Rediscover

Part 3

          Back at the lab the group tumbled out from the back seat and Jane scurried back to lead Thor into the building.

          "Don't worry about me, I'm fine." Erik stretched out his cramped back and followed the twosome inside, closely followed by Eve and Darcy.

          "They were real." She murmured, leaning close to Eve, smiling like Christmas had come early. It took all of Eve's self control not to roll her eyes as they entered the room. Jane appeared from a doorway with a pile of clothes and marched up to Thor who was curiously eyeing the equipment flashing around the lab.

           "Go ahead and get changed." She encouraged, handing them over. With a shrug the man began to pull his shirt off.

          "No! Not here!" Jane hastened, eyes widening and cheeks flushing, while Darcy leaned forward with a squeal. "There," she pointed towards one of the many hallways. "There's a bathroom in there." Thor tilted his head curiously before nodding his thanks and exiting the room.

           The scientists stood frozen until the bathroom door closed with a definite click. It was that moment that each finally realized what was occurring, their faces either contorting into disbelief, or elation. Finally, Eve decided that waiting for the stranger right outside the door was too awkward, even after all that had occurred, and sat heavily into a nearby chair. Erik swiftly followed her, glancing at a book on the table with mock curiosity. While he made a show of flipping through it Eve spotted his eyes poking above the pages, and locked into the pale white bathroom door. Eve contemplated the situation they had found themselves in. Was it illegal to take a mentally struggling patient from a hospital if he already left in his own accord? While she doubted there was a specific law created for the situation Eve's insides still squeezed uncomfortably. Even with this thought she couldn't deny the thrill that this man could have details of the electric storm, let alone an Einstein-Rosen bridge. Scientists had been studying wormholes for longer than Eve had even been alive, if Jane was actually on to something it could be life changing for Eve's best friend. The continuous pacing of Jane's tennis shoes across the tile floor was interrupted as Darcy slid her phone towards Eve.

          "What would be a good caption for this?" The intern pondered allowed. "Found a boxer in the middle of the desert? Doesn't really have a good ring does it?" Erik dropped the book he was reading, giving up on the act.

         "He's not a boxer, he's probably just a homeless man who was coincidentally in the exact same place the time the storm came." Jane pivoted in her tread and sent a scathing look in his direction.

           "Homeless men are not that hot, and we didn't see anyone before, hot guys don't just appear out of the sky." Darcy drawled, her eyes jumping suddenly to the ceiling above as if hoping that she's be proven wrong in the moment.

           "There's a chance we didn't see him during the storm." Erik stated, taking up the book once more, clearly unaware that it was upside down.

           "How could we have missed him? It wasn't like there was anywhere for him to hide in the desert, right Eve?" Eve jumped in fright as Jane's fiery eyes were turned on her.

          "Um... I choose to be Switzerland here." She raised her hands in mock surrender and ducked sheepishly as Jane looked slightly betrayed.

          The click of the door reopening cut the conversation short as the bathroom door was eased open once again. All heads snapped towards the sound before all their gazes were hastily cast away as Thor still remained shirtless, considering his reflection in the mirror. Darcy was the only one who's gaze remained, shamelessly ogling as the man turned to study the way his jeans hugged his rear, displaying that they might've been a size too small... Eve's cheeks burned red and she swiftly moved to redo the braid that had fallen from her hair in the past night's events.