"So when did you- you know- fall in love with her?" Thomas smirked, knowing he had him right where I wanted him, with his head in Fionaland.
"Woah," Newt defeated with his hands up, "What?"
"I may be slow to getting to know things around here, but...
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Alarms rang. For a moment, I thought it was all over. My fingers fumbled on the vials, reminding myself failure wasn't an option. Guards ran from all directions. I held my anxieties at bay, knowing all the immunes should be on the bus halfway across the city by now. Alarms weren't completely unexpected; we knew we'd get caught at some point.
Security ran past the sealed lab doors, never blinking an eye at me as I ran another cell process. I could thank the sterile mask, gloves, and hair net. My closest friends might not even recognize me now.
It took longer than I liked to grow acquainted with the setup. I opened nearly every drawer and cabinet to find what I needed. Time was not on my side.
I froze completely when Tersea entered the lab. She grasped a piece of fabric in her hands. Holding it for dear life. She let out a friendly chuckle when she saw another scientist working, "I appreciate your tenacity. But I'm afraid it's futile. The city is under attack. There's a security breach, you should evacuate immediately."
Teresa rushed around the lab, gathering useful supplies with ease. Cure or no cure. I cleared my throat, making it higher than normal to throw her off. "No one is looking for us here."
That was answer enough for Teresa, she was never a fan of small talk anyway. I thanked the silence between us, writing a note right on the table. I didn't have time to look for a proper pen and pencil, thinking it wouldn't matter after this.
I dispensed my blood from months ago into a conical centrifuge. Making eight total before placing them at equal distances apart. I'd managed a hand-cranked version from the scraps at the right arm, this was faster and more precise. The sickening idea that I might have already discovered the cure if I'd joined WCKD for their resources snuck through me.
Teresa's heels that hadn't stopped clicking since she entered the lab stalled. "Where's your face shield? For bloodborne pathogens?"
"No one is looking for us here," I repeated, it was a warning as much as it was a threat. I pulled out the drawer at my hip where Jorge's gun, which I stole from the back seat. I'd loaded it before walking in, but cocked it back before her brain put all the pieces together. "Sit down, Teresa, we're going to have a little chat. Welcome to Cure 101."
Teresa's facial expressions moved as fast as her mind. I didn't remove her personal protective equipment, still very focused on pointing the gun at the center of her forehead. I couldn't do both. I couldn't focus on my research and worry about her. I couldn't let her leave either. The inconvenience of Teresa slowly outweighed her usefulness. We stared at each other, both wondering if I would pull the trigger.
She didn't bother with a full lab coat, only gloves as she started prepping her station. I told her that was something I'd kill her for. I could very easily make good on that promise. And yet she never seemed more out of place.
