Author's note: Yes, you are not imagining things; the chapters are getting quite a bit larger. Fortunately this is due to growing detail of the events. Because of this, it is harder to divide things down into simple chapters. So, look forward to larger chapters on the most part.
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Chapter 12
Gast was already in the lab by the time Lucrecia arrived. She had not slept well despite her attempts to inducing through a book. She made her way over the coffee pot and poured herself a drink.
"I see you are up bright and early, professor." Lucrecia announced as she took a seat at one of the lap tables. Gast glanced up from the report he had finished.
"Actually, I haven't really gone to bed yet. I just couldn't wait to start going over the data we collected. I got some of the samples ready to ship to Icicle for the archaeologists to look over..." Gesturing to one of the yellow envelopes. "And those we can run here while the remaining we will need to send to Midgar for labs to run."
Lucrecia sipped at her coffee. "All of this without a cup of coffee, I suppose?"
Gast removed his glasses and cleaned them. 'Actually to be precise, three cups of coffee, two of which was were left over from yesterday."
She paused. 'Only he would drink day old coffee. Though I suppose my day will come as well.' Lucrecia glanced around and noticed Hojo was not there again.
"Where did Dr. Hojo go, or is not here yet?" Lucrecia walked over and looked over the papers Gast was shuffling through.
"Huh? Oh, I haven't seen him yet this morning. He's been doing that lately hasn't he?" Pushing at his glasses. He handed Lucrecia a page for her to look at. She looked it over and set her cup down.
Gast rubbed at his mustache. "I went and got those photos processed yesterday after I closed the lab. I think you should see them." He gestured her to follow him into his desk area. "Recalling your observation, I found the images of the two wounds and I think we have found something quite curious indeed." Gast shuffled through the photos and handed his assistant the two that showed the wounds, one of which was before the operation while the other was post extraction.
"Have you any clue to why that happened? Never in my studies have I seen or even heard of this happening."
Gast smirked. "Now see, this is why are here today." He shifted through several reports. " Tell me, Honestas, how would you go about explaining this phenomena, what would case flesh to change?"
Vincent had been curious himself of what Hojo did in the mornings before he went down to the lab. Before, he knew there was little he could do, but at least now he had incentive to see what exactly was going on. Taking his high-powered binoculars, he went out into the back garden and climbed up to the top of the stone fence. In the distance he could still make out the fading image of the scientist as he walked up a dusty path into the forest of trees that butted against the summit path toward the Mako reactor.
'I can see you. Now why don't you show me what you're hiding back there.'' The Turk dropped the binoculars down after the scientist's image was obscured behind the dark green bows of the birchs and evergreens. 'Dammit...'
Still crouched, Vincent carefully moved to another position, but found it offered little improvement. Other then following the man himself, Vincent knew he was done.' I suppose we will know soon enough what's he up to, I fear. Unless I go take a small peek for myself.'
Hopping down, Vincent straightened his tie and jacket before walking back into the mansion and to the basement lab to resume his sentry watch over the remaining scientists.
Lucrecia barely took notice of the Turk's entrance into the lab until he took a seat across from her. She glanced up from the microscope and found he was had yet another newspaper.
"Now I am curious. Is that still four months out of date by chance?"
Vincent's face remained solemn and still, but she knew from the glint she caught in his eyes that he intend nothing by mischief.
"Two weeks old." He offered stiffly before opening it up.
Lucrecia could not help but wonder what he was really thinking when he said that. Sighing, she went back to her work, thumbing through a medical book. She then looked back at the delicate tissue sample she had treated for viewing. It was tricky game with the process of rehydrating the mummified tissue and then placing it into a solution in order to increase the viewing ability under the lens.
Vincent scanned over the news and then stopped on a small headline.
"Doctor, you might find this interesting. Shin-ra had announced plans for building a new reactor in Gongaga."
Lucrecia placed her delicate sample onto a glass slide. "Why on earth they are placing it all the way out there? I can think of more strategic places to build a reactor. But I suppose they have their reasons. Everyone does." She slid the slide underneath the microscope. Vincent went back to reading the remaining stories with little interest. There were at least three guaranteed things that would be found: someone was murdered, a large fire and a health warning about eating this and not eating that.
"Hmmm, doctor."
Lucrecia slowly lifted her head sensing someone standing next to her. She looked at Vincent and watched where his gaze fell. 'Damn, that is who I thought it was. You cannot mistake the way he talks.'
"How can I help you, Dr. Hojo?" She avoided making eye contact with the scientist. He placed his hand down on the tabletop and leaned over her shoulder, apparently looking over her work.
"I need you do this for me." He placed a small stack of papers and a small hard plastic case on top. Presumably there were test samples inside. 'Now I know you can run these yourself! So why don't you sit on it and spin.' She looked at the work and knew that it would easily take most of the day to complete, not counting what the Professor wanted her to complete for his work. Lucrecia sighed. Hojo leaned closer. "Hmmm? Is there a problem, Honestas? Perhaps I need to find someone else who is more capable to complete the needed work." He reached out to the stack. Lucrecia placed her hand down on the paper, stopping him.
"When would you like this done, Dr. Hojo?"
He leaned close to her ear. "Four hours, mmkay?" He pulled back and walked away seeming almost smug. Lucrecia swallowed and looked at the work. There was no way she could complete all of that in four hours.
"Please tell me, Mr. Valentine, there is something amusing in that paper?"
Vincent looked at Lucrecia and then at the work Hojo had dropped off on her. 'She looks like she could use more then a joke...' Sighing, Vincent turned the page to the next section in the paper.
By the time the small clock on the far wall rang four thirty, Lucrecia finished the last test and data sheet as Hojo requested. Relieved, she walked over to where he sat and dropped the pile next to him.
"Four hours, as stated." She then turned and walked away not pausing for a response from him. She allowed herself a moment of relief before turning back to the Gast work she had been working on before Hojo's request. Picking up her small, square lens reading glasses and picked up the test slide.
After walking his normal rounds through the mansion and the outside grounds, he returned to the lab and found the scientists still in their respective places hard at work. He pushed back his shirtsleeve and glanced at his watch and found it was near seven. Reaching into a one of his pockets, he produced a small silver wrapper and unraveled it and popped the small white mint into his mouth.
Lucrecia took off her glasses and rubbed at the bridge of her nose. She had little love for wearing them, but they did offer relief from the eyestrain that came with the long hours of detailed work. 'I only have three more tests and I will be done! Technically two is I put that last one off until tomorrow.'
"Honestas, what is this?" Hojo shoved the data sheet under her nose.
Blinking, she finally reached up and took it from him. "What do you mean? The numbers are right and I did as req..."
"No, the numbers are not right. This is not the only one either." He presented three more sheets.
Lucrecia's face paled upon the possibly that she may have error in some way. She took the other sheets and looked them over, growing more confused. "But, sir, these are the numbers. I ran them twice and some three times to make sure there were correct."
Hojo snorted. "First off, this number is short two decimal places and you see this one? I reran this number and this is not anywhere close to what I got. So, Honestas, what do you think you did wrong, hmmm?"
She swallowed suddenly feeling like she wanted to cry. After all the work she had done, he was accusing her of cutting corners and recording incorrect data reports. Gritting her teeth, she fought to keep her composure.
"I will rerun the tests, Dr.Hojo."
Hojo simply crossed his arms. "You most certainly will. And you will keep on doing it until I am satisfied." He turned and walked away. Lucrecia stared the work in despair. 'What did I do wrong? I swear everything was correct.' She mentally reviewed her process and did not find a single thing she overlooked. Lucrecia knew Hojo was a tyrant when it came to detail, but something just did not seem right. Pulling out her calculator, she ran one of the numbers he had claimed was incorrect. After a moment, she compared and found the numbers did not match. Confused she looked at the number and ran the calculation again. 'What is wrong? This number is nowhere close to what I just jotted down.'
A white mug was set down near her hand. Glancing up she found the Turk walking away. Picking up the mug, she took a drink and found it near to how she normally made it. 'No sugar and the right amount of cream...'
'You didn't have to do that.' "Thank you." Bowing her head briefly. Vincent paused and nodded his head in response before walking back toward Gast's desk.
'I dunno why I even ordered anything, I'm not very hungry.' Lucrecia pushed the fried potatoes around before managing to spear one piece with her fork. It was unusually quiet for the table. Even Gast was quiet, which was normally not the case. His daily pint of beer sat nearly untouched as he ate his meal. The only thing was seemed normal was Vincent's silence.
She knew most of problem was the concerns of what happened with Hojo's tests. The more she thought about it, the great her frustration grew. 'Maybe he changed the numbers? Bu why? What purpose would that serve, plus, he is the department head, or at least recently the department head. He would have greater petty things to do then to harass someone's overworked assistant.' Lucrecia admitted mentally she was somewhat jealous of the Turk. 'You don't have anyone like that hovering over your shoulder. Though I wonder, sir, if you are as cool and collected on the inside as you appear on the outside?'
As though on queue, his brown eyes rose up and met hers. Lucrecia swallowed and threw her eyes to the side trying to avoid his gaze. 'I'm just being silly. I am letting Hojo get to me and distract me from my work'. After Gast had been informed what had taken place, he quickly went about to remedy the situation with Hojo. 'That must have been quite the meeting after Gast threw me out of the lab.' Part of her wished she could have been a fly on the wall.
Gast sighed and pushed himself away from the table. "There are a few things I need to get done tonight.' He looked over at his assistant. "And I don't want to see you anywhere close to the lab until tomorrow morning." He warned with a slight smile. Lucrecia merely nodded in response. "Good, then." Gast got up and left the pub leaving her and Vincent at the table.
The skies had grown dark with heavy clouds as it seemed a storm was moving in. 'How appropriate.' Lucrecia mused in relation to her mood. Despite the tense, still air the smell of moisture grew heavy.
"We probably take cover before it rains." Vincent offered mechanically. The wind suddenly stirred through the trees, first in a gently gust and then it quickly blew harder. Lucrecia looked up and only to be hit with the first drops of rain. Oddly, she found a simple, almost childish joy in it. Not too long after the two drops, the rain crashed down in a torrential downpour.
They ran down the town street and took cover underneath one of the overhanging eves of the houses. Lucrecia smirked realizing how thoroughly soaked she was. Her bangs were plastered against her forehead and hung in her eyes, dripping. She looked up and found Vincent's normally wild hair had also been tamed into soggy, limp mess that clung to his face and hung over his eyes. Reaching up, he pushed the wet hair away. For once Lucrecia saw his face in its entirety.
"I guess we're a little wet huh?" She mentioned as she tried to wring some of the water off. 'A little? How about a lot...' He could not help but notice her shirt was soaked all the way through. Forcing his eyes away, he instead watched as the rain hit down hard creating instant puddles in the streets and caused the house gutters to overflow creating artificial waterfalls.
The wind barreled through along the corridors and streets sending the rain for a brief moment falling at a steep angle. His eyes then slid over toward where the mansion gates were. He knew they could stand there and wait the storm out, knowing how summer rains last, or make a run for it. Though the thought of waiting for the rain to stop while being as soaked as he was did not bring him much pleasure and he was sure was not something his scientist companion wanted either.
Lucrecia looked at the Turk and tried out what he was planning. Then she caught the faint glint of mischief she often saw despite the lack of emotion that was represented in his expression. He looked at her and then made a short head bob toward the mansion. He removed his jacket and as they ran, he held it up over them to offer a little protection from the cold, ocean rain.
Once past the gate, they paused underneath the covered doorway entrance inside. Lucrecia smiled finding some joy in what normally could have been quite miserable. Vincent attempted to shake the rainwater from his suit jacket before placing it around her shoulders. This time, Lucrecia felt no awkwardness about his gesture. She could not but help to feel a little overwhelmed by his kindness.
"Not to be disrespectful to you, Mr. Valentine, but why are you being so... generous?"
Vincent blinked; it was as though he wasn't sure how to respond.
"Why not?" He finally answered.
She looked at his face as though she was looking for something other then his simple responses. Without giving it much thought, Lucrecia reached up and pushed away the few loose, wet strands of hair from his eyes. 'You have such nice eyes, it's a pity to hide them behind all of that hair!' Her fingertips glanced his cheek and for a moment she paused wondering if she had done the right thing. But he did not push her away or pull his himself away from her hand. His eyes remained on her face, watching and analyzing her. Her fingers lingered a while longer, slowly drifting down his face and rested briefly at his jaw. Vincent's eyes searched her face, as though he was looking for something. 'Or wondering what to do in return.' Lucrecia's hand then dropped.
She removed the jacket from her shoulders and offered it back to the Turk. "You might want to hang dry that." She mumbled as her eyes lingered briefly once more on his face before opening one of the double doors into the mansion.
Vincent remained standing outside clutching his jacket. He was stunned as there were thousands of things that each of them could have done, but choose not too. He could almost still feel her touching him and strangely enough, he liked it. Several impulses had crossed his mind and choose not entertain any of them, especially the one that involved kissing her. If there were one thing he was would do, that would be the act of keeping private affairs separate from business. 'You know there is a way around that. I would be foolish to think otherwise.'
Vincent sighed. There was a lot to think about and great deal to consider. The wind blew again making him shuddered underneath his wet dress shirt. 'If it were any other time, I would have had a problem with a woman coming on to me, but I suppose this is a little different.' He opened the door and went inside. 'I suppose it makes a difference that she is not underage, posing to be older. That was a little creepy perhaps. And then there was that ding-dong of a red head. Sure, she was sexy, but you had to wonder if her hair dye went to her brain.' The Turk made his way to the bathroom to retrieve his towel so he could dry off. ' Then there was that one with the jealous ex-boyfriend. Sadly the only amusing part was the fight. After that, she brought out the emotional baggage. Sure, people have issues. Hell, I have my own, but I know there are some that you have to leave alone when their issues have issues. ' He took his towel and began to dry out his hair all the while making his way back to his makeshift room in the servant's storage.