The Claire Project

Chapter 11

Thankfully, Veldin seemed to get the hint and dropped the subject, and they went back to observing Claire through a one-way glass mirror as she sat in a small room with a desk, completing a mathematics worksheet at an astounding rate. Pencil in hand and intently focused, Claire quickly computed the answers to the complex mathematical equations in her head without the use of any calculator and neatly scrawled the numbers down on her paper in rapid succession. When she finished, an alarm sounded and they recorded her times in their log, and she looked up at the glass expectantly as if she knew they were there watching her.

Later in the afternoon, Will returned to his own lab to work on the projects he'd been neglecting lately. He was going to have to find a better balance somehow because he was spending most of his time on Veldin's projects these days, but he certainly didn't want to let his own research fall by the wayside, especially after Veldin hinted perhaps he could begin some of his own research using Claire. But right now, he simply didn't have time for both during the regular work day, and soon he discovered he had worked until well after dinner time. Exhausted from the long hours he had put in that day, Will finally decided it was time to head back to his apartment, but not before he went back to Veldin's wing and grabbed some notes he'd forgotten earlier so that he could finish them up before he went to bed.

Everyone else had gone home long ago and the hallways were deserted and silent as he made his way to the other wing and put his palm up to the scanner, the click of the door as it unlocked echoing in the emptiness. Down the wing, Will noticed a door still open, the fluorescent light from the room spilling into the hallway. He could hear a voice murmuring softly from inside, and he wasn't exactly sure why but something about the tone of it, soft and low, just didn't seem quite right to him.

He moved closer, mostly because his notebook was in the room two doors down from the occupied one, but he walked quietly, not really wanting to be heard. As he approached, he recognized the voice speaking. It was Veldin. And Will didn't really mean to eavesdrop, but Veldin was clearly audible to him now as close as he was to the room.

"Come here, Claire, it's time for your exam now, hmm? That's a good girl. You know you're 18 now, a full-grown woman by all accounts. It would be a shame to let that go to waste." Veldin chuckled softly to himself then.

Will, hardly able to comprehend what he was hearing, did not like the velvety tone of Veldin's voice at all. He quickened his pace, wondering if he should clear his throat loudly to make himself known. It was then that Will thought he heard Veldin groan softly, but the noise was drowned out by a much louder shriek of distress that could have only been emitted by Claire.

Now Will did clear his throat and he stomped out in front of the open door just in time to see Veldin with his hands underneath the flimsy hospital-issue gown that Claire wore, groping her breasts in a less than scientific way, and Claire staring back at him with wide, frightened eyes in what was clearly the shockingly human emotion of fear.

Upon hearing Will's heavy footfalls, Veldin quickly pulled back his hands and turned around to face him. "Dr. Veldin," Will said in a harsh, disapproving tone, "What's going on here?" He wouldn't ordinarily speak to Veldin in such a way, but he couldn't control himself at the moment. Will was repulsed by what he had just seen, and surprisingly angry.

If Veldin was at all embarrassed or ashamed, he did not show it. "Will. I was just finishing up rounds. It's late, you should go home," Veldin said somewhat authoritatively.

"I was just grabbing my notebook," Will replied in a cool tone.

"Yes, well. I was just on my way out myself. If you'll excuse me," Veldin finished briskly, striding past him quickly and exiting down the hallway. Will stood rooted to his spot, his fists clenched at his sides, until he heard the heavy door at the end of the hallway click as Veldin left.

It was only then that Will turned toward Claire, who was now standing with her arms crossed tightly over her chest in a defensive posture. Her eyes, still wide with trepidation, did not look through him disinterestedly as they usually did. Instead, they were focused intently on him.

"He should not have done that to you," Will said to her, still shaking with disgust, "It's not right."

Of course, Claire said nothing in response, but she still watched him in an almost questioning manner, and Will suddenly found this very unnerving. He had heard her shriek earlier, and he had never heard her make a single noise in all the time he had known her, hadn't really even known she was capable of it. He had also never seen her make eye contact with him like this and it made him very uncomfortable.

All Will wanted to do at the moment was leave and return to his apartment so he could process what he had just seen. He assessed Claire briefly, uncertain for a moment what to do since he had never been the last one to leave Veldin's lab. Did she sleep at night here, in this room? There was a bed in here, so Will supposed so.

"Good night," he said then abruptly, and Will left her there alone, shutting the door behind him. The door that he was pretty sure locked from the outside.