Chapter 10

The boss had wanted the examinations to start as soon as possible, so next day, after his orders to Elena; the scientists took the blood sample from Vermouth.

Vermouth sat upon a chair having a blank expression on her face. She didn't even flinched when Atsushi took the blood sample from her vein around her elbow.

"Check the time." Atsushi ordered, after he took out the needle. He didn't bother to put cotton wool, where he had done the injection on Vermouth.

He together with his wife and their lab mates observed how within less than a minute, Vermouth's wound healed itself.

They all were amazed by the process of healing. The scientists gazed at the Vermouth's elbow, where the blood had flowed out just a minute, before. Some of them had their mouths open, as well. Elena had to admit it, but it was fascinating to see how Vermouth's wound healed on its own at such short time.

After, two minutes, they had woken up from that trance and one of the scientists started to prepare a new syringe.

"What are you doing?" Elena asked.

"We only have taken a small amount of blood, I think we need more than that," the scientist explained.

"It's enough for today," Elena said. Next, she has moistened a cotton wool and then she cleaned Vermouth's elbow from the remained blood.

"You are free for today," Elena murmured.

Vermouth had stood up from the chair and without a single glance or a word, she left. Elena went after her.

"Wait," Elena called her.

Vermouth turned around with her arms crossed on her chest.

"I'm sorry," Elena muttered. She could feel the sweat on her palms.

To Elena's surprise, Vermouth snorted.

"I thought you won't be brave enough to look into my eyes," Vermouth snapped and then she continued, "Not only you have asked the boss to use me for your little experiments, but you also threaten him to leave the organization."

"How I could leave the organization without being killed?" Elena asked shocked.

"True, the boss could just kill you, but the boss has been working on this drug for decades, so they had to use this opportunity to check if I or rather my body could be some sort of help. However, it would never come to the boss' head to put me through it, again unlike you." Vermouth left, before Elena could respond.

She felt as the guilt was fulfilling her body, but there was nothing she could do. She felt a hand on her arm. She turned to see her husband.

"Is everything all right?" Atsushi asked concerned.

Elena nodded feeling her eyes becoming watery. She hadn't said Atsushi, the truth, yet.

"I see that there's something wrong. Tell me." Atsushi encouraged.

"All right, but not here. Let's go to our home," Elena said.

When, they had returned home, Elena thanked the lower rank member, who was babysitting Akemi. She told them that Akemi had eaten and she was sleeping, now and then she left.

Elena went to check on her daughter, who was sleeping in her crib. Next, she and Atsushi moved to the living room and Elena told Atsushi about the conversation with the boss that she had had, yesterday. She mentioned also about Vermouth being her best friend and about Vermouth's past, as well.

Atsushi was indignant that the boss was such coward and the boss wouldn't admit the truth to Vermouth, but he also agreed with the boss, at the same time.

"I agree that the boss shouldn't order you to tell everyone, it was your idea, but we haven't made any progress with our research and the examinations on Vermouth may help us."

Elena looked with disbelief at Atsushi. "You mean it's all right to make tests on Vermouth as she was some kind of animal."

"Of course not, but Vermouth, is not a normal human. You saw how her wound healed within a minute." He sounded excited.

"She still can feel a pain!" Elena shouted.

"But her pain doesn't last long!"

Before, this conversation could turn into a quarrel, they heard Akemi's cries. Both of them went to their bedroom and Elena took Akemi in her arms. Akemi had eaten just before they returned house, so she shouldn't be hungry. Akemi probably heard voices from the other room and that waked her up.

"Shh, it's all right."Elena rocked Akemi in her arms.

"I'm sorry. I just want us to create this drug; we all want it and unfortunately in order to do that, we have to do things that we don't like, and don't forget that even though, we know of what this organization is capable of; we are still here." Atsushi pointed out.

Elena didn't respond to it. Atsushi was right. They hadn't planned of leaving the organization. They knew that people had died, because of the organization and yet they didn't do anything, instead they stayed.

After, fifteen minutes, Akemi has fallen asleep and Elena put her back into the crib.

"Everything will be all right." Atsushi kissed Elena on her cheek.

She didn't feel this way.

The months were passing and more blood was retrieved from Vermouth. In addition, different sizes of wounds were inflicted on her to check the length of time of the healing. The more a wound was deeper, the more time it took to heal itself.

Elena made sure that the scientists didn't inflict more severe wounds on Vermouth. She could see how some of them were tempted to do it, including Atsushi. She was disappointment by her husband. He only cared if the examination on Vermouth would help them to create the drug. Elena had to remind him and other scientists, more than once that Vermouth was still a human, in vain.

Vermouth's ability convinced all scientists that the science project, they had been working on was possible to make and what's more, they were encouraged to do everything in their power to succeed.

They were fascinated that Vermouth could heal at fast speed and they were excited about what benefits, it could bring to their science project. The scientist wanted to check Vermouth's limits. However, Elena made sure that neither of the scientists went too far, instead she ordered them to study Vermouth's blood sample and mix them with different chemical substances to see what the chemical reaction would cause it.

Unfortunately, Elena was aware that she would have to let the scientists to do tests on Vermouth on the advanced level. It only passed, several months, since she had received the orders from the boss, but there was no way that she could keep postponing these tests.

Elena and others had lots of work and they felt tired all the time. Elena, even, took free days off to rest, but most likely, she wanted to spend time with Akemi. She didn't want her daughter to be raised by a babysitter.

However, she only took the days off, when the scientists weren't making examinations on Vermouth. She didn't want some of her lab mates to make Vermouth suffer more than she already was. Unfortunately, the examinations wouldn't end on simple taking blood from Vermouth and inflicting small wounds.

During one of her free days, she decided to spend time with Ichirou. She hadn't chance to see him much often, because of her work.

"I've missed you, Elena-san." Ichirou learned how to pronounce Elena's name.

"Aww, come here." She wrapped her arms around him; next she took his head into her hands. "You're growing so fast." Elena smiled.

"I'm a big boy, now Elena-san."

"Of course, you are," Elena agreed smiling.

Ichirou approached to Akemi, who was walking around the living room. She was around two years, already.

"Look, Aki-chan." Ichirou passed one of his toy cars to Akemi. She had held the toy car for a moment and then she dropped it out of her hands. Akemi apparently was tired from walking as she flopped down on the floor. Ichirou gave her more of his toy cars and showed her, how she should play with them.

Elena observed this scene and she couldn't help to feel little bit of envy. She envied those children that they didn't have to worry about anything and they could live a carefree life, for now, at least.

"Elena-san?" Ichirou took her away from her thoughts.

"Huh?"

"I was asking, if you have some photos of my mum and dad, I don't have any and I wish to have."

Elena felt how a single tear escaped her eye. "Yes, I should have some."

She could think about it, earlier to give Ichirou some photos of his parents. Ichirou liked to hear stories about his parents and he always beamed, whenever, his parents were mentioned.

Ichirou was an innocent child, right now. However, Elena was afraid, when Ichirou would grow up and become a full organization's member, he would become cold like the rest of the organization's members. She didn't want it to happen and what's more, she didn't want her daughter to become like them.

A/N: Thank you very much for your reviews.