He lets out a silent exhale as he grounds his thoughts to the present. Now he was older. Wiser. And he would be damned if anyone made him feel that way again.
"What do you want, Doc?"
"Ah, straight to the point I see. " The man said with amusement laced in his tone, busying himself with the papers on his desk. "I've been watching you. You catch on quickly, do as you're told and I've never heard a single complaint from the clients."
"What's your point?" Jarad asked impatiently.
Peering at the young male from behind his glasses, his eyes show slight annoyance. "If you would let me speak." He retorted with a hint of warning.
The brief silence was filled with tension before the Doctor cleared his throat and spoke up once more.
"As I was saying, you've been such a good boy that I thought of giving you a little reward. You are allowed on leave for... let's say, three weeks. You're allowed to do whatever, have fun, go out....you have a sister, don't you?" The older male rambled as he took a glance at Jarad's profile on paper before staring at the male himself.
The male in question, didn't know how to respond, filled with uncertainty on what to do with this new-found freedom. "I..." He trails off, unsure of what to say. "Thank you, sir." He uttered instead, giving the man a short nod.
The doctor gave one back and returned to his papers. "Alright then, you're dismissed."
Like a robot, he turns sharply and exits, closing the door with a gentle slam. His legs work on autopilot as he strides down the hallways, a petite looking lady with brown wavy hair and dark mocha eyes waiting for him with her back against the wall. Upon sighting him, she pushes herself up and approaches him, eyes twinkling with curiosity and excitement.
"Sooo? What'd he say? New mission? Oooh, is it torture? It's been a while since I've had one of those?" The lady rambles animatedly as she paced from one side to the other.
"Frieda." Jarad called out, making the girl halt, smiling sheepishly as she realized she rambled again.
"He didn't give me a mission. He gave me a... vacation." It sounded weird on his tongue for some reason. Twelve years of ripping out throats and smashing heads. Of borderline being an insomniac due to the nightmares he had of the people he killed. Of battling with the guilt he had the first few years.
He had been so used to the chaos that this sudden sense of silence felt wrong.
Frieda let out a whistle. "People don't get much of that these days. Well, except for people like us. So, what do you wanna do?"
Of course there was nothing that came faster to mind than his dear sister, Evie. But he hesitated, uncertain with the idea.
Evie- if she remembered him- grew up with the childhood version of him being a frail and sick little boy. Not a person who would'nt blink before snapping someone's neck.
Still...if there was a chance he could see how she was doing. He didn't have to talk to her. Just a peek at her life would be more than enough.
"I'm going to see my sister." He announced.
Frieda's brows lifted in surprise, though her smirk didn't waver. " Your sister huh? Bold decision but you do know that Family reunions aren't exactly in our job description"
" I don't remember asking you for approval, I got that from Doc already" Jarad replied curtly, his voice form but not unkind. He started walking again, forcing her to keep up with his brisk pace.
Frieda shrugged and fell Into step beside him, her hands tucked casually into her jacket pockets.
" Fair enough, But, uh ....you sure about this? I mean you've been out of her life for quite a number of years and well..." She trailed off, her tone laced with caution which was rare. " You're not the same guy she knew, Jarad"
"I know" he muttered, jaw tightening. "I'm not planning on waltzing into her life and pretending I'm still that kid she knew. I just wanna see her, you know. Make sure she's okay."
"Right, just a peek" Frieda echoed skeptically, though her teasing tone was a bit softer this time "And you think she's gonna recognize you after all this time?"
"I don't know" His voice grew somber now, almost lost in the echoing halls "Maybe, Maybe not. But I need to do this"
Frieda studied his expression for a moment, her thoughts unknown and unreadable.
Then she nodded "Alright then, you're the boss. You do what you gotta do. But if you're thinking of sneaking around or going to somewhere else, then don't expect me to cover for you. Doc's got eyes everywhere you know"
Jarad gave a dry chuckle "I wouldn't even dream of it."
They walked in silence for a while, the rhythmic clicking of their boots was the only sound. When they reached the facility's exit, Frieda stopped and tilted her head towards him "Well good luck. And try not to show up like a serial killer when you meet her, maybe change your clothes for a change, else you might just freak her out"
Jarad shot her a sideways glance, lips twitching into the faintest semblance of a smile "Okay then, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."
" Not a problem" Frieda replied with a smile on her own face as she turned around and left.
He stepped outside, the cold air biting at his skin as the weight of the moment settled in. A vacation. Three weeks of utter freedom. And for the first time in years a chance to glimpse at the life he was forced to leave behind.
But as he headed towards the shadows of the city, one thought lingered in his mind: Would Evie even want to see him?