The Rehabilitation of Tris Prior | ✅

Chapter 1

Tris' POV

It's early morning and the sun is already shining. I walk down the street to the café next to the medical legal lab where I'm working. I enter it and order three coffees, a dark plain coffee for Dr. Morgan, an Italian Cappuccino for Lucas and a Caramel Latte Macchiato for me. Marlene, the girl who seems to be there every morning, takes my order with a smile. For some reason she thinks I'm a secretary in one of the offices around the block. She was a little bit surprised when I told her one day that I buy the coffee for my co-workers, she probably thought I was still in college or something. However, she never inquired where exactly I work. She only mentioned once that she is a too active person to sit behind a desk all day, thinking that that's what I do.

"Morning Tris," she greets me.

"Morning Marlene," I greet her back.

"Same as always?" she asks although she knows my answer. She turns around to prepare my order and I wait patiently behind the counter. I check my phone to see if I have any new messages, either from the lab regarding some test results or maybe from Caleb, my older brother. He is very busy and we haven't had the chance to see each other since I got back in town. I am still concentrated on what I am doing when I hear someone stand behind me.

"Hey babe," a male voice behind me says and I turn around, purely out of curiosity to see who is speaking. Behind me are two men, one tall, dark-skinned and with a wide grin on his face and the other one a little taller than the first and with a serious expression on his. The first man seems like an easy going person, always smiling suggested by the expression lines on his face, muscular which suggests a person who is athletic but also outdoorsy. Based on his clavicle and skull I would say he is in his early to mid twenties. The other man next to him is taller, has a tanned skin, but rather genetically inherited than artificially obtained, he is also muscular suggesting a serious physical workout program. Maybe he is a physical instructor or even athlete. However, his hands don't suggest any professional physical strain, more of an extracurricular activity. Based on his skull and collar I would say mid-twenties and he isn't the friendliest of people, the lack of expression lines suggesting he doesn't smile that much. His general posture seems casual, even relaxed to the untrained eye, but he keeps his muscles tensed, as if he anticipates a strike at any moment. He is definitely not a police officer or FBI agent. He might be in private security, but again the lack of physical evidence on his hands and forearms in particular suggests otherwise. However, what captures my attention is not his tanned skin, like the one of a Greek god or his well defined chest and abdomen region, not even his full lips and the five o'clock shadow that only increases his attractiveness, no, what captures me are his eyes. They are a dark shade of blue and they seem like they could penetrate my very soul. I realize that I'm staring and turn around immediately.

"Oh, hi honey," Marlene says and I realize that the dark-skinned man talked to her. "What are you doing here?" she asks smiling looking over her shoulder.

"Four and I came to grab some coffee and say hi," he says and I can hear the smile in his voice.

"How nice. Here Tris, your order," she says handing me the three cups-to-go.

"Thank you. Bye," I say and leave the café without glancing back at the two men, but I can feel that I'm being watched as I exit the room.

The moment I'm outside I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding. I walk toward the lab trying to shake this uneasy feeling that suddenly came over me. Thankfully, the café is only a five minute walk from my workplace and I'm back amongst "my own" shortly.

"Good morning," I say walking in.

"Morning," Lucas greets and takes his coffee.

"Good morning, Beatrice," Dr. Morgan says and takes his. We sit at one of the metal tables were we usually perform autopsies to enjoy our morning coffee. We are still waiting on some test results and decide to talk about an article Dr. Morgan suggested to me the other day. It is a fascinating view on how external factors influence indigenous life forms in the Amazon, corrupting them and changing centuries of belief and social standards.