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Date: 09/08/12119

I woke up this morning with a sense of purpose. Instead of lying on the bed for hours with my brain numbed from fever and apathy, as soon as I opened my eyes I sprang out of bed. Well, with as much energy and limberness as I could muster after being ill for so long. I took the salve next to my bed and slathered it along the healing sores that I could reach before climbing into my suit. After tying back my wavy brown hair I took a brief glance at myself in the cabinet's reflection. I looked like my old self, I looked capable.

After I gave myself a satisfied nod I heard the front door ring. I peered down the hallway wondering if Geo was going to open the door, but the hallway was empty. The panel alongside the door lit up and I could barely make out the familiar face on the screen. Just as I was about to open the door Geo grabbed my hand.

"Don't," he said calmly as I looked at him curiously. The door rang yet again but Geo was in no rush to open it.

I sighed, "I know you both don't get along, but he is my supervisor. I can't ignore him."

Geo's lips twisted with displeasure but quickly returned to normal. "I need you to take several steps back. You can speak to him from there. It's for your safety." I looked at him in disbelief, but after several seconds and him not backing down I stepped back.

He took his sweet time opening the door revealing an annoyed Albin. "And here I thought no one was here," Albin bristled. He glanced in my direction and his expression eased into a smile. "Ah, Flora! It is good to see you up and well," he said as he took a step into the hallway.

Geo put out his hand and stopped Albin in his tracks. "The council does not have entry, and you need to keep a safe distance from her. She hasn't been immunized yet," Geo said coldly. Albin glared at Geo for a moment before smacking Geo's hand away from his chest and taking a step back.

"Do you mind?" Albin angrily asked. "I need to talk to my charge."

After several moments Geo nodded. He turned to me and said, "I'll be in my office if you need me." Being just a few feet away from the front door, Geo stepped into his office and closed the door. I noticed he had left it open just a crack so he could listen in, but I didn't alert Albin. Instead I watched him as he tore his eyes away from Geo's office and slowly assessed me from head to toe.

"You appear to be recovering nicely," he said with a smile. "I was worried about you when I was informed you were ill, especially when I found out they left you with the hermit." He growled as he mentioned Geo but maintained his smile.

His cheeriness unnerved me a little, but I returned the smile. "I am doing much better now, thank you."

"And I understand you are going to be fully vaccinated. That is almost like being considered a full pod member. Congratulations."

I was taken aback by the implication that if I was not a full member I did not deserve care, but I masked my emotions with an unwavering smile. "Thank you, Albin."

I saw him glance back at Geo's office before returning to me. "The full course of vaccinations will take some time. Don't worry, I will look into getting you transferred to an infirmary for proper care," he said.

My heart stopped for a second at the thought of leaving. Just being in isolation was difficult enough, but having Geo has made it less lonely. I felt cared for here. I cleared my throat to hide my suprise. "I have been well cared for here, and I have access to a lab so I can continue to work while in isolation. It might be better if I stay here," I said cautiously.

"I can make arrangements so you can continue to work," Albin said unperturbed. "I don't want his delusions and behavior to interfer with you and your work." Just as I opened my mouth to protest Albin cut me off. "Don't worry, I will take care of it. In the meantime I have brought some of the crates here so you can begin to log them." He nodded his head to someone just outside the door frame.

Lena stepped into the doorway with a large crate in her arms. A mask covered most of her face save for her piercing eyes. She eyed me up and down, stopping at my neck. Her expression soon turned into one of disgust, and I caught myself shifting my suit to hide the sore there. She uncerimoniously dropped the crate in the doorway and turned around.

"Will you be more careful with that?" Albin snapped. Lena returned with another crate and gently placed it on top of the other, sarcasm dripping with every move. "Thank you," Albin huffed as Lena turned on her heels and left. "Those are the only crates we brought for today. I will be coming by later with the rest of them." I nodded, and he appeared to be pleased. "If you have any questions please let me know. Be sure to get some rest." Albin flashed me another one of his smiles before turning back to his car, Lena right behind him.

Geo soon came out of his office and took a look at the crates. "I'll move them inside of the lab for you," he said cooly, obviously irritated with what he had overheard.I watched him as he assessed the crates.

"Has Marea found the right doctors yet?" I asked.

Geo froze for a second before resuming. "You don't need to worry about that, Flora," he said. My heart started to beat a little faster, his response did not reassure me.

"It dictates my future, so I think I do need to worry about it, Geo," I said. Geo stopped what he was doing and looked at me. I could detect a hint of worry in his eyes. "Has Marea found what we need to keep me here?"