Chapter 8

"No need." I cut him off. "I don't accept your apology. I just hope I never see you again."

I left decisively.

Zoran stood there, as if petrified, for a very long time without moving.

After taking care of the hospital director's affairs, Dashiell and I were ready to return to the research base.

During casual conversation, Dashiell mentioned that since joining the research team at eighteen, he had lived at the base continuously. Even for Christmas, his family would visit him there. He hadn't enjoyed time outside for fun in ten years.

To thank Dashiell, I took him shopping on Chicago's busiest street. We won many stuffed animals at the arcade and tried all the local delicacies in the food court.

In the evening, we took a walk in the park and rode the swings.

I had never seen Dashiell smile so happily.

He's a gentle and responsible person who dedicated his youth to scientific research, forgetting that he too is a living, breathing person who needs care and affection.