" YUANFEN " genji shimada.

v | uncertainty

yuanfen.
act four, chapter five.
"uncertainty"

_

AFTER THE CONVERSATION WITH Sojourn in her office, Dahlia was rather nervous to begin working with Dr. Ziegler. Knowing that the Captain didn't trust her put her on edge; after all, if the one who seemed to make all the decisions didn't want her there, then why was she still there? Sojourn couldn't trust her, but Dahlia wasn't sure if she could trust Sojourn, either. Why would the Captain choose to let her stay on base with Overwatch agents when she had already killed numerous others? Perhaps it was only a way to keep an eye on her. If Dahlia was too busy posing as one of them, then she would have a tough time killing them with the efficiency she once had with the Reaper.

Dahlia shook her head, shaking the intrusive thoughts away. So what if the Captain didn't trust her. Dahlia wasn't looking for trust or friendship. The only thing she wanted was safety, and as of right now, Overwatch was providing her with that. Anything else was unnecessary.

She was currently sitting at the desk overlooking the entrance to the medbay. Dr. Ziegler had chatted with her for a few minutes upon her arrival before disappearing into her office to work on some paperwork. Much like her day of training, Dahlia was assigned to overlook any minor injuries that came through, and so far, the day had been quiet. A leatherbound book sat on the desk in front of her, given to her by Dr. Ziegler to read throughout the day. Inside, it contained countless notes written by the doctor over the years describing various ways to heal nearly every ailment one could think of. It was currently open to a page describing full-body prosthetics and cybernetics. Dr. Ziegler's handwriting covered the page, along with another set of messier handwriting. At the bottom of the page, the doctor had signed her name next to another signature: Torbjorn Lindholm.

The following page was filled with notes on rapid cell regeneration, perhaps a theory on increasing the rate of healing. Like the previous page, Dr. Ziegler's handwriting was once again accompanied by someone else's notes, as well. There was two different tones between the notes: Dr. Ziegler's focused much more on the healing aspect of the theory, while the other contributor tended to focus more on how rapid cell regeneration could be used as a weapon. Dahlia found it hard to imagine the doctor willingly working with someone like this; Dr. Ziegler was known to always oppose the militarized state of Overwatch, preferring to simply help people through unaggressive tactics rather than fighting in yet another war. The person who wrote the other notes, however, seemed to thrive on chaos and destruction.

The name on the bottom of the page beside Dr. Ziegler's read Moira O'Deorain.

Of course, Dahlia thought with a scoff. It only makes sense that the person who wrote those notes went on to work for Talon.

There were pages filled with notes for countless different ailments, but even after flipping through the book several times, Dahlia couldn't find a single note on brainwashing. It was odd hearing Dr. Ziegler state numerous times that she was certain she would be able to break Dahlia's brainwashing yet finding nothing in her years worth of notes. Dahlia couldn't help but wonder if she was putting her trust into an empty promise.

"Dr. Ziegler?" She called, glancing up towards the office that belonged to the doctor. A moment later, after the sound of shuffling paper and a chair rolling backwards followed her call, Dr. Ziegler appeared in the doorway with an inquisitive look in her direction.

"I was just reading over your notes," Dahlia said, returning her gaze to the book in her hands. Dr. Ziegler crossed the room to stand in front of the desk. It was almost as if she knew what was going through Dahlia's mind, for her expression had morphed into one of concern. "I see treatments for nearly everything in here... everything but brainwashing. You say you can fix me. I'm not sure if I truly believe that."

"I can't say I blame you. You are my first case," Dr. Ziegler answered honestly. "But you mustn't worry, dear. I've had many firsts during my time as a medic for Overwatch, and I have lots of ideas on how to help you."

Dahlia wanted to believe her. The thought of finally being free of the Reaper and able to live the life she wanted, although unrealistic, was oddly comforting. Dr. Ziegler was one of the only Overwatch agents that she truly trusted; she could only hope that the doctor wouldn't let her down.

Dr. Ziegler seemed to read her mind, sensing her uncertainty. She reached down and grabbed the book filled with her notes, eyes lingering on the binding with nostalgia swimming in their depths. "This book is filled with notes that I have published, but not all of them. There are some that I prefer to keep known only to me in order to avoid them getting into the wrong hands. I believe that the best way to counteract brainwashing is to remind the person of who they truly are. It isn't easy, for brainwashing tends to completely erase any aspect of an individual's former self, but I believe that it will work over time. I've talked to the others, and they've agreed to allow me to give you access to all of the records that Overwatch has on you."

Dahlia thought back to the file room that she and Genji snuck into. Her mind was set on finding only one thing, though she was able to recall the surprising lack of files listed with her last name. It was odd. She thought that there would be at least more information on her father, given that he was supposedly a respected agent within Overwatch, yet there was almost nothing. Perhaps, for some odd reason, they kept them locked away somewhere else. If not, Dahlia wasn't sure how much about her former self she would be able to learn with such limited information. She wasn't going to argue, however. Dr. Ziegler seemed confident with her theory, and Dahlia was desperate to break whatever spell the Reaper had on her. She was willing to try anything, no matter how skeptical she was about its effectiveness.

The conversation now over, Dahlia expected Dr. Ziegler to excuse herself and retreat back to her office, though the doctor lingered in front of the desk for several moments longer. It looked as though she wanted to say something, and just as Dahlia was about to question her about it, she spoke: "Have you spoken to Genji lately?"

The question took Dahlia by surprise. She only seemed curious, her light eyes shining with innocence, though the doctor didn't seem like one who liked to gossip. "Uh... no," she replied almost hesitantly. Dr. Ziegler hummed a response, though said nothing, which only confused Dahlia more.

She remembered the last conversation she had with the ninja the night before, the discovery of his betrayal that left her blood boiling. She struggled to contain her anger as she thought of it once again, and she couldn't imagine why the doctor was suddenly so curious towards her relationship- or lack thereof- with Genji. Unless, of course, the ninja had told her about their late night conversation.

"Did he say something to you?"

"Oh, no," Dr. Ziegler said, almost too quickly. She dismissed the thought with a wave of her hand, an awkward smile curling upwards on her lips. "I was only curious."

Her response only left Dahlia more confused, but before she was able to question her sudden strange behavior, Dr. Ziegler excused herself by stating that she needed to run an errand, then left the medbay. Dahlia could do nothing but stare after her, wondering what caused the doctor's shift in behavior.

"That was weird," she said, dismissing the odd conversation with a shrug and returning to her work.