Three Hearts Left Intact

Chapter 14: Responsibility

Trying her hardest to relax herself, Lauren was able to calm down enough to a point where you wouldn't even have been able to tell she was furious a few minutes ago. Looking down at Kaila who had begun scribbling colorful lines in the book of blank pages, Lauren decided to test something of her own out.

"Kaila," she called out almost laughing at how curious the small girls eyes were when they locked onto the tall girls face. For Kaila she watched as Lauren's mouth moved, but she hadn't heard a single word coming out of it. She was too focused on the way her lips moved around and how she gestured with her hands. It wasn't until Lauren was snapping her fingers in front of Kaila's face did she snap out of it.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea?" Lauren asked herself, the blond haired girl already got distracted easy enough. Experimenting to see how impressionable she was would only amplify that trait. She caressed her chin, nearly laughing when Kaila began mocking her movement with the same serious glare she was giving.

"Yup, I think that about answers my question." Lauren noted in her head. "Why don't you and I go and get out of this room for a while? Lord knows you could use some sun, I swear you look like you were locked away your whole life, never exposed to a single ray of sun in your life." Lauren teased causing Kaila to pout. Pushing forwards her bottom lip as it trembled, Lauren just shook her head walking out of her office waiting for Kaila to get on her noodle legs and make their way over to her.

As soon as the small girl was in reach, Lauren grabbed hold of the little ones hands tightly supporting her movement. Walking through the brightly lit halls, Kaila tried shielding her eyes when the intensity started getting to her. The loud noises of the doctors and guards in the halls were thundering.

By the way her hand pulled away, Lauren could sense the girls discomfort. Pushing it to the back of her mind she led the girl out of the halls and into a small garden in the back of the department only accessible with her keycard. Scanning them in, Lauren let Kaila roam free within the confides of the small caged in garden.

Stopping at all the different flowers Kaila happily took a sharp inhale taking in as much smell as she could. For a short while, Kaila walked around getting in as much senses as she could. The simple things like being exposed to a range of smells, rather than just an office, was something she was missing the more she realized she was deprived of it.

"Alright time to go back inside now." Lauren called out to her as she was sat on a bench near the entrance back into the facility. She waited for a minute to see Kaila's head bobbing around the different areas of the garden, but when the tiny girl never came Lauren grew wary.

Getting up from her spot on the bench she walked around the garden. For as small as it was, it took Lauren quite some time to find Kaila who was hiding behind the tall plants in the back. Groaning Lauren walked behind the plant seeing Kaila peaking her head around the front of the plant.

"I don't want to go inside!" She whined when Lauren gripped her wrist tightly ensuring she couldn't get away. Lauren just ignored her whine and helped her through the different turns until they were back in Lauren's office.

"Alright you had your time to get you're energy out. Now I need you to be serious Kay, you need to attend my next meeting with me and I can't have any slip ups happening during it."

"Why?" Kaila's innocent mind wondered immediately.

"Because we're going to talk to my parents."

"Why?"

"Because they want to check up and see how you've been holding up, and how well I am with keeping you at bay."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why? It's just apart of the job. Employers like checking in on their employees to make sure everything is running smooth and nothing is out of line."

"Why?" Kaila persisted. It was only now did Lauren fully understand Kaila's curiosity. She hadn't noticed Kaila was asking questions out of of genuine curiosity, trying her best to answer again, Lauren hoped their would be no more whys.

"Because they don't want anyone taking them for granted." Kaila's lips went to question her again but before she could get any sound out Lauren beat her to it. "And we are going to get over there before I'm late. So grab one toy and let's go."

She let go of Kaila's wrist pushing on her back gently towards her pile of stuff on the rug. Looking at her different options Kaila grabbed a small stuffed mouse. "That one, alright then lets go over some things before we get there." Lauren opened her office door leading Kaila back out through the department and into the next.

As they managed to make their way through the white halls and into the next with wooden walls, almost as if they were in somebodies home, Lauren explained to Kaila different rules she would need to abide by. Not necessarily to follow on a constant basis, but just to get her through talking with her parents.

The closer they got to their office, Lauren's heart rate sped up, she knew she could trust Kaila to behave herself for the most part but a small part of her worried about the way Kaila's little slip up was going to affect them.

'Please let this go alright.' She hoped. While Kaila had nothing to worry about besides Lain and her health, Lauren had much more on the line for this meeting. If she could prove to her parents that she was capable of taking care and wrangling one person, she would be entrusted with the responsibilities of becoming head of her own department someday.
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Let me know what you think. Thanks Lexx signing off