Chemistry

Chapter 9

Tadashi comes to my station the next day. "Honey Lemon, can you help me with something?"

"Sure," I say, and wipe off my hands, following him to the room Callaghan gave him to work in.

"I'm trying to get this robot to work," he explains, "And I can't figure out which type of disinfectant to use."

I walk around the marshmallow of a robot. "What are your options?"

"Neosporin--" he starts listing off the usuals that you find in a first aide kit.

"What about bacitracin?" I ask.

He pauses. "Yeah...That would work."

He opens the robot's back with a pair of scissors and flips a knob. The robot begins to deflate. Still looking around inside, he calls, "Can you go get some bacitracin from Professor Callaghan?"

"Yeah, sure," I say, walking out.

Callaghan is sitting in his desk, typing something. I knock on the door frame. He looks up.

"Can I have some bacitracin? For Tadashi's project?" I ask.

He grunts and motions with his head toward a shelf full of gallon tubs of various chemicals and substances. I grab one of bacitracin.

As I walk out, I notice what he is doing on his computer.

On half of the screen is a digital design of a sith lord-like mask, the other is an article on Krei Tech.

I come into the room and Tadashi is still tinkering around. He sits up.

"Found a few more loose wires. Could be why it wasn't working earlier."

I hold up the tub. "Got the bacitracin."

"Great. Could you pour that in? I realized that the space where you pour it in is a little tight, despite the fabric." he asks.

I nod and get down on my knees with the tub.

The funnel-like thing is marked with a red DISINFECTANT. I pour as much as I can in, then stand up.

I brush off my hands, even though there is nothing to brush off.

Tadashi gives me a quick side hug and a "thanks" before grabbing a needle and thick, plasticy thread to sew up the robot. He deftly moves the needle in and out.

I smile. Then Callaghan comes in and clears his throat. Tadashi stands up quickly.

"I'm planning a tech meeting to recruit some new students for the Institution. I'd like both of you to help with planning." the Professor says. He presents some dates.

Tadashi nods. I check my calendar and nod.

He claps his hands together. "Great. Can you come to my office right after class today?"

We nod again.

He walks out.

"Well, I guess we're the planning committee." Tadashi says, shrugging.

"This is how you could get Hiro into the school. You know, tell him about some of the stuff, show him inventions--"

Tadashi butts in. "Hiro just doesn't seem to want to do anything but develop his bot for botfighting."

"Isn't botfighting illegal?"

He shrugs. "That never stopped him. He's still working on it, but it's actually quite ingenious. It separates and comes back together, and is stronger for its size than an ant is."

"So I guess there are two geniuses in the family?" I ask, kissing his cheek lightly.

He rubs his hand on the back of his neck again. "For him, it's natural. For me, I've got to work for it."

"Is that why he hasn't enrolled in a school yet? He is already so good at it, he doesn't want to learn?"

"Maybe. You never know what's going on in the head of Hiro Hamada." he laughs.

I check the time on my phone. "Should we grab a coffee before we go to Professor Callaghan's office?"

He shrugs. "Okay."