Helena shuffled down the ramp, her shackled feet allowing only the smallest of steps. Every whiff of freedom she ever had came with a new prison. The orphanage, Tomas, The Ranch…whatever this place was…just another man telling her everything will be okay as long as she does what he says.
"Wait here." The soldier kept his gun barrel pressed between her shoulder blades as another patted her down for weapons for the umpteenth time. Helena tensed defensively as the strange hands ran through her pockets, and down her legs. "She's clear." He confirmed with a nod once his search was satisfied.
"Get her processed, and take her to room C." The Seargant signed the papers on the clipboard, just like he was a receiving a UPS package. He handed the clipboard back and looked to Delphine. "She's all yours, doc."
"No hard feelings." Benjamin adjusted the rearview mirror as he pulled the car around to DYAD's service entrance. He was mysterious, yes, but he was staunch in his alliance with Siobhan.
"Right." Sarah exhaled deeply as he got out of the car to ensure their surroundings were secure. Couldn't be too careful given their circumstances. All the trouble with the marrow transplant seemed like a lifetime ago. They were hopeful then. The marrow was safely in their grasp, all according to plan. Everything changed when Rachel appeared in her Sarah disguise. She'd almost forgotten she'd accused Benjamin of playing for the other side. She still had her suspicions, but for now, she'd take his ride. "So, how we doin' this?" She looked to Scott, focused again on the task at hand.
"I'll go ahead, get these on ice in the lab and see what we have to work with." He tucked the egg canister safely into his backpack.
"Sounds good." Cosima nodded in approval. "We'll catch up eventually." It seemed like a monumental journey to get there from the back seat of the car. "Careful, huh?"
"Don't think they're too worried about me." He shrugged sheepishly before taking his exit. "See you in a bit."
It was just the two of them alone again in the comfort of the spacious sedan. "Y'know, you don't have to do this, Sarah." Cosima had to give her one more out. "Honestly, you can still turn around and go right back home." She didn't want Sarah to have to walk through the same doors she fled. It wasn't right after the sacrifices she'd already laid.
"I'm not lettin' you go through this alone." For someone who never had a sister, Sarah had the routine down pretty well. Kira was with Cal, and Felix was fine on his own. With Delphine gone, this was where Sarah needed to be. Someone had to be there to hold her hand, and tell her to keep going.
Cosima's steady wheeze floated through the silence. She was used to being alone. Hell, before all this clone business, she used to prefer it. She would've never pegged herself as the type to be grateful to have a sister who could out-stubborn her. Time to fly down the rabbit hole together. "Marion rolling out the red carpet for us, or what?" she tugged the cannula in place behind her ear.
Sarah opened the car door for her, and offered her hand for balance. "New team's waitin' for us." She nodded to the orderly stationed at the door with a wheelchair, poised to receive the pair.
"We're hella fancy now." Cosima snuck a smirk, leaning on Sarah while the orderly scampered over, easing her into the chair. Sarah stared down the bay doors, her heart skipping a beat as the memories of her last trip through resurfaced. My name is Sarah Manning, and this is my unconditional surrender.
Cosima whipped her head around, trying to catch Sarah's gaze. There wasn't much that could stop her in her tracks like this. "Hey…" She pinched the sleeve of her flannel, snapping her out of her stunned freeze. The burden of championing her sister's cause was starting to show. "You're okay."
Sarah looked back to Cosima, taking comfort in the assurance. One foot in front of the other, she started for the door. This time was different. This time they were getting help. This time they were safe…as long as Marion was telling the truth. "Right, let's see that lab of yours."
It's not just me. You have to love all of us. Delphine caught herself lingering in front of the one-way window, observing Helena from behind the glass. It was time to deliver on her promise. She pulled a new pair of gloves from the box on the wall, and made her entrance.
Helena sat obediently on the exam table, her hands folded in her lap. Just do what they say, and maybe they wouldn't hurt her. It was the sad routine she'd grown all too familiar with over the years.
"May I?" Delphine tentatively reached for her arm to draw a sample. Helena didn't resist. She and Cosima were genetic identicals, sure, but they couldn't be any more different. It was more than just the bleach-blonde hair. There was a primal fear in her eyes that Cosima never had, even on her worst days with the illness. Her guarded reserve contrasted with Cosima's warm, generous spirit. She secured the tourniquet around her upper arm, noticing the same good veins bulging. She slid the needle in effortlessly, as she had on subjects hundreds of times before. This time was different. She needed Helena to know she was trustworthy, that she had an ally in this strange, intimidating base. "I miss your sisters too, Helena." She was cautious with her volume, unsure of who could be listening.
"You know my sestras?" Helena's eyes narrowed, looking for something sharp to defend herself. Did she do this to them too?
"I…" Delphine needed more if she wanted to quell her suspicions. "I love Cosima, very much."
Cosima. The one who took her by the hand and called her beautiful the moment she met her. The sick one. If she really loved her, then maybe she could help after all. "She is not well."
"I've been trying to help her for a long time.." Delphine nodded sadly, removing the needle without so much of a flinch from Helena.
"She was very kind to me." Helena didn't get to experience kindness and compassion from others, at least not until she met her sestras. She held the offered gauze to the puncture mark. "I hope she can be well soon."
"Me too." Delphine held back from spilling the whole truth, how she was working night and day to crack the code, for fear that someone, somewhere could overhear.
"When can I see them again?" Helena unwittingly asked the question on the forefront of Delphine's worry-wracked thoughts.
"Soon, I hope." Delphine didn't have a plan. Not yet, at least. But she sure as hell wasn't going to stay here. Cosima, in all her cheekiness, taught her to question. She didn't know why Helena was there, but she was going to keep her promise, and keep her safe.
"Wouldn't have gotten it all if it wasn't for you." Cosima finished the two-dollar tour of her lab for Sarah, finding a seat on the familiar hospital bed that made her 'relaxation zone' a little less relaxing.
"Imagine what you coulda gotten if I knew what the bloody hell I was talkin' about then." Sarah cracked a smile, recalling her exploits in her Cosima disguise. The door clicked open, and Scott appeared.
"I kinda had to break into Leekie's office, but I got the culture medium." Scott lugged the giant jugs on top of the lab bench.
"How'd ya manage that?" Sarah was liking this nerd more and more.
"Slipped in with the cleaning crew." He patted his lab coat pockets, trying to remember where he stashed the papers he'd found. "Delphine, she um…" He produced the pilfered product. "She managed to find Dr. Leekie's notes on the baby teeth stem cell line." They had a blueprint now. The tide was turning in their favor, albeit slowly.
"Scott, you're on fire, man." Cosima beamed, wishing she had the energy to dash across the room and jump him for a hug.
"It wasn't so tough." His cheeks tinged pink.
"Quit sellin' yourself short, mate." Sarah peeked at the notes. It may as well be written in Swedish to her, but at least it meant something to them.
Another knock at the door, followed by the click of the lock unlatching. Cosima felt the knot in her stomach tighten as another DYAD doctor appeared in the frame. "May I come in?" She asked before crossing the threshold.
"Don't think I could stop you if I wanted to." Cosima raised an eyebrow, straightening up on the bed. Asking permission. That was definitely something new.
"You must be Cosima." She'd read the file inside and out. She didn't ask questions when she was suddenly reassigned to her case. It was one of the first things she learned working at DYAD; when Topside says 'jump', you bring out the trampoline.
"Geez, what gave it away?" Cosima fidgeted with the IV tubing snaking from her arm. She didn't expect her to smile at her cheeky remark.
"You got me there." She clicked her pen, sticking back in her pocket, a nervous habit of hers. "I'm doctor Imani Franklin, I'll be your new physician."
"Hope you have a better plan than her last one." Sarah folded her arms. Doctor Nealon was still a fresh burn in her memory.
"Well, I don't mean to brag, but I'm triple-boarded in immunology, nephrology, and oncology, with a phD in genetics." It was a spectacular pedigree, and she was way too nonchalant about it.
"Are you, like, a violin prodigy too?" Cosima was impressed. On paper, this was definitely someone they wanted in their corner, but first, they needed to know she could be trusted.
"Trumpet, actually, but that's another story for another day." Her eyes turned downward to the chart in her hands. Back to the serious subject at hand. "Cosima, I can treat your symptoms, but we both know that's not enough."
Cosima looked to Sarah, then to lab fridge containing the precious, precious cells. If she wanted to have a chance, she had to take a leap of faith. This doctor was unlike anyone she'd met in her short time at DYAD. She talked to her like a person, not a test subject. Call it good vibes, or whatever, something told Cosima this was someone that was worthy of the information they held. "We might have an idea for a treatment."
"Cos…" Sarah knew where this was going, and she wasn't sure it was the right direction. They just met her, how could she know she was trustworthy? This was Cosima's biology. Her decision. She swallowed the rest of her response, reluctantly letting Cosima take the wheel.
"We've got egg cells, and they match, but we don't have time to try to figure out the best way to harvest a stem cell line." Her hands slowly wandered, planning out her words for her.
Imani was surprised by her candor, but she was grateful for it. After all, her mission was outlined very clearly. Keep her alive, spare no expense, no questions asked. Topside had a habit of getting exactly what they wanted, and she did not want to disappoint. A little cooperation went a long way towards that goal.
"You've got an amazing set up in here." She admired the lab. "If you and Mr. Smith can help me, we can have enough cells to try a treatment in a few days."
It was better than any plan they could've cobbled together. There wasn't much for Cosima to consider. As Delphine had said before, there was only one way forward, and this was it. "Better get started then, huh?"
Delphine sat in the Commanding Officer's surprisingly polished office. The walls could barely contain the degrees and certificates he'd earned over the years. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Doctor." The square-jawed military scientist took a seat behind his massive desk. "Where are we with the subject?"
"We're running a few preliminary tests, we won't really know much until the results come back." The gentlemanly twang to his voice was cordial, but Delphine was guarded in her response. Rachel had sent her there for a reason, and as of that moment, no one had really made it clear why. "Sir, if you don't mind my asking, why is she here?"
"It's my understanding you were involved with the DYAD wing of Project LEDA." He leaned back in his chair, catching a glance at his notes. "I assumed the interim director of a clone project would be interested in learning about her competition." A smile spread across his lips.
"Competition?" Delphine didn't follow. She'd been working for DYAD for years, if there was another program, certainly someone would've mentioned it.
"Maybe that's too harsh a word." He chuckled. "More like curious, like-minded allies." He pushed a stack of files across the desk to her.
Delphine thumbed through the stack, seeing the same face in every folder. Male clones. DYAD was not alone. Her jaw slackened, undermining her attempts to keep a cool demeanor.
"Dr. Cormier, you just walked right into the door of Project Castor.
Cosima shuffled her aching body across the floor, trying not to wake her new lab mates. After a long night of cell harvesting, Scott had fallen asleep at his computer, while Sarah slumbered, draped over the couch in the corner. Neither of them allowed the thought of leaving her alone that night. She hung her IV bag next to the fume hood, looking in at the warmed cells trying to proliferate. Her lungs rebelled at the movement, hacking up more angry red streaks into the small cloth she kept handy.
Sarah stirred on the couch, startled by the noise. "Cos, what are you doin' up? You're 'sposed to be restin'" She squinted into the light.
"If we don't change the culture medium on a rigid schedule, the cells starve." Her trembling hands wouldn't allow her to do the delicate work required of the task. Try as she might, she couldn't squeeze a pipette. She swiped at the shelf to her right, taking out her frustrations on the empty beakers and spare sheets.
Sarah took a step back, letting Cosima vent through her outburst. She couldn't be useful in her own project, of course she was frustrated. Sarah just wasn't used to seeing her express it this way. Sarah tentatively approached, pulling a stool under her so they could sit face-to-face. She wasn't prepared for the tears streaming down her faded-lined eyes.
In all of the fallout from the mysterious clone disease, Cosima hadn't allowed herself to straight-up cry. Her frail frame shook with each sob. Words were meaningless right now. Sarah gently wrapped her arms around her, cradling her head on her shoulder, wishing she could absorb the pain and suffering her sister had to endure. "I'm scared, Sarah." She whimpered.
"Me too." Sarah rubbed her back, steadying the relentless attack on Cosima's failing lungs. She didn't know much about science, she was hardly useful in a lab, but she could hold her close, and let her know she wasn't alone in this fight. "But we got a real plan now, yeah?" She tried to remind her of the day's lone bright spot.
"Yeah." Cosima wheezed a sigh, slowly coming down from the fearful ledge. "Fate's in the hands of a freakin' wunderkind." She dragged the tank behind her, leaning heavily on Sarah for the march back to her bed.
"That Wunderkind's the only doctor left in this dump who can give us a little hope." Sarah fluffed the pillows, sitting on the edge as Cosima slid under the covers.
"She gets a pass for now." Even bundled in sweaters with blankets piled on, Cosima was shivering. Progression of the disease, or side effect of the medications, pick your poison. Sarah laid down next to her, huddling in close to share the warmth she had to spare. "Get some sleep, geek, big day tomorrow."