The autopsy didn't give her any information that she didn't already know. Sighing heavily Magnus looked into the microscope at the infant's blood hoping to find some answers there and perhaps change her luck. She found an odd abnormality in the white cells that a scan had led her too. Texting Will to check on the girl's welfare she again looked into the eyepiece. Aside from the obvious low white cell count; there was something peculiar about their shape. Her mind began to catalogue the possibilities when her phone dinged, alerting her to a text.
'She's fine, Magnus, overbearing much?'
Smirking, she responded: 'Just checking. Henry and Kate?'
'Not back yet. Sewers again. Kate is not happy.'
Reading it quickly she went back to work on the samples. Now there was at least one answer to her questions—why the girl was not holding her meals. She texted Will: 'Need the girl. Have partial diagnosis.'
Not two seconds after she sent the message he appeared at the door, "Which is?"
"Low white blood cell count, dangerously low. We need to perform a transfusion and it should help with her vomiting and sluggishness." Taking the child from him she cooed lightly at the sleeping face.
"Can it wait until after lunch? You haven't eaten today and it's starting to get late."
Smiling and placing her lips against the crown of the child's head, "What do you think about Sara?"
"Uh…"
"For her name: it was her mother's name and her mother did give her life for the girl, albeit unwillingly."
"Sure, sounds good. And about lunch?" He easily saw through her manipulation of the conversation.
"Very well. Lead the way Dr. Zimmerman." She brushed her hand out in front of her.
It had been a few days since the transfusion and the girl seemed to be doing much better. She was keeping food down on a regular basis, at least. Drawing blood from the foot of an infant was not a pleasant task, yet at regular intervals Magnus did just that. Sara's white blood cells had been replenished easily enough, but their odd shape was just as puzzling as ever.
It wasn't until four days after the infant's birth that Magnus realized the cells weren't the only odd thing about the girl. She had rolled over the night before and was sleeping far less than any newborn. She was also growing faster than she should be. It was that day that she was racing down to the lab to perform a full genetic workup that her phone rang.
"Declan—I'm a little busy at the moment, mind making this quick?" Her voice betrayed none of the worry she was feeling as she moved swiftly through the halls.
"No. There's a Head of House meeting in five minutes. Your presence is required, not requested." That almost got her to stop for a moment. Almost. Holding the phone with her shoulder she placed the girl in a swing that had been brought into the lab. Magnus was not very trusting when it came to the infant and she was becoming less trusting as each day passed.
"What is this about, Declan? I have a very sick patient who needs my attention." So she was exaggerating, but it was only a little.
"This is not optional, Magnus. There have been some rumors and questions concerning your conduct and frankly, after Mumbai, everyone wants to solve this quickly."
"What rumors?" Taking a syringe of the girl's blood she set two samples and a control. She also flipped her monitor on so she could see Declan and free her hands completely.
"About some of your conduct of late."
"Declan, stop being cryptic. I have neither the time nor patience to think this through." Setting the test to run she stopped working and looked directly at the London Head ignoring his pause as he grasped for words. "Well?"
"There are some questions concerning your relationship with Will and the actual parentage of the girl." She leaned slightly back from the screen and forced herself not to fold her arms over her chest. "Magnus, after New York—"
"Alright," She cut him off waving a hand in front of her body. "I still take objection to this line of questioning. Do you honestly think that we would be nothing but professional?"
"No I don't, but there are good reasons for concern."
"Really? I find that hard to believe, but I've heard enough." Hitting a few buttons on her computer she began the call to all the heads and texted Will. 'Emergency and unnecessary HOH meeting. DND.'
He replied quickly: 'Will create second emergency in T-6 min.'
Magnus smirked as more monitors popped up with faces looking and watching her closely. Helen moved from around the desk in order to face the firing squad full on. "Alright everyone, I have heard there has been some questioning pertaining to my professionalism." Glancing at Jephthah's face she knew exactly where these rumors had started.
"Yes." Pili was the first to respond. "There are questions concerning the nature of your relationship with Will." She was always the diplomat and, as Magnus had discovered in the last few years, someone who had her back.
Taking a preemptive stance she began speaking rapidly, "Will is my employee. I hired him because of his ability to think outside the box. Watson had asked me to consider hiring a profiler years before I brought Dr. Zimmerman into the Sanctuary. His abilities in profiling and psychiatry have been invaluable to my team and the network. His work experience in the American governmental system allows him to easily work with or around law enforcement agencies."
"It is not your professional relationship that is in question, Magnus. It is your personal relationship with him." New York—she was beginning to regret making this man Head of House.
"He is my employee, a valued colleague and friend: nothing more." Her eyes did not falter in their direction of glare.
"So you've never considered any other kind of relationship with him?"
Taking a breath she calmed herself. "Anyone who lives in the same home as another person develops a unique relationship—as I'm sure you are all aware. Therefore Dr. Zimmerman and I have a very deep friendship which includes a great deal of respect and mutual understanding. Beyond that, if our relationship were otherwise, I do not see how that would be of concern for you.
"There are no fraternization rules on purpose. The nature of our work does not allow for normal romantic relations. Thus, I felt when writing the charters, that it would be inappropriate for me to control or regulate any type of relationship one could have. Yes, I realize this can lead to further issues that may need to be resolved by an outside source. But this was not a decision I made lightly, and one I still agree with. We live in a world of uncertainty and constant change, who am I to decide whether an employee can or cannot have a constant in their life." She stopped looking at each face in front of her.
"Your charter is not what is in question, Magnus." Declan finally spoke up. "Your conduct is, however regrettably."
"What conduct? " She was becoming angry and frustrated again—these games were ridiculous and pointless. The conduct they were asking about was not forbidden by the charter so where was their concern coming in? Yes, all relationships had ups and downs and if there was romance that usually intensified the results. But it wasn't as if she and Will hadn't already been through their fair share of issues.
"Ravi spoke of some concerns in his personal logs," Tokyo was quick to speak, in an attempt to move further beyond this. "When you were in Mumbai he worried that you were too close to Will. He wondered if you would be able to handle his passing and if you had grown too attached to your young protégé. He also wondered about the nature of your relationship."
Ah, Ravi. The man had been a wonderful Head of House and very observant, if not a constant worrier. "I assure you all that I have dealt with more death than any of you could possibly know. Now, with that in mind—would I grieve? Yes. Would I be affected? Yes. Can you fault me for that? I do not believe so."
There was a moment of silence that didn't last long as Jephthah decided to enter into the conversation which he was no doubt responsible for. "Are you in a sexual relationship with your employee?" The man was bold, however she did appreciate the blatancy and the end it put to this circling around the point.
"No." She stated simply, not waiting a moment's hesitation before she answered the pointed question.
"And the infant's parentage? We have yet to see a report on her and inquiring minds want to know." So here was the real issue—was this going to be another Ashley fiasco or not.
"Ah, that is unknown at this moment in time. The genetic tests are still being performed and it takes a few days for them to produce results. The birth mother was Dana Whitcomb's daughter. Unfortunately, she did not survive the delivery. I am suspicious, however, about how accurate that statement is. The mother made comments that lead me to believe that Whitcomb is alive and up to her usual antics. The infant's father is even more of a mystery—I am awaiting the results and hope to have more answers soon. As to the girl's care: the mother before dying entrusted the girl to my care."
There was silence as a beep rang from the monitor behind her. Taking the out that was given her, Magnus leaned over as the Head's considered her response. She, however, was the first to speak quietly; her voice carried on a hasty breath, "Dear Lord."
Declan was the first to respond. "Magnus, what is it?"
She looked up at him in surprise, "I don't know; I need to run this again. If you'll excuse me I have a patient waiting, along with a growing amount of other work."
"I believe these answers have satisfied." Declan wrapped up the impromptu meeting. He received affirming nods from all other Heads except Jephthah in New York. Magnus ignored them and reset the test to run again. It was only partially through running, but what results had been determinable were thoroughly confusing and worrying. "Magnus, what is it?" Declan was the only one left.
"The test—something must be wrong with the equipment or the system is having a glitch."
"Magnus…"
"These results can't be correct; there must be a glitch somewhere. I need to completely re-run everything and then I will know more. I'll have Henry look at the systems as well and see how this error could be occurring."
"Alright," he said calmly. She was not as composed as she could be and he wanted to be that port in the storm for her. "I'll contact you later." She didn't respond as he closed the call.