Cosima's POV
As Ali and I leave Helena and Sarah to their own devices, we head over to her car. "So Cos, what's your taste in music?" Alison asks me as she plops into the drivers side seat. "Just whatever comes on the radio buddy." I reply, driving was not a massive part of my day. Walking around the institute with Scott was a Monday to Friday activity. As Alison reverses out of Beth's driveway, a phone call from Delphine rings on my phone. "Don't talk." I say to Alison, she motions zipping her mouth and throwing away the key.
"Cormier." I say when I answer, phone on speaker. "Cosima, are you alone? You're not at work." She says, I see Alison raise her eyebrows at Delphines accent. "No, someone's in the car with me." I answer back, obviously not about to lie. "I can't say much then, but I need you here." She replies, I glance over at Ali again but she merely looks confused. "I'll be on my way then..." I say, figuring I should see what the fuss is about.
"I'll meet you out front then." Delphine says, hanging up without another word. "Who was that?" Alison asks as I quickly change the destination on the GPS to around the corner of the institute. "My new boss." I say, but Alison still looks suss. "What?" I ask, merely getting shrugged shoulders in response. "Your just failing to hide how nervous she makes you." Alison finally says, I brush it off by simply ignoring her.
After following the GPS Ali reaches my destination. "Off I go then, may we meet again." I say as I hop out the passenger side door, signaling half a hand love heart. She nods as I close the door and walk away. I make the little more of a way to Dyad. One of her three... As I stroll into the car park, I can see Delphine sitting on a bench looking like a fine dime. "Cosima." She starts, she gets up and takes a step foward.
"Just follow me." She finishes, taking off without any explanation. "Whats the hurry?" I ask, running a little to catch up with her strides. "I believe that there could be something wrong with you. As you know, I see all testing done, including a checkup Scott helped you with." She says, stopping in front of the elevator, about to swipe her card for access. I grabs her wrist and bring it away from the scanner. She looks down at my hand and my heart skips a beat.
I let go, merely wanting more of an explanation. Something's wrong with me, that could mean so many things. But what could Scott have overlooked, he's the most tentive person I know. "You're scaring me..." I say to break the seemingly awkward silence. "I'm just as worried." She begins, and I thought she would leave it at that. Thought she would let me see through this boss facade. "You know, since your work is valuable here." She says, coughing to clear up her throat.
Without waiting for her to look at me for the ok to scan the card, I take it from her hand and scan it myself. Hoping the elevator would come quick and save me from this. "Cosima." She says, I look back at her as I enter. She's pointing at the card and I relentlessly hand it to her. "Sorry... But I have to ask." I begin, she nods a little before hopping in after me. "You only care that I'm sick because I'm smart? Valuable for these blood sucking institutionalised freaks." I say, accidently getting a little too heated about this place in light of Beths situation.
Delphine stays quiet, not looking like she's about to give me an answer. "Do you trust me?" She suddenly asks as the elevator doors open and we step out into where I assume all the super scientific shit happens. "No offence, but why should I?" I answer back, it was such a random thing to ask. "You'll grow to." She says, grabbing my hand to make me follow her. I see Scott in a fully glassed out room, fiddling with his thumbs at the long table.
"Hey buddy." I greet Scott as Delphine opens the heavy glass door for me. "Cosima, I'm so sorry I should've noticed something I-" I interrupt Scott before he can continue to embarrass himself. "Whatever it is I'm sure I'll be fine. You can't blame yourself, I look at my own tests too you know." I say, giving him a light punch in the arm. He smiles, visibly trying to forgive himself. "You have to take this seriously Cosima." Delphine says, grabbing my shoulders. Carefully placing me in the chair next to Scott. "No yea, of course." I say, when really it's no secret that these things don't scare me.
"Can we just cut to it, I can feel the grey hairs coming through." Scott says, anxiously running his hands through his hair. "It's not that easy..." Delphine begins, sitting down and turning to Scott and I. She leans over into her bag on the floor, grabbing out an orange looking folder. She opens it and spreads out various pages of numbers I can't start to comprehend. She finds a stapled small stack of paper, with my name bold on the front. "All that can't possibly be about me." I say, gesturing to the piles of papers.
"No, of course not." She replies, handing me my stack and clearing up the rest. "Now uhm, if you could open that to the first section. You can see the test results Scott received from Dyad. I've highlighted the important parts." She says, she seems anxious for what she's about to show me. "Seems normal, I remember all of this." I reply, I'm trying to see where this is going... "If you continue to the next page, you can see everything that's been kept from you. By Dyad." Delphine finishes, finally easing up in her chair.
As I flipped the page, it was exactly the same. The same but with drastically different results.
Diagnosis:
Unknown
Suspected Diagnosis:
Pollups on the lungs
Suspected Symptoms:
- Coughing up blood
- Paleness
- Dizziness
- Seizures
- Randomly passing out
My eyes flick between every word. "And what, you really believe I have whatever that is." I say, throwing the sheet down the table. Does she think I'm stupid? I haven't had any of these symptoms, I've been my best self despite whatever happened to Beth. "It's what the officials are saying." Delphine answers back. Scott stand up abruptly, looking down at his phone. "I uhm, I'd love to stick around really Cosima. But it's urgent." He says, quickly removing himself from the room.
And that just leaves me and Dr Delphine Cormier. "Look I'm sorry Delphine." I began, but she came over and held my hands in hers. Even just that took my breath away, and without words I was all ears. "I said you'd have to trust me, did I not?" She says, raising her eyebrows at me. As if I'll question her on it. "Yes..." I reply back. "Then that's what your going to do now Cosima. Trust me. You asked me a rather good question too. Before the elevator." She continues on, and I think back. She wasn't really going to hold that over my head was she?
"I know why you would think I'm just like all the rest, but you have to give me some credit here. I want to help you, not just because your smart up there," She pauses poking my forehead. "But because your amazing in here." She finishes, poking my chest, my heart... My mind was everywhere, and she had to see it. "You don't have to talk, just listen yea? I think this is bad alright, and I'm going to help you do something about it. You have to tell me the second you get any of those symptoms, you have to promise me." I could hear the desperation in her voice.
She held out her pinkie to me, she was really about to make me promise. I haven't spoken, I haven't moved And it's visibly bought her mood down. As she's about to take back her hand, deafeted, I promise. "I promise Delphine. Thank you." I say just before she gives up, intertwining our fingers. She brings her thumb up to mine as well, locking it for good. "This is going to work out, I feel it. You need a lift home Cosima?" She asks, shining the brightest smile I've ever seen on her.
