To Abide with Strays

➥ 13 ⦙ OBLIVIOUS SCAPEGOAT

"Why everyone is lazy today!"

"Walk fast," Nadya continued her rant as she ascended the stairs after she walked out of the elevator... Of course, she pressed the wrong floor number.

She failed to notice the man coming down...in same direction-who's on the call..."Mom, I can't come. Ask him today."

..DASH..

"Don't your mother gave you eyes?" Nadya shouted with closed eyes as she was about to fall yet clinging on him... Cloth clenching in her hands she realized she is not falling... Opened her eyes only to encounter that Jade eyes.

She stared straight into it. This time it showed some concern. She didn't get any anxiety. 'Maybe medicines are working.'

"Garry. Who is talking like this?" Garry Agapov's mom screeched on the call. Nadya took a step down from him. She saw the mess she created. she buttoned up his shirt. "Err..." Garry stood still his mom shouting on the other end. With a smirk on her face, she brushed out it with bare hands, she got an idea. Garry suddenly hold her hand to stop her but she shouted, "Hey blind man. Can't you see me? Wait for me. Hey! Garry, please move."

Nadya fled the stairs in a moment. Her antics worked. "Garry, give them their place." His mom fell for her on-the-spot stunt.

"Mom, That thing!" Garry couldn't believe that he let a woman to make him stand still.
"Okay, take care." Garry ended the call with a sigh and turns to look at the stairs, where she disappeared. 'Who is she?' Furious Garry walked away in unbuttoning his shirt. "No one have the rights." He yelled provoking the passer by cadets to gape at him. He smiled as if nothing happened.

"I'm not a thing," Nadya ensured herself while entering the medical room. "Garry is it, he's Jade. But his eyes look...He is damn hot as well as dangerous like hell."

Nadya thought of those snake eyes, which are tormenting her life for three days while looking for her doctor. "Doc,I need you again."

"Do you think, you can handle yourself?" "I am handling myself since my childhood. Won't I do it again?" The doctor removes her specs in resentment and signed the papers.

"Be careful, you may get attacks again, human health is unpredictable most of the time." "That's why we have doctors like you."
"Please, for that-you first listen to this goddamn doctor." "Thinking of it, they need me." Nadya thought Esfir's tiny voice...'won't you come and annoy us'

"Then avoid the circumstances which made you fear-that day."
"They say face your fears."
"I don't want to tear your reports, Submit it soon."
"Why?"
"They must submit the names of the crew to analyze within today at 3:00 PM."
"Okay, doc. Thanks a lot."
"Try to catch my advice! Will you?"
"Sure, doc."

"Avoid? Who? Him?", He always finds me. Nadya left the Docters' cabin and entered the Medi-Wing hall. Waiting for the lift she witnessed a kiss, "Ahh! Why out of all, I am witnessing this." The couple in question are two doctors in the report office cabin. A see-through glass.

"This is medical research center, right? They are doing other research too, I guess."
"Why putting all research centers in one campus?" Nadya's rant went from kiss to infrastructure.

DANG

Elevator door opens, and she jumps in it. "Hiya couple, Have a nice f... Err a day."

"So, you are going to be part of this," Eldar asked for the last time before giving his initials at the bottom of the NOC.

"Chief, sure I am."

Eldar placed his pen on the holder, "Then report to Andrei Agapov. Your name will be on the ruled-out list." "Why?" "You were in Medi-wing for the whole night, don't you forget this soon?" "I'll do right now. Thanks, Chief."

Chief.Eldar just stared at that door after her departure.
"Ser, Do you want to select her?" Gabi is tempting the already confused Eldar.

'Let's not miss this scapegoat,' Gabi wanted to replace one biologist with Nadya.

"Let's select this dumbhead," Eldar just wanted to make his team full of homies in every given situation.

"But Ser?" Koba protested, only to be cut off by Eldar's hysterical laugh.

"Swap her. That's it."

Koba and Gabi, who were standing behind him couldn't say anything but just nodded their heads.

Nadya is now searching for Andrie's cabin.