With the Chantal’s gone and Doctor Fogg back in the corridor that joins Julia’s room to the rest of the house, which is now frequented by a number of the other members of his team, he issues his orders.
“I want the subject put into stasis so her condition is unable to deteriorate further.”
One of the people around him, he doesn’t know which one and doesn’t rightly care as they are all juniors, asks, “But what about Julia’s parents? They could come back at any time. Stasis withdrawal takes time.”
While Doctor Fogg does not care who has uttered the question he cannot doubt the validity of it, which is why he turns to a nearby security operative for the site and says with authority, “Make sure the Chantal’s are not allowed to come swanning in and out whenever they like. I want to be told when they arrive so I can give my express permission before those gates are opened. Is that understood?”
“It is Doctor Fogg.” The security operative dressed in a dark suit replies with a curt nod as he keeps his hands hidden behind his back.
“Is this ethical?” Another in the group asks. Again Doctor Fogg pays no attention as to who issued the query as he replies, “I do not care about the ethics of keeping the girl from her parents. I only care about the science. That is why we are here.”
“What are your wishes once Julia is in stasis?” Someone queries getting to the sorts of questions that Doctor Fogg actually wants to have levelled his way, instead of the inane ones that had been uttered previously.
“I want her put through the scans. All of them. We need to determine if she really is as much of a fit for the procedure as the records indicate that she might be.” Doctor Fogg replies with a smirk on his face.
“We assure that she is Doctor Fogg.” Someone says attempting to convince the middle-aged man who is dressed in a white laboratory coat, the buttons of which are fastened all the way up to hide much of the white shirt and light grey tie he is wearing below it.
“We still need to know for sure. After all, Compound B-eighty one-F is highly expensive to manufacture even for one single dose. It cannot be wasted.” Doctor Fogg counters as his eyes shift between the faces of those gathered around him in a lose huddle. It is at this point that he realises that not everyone around him is a junior member of his team. Several of his seniors are present too like Doctor Decker and Doctor Herbert.
A pause then hangs in the air which lasts for more than thirty seconds. Following it Doctor Fogg queries, “Does everyone understand what is needed of them and the importance of what we are doing here?”
The response from everyone comes in unison, “Yes Doctor we understand fully.”
Doctor Ichabod Fogg then smiles, slightly and for only a second, before dismissing those around him with a wave of both of his hands. It’s a shooing gesture that comes a moment before he declares, “Go on, there is lots to do and time is of the essence.”
Simon A Jackson - Writer 