Dr. Walsh opened her eyes again two days after the incident, two days of blurred consciousness and fractured memories. She winced at the faint artificial light filtering through the medical bay's curtains.
Her first instinct was to call for her assistant, but her voice, surprisingly hoarse, only croaked out a feeble, -"...Ava?"-
There was no answer.
She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in her left side forced her back down. The place was almost empty, except for a disposable coffee cup on a table by the bed. When the doctor reached to touch it, it was still warm. Someone had been keeping her company.
Dr. Walsh drifted back towards sleep, but the memories of the incident, vivid and horrifying, flooded her mind, jolting her awake. She shot up, the pain a dull throb compared to the sheer anxiety that gripped her.
The door creaked open, and Ava, carrying a paper bag, froze in the doorway. -"Doctor! You're awake!"-
The geneticist looked up, relief washing over her. -"Ava, please... I need to..."- Her words trailed off into a groan as a wave of pain forced her back into the bed.
Ava set the food down and rushed to her side. -"Doc, calm down. You're pretty hurt. You need rest."-
-"No..."- Dr. Walsh whimpered, her voice raspy and defeated. -"I did something unforgivable..."-
Ava sat on the couch, her gaze unwavering. -"We'll figure this out, but please, you have to rest."-
She fishes a warm croissant out of the bag and places it on the table for her mentor, then sits on a couch parallel to her bed to eat her sandwich.
Silence filled the room, broken only by Ava's soft eating. -"I'll be here if you need me,"- she said after a while, a bitter smile playing on her lips. -"Wouldn't want you running off, after all."-
Dr. Walsh buried her face in the pillow. -"I ruined everything..."- she mumbled, her voice muffled. -"What can I even do?"-
Ava frowned, the weight of the unknown pressing down on her. She had no idea what threat Dr. Walsh had unleashed, or how they could face it. But the sight of her mentor so defeated, the spark of her spirit dimmed, was unbearable.
-"Look,"- she began gently. -"I know this is overwhelming, but you need your strength to handle it. So please, Doc... Don't let those thoughts torment you. At least for now. Okay?"-
Dr. Walsh remained silent for a moment, then with a weak nod, lifted her head. -"What's in the croissant?"-
A faint smile tugged at Ava's lips. -"Chocolate."-