Unlucky?

He walked to the entrance of the pen, "See you later, Lady, sleep well!" She shrieked from the shelter of the forest. The doors unsealed and he walked out, met nearly instantly by Julie and Jake, "Hey."

"How did you do that?"

"Was she aggressive? Did she attack you? How did she react?"

"Whoah, whoah, slow, slow."

"At least this is a perfect time to show him how to write the reports."

"Julie, can I give you some recommendations for food for her?"

"Yeah, please, I hate wasting so much food that she refuses to eat."

"Thank you."

"How long did you take care of her?"

"A few months."

"And no one realized? Really?" Jake asked, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Nah, I didn't spend much money, so parents didn't notice me spending a little more than usual," He shrugged.

"Did you choose to be a research scientist because of Lady?"

"Yes, but I never thought of working for a place like this."

"Lucky us, I guess," Jake said as the doors closed once more, "I guess report time."

"Jake, I'll help him, you get to your watch."

"Yeah, long night."

Julie sat next to him as he began typing, "You want to fill in the basics, date, time, and all that stuff, then you want to write a brief description of your actions and the reactions of the specimen, so in this case, I believe she was Z-067, yes, Z-067."

"What do the letters mean?"

"Rarity, like A and B are the more common and Y and Z are rare."

"Does she have a nickname?"

"No, just Z-067."

"Okay," He typed away on the computer as Julie read over his shoulder, "So like this?" She quickly re-read the paragraph and shrugged.

"You were out of the cameras' view for a while, so can't tell, but if that is what happened, then that is correct."

"I have a question."

"Shoot."

"She is injured."

"Really? Why?"

"The cage she was brought in, apparently."

"I have a question, how does she understand you? Like, and how do you understand her?" Julie said looking puzzled.

"She just does and for me, it is just because I ended up understanding her by asking her stuff, she shrieks to mean different things."

"So you learned the way she speaks?"

"Yeah, in a month or so, but I don't really know how to stitch up her wound, but I am not sure that she will let anyone do it, if it is not me."

"I will ask Mary, she takes those decisions."

"Thank you."

He walked into the kitchen still half asleep and a smell of food caught his nose, "Good morning, Alex, I was making Lady's food, you wanted me to make it like this?" He looked at the food then smelled it and nodded, "You tired?"

"Yeah, no kidding," He took a mug from the cupboard and placed it in the machine, "I have to heal Lady today, but I will have to do it with you being the backseat driver, so not really liking my situation, if I hurt her she will retaliate, and that hurts."

"What do you mean?"

"Once, I stepped on her claw and broke it, the result as less than pleasing," He pulled down his shirt, "See?" She was speechless at the large scar, "It was sealed and it healed quickly, but my movements are limited in my right arm, "So you know, better not fail," He downed his coffee and put his mug back in the machine, "Did you add the spices? Pepper, salt?"

"Yeah, I think, why?"

"She tastes with smell, if it smells bad or plain, she won't touch it unless she is starving, like when I found her and fed her for the first time," He looked at his hand and she noticed the bite marks.

"Those from her?"

"No, these are from a dog, nearly bit my hand off."

"Oh, okay," She giggled as two robotic arms lifted the dish from the stove, "So should I just mix?"

"Yeah, she'll take the pieces she wants and then finish the rest later."

"She is picky."

"Yeah, she is, that is just the way she is."

"Do you think there should be more spices? Something I can add?" Alex smelled the dish, "Are you sure she will want to eat?"

"If it is me, I really hope that being here didn't hurt her appetite."

"You should feed her then, I'll make sure to have a camera on you this time."

"Sure, I'll try to be in the open this time, it's just, last time she wanted to show me her den and stuff, you know."

"Her den?"

"Yeah, her den, why?"

"A lot of specimens only reveal their dens to mates or to possible mates," Julie giggled, "A den for a female is a private place, so showing you her den is, well, rare."

"Oh," He sighed, "Hmm, I hope she is different, I really hope she is."