Caught in Time

Chapter 25. Acclimatization

-The Lab-

The man hurried into the elevator. He pressed the button for sub-level 6,  where the lab was located, and clasped his hands in front of himself. 

The doors closed painfully slow before the elevator descended even slower. He kept his eyes on the display above him, showing which floor he was passing. He watched it in silence as the metal box took him underground.

He had been sent to check the status of subject twenty-four, and he was in a hurry. His superiors had heard of the mistake the workers had made with her contraceptives and were immensely displeased. Especially since he had praised her, and her potential to the operation, so much. They had taken the news very badly and demanded a status report the very second their afternoon meeting had ended a couple of minutes ago. 

A couple of days had passed since they had brought her home and then back to the village again. There hadn't been any news sent his way since then, which he took as something positive, but now he had to make sure that things were indeed going well.

His pulse was racing and he wouldn't feel calm or composed until he had made sure that subject twenty-four was doing nothing but good. 

.  .  .

The second the doors to the elevator opened, he rushed to the worker who was responsible for subject twenty-four. The one with the French accent.

The worker was sitting with his glasses high up on the bridge of his nose, staring at the screen in front of him as his fingers flew over the keyboard. It took him about three seconds to notice that someone was heading straight his way. 

"Sir!" He exclaimed and got out of his chair immediately.

"How is she doing?" The man asked and snatched the girl's chart off his desk. His eyes skimmed through the chart but found nothing of interest on it. He put it down. "Any news from the scouts?" He asked impatiently. It was really hard to maintain a calm exterior when he had his superiors breathing down his neck. He could still hear their loud and agitated shouts in his head.

The lab rat nodded affirmatively, giving him a fraction of a chance to relax, but he needed more.

He had been on edge ever since they had sent her back. What if she had become so weakened, like the worker had warned him she could have, and died in the process? His superiors would have his head if something happened to her. They would not care of how good results he had made in the past if this particular girl died. 

Subject twenty-four was vital.

"Subject twenty-four is doing good, sir. Very good, actually." He replied.

Thank God, something I can report back without getting sacked or killed.

"According to our scouts, a family took her in and are caring for her." The worker added.

"Really?" The man asked a bit surprised. "Someone took her in?" 

He was genuinely surprised, most of the subjects before her, had been murdered, died from illness or starvation since no on helped them. All of them had been refused help or care since the people in that particular era didn't look to kindly on outsiders or strangers. He had also gotten reports of two subjects that died before even meeting someone. So the fact that subject twenty-four had been taken in was fantastic news. 

"Before or after?" He asked, referring to when they had brought her back. 

"Both." The worker replied and sounded a bit surprised as well. "Apparently, two men from this family found her after we sent her back. They were also the ones that found her the first time we sent her, along with a girl."