knew..." Cosima said, getting closer to him and awkwardly squeezing her professor's hand. "I'll come back tomorrow, bring you some books..."

"You do that, but bring some fictional thing, none of the scientific stuff... Rose passed by earlier and I swear she got into some bookstore and bought everything with genetics on the tittle." Dr. Palmer said, then to the two women's surprised took something from inside his pillow case.

Cosima grabbed what he was handing out to her without a word. It was a small pen drive. Understanding the need for silence she said nothing, but showed it to Delphine, who only nodded with a closed expression.