I guess a bit of a backstory is needed for this next part. I was born with a gene mutation, when I was a kid my parents were always so worried about me. I had countless hospital visits and bloodwork done. Turns out the gene mutation that I had caused me to have sickle cell anemia. Now I am on the low end of severity and can live my regular life with only a few minor adjustments. I have some meds to manage the pain as well as receive blood transfusions every month, give or take. Sickle cell is an autosomal recessive disease, caused by a point mutation. My field of research is not only trying to heal my mutation but all of the point mutations in genes. I realize that this is somewhat crazy and never done but I have a theory that I really think is going to work. Nobody at LAB TECH knows about my disease, if they did I would for sure be fired. I am slightly immunocompromised but I take a ton of precautions to not get sick. If I couldn't handle it there would be no way my mom would let me work there in the first place.

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Huxley and I were on the final stretch home, we were about 10 minutes away from lab tech when I felt a tug on the wire connecting to my earbuds. As the bud falls out of my ear I pause my music and turn to Huxley.

“Is there something I can help you with?” I ask him, still frustrated from our earlier conversation.

“Let me drive you home” is all he said. Not ‘sorry’ or ‘can we talk’ and then he has the nerve to do something nice?

“No, just take me to the lab. I have to write a report anyways about the broken and missing equipment from the container” not that I know what the green liquid was to be able to record it.

“It's 3:30 am, Anderson, I'm not taking you back to the lab” he takes a brief pause to look at me, I'm sure he notes the bags under my eyes and the slightly muddled makeup from my crying earlier.

“Besides you don’t even know what was it that went missing, Melvin won’t be in the office right now and I can brief him in the morning. Now, would you like me to let you take the train and bus from the city to your house or will you just let me take you?” I don't know if it is my 3 am delusion talking or just my general curiosity but as we pull up to a red light I turn to Huxley and stare right at him as I ask

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“You think I'm disposable?” Huxley looks shocked and also slightly hurt as he exhales exhaustedly then turns to look at me.

“Raelyn let me drive you home” there's my goddamn name again.

“Fine, I live on Baltimore Rd just as you are leaving the city” My brain finally gave in on me, I just want to be home and the thought of taking a train and 2 buses at 3 am kills me.

I am about to put my headphones back in and tune out my inner voice just as Huxley speaks up again.

“I don’t think you’re dispensable” I take out my other earbud and begin wrapping the cord around itself as he continues speaking.

“I-” he takes a long inhale before continuing

“I read the paper you submitted before you got offered a job at LAB TECH” I was not expecting him to say that.

“Go on” I encourage him.

“I was the one who brought your paper to Melvirn and forced him to read it.” So not only did Huxley know my name but he has read my reports?

He was the one who made Melvirn reach out?

“When I started at LAB TECH a year ago I was doing the same job as you before my research got recognized and I started on my own.” I guess that makes sense, no one would let a 18-year-old start working on projects right away.

“So you're not disposable because that would make me disposable as well” I can't tell if it's a man thing or a Huxley thing to avoid apologizing at all costs.

I think he read my reluctance to forgive and move on from this conversation on my face because he huffed and said

“ Raelyn, I read your work, I have watched you in the lab, and you are not disposable” I was not quite sure how to respond to that blatant of an answer so I just said

“thank you” and that was all the words we exchanged until we got to my driveway. I unbuckled my seat belt and cracked the door open when I saw my front porch light flick on

. “Oh shit” I mumbled to myself, I shifted in my seat as I saw the youngest of my three brothers Ethan run out the front door. Even though E is the youngest boy, he is still 5 years older than me. As Ethan approached the car I braced myself for the worst, I realized now that along the way home I stopped updating my family on where I was and I was a good 3 hours late.

“What the hell Rae! What took you so long, mom has been worried since you haven’t been responding to us” I saw Huxley stiffen beside me as I hopped out of the van and gave my brother a withering stare.

“Ethan this is Liam Huxley, a co-worker of mine” It was only then that Ethan realized we were not alone and dained to look up at Huxley. I swear I saw Liam's face go a slight shade more pale as Ethan stared at him.

“So you are what kept my sister so long, how old are you anyway? You look a little young to be a scientist” I turn from glaring at my brother to give Huxley as sympathetic a stare I can muster.

“Ok time for bed,” I say, cutting off anything Huxley was about to say and grabbing my brother's wrist to pull him inside. As I was almost inside I could almost hear Huxley exhale as he pulled out of my driveway.