Date: 7/28/945
It's been a while since I last wrote in here. I guess I've just been busy. Really busy. Dr. Rocha's health started going downhill shortly after his wife died a few years ago, so he's been having me take over more and more responsibilities in the lab. I'm the supervisor now. It kinda sucks.
Actually, scratch that. It doesn't just "kinda" suck – it really sucks. I hate being in charge, but we've had so much turnover since that bloodrot outbreak that I'm the one with the most experience now. Please send help, I'm practically dying over here...
Anyways, I've got some extra news on the lab front: Sebastian will be finishing up with University over in Central sometime in the next year-and-a-half. It sounds like he's aiming for a business degree, or something in that vein. The goal is for him to open another branch of Rocha Pharmaceuticals over there at some point. He's got a mind for businessy stuff, but not so much the sciencey side of things. That's my job, I guess. I also think he just doesn't want to come back to to the Greens. There've been too many bad memories here. Getting back on topic now – just this week, Sebastian asked if I could help get the lab started up over in Central once he's done with University. I don't think I'll be able to handle two labs at once – especially given the distance between sub-cities – so Dr. Rocha's given me the go-ahead to just focus on the Central one when we're ready.
That's going to be a task and a half to get figured out. I'm not quite sure that I'm ready for it. Or for the move to Central. But Sebastian was practically begging me, and Dr. Rocha was all for it. It's been ages since I'd last seen him look that alive and excited about something.
I'm kinda worried for him – Dr. Rocha – you know? Apart from that conversation about the new lab this week, he's just been so exhausted. It's almost like he's dead inside. And his youngest kid isn't in great shape either. Little Samuel is what – three now? And he's got that weird, residual, neutered sort of version of bloodrot. Lucky for him though, it doesn't show up in his eyes. They're calling it "Rochagorosis" and blaming Dr. Rocha for all these kids getting sick. Kind of a mean thing to do, seeing as we'd all be dead by now if he hadn't done something. People are stupid, but I guess they need a scapegoat. Dr. Rocha's come up with a temporary little fix-it drug which has been keeping the effects at bay pretty well, but a lot of kids died before we really were able to figure out what was going on.
He's stopped doing any more research on fixing bloodrot. I wish he'd continue. I still think he could figure out a way to do it so that any offspring of recovered patients didn't end up getting sick, but he doesn't want to talk about it, and I'm not going to push it.
That's all for now.
Nelda Crane, signing out
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Subterra Heart
Science FictionConnor is sick. Always has been, always will be. It's left him jaded and strapped for cash, but at least it's not bloodrot. He's still got his sanity. When an estranged family member offers him a lifetime supply of his meds for an itsy bitsy bit of...
