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Post by Dr. Connors on Jul 6, 2015 1:08:27 GMT -5
"I was just going to ask if you'd seen her this morning. I'm sure she's with her father's associates somewhere--"
The two of them had quarreled. It explained some of Megan's prickliness, but not why Nina would simply leave. Nevertheless, his abject misery had been premature.
"And thank you. I'm afraid I'm not very photogenic under other circumstances." Nina's presence had lit him in some kind of glow.
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Post by Megan on Jul 6, 2015 1:50:20 GMT -5
"Think of it this way. They didn't airbrush you at all, unlike some people I can name."
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Post by Dr. Connors on Jul 6, 2015 11:09:09 GMT -5
"Ah, well. Something of a lost cause."
He unmistakably gestured at his empty sleeve.
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Post by Megan on Jul 6, 2015 12:00:54 GMT -5
"It's not- you know, I was going to say 'it's not that bad', but that would make it sound like it's still some bad, and- I mean, I'm sure it's got to be rough on you, but it doesn't look bad at all."
She sat down at the table.
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Post by Dr. Connors on Jul 6, 2015 12:10:08 GMT -5
"It isn't painful, if that's what you're worried about. And I manage."
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Post by Megan on Jul 6, 2015 13:16:24 GMT -5
"No, I figured- I meant the having to manage it at all."
She almost apologized for even bringing it up, but then she remembered that it was Dr. Connors who'd mentioned it to begin with.
"I just didn't want to disrespect that."
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Post by Dr. Connors on Jul 11, 2015 22:52:35 GMT -5
"Well, all is forgiven." Connors flashed a wan, tight smile. "What do you and Dr. Banner have planned for the afternoon? If you're at liberty to say."
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Post by Megan on Jul 11, 2015 22:54:07 GMT -5
"I... don't think I'm doing much of anything today," she said, a little too briskly. "And I don't really do anything until I'm needed."
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Post by Dr. Connors on Jul 11, 2015 22:59:46 GMT -5
"I'm not needed until the evening." Unless Nina turned up sooner than that, which -- oh, God -- was not a given. "If you'd like to go on a walk and see some of the island, I'd be happy to accompany you."
Immediately after the words left his mouth, it became clear that this sounded like a come-on. And disheveled and gray-faced, with one rolled sleeve, drinking a vodka tonic before one in the afternoon, he looked like exactly the kind of sleazy character who'd say that kind of thing. Which brought his thoughts back to Nina again in short order; she was never far from his mind these days.
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Post by Megan on Jul 11, 2015 23:01:34 GMT -5
"Ha, I already saw the cliffs-"
Megan stopped, staring into space with her fork halfway to her mouth, and then started abruptly eating again, eyes averted.
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Post by Dr. Connors on Jul 11, 2015 23:03:31 GMT -5
Curt winced and took a drink.
"Or if you'd like to stroll around the compound--"
He was too used to working with teenagers, who generally wanted to pry into everything, but Jesus, what happened there.
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Post by Megan on Jul 11, 2015 23:04:48 GMT -5
"I don't- I don't know what I want to do. I'm not very good at making decisions."
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Post by Dr. Connors on Jul 11, 2015 23:21:12 GMT -5
"If you'd like, I brought a book."
Easily half of his luggage had been books, the kind of things he didn't yet have a digital copy of. Most of them had been curated with a specific relevance in mind, but there was at least one questionable airport novel in the mix.
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Post by Megan on Jul 11, 2015 23:23:41 GMT -5
"No, no, it's okay, I'm okay with the walk," Megan said apologetically.
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Post by Dr. Connors on Jul 12, 2015 0:03:52 GMT -5
"Take your time -- I seem to have overestimated myself somewhat."
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