Wren only smiled at Benjamin, refusing to answer any questions until Benjamin told him about his own past at the research lab. Realizing Wren would not answer, Benjamin continued.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
Month after month, when Benjamin was at the lab, more doctors vanished. By the six-month mark, the facility was running dangerously low on staff, and the recruitment process began again.
Because he had proven himself indifferent enough for the work, they finally started giving him tasks more closely related to the research and granted him additional security clearances to enter areas of the lab he had been prohibited from entering.
His new assignment involved running and analyzing blood tests for the test subjects, checking for their pheromone levels, and drawing samples for a purpose they still hadn't fully explained.
It was during this time he met Himari Villanov. She was a senior nurse and a kind woman who supported her parents back in Nephrite, a city in Southern Zephyr. They often ate lunch together, and she confessed that she found the environment lonely. The doctors were usually cruel to the nurses, but she told Benjamin he was different.
As they grew closer, he asked her about the research. She told him it was all very secretive though rumors claimed it was revolutionary. It was something about eradicating terminal diseases. She said she didn't snoop because she was terrified of losing the job that kept her family afloat.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
"She was a good nurse, I remember," Wren said. "It's unfortunate what happened to her. Don't tell me it was related to her?"
Benjamin was confused at how Wren had known all this. He nodded.
"Then, was it Dr. Holland?"
Benjamin nodded again.
"Exactly how did it unfold?" Wren asked, growing serious.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
One night, there was a frantic knock on Benjamin's door. It was Himari. She was trembling, her eyes red from crying. Benjamin quickly let her in and shut the door behind him.
When Benjamin asked if she was alright and what had happened, through tears she spoke quietly, afraid to be heard. "I want to leave, Benjamin. But he won't let me."
"Who won't let you leave? I'm sure we can talk to some of the superiors, they'll understand," Benjamin tried to reassure her.
"No. Relationships are forbidden. It's Dr. Holland. I told him I was pregnant with our child. He wants me to terminate the pregnancy. He said if I told anyone or tried to leave, he'd kill me. "
Dr. Holland was a legend at the lab. He was brilliant, but was notorious for possessing a terrifying temper.
"I don't know what I can do to help you," Benjamin said. "But whatever it is you need me to do, I'll do it."
"I tried to threaten him," Himari said, pressing a key into Benjamin's palm. "I took this from his room. I don't know what it opens, but he keeps it hidden. Please, just keep it for me."
That was the last time he saw her.
After her disappearance, the official story was that she took a leave of absence, but Benjamin wondered if she was able to leave safely. He wanted to ask around, but he didn't want to raise suspicions. A week later, an assistant position opened up under Dr. Holland himself. Benjamin knew it was his only chance.
Not many people applied for the position. There were only a handful of people who waited outside his interview room. During the interview, Dr. Holland kept commenting on Benjamin's appearance—his "handsome face", his pale skin, his smooth complexion, and his lean body. Benjamin endured the scrutiny and put on a smile through gritted teeth. He was hired on the spot, despite the fact that there were still two other candidates waiting to be interviewed.
Dr. Holland worked in areas with the highest security clearance, split between the top floor of the lab and the lowest depths of the basement. Upon entering or leaving these floors, every single person was checked thoroughly both before and after entry.
In addition to the increased security he faced at the lab, whenever Benjamin was permitted to go into town, he was followed by security personnel from afar. To alert his contact, he had to resort to leaving messages in the bathrooms of whichever locations he could find, timed carefully after making his usual stops.
Working with Holland was another major headache. Holland's temper was ferocious. He'd throw folders and smash whatever happened to be in front of him whenever the "higher-ups" pressured him. He also constantly tried to touch Benjamin, who spent his days inventing excuses to escape the man's reach.
After a month or two of serving as his assistant, Benjamin watched as Dr. Holland spiraled into a rage following a particularly stressful week. The cause was a series of abnormal blood tests. Someone had mislabeled the vials, and the resulting data was a catastrophic mess. Of course, as a constant cycle of new doctors shuffled through the facility, it was only a matter of time before someone made a mistake.
That week, Benjamin spent every day picking up the destruction left behind by Holland. Through this constant reorganization of scattered documents from folders that had been thrown across the room, Benjamin was able to read through some of the sensitive files. He took careful mental notes, and once he returned to the safety of his room, he would write down everything he remembered, shoving the scraps of paper into empty vial bottles for safekeeping.
As the week drew to a close, Holland was drinking heavily. Benjamin coaxed him into drinking even more until the man finally passed out on his office couch. Once he was under, Benjamin took care of him, settling him properly on the sofa. The next morning, he arrived with medicine and breakfast, leaving Dr. Holland thoroughly pleased with his devotion.
Another few months passed before a similar incident occurred.
"Those damned doctors can't get anything right!" Dr. Holland roared, throwing a mug across his office. It cracked with a deafening sound, smashing against the wall. "Come with me, Dr. Night. Someone input incorrect data for the last two weeks, and we need to retrieve those files before the higher-ups get on my ass again."
Benjamin followed him down to the lowest floor, passing through levels of security he hadn't even known existed. The level of security was intense. They were stripped, searched, and eventually led to a single, nondescript door.
Holland pulled out a heavy chain of keys. Among them were keys that looked identical to the one Himari had given him. Holland selected one and slid it into the lock.