Before the Fall

Chapter Twenty- Four - Checking In

Namjoon

I hated these video calls.

Not only did it interrupt my day, it always put me in a sour mood.

General Li just had that affect on me.

Jin stood just behind me and to my right.

"Incoming call," he said softly, having been notified by one of the men.

I cleared my throat and adjusted my collar.

Talking to this man always made me nervous.

I took a deep breath and nodded for the call to be put through to the screen that covered the far wall.

As if this man wasn't annoying enough in a normal size, he insisted on being put onto a screen that covered an entire wall.

His arrogance knew no bounds.

The screen immediately filled with the view of Li's office.

He was at his desk leaning forward towards the camera.

"Hello, General Kim!"

His perkiness added to my annoyance.

"Sir."

"Hello, Lieutenant!"

Jin muttered a greeting from behind me.

"Well, General, now that the formalities are out of the way, how is my special guest doing?"

I slowly nodded and looked away for a moment. "She's doing as well as can be expected."

"How is the process?"

"Better than expected."

Just tell enough truth to keep his curiosity satiated. That was my goal.

"Oh? How so?"

I kept my cool.

"She lived through the first dose. She's currently dealing with the second and still holding strong."

General Li smiled and nodded.

"Mm. I want to see her."

I lost my cool.

"Wh-what?"

"I. Want. To. See. Aster. Now."

I swallowed and glanced over my shoulder to Jin. He met my gaze and waited for orders.

"Tell Doctor Park to prepare for a visit."

"No preparations needed, Namjoon."

My blood always ran cold when he said my name.

"I do hate to use titles all the time. Especially with family."

My blood was now running hot.

He used the term "family" so loosely.

He thought just because he basically created us that it gave him some sort of fatherly privilege.

I can't say I didn't think of him in that way when I was a young child.

He was all I knew beside the nannies in our nursery.

He was always present when we went through augmentations.  Always there when we received our dosing shots. There when we experienced changes in our bodies.

He gave us sweets, brought us toys, told us he...well, he used the word "love" but it was clearly not love.

"I will have you connected to the clinic," was all I said.