Chapter forty nine

Christiana

"Aishani!" Christiana called out as she sped into the clinic.

"Christiana?" Aishani answered, her face a question mark. "What are you doing here? I would have thought you'd have disappeared with Connor ages ago."

"Hence the yelling and panicked look on my face." Christiana said. "I didn't know he was here, I was in the lab. Where did he go?"

"Last I saw him, he was heading for the bar to look for you. That was when we got back though, which was about three hours ago."

"Damn!" Christiana said. "Okay, well hopefully he's still there. I'm going to go and... Damn!"

"What's wrong?"

"I didn't know you guys were coming back tonight, I need a shower."

"I really don't think he'll care, the man has been brooding full time about you for the past week."

Christiana thought about it for a moment.

"I've been working with monkeys. I mean I showered quickly after but I'm pretty sure there's hay still in my hair."

"Use the staff changing rooms, we have showers in there."

"You're a life saver!" Christiana said, pulling Aishani into a hug. She made her way to the changing room door and stopped. "Wait, do you have..."

"There's a whole bag of disposable razors in the cabinet above the sink."

"Thank you!" Christiana said and ran into the changing rooms.

After the quickest shower and shave Christiana could muster without cutting her entire legs apart in the process, she searched manically for a hairdryer and attempted to style her hair into some form of fashion. About halfway through, she gave up, her mind too pre-occupied with seeing Connor. She emerged from the changing rooms feeling a lot fresher.

"Aishani, I will forever be in your debt." Christiana said.

"Awesome, then you can start now." Aishani said. "Gary's just told me that you haven't had your injection today."

"Haven't I?" Christiana asked. "I feel fine though. No infection."

"Everyone's on the same course of vaccines, you know that." Aishani answered. "Once a month for a year."

"Can't it wait?" Christiana asked. "I'm kind of in a hurry."

"I'll need five seconds only, you need to have it today."

Christiana rolled her eyes and jumped up on the bed.

"Fine, but if he's gone to bed by the time I find him, I'm sending him your way for his complaints when I wake him."

"Something tells me he isn't going to do much complaining."

Christiana grinned and rolled up her sleeve so that Aishani could administer the injection.

"Thanks for the razors by the way," she said. "They were amazing for disposable ones, I was in a rush and they didn't cut me once!"

Aishani smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. How are you feeling generally? Any symptoms?"

Christiana shook her head. "The opposite, if anything. Must be all the good food this place is forcing us to eat. I can't remember the last time I felt ill."

Aishani performed a few minor tests, checking her blood pressure and heart rate. When she was done she smiled at Christiana and gave her a wink.

"You're perfect. Now go and do unspeakable things to Connor."

Christiana threw Aishani a wide grin. "Yes, Doc."

She jumped down from the bed and dashed out of the clinic, making a beeline for the bar. She pushed the door open and ran inside, her eyes immediately searching every face for Connor's.

"Christie?"

Christiana's heart melted at the sound of that name. It had been so long since she had been called that. She turned to see Connor by the sliding doors to The Bubble. Momentarily paralysed, she stood there, taking him in and she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He was stunning and perfect and he was smiling, a brilliant smile that was reserved for her. The clear joy in his face was the thing that got her moving again.

She broke into a run, navigating her way around the tables blocking her path. As she reached him she leapt into the air and wrapped her legs around him. He grabbed her and held her, chuckling. Their lips met and a loud cheer was heard around the room but not to Christiana, all she could hear was the sound of Connor, all around her. She soaked in it, all previous irritation and anger lost. She knew without a doubt that this was the place she was born to be, with Connor, and she knew she would never get enough of her time with him. She chuckled as the realisation hit her.

Connor grinned as they eventually broke apart. He placed Christiana down so that she was standing opposite him.

"Come on," he said, directing them toward The Bubble, "I've got something to show you."