Chemical Reactions

Part 19

Meanwhile, in Los Alamos, Robert was on the lookout for you, wondering where you were. It was unusual for you not to check in with him and, when he looked for you in the plutonium laboratory and at your lodging, you were still nowhere to be found.

Confused and worried, Robert made calls to other members of the team and questioned those responsible for guarding the facility. Yet, nobody had seen you since yesterday evening and this alarmed him.

Had you left Los Alamos without informing him about it? Did you decide to proceed with an abortion despite him begging you not to?

It all made no sense to him and, eventually, even Kitty caught on that her husband was distraught.

Robert began pacing restlessly around his living quarters, thoughts whirling in his brain.

"Would you stop it, for god's sake!" Kitty interrupted Robert abruptly, snapping him out of his reverie. She saw her usually calm husband losing himself to frustration and worry about you, another woman out of all people.

"I am sure your whore is fine, wherever she is," Kitty remarked angrily, causing Robert to look at her sharply. The hurt flashed briefly in his eyes before masking them. He knew better than to argue with her, especially right now.

"Perhaps she came to her senses and decided to terminate the pregnancy, because if she doesn't Robert, it will ruin us both," were Kitty's final words before she stormed off, slamming the door shut behind her. Her bitter words continued to haunt him as he returned to his ceaseless wandering. He couldn't shake the fear that somehow, everything might come crashing down around him, tearing apart his world.

Outside, the sky turned gray, threatening rain. Inside, Robert paced aimlessly in his living space. He wanted nothing more than to find you safe and sound, secure in knowing that his worst fear wasn't coming true. But try as he might, there was only silence on the phone lines, and the faces of his colleagues became increasingly grim.

They too realized that something was terribly wrong. Time passed slowly, torturously, but Robert refused to yield to despair. There was always hope—it didn't matter how small—that you were alive and well.

And so, Robert sat, waiting patiently amidst these thoughts, hoping against hope that someone would provide news about you. As minutes ticked away, his desperation grew stronger, consuming him whole until, suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Robert quickly crossed the room, opening it cautiously. To his immense relief, it was Lesley Groves standing outside, carrying a somber expression. Robert had called him earlier that evening, trying to find out where you were but Groves had information of your whereabouts at the time.

"General," Robert exclaimed, his voice filled with urgency. "Have you heard anything?" he asked worryingly and Groves took a deep breath, visibly attempting to regulate his emotions.

"There's been a development," he finally responded, taking care to choose his words meticulously.

"She was apprehended early this morning," Groves informed Robert and a weight seemed to descend upon him, crushing his chest.

"Apprehended? What does that mean exactly?" he asked, and Groves cleared his throat, clearly choosing his response carefully.

"Someone claimed that she was passing along classified material to the soviets and now she's under investigation by Pash," Groves informed Robert and these words hung in the air, leaving Robert reeling.

"She would never do that! She understands the importance of confidentiality," he argued vehemently, his conviction evident in every word.

Lesley Groves simply nodded solemnly, acknowledging Robert's concern but refusing to comment further. "These allegations need to be thoroughly investigated," he reminded Robert, "and until they are cleared up, you must put aside any personal feelings, Robert."