✔️ Body and Mind 3

Anya

Since David was the last one leaving the department for the day, he closed his laptop, turned off the lights, and was on the way to Anya's office.
He was smiling as he was going down the hallway, wondering about her team management skills.
He was in his late thirties and even though Anya was so much younger, she was already his superior and he needed her approval to take two days off next week. In the most inconvenient time as they were in the middle of a big project.
He wasn't worried she would not approve the holiday. She always did. For everyone. No matter at what time it was. But then she also always ended up doing the work for everybody else herself.
Which only resulted in people trying to work even harder before taking days off so that she won't have to do it. Because nobody wanted to abuse her kindness.
But David just had to wonder if it's really her kindness or just tactics how to make people work the extra hours happily as they knew they do it for somebody they like and admire and not for themselves or for the "company". Even though it was hard to consider CERN to be an actual company, in the corporate sense.
And whoever worked there was anyway already driven enough to work extra hours, the typical lives of scientists.
Except for Anya that is. She seemed like she never stopped working.
They were all sometimes wondering if she is just an alien or a robot, getting its fuel supply from her morning mint tea that she obviously hated. Yet she drank it anyway and nobody knew why. One of the many mysteries about her that people were closing bets on.
David's current bet was on the extraterrestrial side as he did remember she broke her arm last year, something that should not happen to an advanced android/humanoid.

David was glad that he did work up the extra hours tonight because it also meant it was his turn to pick her up and at least he would have her company on the way home, wanting to discuss his latest theory with her and see what she thinks.
And as he entered her office, he was definitely reassured about her not running on cogs and mint tea fuel as he found her sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall and quietly crying.

-Um, should I come some other time?

He asked, hoping to get the easy way out as he never knew what to do in these situations, thinking that might be why he is carrying the divorce papers in his bag.
Anya got up, apologizing and quickly wiped her tears.

-What time is it?

-Midnight.

-Oh, thought it's much later.

She started to pack her things, throwing some notes into her backpack, a clear sign for David that she was planning to continue at home anyway.

-You know you shouldn't be doing that, right?

-What?

-Taking the work home with you. That is the whole purpose why whoever is always last comes and picks you up each evening. So that you don't end up sleeping here. By taking the notes you are only diminishing our efforts.

-Sometimes I wonder how many of you do it for me and how many are just happy they can use the time to check their theories with me.

She said as she extended her hand towards him with a small smirk at the corner of her lips.
David laughed and fished out his papers from his bag, handing them to her.
Anya closed her backpack, threw it over her shoulder, and opened his work on the way out of the office.
They walked quietly towards his car as she was scanning over the pages of his paper and he could see the little sparks of curiosity in her eyes, here and there steering her to protect her from hitting a wall.
He opened the car door for her so she didn't have to stop reading and as she sat down he closed it behind her again, going then to the driver's seat.

He drove quietly for several minutes until Anya closed the file and began to stare out of the window slightly absent-minded.
David gave her another few minutes to process whatever she was thinking about but then just couldn't take it anymore.