Tape #17 - Buried With The Chimera

Dr. Walsh removed her glasses and perched on the edge of the bed, her eyes tracing shadows cast by the dim lamp. She beckoned Ava to join her, the silent invitation heavy with unspoken emotions.

-"This man..."- she began, her voice husky from irony and sleep as she tapped the folder Ava had retrieved. -"Is Dr. Charles Fox. He's, well, a fox in every sense. Brilliant, cunning, elusive yet ambitious to a fault. One you wouldn't trust with a secret, or a scalpel."-

She flipped through the first report, a flicker of recognition crossing her face as she settled on a page marked with neat annotations. -"Project Chimera,"- she said, her voice catching slightly. -"You know about it, I presume?"-

Ava nodded silently, her eyes glued on the yellowing pages. -"And I know he was dismissed,"- she said, her voice barely above a whisper. -"But why?"-

Dr. Walsh met her gaze, and for a moment, Ava saw beyond the tired lines and the weight of responsibility. -"Professional disagreements."- the phrase tasted stale on her tongue. Her voice, however, held a tremor of something deeper; frustration, maybe even a flicker of guilt.

-"He was..."- Dr. Walsh paused, searching for the right words. -"He was reckless. Impatient. Always forcing results, blind to the cost."-

Ava's brow furrowed as she scrutinized the final report. -"And the results?"- she pressed, her voice edged with a newfound urgency.

The geneticist let out a ragged sigh, the sound echoing in the stillness of the room. -"Inconclusive,"- she admitted, her shoulders slumping under the weight of the past. -"The subjects we tested became much better, but also much worse. Their minds were fractured, their bodies consumed. Ultimately, the substance proved too volatile, too unpredictable. Charles... He didn't take kindly to having his life's work taken away."-

The silence that followed hung heavy in the air, charged with unspoken questions and the weight of a past that refused to stay buried. In Dr. Walsh's eyes, Ava saw not just the scars of scientific failure, but a flash of bitter defeat.

- - -

The bunker's ventilation systems hummed with a restless buzz, echoes of the conversation about Dr. Fox and Project Chimera lingering in the air. Ava sat at the office desk, the cryptic reports splayed before her like scattered pieces of a broken puzzle. Her gaze kept slipping to the silhouette of Dr. Walsh curled on the bed.

Sleep proved elusive for both of them. Frustration tugged at the corners of the geneticist's eyes as she stirred, a groan escaping her lips. Ava, hesitant to break the silence, whispered, -"Doc... are you okay?"-

-"Just restless,"- the doctor admitted, her voice raspy. Yet, there was a certain defeat lacing her words.

Ava frowned, her heart twisting for her mentor. -"Is it about... Doc, do you think Fox is down here? In the Curio?"-

Her mentor turned, weary lines etched into her face. -"I... Don't know. I haven't crossed paths with him ever since,"- she confessed, her voice laced with regret. -"He was brilliant... But brilliance without caution is a dangerous thing. He became obsessed."-

The student shifted in her chair for what felt like the thousandth time, the creak sounding deafening in the stillness. The noise drove the restless doctor to bury her face in her pillow. -"You're wriggling like a worm."- she mumbled, a hint of amusement in her voice.

-"Sorry..."- Ava whispered, somewhat embarrased. But then, to her surprise, Dr. Walsh sat up and patted the empty space beside her. -"No, come here,"- she said, her hair a tangled mess of dark curls. -"That chair looks like a torture device."-

Hesitantly, Ava joined her on the thin mattress. The air crackled with unspoken questions, but the silence held a strange comfort. The hum of the ventilation, once ominous, became a lullaby as she settled beside her mentor, the warmth of her presence a soothing balm.

Dr. Walsh, as if sensing Ava's apprehension, turned towards her. A small, tired smile softened her usually stern features. -"You know, Ava,"- she murmured, her voice raspy but gentle, -"You remind me of myself at your age. Just as curious, just as eager to chase the truth, even when it might come back to bite you."-

Ava's heart swelled. Hearing her mentor compare her to herself felt like the highest praise, and the words felt like a warm hand clasped around her heart. As her mentor continued, a warm blush spread across her student's cheeks. -"The world needs scientists like you who aren't afraid to ask questions, to challenge the status quo, but also to remember the human cost of progress."-

With a small, shaky laugh, Dr. Walsh reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind Ava's ear. The gesture, casual yet intimate, sent a shiver down her spine. -"Now, come here,"- she murmured, pulling the student closer.

For the first time that night, true sleep claimed them. Ava let herself nestle into the doctor's warmth, the vulnerability no longer daunting but comforting. The threat of the anomaly still loomed, but in that small space, for that short moment, the doctor and her student felt safe.