[This is a short story based loosely on the canon timeline. Here, Dr. Walsh gives Ava a short vacation, and she figures out how to spend it to the fullest.]
- Day #1 -
-"Bye, Doc!"- I wave goodbye to Dr. Walsh. She just nods at me and her fluffy hair bounces around. Free at last! I don't remember the last time I got this much time to myself... I'll make the most of it! I'm gonna do some self-care, I'm gonna bake treats for my Willow, and...
First things first. Comfiest robe on, hot chocolate steaming, and this tea flower mask feels like a tropical vacation on my face. I gotta thank the guy that makes the rice cleanser down in Level 11... A fresh homemade pie sounds just about right for his troubles.
- Day #2 -
Today I feel like treating me and Willow to some homemade cookies. Mine will be oatmeal and cinnamon, and his... Can dogs eat cinnamon? No idea, I'll just make them with oatmeal and eggs. I've never tried this recipe before...
They turned out foul. Guess the goat milk gives them a weird consistency? I headed to the market and spent my leftover tickets from last month on almond cookies and dog treats.
- Day #3 -
I called my brother to do something together, but he didn't pick up. Crickets.
Just as I was plotting his imminent demise in a lab-engineered plague, the bugger showed up with tiny fruit cakes and hot tea. I forgave him.
We ended up heading to the park to watch the doggies and catch up. I tell him about something I've been thinking about for the last few weeks.
[in Thai] -"Hey, my hair has been drying up weird these days. You know how I've always had it short? As you can see, I'm growing it out and -look- WAVES."-
-"Waves indeed."-
-"Do you remember if Mom's hair did this?"-
-"Yes... Don't you know that we have wavy hair?"-
-"WE HAVE WAVY HAIR??"-
- Day #4 -
My brother stayed over to play with Willow and left in the morning. That dog has him wrapped around his tiny paw just like with Kio, but he won't admit it.
I think I ran out of things to do. When I sit at the edge of my unmade bed and think about something I want to do, my mind goes blank. Going to the gym? I should, but I'm just not a fan. Taking Willow for a walk? He eats trash off of the floor. My brother? Dude's busier than a raccoon on caffeine. I know he's an engineer and everything, but sometimes I wish he spent more time with me.
No, that's probably selfish. He has a life of his own now.
I find myself dragging my feet towards the elevators, and straight down to the labs where she always is.
-"Doctor!"- I announce, startling poor old Doc so badly she drops her notebook.
She dramatically clutches at her chest. -"My heart, Ava! Would it kill you to knock?"- She chuckles, readjusting her glasses as she speaks. But even behind the playful scolding, her smile shines brighter than a Bangkok sunrise. Somehow I'm not bored anymore.
-"Sorry, sorry!"- I hold my hands up, mockingly surrendering. -"Thought I'd pay the lab a visit."-
-"Curious... You're on vacation, are you not?"- Doc takes a few steps towards me. Close enough to reach out, I almost forget how to breathe.
-"I am, but-"-
-"Do you need anything?"-
-"Well, not exactly, but-"-
-"Then go enjoy your week! Shoo!"-
Before I could process what was happening, Doc had shooed me out of the lab, leaving me holding a sigh and a heart full of... Something I can't quite name.
- Day #5 -
Today I woke up almost without expectations for the day. I slept in as much as I could, had fruit and cookies for breakfast, and went right back to sleep until a rough, heavy hand shook me awake.
[in Thai] -"What are you doing? It's like... Late, I don't know. You look like a caterpillar wrapped up in there... Are you a cocoon? Are you gonna turn into a-"-
I chuck a pillow at my overgrown grasshopper of a brother for good measure. -"Whaaaaaat?"-
-"Do you wanna go outside? Like... Outside?"-
I jump from my bed at the question.
-"Thought so. I got you outside clothes, what are you waiting for?"-
I pack up some snacks and we're ready to brave the tundra. It's way colder than I remembered, I even have to arrange my (wavy!!) hair around my neck as a makeshift scarf.
[in Thai] -"Do you remember when we got here?"-
-"Barely. Mom wouldn't stop worrying about the trouble down south."-
-"And look how that turned out..."- I struggle against a knot in my throat. -"I miss her."-
He sighs and says nothing, but I know he does too. Out of the corner of my eye, I see how his grip on his backpack tightens.
- Day #6 -
Yesterday was refreshing, and not just because I froze my butt off. I decide to have breakfast in the park, watching the doggies and basking in the artificial warmth like a lizard after yesterday's endeavors.
One approached me! He was so fluffy and sweet, and came right up to me for some bacon. His owner said I could give him some, so he happily strutted away with the last piece of bacon from my plate. I didn't mind it, he was very polite.
Turns out, doing nothing doesn't have to be a black hole of boredom. It's... Peaceful, almost. Just me, the park, the doggies, and a head full of thoughts that aren't chasing Dr. Walsh around or dissecting textbooks. And you know what? It's okay. Just... Okay. Not earth-shattering, but a quiet kind of alrightness that settles like warm tea in my chest.
- Day #7 -
Today procrastination with a side of puppy cuddles is in order. Willow, my resident burrow buddy, has mastered the art of blanket-based hide-and-seek.
Pale sunlight streams through the bunker's hydroponic garden, painting the walls with emerald hues, where we decided to have breakfast today. But Willow takes hold of a piece of trash that according to him looks mighty tasty, and refuses to let go of it. There's no way to force a dachshund to do something it doesn't want; whether it's taking a bath, not bringing dead bugs into the house, or letting go of a dubious wrapper.
- Bonus: Back to Work -
The lab beckoned today, but my body felt like a sentient sack of potatoes as I sat on a metallic bench.
Doc's cheery greeting died mid-air as she clocked my disheveled glory. -"Ava, good to... Wow, rough night? No offense."-
I get it, really. I didn't even do my hair, I'm sitting there in the lab with my comfy shoes and what I'm sure was a pajama set under my lab coat. -"None taken."-
She approaches, her keen eye scanning my disheveled state. I brace for a lecture on lab etiquette and personal hygiene, but instead...
-"Oh, Ava!"- Doc's voice softens as she reaches out, her fingers gently stroking a rogue strand of hair. -"These curls, they're lovely! Did you style them?"-
Doc... Likes curly hair? I feel my cheeks flush under the lab's fluorescent glare. -"I... Not really, just letting my hair do its own thing."-
Doc's smile deepened, a knowing glint in her eyes. -"Some things just bloom in the most unexpected places... Like those flowers in the ventilation system. Those were certainly fun to study."-
I couldn't help but grin as her words hung in the air. Maybe, just maybe, this mess of curls and loungewear clothes wasn't just a sign of laziness, but a secret message, a hidden flower in the concrete jungle of the bunker.