Page 6 of Drenched

“Is there a heater or something?” I asked, trying not to sound as pathetic as I felt. “The one in my room’s dead.”

Sebastian’s knife paused mid-chop. He glanced up, eyebrows raised. “Out of fuel, probably.”

He grabbed a rag, wiped his hands, then crossed to a cabinet. With zero effort, he hauled out a gas cylinder and set it down with a loud clunk. “We use these. Propane. If yours ran dry, it happens.”

I eyed the tank like it might bite me. “Does that happen often?”

He shrugged, already turning back to his chopping. “Out here? Constantly.”

I nodded, swallowing the urge to complain because I knew this wasn’t some cozy getaway. Comfort wasn’t part of the deal.

“These inn, “ I spoke too loud. I cleared my throat. “It’s yours? You and your mom’s?”

His shoulders tensed. “Inherited. From her father. And his before that.” The knife slowed, his voice became a bit quieter now. “It’s all we have.” His eyes shifted to the window, to the gray ocean stretching out forever.

“Your dad?” The question slipped out before I could stop it.

The knife stopped. His knuckles turned white. “Died at sea.” He swallowed hard, like the words scraped his throat. “Happens a lot here.”

Silence settled over us. Grief hung there too and I knew that look in his eyes. I’d seen it in my own mirror. Some things you don’t talk about.

I turned and left the kitchen. His quiet stayed with me, like a weight I couldn’t shake off.

By the time I reached the lab, Trevor was waiting. He leaned against one of the tables, arms crossed, smirking like he’d been rehearsing it all morning.

“Finally joining us?” He traded looks with Jonathan, who undressed me with his eyes from the corner. “Nice of you to let us set up while you got your beauty rest.”

I kept my face blank, heading for Kim's station. She shot me a look of understanding, organizing vials with steady hands.

Jamie was bent over the centrifuge, muttering as he twisted knobs and checked the calibration. His brow was furrowed so deeply it looked like it might stay that way. “These settings are all over the place,” he grumbled. The machine hummed faintly, but his tension filled the air more than the sound.

Jonathan leaned against the far counter, his arms crossed. He didn't say anything, just watched with an unrelenting stare. His silence felt louder than anything else in the room - not encouraging, but expectant, like he was waiting for someone to fail.

“So, how's it coming along?” I asked, pulling on my gloves as I took a seat next to Kim.

“Almost set,” she said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “The slides are prepped. We just need the algae.”

Jamie straightened, rubbing the back of his neck. “We can test setups all day, but without the algae, there's only so much we can do.”

“Exactly,” Jonathan cut in, his voice sharp as he stepped forward and uncrossed his arms. “We're wasting time. We need to dive and collect what we need.”

“No,” I said firmly, turning to face him. “Tanya will bring the algae.”

His jaw tightened, his eyes not leaving mine. “Tanya's not in charge here. We've got permits. We've got the gear. We need to do our jobs.”

“Diving isn't an option,” I raised my voice a bit. “Not until Tanya gives the go-ahead.”

Jonathan didn’t argue, but he turned away with a muttered curse. I knew he hated taking orders from women, but I wasn’t about to let his ego get us kicked out before we even saw the algae. Even if it was just old samples.

I walked over to the cages lined up near the wall. Inside, our three test mice scurried restlessly, their tiny noses twitching at the faint smell of food. Crouching by the brown mouse with the white stripe, I grabbed the container of pellets and held one out. “Come on, buddy,” I murmured. Willy had become a quick favorite. His curious nature made him stand out. He hesitated for a moment before darting forward to snatch the pellet, then retreating to his corner to nibble.

Kim glanced over and smirked. “Still spoiling him?”

“Just keeping morale up,” I said, shutting the cage door. “He's the only one around here who doesn't complain.”

Trevor snorted from the floor. “Give it time. He'll start squeaking about algae soon enough.”

The door creaked open, and all eyes turned as Tanya stepped inside. Her silver braid caught the light, sleek and bright. She didn’t bother with greetings, just strode to the counter with a kind of quiet authority that filled the room.

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