A Blemish on the Curve, Chapter 27 Update (Patreon)

Here's an update for Chapter 27 -- like "Emma," this chapter isn't finished yet either, but I've made some progress on it, and hope to have it finished early in October <3 

Chapter 27

“And I just wanted to make sure that we’re all clear,” Dave was saying to the board room, chopping the air with his hand for emphasis, “How crucial this is…how integral this is to our ability to function properly as a company.”

Dave’s eyes scanned the two lines of Braden employees, who lined both sides of the long, smooth conference room table.  He made sure to make insistent and unmistakable eye contact with each person as he spoke, going from Sophie to Ryan, down to Olivia, and then to Trent, Steve, and on across to James, and so on…all the way down both sides of the table.  The only person who was conspicuously absent was Rick.  Dave knew what Rick was up to, and he was prepared to answer anyone who asked about it.  But right now, he was more concerned with making sure his employees all understood the situation.

It was obvious that this was no ordinary conference.  Unlike other floor-wide meetings, no one else was talking.  There was no free exchange of ideas, liveliness, no crackling energy in the air.  Everyone was stony-faced and pale, deadly serious, and many wore open looks of concern on their faces.  The tension was thick and heavy over the proceedings, and Dave knew how important it was for him to strike the right balance of reassurance and severity here.  Sometimes the big moments came up, and he had to perform.  This was one of those moments.

Dave picked up the sheet of paper that had been sitting in front of him and held it up.  For a few moments, he said nothing, allowing the silence to sharpen the focus on the paper.

“You’ve all read and reviewed this non-disclosure agreement,” Dave continued steadily, breaking the silence at last, “And even though I’m sure you’re all quite clear on the specifics, I just want to emphasize, one final time, that last paragraph.  Failure to adhere to this agreement will result in immediate termination, with a loss of benefits, and no severance package.  Unvested employer contributions will be taken back from the offender’s retirement fund.  I could go on down the line, but I know I don’t need to.  Again, I’m not intending to be nasty, or to doubt anyone’s loyalty here – we have the best group around here.  I truly believe that.  But I need to go through this spiel with you all to stress the seriousness of this situation.  The last thing I want to do is fire any of you.  So please, don’t make me.  Is that understood?”

All down the conference room table, everyone was nodding, some energetically, and some slower than others.  It was obvious that many of the employees were still deeply uneasy about what they had seen, and that they harbored many questions that they knew Dave was not going to answer.  Still, though, everyone seemed to know where their place was, and, dutifully, they all looked down at the individual pieces of paper in front of them.

“All right,” sighed Dave, nodding as he breathed out a reluctant breath.  He didn’t enjoy having to make these kinds of speeches, and he wanted to make sure everyone understood that he was only saying all this because he had to.  “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, I just ask that you all sign the agreements in front of you, so we don’t have to worry about any of this anymore.”

The slight rustle of papers was accompanied by many pens clicking open at once, as everyone bent forward and signed their forms, which were then passed down to Dave.  He received them appreciatively and collected them all in a stack, which he rearranged and tapped smartly against the table, straightening all the papers out, and giving the meeting a staccato finale.

“Ok then!” he exclaimed, cracking into his best attempt at an appreciative smile, “I think that’s it, then.  You’re all free to return to work.”

“But, um…Dave?” Sophie ventured, holding up her hand.

“Yes?” he asked simply.  He had expected some sort of pushback, or at least some more questions, and it didn’t surprise him at all that it was Sophie leading the charge.

“So…Brooke…Lucas…” Sophie began, the concern evident in her voice, “Are they…they’re okay, then?”

“They’re just fine,” nodded Dave, smiling warmly as he looked down at Sophie, “Both recovering, you know, from that…uhhh, well yes, from that ordeal.  But doing well, yes, doing just fine.  No need to be concerned.”

“But where?” piped up Olivia.

“Sorry?”  Dave was beginning to feel the necessity of nipping these questions in the bed.

“You say they’re…recuperating,” Olivia replied, leaning forward into the conference room table.  “Where are they?”

One floor below, Lucas awoke with a start.  He was lying on his back, on something cold.  His eyes were blinking up at a dark, high ceiling…his breath caught in his chest, and a harsh, forced exhale escaped his lips.  All his muscles were sore; it felt like he had run a thousand miles, and never reached his destination.  He blinked again up at the ceiling, and his awareness came into focus.  Brooke…Brooke…where was she!?  Her golden goddess touch…the ambrosial voice that made every atom in his body dance with devotional ecstasy…the impossible, dominating  warmth of her eyes…her lips…the twin temples of her breasts…the room felt so cold, so harsh and metallic, stripped-down.  It had to be a dream.  He had passed out and was stuck in a bad dream, without her.

Desperately, Lucas lurched his head around, as he awkwardly and abruptly sat up on the metal table he had been lying on.  He knew this place – it was Rick’s lab!  Deep in his bones, he immediately understood that this was not a dream, that this was reality.  Without another thought passing through his mind, his face seized up, and hot tears began to pool in the corners of his eyes.  Before he knew what was happening, he was up on his hands and knees, bawling his eyes out on the metal table, his body wrecked by spasmodic sobs that shook him from head to toe.  He didn’t even register that he was bare-chested, and that he was wearing a pair of oversized sweatpants.  All he knew was that he was without Brooke.

“Ah yes!  Lucas!” came the casual, pleasant sound of a new male voice, “Awake at last, I see.”

Lucas tried to catch his breath as he blinked rapidly, staring through the thick tears toward the sound of the voice.  A tall man in a white lab coat had just entered through a silent sliding door.  Lucas snorted and wiped his eyes a few times, managing to shuffle his body to the edge of the table and sit up, so that his legs were dangling off the side.  He still felt internally crushed and alone without Brooke, but already, this man’s presence was forcing him to try and at least present himself upright.  Subconsciously, even though Lucas had been in Rick’s lab many times, he had never remembered there being a door there before.

“I’m Dr. Drayton,” continued the man, coming up to Lucas in that same casual gait, with his hands in his pockets, “And I…well, I suppose you can say I work for Rick…er, with Rick, more like.”  He peered closely at Lucas, who suddenly felt the reality of this man’s size now that he was up close – Dr. Drayton seemed quite tall, and quite large in general, although, of course, he was nothing compared to…to what she had been.

Lucas had opened his mouth to ask about Brooke when Dr. Drayton spoke first.

“So important question, Lucas, before we get started here – I can see your vitals are all intact.  Very encouraging.  No need to be alarmed as to your condition.  But I must ask: what do you remember from today?”

Lucas closed his mouth and then opened it again, but no words came out.  The truth was that he remembered quite a lot, but towards the end, as his mind had melted, everything had become fuzzy, or just…impossible.  There was no way to express what he had seen.

“About what recently happened between you and Brooke, I mean,” Dr. Drayton clarified, tilting his head slightly and blinking rapidly a few times.  Lucas felt his hysterical outburst subsiding as the doctor looked at him closely.  Dr. Drayton’s balding head and kindly demeanor helped him feel reassured, but there was something else going on.  Already, Lucas felt like he was plotting his next continuation.  He had to do whatever it took to be reunited with her.

“I…uhm, remember some…some of the stuff,” was all that came out of his mouth.  Dr. Drayton’s eyes remained fixed, unblinking, as he slowly, empathetically nodded his head.

“Mhm, mhm, you do?” the doctor said, with an almost-nonchalant easiness.  He paused for a moment, and then asked.  “Care to expound on the details a bit?”

Lucas immediately felt himself closing up.  His shoulders even bent inward slightly, like he was actively attempting to withhold his memories.  Dr. Drayton’s steady gaze suddenly felt piercing, and, despite the doctor’s friendly, offhand demeanor, Lucas felt like he had crossed a line.

Dr. Drayton’s head tilted again, ever so slightly.

“No?” he asked, smiling slightly.

Lucas shook his head.  “No, uhh…I…I don’t think I’d like to, no.”