special ones

part 4 (Ethan)

Ethan

“Just hold still for a moment, okay?” I say to the little girl sitting on the lab chair, her legs dangling, unable to reach the ground. I turn and grab the syringe, noticing her wide eyes fixed on the sharp object in my hand. I glance back at her. “Don't worry, it’ll only sting for a second, promise,” I reassure her, moving closer.
“What are you going to do?” she asks, her innocent eyes flickering between the syringe and mine. I smile gently. “I just need a little bit of blood, darling. All your friends have done it. You’re not scared, are you?” I tease, raising an eyebrow as I press the air out of the syringe. She hesitates but then shakes her head.
“N-no! I’m not weak. I can take it,” she says defiantly. I chuckle.
“Alright, since you’re such a strong girl, extend your arm for me.” She rests her hand in mine. “Close your eyes and tell me what you love, out loud,” I suggest, focusing on finding a vein in her arm.
“I like...my friends,” she begins. I find the vein and slowly insert the needle. “Candy...flowers like the ones in the field...and cats!” Her voice becomes more animated as the blood fills the syringe. I pull it out quickly and press a cotton ball to the spot. “All done. Open your eyes.”
“Wait, you're finished?” she asks, surprised.
“See? You’re not weak at all.” I ruffle her hair. She giggles before hopping off the chair. “Bye!” she waves, taking the guard’s hand as they leave. I sigh, turning back to my workstation. I label the blood sample, #998, and place it in the freezer with the others.
Straightening up, I glance at the photo on my desk. It’s the last one I took with Lizzie and... Melanie. I trace their faces with my thumb. My little girl, growing up right in front of me for the last 19 years, and I’ve barely been a part of it. I wish I could tell her the truth, but I can’t risk losing her, like I lost Lizzie.
I wipe my eyes and quickly put my glasses back on when I hear the door open. Aiden walks in, smiling slightly. “Hope I’m not interrupting, Ethan?”
I give a dry laugh. “Not unless you count an old man lost in the past.” I try to mask my grief with humor.
“Your brother sent you to check up on me?” I ask, knowing full well how his brother operates.
“Yeah, he wants to know how it's going,” Aiden replies with a hint of sarcasm.
I scoff. “Still working on it,” I say, “but it's not as simple as he thinks to enhance the kids' powers.”
I explain my recent findings, my voice picking up as I talk about the phosphor I discovered in their blood, how it might explain the glowing eyes. Aiden listens intently. “So, if I can combine enough of their blood samples, it could act as a booster,” I conclude.
“There’s a possibility then?” he asks, his brows furrowing with interest.
I nod, but he narrows his eyes. “Have you been sleeping? You look like a walking corpse,” he teases, but there’s concern behind his tone.
I shake my head, smiling. “Yeah, maybe I’ll scare the kids. They’ll start telling ghost stories about me.”
“You should rest, Ethan. You're the best scientist we have,” Aiden says sincerely. “But... I know. My brother using Melanie as leverage... it’s cruel. You’ve never thought about telling her the truth? This might be her last test.”
His words cut deep. I’ve thought about it countless times. “I can’t risk it, Aiden. She’d still be connected to the organization. I won’t lose her the way I lost her mother.”
Before he can respond, the sound of an emergency alarm blares through the facility. We rush out of the lab as the doors slam shut behind us, red lights flashing in the hallway. A guard runs past.
“Hey! What’s happening?” Aiden stops him.
“There’s been a breach. Two intruders, and Project 245 is with them,” the guard says before hurrying away.
Project 245. Melanie.