The new guy's name was Hanson.
He seemed nice enough, the few times Hensley was around him. Though he started off like all newbloods – thanking her for letting him join the group (as if she had a choice) and telling her what an honor it was to be with them – he quickly warmed up and became more normal. Unfortunately for him, Hensley thought, Hanson was soon to learn how abnormal of a group he'd been tossed into.
And she didn't mean their special abilities.
As Kaufmann drove the supply truck, he recited one of his favorite stories of relational escapades. It was a long, drawn-out tale, mostly because Kaufmann liked to talk, though he did accomplish an impressive amount of law-breaking in the eight-hour period of his story. Most days Hensley was surprised that Kaufmann was allowed to stay in the Agency.
She was also shocked that he hadn't spent any time in a jail cell.
The new guy didn't say much, but he did laugh along. Whether or not he agreed with Kaufmann's action was to be seen. Even with how quiet the man was, quieter than Anderson, he seemed to fit in well with Red and Kaufmann. He was good natured with being teased and after a couple days, even jabbed back during supply transports or other odd jobs the four completed together.
She didn't think much about the fact that she was completing real work for the Agency again. Instead, Hensley was just glad that the boys had a good companion.
One of them must have filled the guy in on Hensley, because he kept his distance and didn't ask any questions of her. She was grateful for that. There was no energy left in her to pretend to be interested in conversation. It wasn't that she had anything against Hanson, she was just drained. Her body felt empty. She was just moving through the day, living until she could lay back down in her bed.
Without Anderson's silent comfort or constant presence, Hensley found herself alone more often than not. When he had been around, she'd wished for him to go; to leave her to drown in her own anguish. She hadn't known it at the time, but Anderson had been doing her a great service. Truly being alone, or rather physically being alone, felt darker than Hensley had experienced since her transfer. She understood what Eleazar said when he spoke of the two other Animas, and how fast they had fallen downhill when separated and isolated. Never before had she pitied them as much as she did then. Never before had she pitied herself as much as she did then.
Yet, at the same time, she couldn't bring up to move to where her roommates were. Her body, especially her arms, were void of any muscle or bone. They were limp; grass strands blowing in a heavy breeze, otherwise content to sit in the night sky.
Neither boy would tell her – sometimes even the heartless had a heart – but her eyes were frightening to look into. Normally a bright blue that held the energy of the ocean behind them, they were now black as the hollowness of Hensley's personality. Kaufmann often told Red, outside the walls of their apartment – he wasn't cruel – that looking into Hensley's eyes felt like staring death in the face.
Hensley would've thought it fitting. Most days she wanted to die.
~.~
When she was called into the medical center, Hensley wasn't overly surprised. Kaufmann had mentioned every now and then that he thought Hensley should visit the building. She figured he found a way or a channel that would force her into it.
That thought was only enhanced upon seeing her father.
She nearly collapsed into his arms, forgetting herself for a few seconds before forcing the tears back. It wasn't hard to recognize the shirt he wore; one of Jaspers. Though it didn't fit him quite right – not really displaced enough for any human to notice, but Hensley found the discrepancies easily – he wore it, surely knowing that it would help.
And help it did.
"Thank you." She whispered, the deliberating pain in her chest easing with Jasper's scent.
Carlisle rubbed the back of her head, chuckling as though she had said something funny. "It's good to see you again. It's been too long. I hear you're having some pain."
Hensley wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Carlisle knew exactly what was wrong with her. Still, she knew they needed to keep up the charade for everyone else in the room; the human doctors, Davidson, and Rooney.
Carlisle asked about the pain, looked over the human doctors' work, then did some 'testing' of his own. Lymph nodes were felt, he moved her arms and had her straighten and relax her spine, she turned her head and neck various ways, he listened to her heart and lungs…all normal analysis. Perfect for the charade they played.
Once he was finished, he sat back to observe her. He looked over his notes - completely unnecessary - and rubbed his chin with his middle and ring fingers; a human habit he forced himself to have. After a few moments, he sighed and looked to Rooney. He gestured to the other human doctors, "May we?"
Rooney knew exactly what Carlisle wanted and dismissed the others in the room…except Davidson.
Carlisle gave a pointed look to the remaining man, but Rooney stood firm. "He stays."
"Alright then." Carlisle nodded, giving Rooney a shrug. "I've never lied to you." He began, an odd sort of start to the conversation.
Rooney looked taken back by the ice breaker, slowly nodding along, while Davidson scoffed. "As I would hope you wouldn't."
"I would hope you could extend me the same courtesy, as I'm curious to hear your explanation on why she was transferred out of Port Angeles." Carlisle crossed his arms, leaning back against the table Hensley also sat on. She wasn't sure what her father was getting at and feared slightly for him and his safety. One would think a vampire could hold his own, and he could against Rooney and Davidson, but not against the whole army.
"Davidson-"
"I recommend he's fired." Carlisle interrupted, waving himself off, "Sorry, forgive me, please, continue."
Davidson's eyes nearly bugged out of his head, face reddening, and the vein on his neck bulging.
Rooney had a hard time letting that interjection go as well. He frowned as he closed his mouth to process what had been said, almost as though he was contemplating what to say or how to address it. Just when Hensley thought he was going to press Carlisle further, he didn't, choosing to move forward instead. "Davidson cited security concerns."
"I did." The man in question agreed, a sharp eye on Hensley.
"Security concerns? Fearing for her safety or the safety of others?"
"Hers."
Carlisle chuckled once, smiling down at the ground before looking back up at the man. "Are you aware that we lived quite close to Port Angeles - my family and I?"
Rooney responded then. "I was not." And judging by the risen brows and slightly widened eyes, he hadn't been.
"Hensley met my family at the school in Forks. Obviously, it doesn't take them long to piece things together about their similarities and thus, the mutual connection between them."
"You realize that-"
Carlisle anticipated Rooney's rebuttal, "Perhaps if you kept me more up to date on her location and where she would be stationed, we could've avoided such a situation. I had no idea she was in Port Angeles until my family informed me that she was a new student at school. We had been in the area for two years before you transferred her; didn't even know you had a base in the area until then. Regardless of what should have happened, something did happen. I told you vampires mate-"
"This pain is related to that." Rooney guessed. He wasn't a stupid man. He could follow data to its natural conclusion.
"That's not how mating works." Davidson spat. Hensley briefly wondered how the hell he knew how vampire mating worked. Had he looked it up after seeing her with Jasper? It seemed like an odd thing to do. What made him so interested in it?
Knowing Davidson, he wished to torment Hensley with the information he gathered.
"Not often, no. There are two types of mating though. One far more common than the other. I don't experience pain away from my wife. However, with the other mating type they do experience pain. They shut down when apart for too long," Carlisle gestured to Hensley, "It's not common, but it exists and it's what she has-"
"You realize that as long as she is here with us, we cannot condone-"
"So, you wish to see her suffer instead." Carlisle rose his voice to talk over Davidson. "Tell me, was she not meeting performance expectations when she was in Port Angeles? Tell me exactly what was so wrong with her spending time with us outside of her work duties." Hensley took a shaky breath. She wasn't ready for the fight – not mentally anyway. Her brain struggled to process the things being said without raised voices and fears of Carlisle being hurt or taken away from her too soon. It would never be able to catch up when the quickening of words occurred. And that was just how it would go. Hensley knew exactly how Davidson was – how he could be.
Naturally, he was exactly how she predicted. "I noted that her performance had dropped in Port Angeles. That, combined with security concerns, prompted the rightful move away from the area. You are aware of the contractual obligations for you and your family. You're damn lucky we don't pursue this further. Consider this a gift, Dr. Cullen."
"Don't talk to me about contractual obligations." Carlisle snapped, crossing his arms tightly across his chest. The muscles seized in a way that Hensley realized she had only seen when Carlisle was at the Agency. Apparently, the place didn't just cause her stress.
"Don't act as though you have been holding up your end of the bargain." Carlisle continued, "Your moving her poses a significant threat to her physical and mental health. What security concerns were you even referencing? I'd like to see them laid out in writing, as I know you keep very thorough notes, but I'd like to discuss a few of them now as well since I'm already here."
Davidson turned to Rooney, gesturing to Carlisle as if to ask if the vampire was allowed to speak to him that way. Hensley waited for the man to defend the Lieutenant Colonel, but Rooney said nothing, nodding at Davidson to answer Carlisle's question instead.
The Lieutenant huffed. "It's already been determined that your kind is far stronger than she is."
Carlisle laughed, actually laughed at Davidson. Even Hensley had a small smile playing at the corner of her lips. It was comical, and had she been feeling better, she would've expressed such a sentiment.
"So you think we would injure her?" Her father asked. His tone clearly indicated that he found Davidson to be stupid and incompetent; patronizing in a way Hensley didn't think Carlisle could be. Had she not witnessed it with her own eyes, she never would've believed it. Though, based on how she had been the last few months, she thought maybe she shouldn't believe it anyway.
"Accidents happen, Dr. Cullen. The vampire species is known for being impulsive."
Hensley rolled her eyes, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Davidson. "Do you have something you wish to say, Sargent Hensley?"
She shrugged, deciding against being honest with him because she knew the consequences. "No, Sir."
"Speak freely, Hensley." Rooney tried to encourage her. That was a joke. There was no way Hensley could 'speak freely' in front of Davidson. Anderson spoke to Davidson and got a couple days in solitary. Hensley would speak to Davidson and get a month. Guaranteed.
Carlisle looked at her as well, waiting for her to say what was on her mind, but she quickly shook her head at him. He understood well enough because he sighed lightly; not irritated at her, just upset at the situation.
When Hensley remained quiet long enough to indicate she would not continue, Rooney proceeded, "I hope have you something to express, that you would do so. In the meantime, our position on placement for Hensley stands. Accidents happen and it is our job to keep her safe."
"And you're clearly doing a very fine job." Carlisle retorted, once against gesturing to his daughter.
Rooney also looked to Hensley once more. His pale gray eyes analyzed her for a second before adding, "We will provide to you, Dr. Cullen, the list of reasons for Hensley's transfer. Is there anything else you wish to discuss with us?"
"What is going to be done about my daughter's pain? You refuse to allow her to visit us, so your intention is to do nothing?"
Rooney and Davidson shared a look, both of them clearly having forgotten about the reason why Dr. Cullen was there in the first place. While one cared more about Hensley's comfort than the other, neither of them were willing to compromise their shared position. Rooney was the one to share that sentiment, which was smart when it came to avoiding Carlisle's ire. "We will debate internally and let you know our decision on the matter. You must understand that we have to protect ourselves as well."
"And you must understand that I don't give a damn about you and what you need. My only concern is my daughter."
~.~
Hensley spent the next few months thinking; thinking about what Anderson had told her, thinking about her family, thinking about Jasper.
Red spent the next few months watching; watching the new guy learn the ropes, watching over Hensley, watching Davidson walk around the Agency grounds with red-eyed 'humans.'