Of Monsters and Humanity: The Genesis

Chapter 31 - Xander

Forty-three days before....

I had a new perspective on time.

Even though I don't know the specific days of the week (or, better yet, month), I found a new way of telling time.

The interns all came in every other day around the same time, so I was able to gauge what day they would come in: if they came in that day, they wouldn't be in the next, but they would be in the day after that. These kids are still in school, which means they couldn't just ask them to come in at midnight--they had to come in after class, maybe around mid-day when classes typically end.

Or they could ask them to come in at midnight and they have fucked schedules, I don't know. I have know way of knowing either.

And since I had this weird concept of time, I was able to tell that something was wrong when Byligan didn't show up.

Maybe my brain was still messed up from the HIV but I could tell something was off because I didn't see his annoying face preparing itself to ask me the same questions that came with no answer.

There's no visible clock in the Pit, so I can't see the exact time, but I sat tapping my foot on the ground. Maybe I craved attention, not Terra. I was unnecessarily mean to her, and I knew that. I should apologize, but in my right mind, I knew I wouldn't. It would be doing a disgrace to myself by giving in and apologizing even thought I meant to hurt her.

But that's fucked up that I had the intention of hurting her in the first place.

Realistically, there was no excuse. But, to make myself feel better, I would convince myself it was because I had this hatred bubbling within me, and that I needed to make someone else feel pain to make myself feel better.

Shitty excuse, I know, but it's not like I can do much about it with what I have to work with.

I almost didn't notice her walk in when she did.

Her footsteps were soft and she moved swiftly.

But when I looked up, I saw Terra in the Observation Room. She was looking around, looking confused, but saw her chair and sat in it like she usually did.

Everything's the same: the fact that she has her work on her and the fact that she did her hair differently (it was down today).

Everything was the same but what she was wearing.

Instead of a lab coat and pressed pants, she wore jeans and blouse.

I had to blink as I watched her. She was sitting and looking over her notes like always, biting her lip and concentrating on whatever was in the file. She did everything the same. Did she know she wasn't wearing her lab coat?

"Dr. Terra, you seem to be forgetting something," I mused as I stood up and started to circle the Pit.

She looked up and blushed before shifting her gaze back to her notes. "What do you mean?" she mumbles but forgetting to press the button to the microphone.

"Your lab coat--you seem to be missing it," I noted, but I want to turn it into something that made her hate me more. I want to see her face twist. "You look a little naked without it," I went on, raising my brows. "To be honest, I'm not sure if I hate that thought, either."

Terra didn't look up, but her face turned the darkest red I had seen in a long time outside of spilled blood. I couldn't deny the smile stretching across my face as she coughed dryly and ignored my comment.

"Oh, come on, princess," I taunted, walking closer and closer to the window. "Don't pretend you haven't thought about it."

Her eyes rolled for a good few seconds until she looks up at me with this annoyed face. With a squinting gaze, she says, "I haven't had time. I've been trying to take notes on your ever-present severe depression."