Dr Jackie & Mr Hideo

Chapter 5: Intruding

The next morning, I found myself back at the scene of the crime - the hallowed halls of the science building. I'd messaged Ramona, posing as Jackie, explaining that I had to make an urgent trip out of state to meet a potential investor. I'd even thrown in a casual mention of sending my "nephew" Hideo to help with some lab preparations and research tasks. "You've met him before," I'd written, adding a playful jab, "He told me about his little adventure trying to find the band audition room."

As I approached the lab, I spotted Ramona waiting by the door, a textbook clutched nervously in her hands. Her cheeks flushed a delicate pink as she saw me, a clear indication that she remembered our previous encounter.

"Mr. Hideo Nakamura?," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Professor Yip... I mean, your aunt... she said you'd be coming."

"The one and only," I replied, offering a reassuring smile. "And please, call me Hideo. All this 'nephew' and 'aunt' business is making me feel like I should be attending a family reunion instead of... well, this."

I gestured vaguely towards the lab, hoping to lighten the mood and ease the awkward tension hanging in the air. It seemed to work, at least a little. Ramona's shoulders relaxed slightly, and a hesitant smile played at the corners of her lips.

"I'm Ramona Lambert," she said, extending a hand. "Professor Yip's lab assistant. I... I apologize for yesterday. I didn't mean to be rude."

"No worries," I said, shaking her hand. "It was my fault. I was on my way to a band audition and decided to swing by and say hi to my aunt. Turns out she's out of state, chasing down investors."

I paused, remembering my newly acquired rock star status. "Speaking of bands, we're playing on the second day of the festival. First act. You should come!"

"Oh, um... I'll try. If I have time."

"You should definitely make time," I insisted. "It's going to be epic."

Ramona hesitated, then asked, "Is Professor Yip alright? She hasn't been answering my calls, and I'm worried she's still feeling unwell."

"She's fine," I said, a little too quickly. "We... uh... met up before she left. She's just stressed about the research and the funding."

Ramona seemed to buy it, thankfully. She nodded, a flicker of concern still lingering in her eyes.

"Well, Mona," I said, "shall we? I... My aunt gave me a whole list of tasks that require your expertise."

Ramona's brow twitched ever so slightly at the use of her dreaded nickname. She quickly masked her annoyance with a polite smile. "Sure, please come inside."

I followed her into the lab, stifling a chuckle. It was oddly satisfying to know that even in my altered state, I could still find ways to playfully annoy my usually unflappable, cute lab assistant.

Once inside the lab, I wasted no time. I handed Ramona my latest data and calculations, a chaotic jumble of scribbled notes and hastily drawn diagrams.

"We need to run some simulations," I said, my voice taking on a more serious tone. "Extreme scale. I think- Professor Yip thinks the changes might be more extensive than she initially anticipated."

Ramona raised an eyebrow, clearly questioning the parameters I was setting. But when I showed her my notes, filled with Jackie's familiar handwriting and meticulous annotations, she seemed to understand.

We spent hours hunched over the computer, running simulations, tweaking variables, and analyzing the results. But as the hours ticked by, a grim realization settled over us.

We were at a dead end.

Without the Soma flowers, it was utterly impossible to replicate the serum, let alone understand the mechanisms behind its transformative effects. We'd exhausted every possible avenue, explored every theoretical pathway, and come up empty-handed.

The silence in the lab was heavy with disappointment. I could feel Ramona's frustration mirroring my own. I was so close, yet so impossibly far from unlocking the secrets of the serum.

Ramona let out a long, weary sigh, her hand pressing against her forehead. "This is all my fault," she mumbled, her voice barely audible. "If only we still had some of the Soma flower in its pure form, however small... Instead, I used it all in the mixture."

Her face was pale and her eyes filled with a deep regret. I felt a pang of guilt, remembering the brief moment of blame I'd directed towards her after the disastrous investor meeting.

"I remember when Aunt Jackie told me her story," I said softly.

Ramona lifted her head, her gaze meeting mine.

My voice taking on a softer tone. "She told me about the pressure she felt growing up. The expectations of her family, the weight of tradition, the constant strive for perfection."

My mind replayed a specific scene from my childhood, a memory that had always stayed with me. "She told me about the time she failed her classical guitar recital." A faint smile played at the corner of my lips. "She was nine years old, and she'd practiced for weeks, her fingers raw and bleeding. But on the day of the recital, she froze. The pressure, the expectations... it all became too much."

"Her mother was furious," I said, my voice dropping to a whisper. "She thought she was going to be disowned."

"But her grandmother," I continued, "her Po Po, she just hugged her tight and whispered in her ear..."

My voice wavered as I recalled the words that had resonated with me for so many years.

"'Lam-Lam,' she said, 'mistakes are not failures. They are opportunities to learn, to grow, to become stronger. Do not be afraid to make mistakes, for it is through them that you will find your greatest successes.'"

"'Po Po's old,'" I continued, my voice thick with emotion. "'So Po Po might not be there to see it, but you will grow to be a brilliant woman who changes the world. Don't let one mistake define you. Learn from it, and keep moving forward.'"

My grandmother passed away when I was sixteen. Her words, her wisdom, her belief in me, have stayed with me ever since. They've been my guiding light, my inspiration, my motivation to push the boundaries of scientific knowledge and unlock the secrets of aging.

And now, here I was, trapped in a body that was both a testament to my scientific brilliance and a cruel reminder of the limitations I still faced. But even in this moment of uncertainty, my grandmother's words echoed in my ears, a comforting reassurance that even in the face of setbacks, there was always hope. Always a way forward.

Ramona's gaze drifted towards the window, her eyes distant and thoughtful. "Professor Yip really is a brilliant scientist who's going to change the world," she said softly. "Her Po Po must be very proud."

"I'm sure she is," I replied, a genuine smile spreading across my face.

Ramona turned back to me, her brow furrowed in a thoughtful frown. "Something's been bothering me, though," she said hesitantly. "Professor Yip is of Chinese descent, right?"

"That's right," I confirmed, wondering where this was going.

"But your name... Hideo Nakamura... that's Japanese, isn't it?"

"My father is of Japanese descent," I explained smoothly.

Thanks Dr. Liz.

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