Over the years nightmares have been a frequent friend in the Hopper house. Chills and a scream lodged in the back of her throat is the only way that Christine Hopper knows how to wake up. Her father tries hard to believe his daughter has a handle on...
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Lisa Drewins, since her second day of officially knowing her true job as an intern at the Columbus lab two years ago, has felt a sense of guilt whenever she knew she had to go into work. She knows that what is being done to Nine is not right. Her excuses always boiled down to the fact that she was just a young woman that had no idea how to protect this boy, or even begin to think of how to get him out of the lab without getting them both killed. Maybe now it'll be different with Robbie with her.
Maybe she just dragged him into this mess and put his life at risk. Maybe she got him his own death sentence as well. By the sounds of it, he's been through this kind of thing before. Besides, from what she can tell, Robbie's love runs deep. He will stop at nothing to make sure those around him are safe. Even if Lisa didn't write that letter, Chris still would've known about Nine, and Robbie still would've tried to save him. Having Lisa around gives him another way to do this without any casualties, she hopes.
Robbie's car slows to a crawl just a block from the lab. The entire ride over was silent, and even now the two don't know what to say to one another. Lisa swallows, staring at the roof of the building peeking between others in Columbus' business district. No one knows what this building hides, and no one knows what Robbie and Lisa are about to do.
"Lisa."
Lisa's eyes drag away from the lab and toward Robbie. He stares at her expectantly. "You sure you're ready for this?"
Her hands begin to shake in her lap. She folds her hands delicately, tightly squeezing her fingers. "I don't think I'll ever be ready for this," she mumbles.
Robbie furrows his eyebrows together. "We have a shot at this. We have to take it."
Lisa bobs her head gently, hoping her nerves will subside. "I know...I know."
"I'll be just outside. Don't worry."
Looking up at Robbie again, Lisa tilts her head. She gives him an inquisitive look. "You're very calm about all of this."
Shrugging his shoulders, Robbie replies with, "Someone has to be."
Lisa reaches for the door handle, popping the door open. "Okay," she breathes. Lisa's eyes lock on the lab, and she hears Robbie turn off the car, leaving the keys on the dashboard for a quick escape, like they both talked about. She doesn't dare glance over her shoulder; she knows that if she does, she'll hesitate. She'll suddenly regret the entire plan. Lisa grabs her badge from her jacket pocket, putting it on display. She makes her way inside the building, forgetting to breathe as she passes the main level with minimal security.
As Lisa reaches the elevator, she scans her ID and hears it beep quietly with success. The doors open and she steps inside. As the doors close, Lisa inhales loudly, but she knows she can't relax quite yet. She's still being watched.
