Freak of Nature

Chapter Eight

The next day the door to the lab opened, and Quess peeked around the corner. Kaitlyn had never seen her in the lab. “Gramps, can Kaitlyn come out with me? Please?”

Professor Adams glanced at the clock on the wall. “You know you’re not supposed to come in here, Quess.” 

Professor Adams had strict rules about who could be in the lab and for what reasons. Kaitlyn knew whatever had brought her young friend there must have been important.

Quess shrugged and entered the room. “I’m bored, and it’s your lunch time, anyway. I already ate with Nanny. She wanted me to bring you the leftovers.” She handed him a plate covered in foil.

“Fine, we’re done for now. But make sure she’s back in an hour.” The professor’s wrinkled face softened into a smile. Anyone else would have been thrown out for stepping foot into his sacred space without asking, but his granddaughter had always been an exception.

The professor peeled off the bio-rhythmic cuff and released Kaitlyn’s arm from the monitor. She stood, happy to have a reason to leave the stuffy room. 

Quess pulled her sweater tight over her chest and looked Kaitlyn over. “It’s cold outside.”

“It’s sixty-one degrees,” Kaitlyn said matter-of-factly. 

Quess eyed at Kaitlyn’s long, bare legs. “You should put on some clothes.” 

“I have on clothes.” 

Quess sighed. “Fine. Don’t blame me if you get a cold.”

Professor Adams laughed and chucked her chin. “Quess, she can’t get a cold. You know that.”

“How could I forget? You made her non-human,” Quess snapped. 

“I’ve heard enough from you, young lady.” The professor’s playful tone evaporated and his voice brokered no argument. “We’ve been over this many times before. Now you hurry along before I change my mind.”

Kaitlyn watched the exchange with interest. She found it curious that Quess would argue with her grandfather over her.

Without another word, Quess turned on her heels in a huff and stalked from the room. Kaitlyn trailed after her. 

Quess banged through the metal doors and into the bright sunshine outside, where they walked in silence until they were at a safe distance from the building and cameras. Kaitlyn watched as the wind gently stirred the leaves around them. 

“You wasted a perfectly good opportunity, you know,” Quess finally spoke up, clearly irritated. “I can’t believe you didn’t grill them more at dinner. We could have found out something about your past.”

A cursory scan told Kaitlyn that Quess’s little round face was pinched and annoyed. The girl’s heart rate was also elevated, showing signs of distress.

Kaitlyn smiled. “We gained significant information. How many states do not show signs of season changes?”

Quess stopped in her tracks and turned slowly, her frown turning into a grin. “How many?”

Pulling up the file she had saved to her memory drive the evening before, Kaitlyn said, “Florida, Nevada, Arizona, California, and Louisiana are a starting point. Should that help in your search?”

“Definitely. I wish you could come home with me to the cottage.” Quess sighed. “It would be much easier if we could get on my computer together.”

“I don’t think that is going to happen. I’m surprised they let you spend as much time with me as you do.” 

“Gramps would prefer I don’t see you at all, but Nanny convinced him I need some sort of friend around here, even if it is with a robot.” Quess smiled wryly.