The Personal and Professional (Amelia)

[Esther Lindley]

Work may have been backed up, but still within the environment of the lab it was rare when there wasn't work to be done. While others tended to bury themselves in the work Esther could barely stand spending all day and night filling out reports, drinking stale coffee, or eating the packets of junk food...Well maybe not so much the sugary and salty candies and chips, but definitely the coffee. Esther's tendency to skip out on her own work was a point of frustration for some of the others, but it was known that she worked better when not under pressure or a deadline, and for someone of her skill it seemed Mudo was not about to complain as long as her work was always as good as she usually did.

Wandering down the laboratory hall she gave a long sigh as she shoved a hand into her lab coat's pocket before she pulled out several pieces of candy, popping them into her mouth as she looked around. Everyone else seemed busy, many shooing her out whenever she poked her head inside to talk or just peek and see what it was they were doing. Pulling her hair back from her face she twisted it up into a messy bun, pinning it in place with the pens that the young medical examiner tended to hoard alongside with her candy. The problem with the lab and the island was how little human contact there seemed to be. For Esther it made her restless, almost depressed at how few people seemed to want to connect, interact outside of the professional sphere.

Exiting the main lab area she moved to the living quarters for all of the scientists. Perhaps she would grab something more to eat than candy...maybe a nap, or reading comicbooks to take up the time and try to forget how lonely and bored she was. Anything than staying any longer alone in her lab.

[Dr. Amelia Vale]

Amelia sipped on some coffee as she sat at her computer looking over some data that was sent her. Everything was running as smoothly as it possibly could. 'We've had very successful experiments, and we're very close to catching Lilith' she thought with a smirk as she sipped the last of her coffee. To top it off, the work load wasn't too bad today so she was able to finish most of her own work. 'Not before I get more coffee' she thought, looking into her empty cup.

She got up from her chair, and walked over to the door. As she walked down the hall. She relished in her cold reputation that she had gotten since she worked there. The interns knew their place when she walked into their work stations, knowing any wrong would lead to a lost job. Perhaps it was because she was looked down on a lot that this feeling of power amused her, but there were only two people that weren't intimidated by her. The first was Dr. Hart who would contradict her at every turn because he felt that he should have her position.

The second was Esther Lindley but for very different reasons that Dr. Hart. Esther reminded her a lot of herself, a young woman with a brilliant mind who many doubted. She could never be cold towards the younger woman, and even saw her like a sister rather than an employee. As she looked up, she noticed the girl who she was thinking about come her way. "Well helllo there Esther. I wasn't expecting to see you out of the lab" she said with a small smile.

[Esther Lindley]

It was a rare thing for Esther to hear her name called out. Many of her coworkers, even the few interns she hadn't managed to run off from her own department all referred to her as Doctor Lindley, and once she heard her spoken name she stopped...body grew tense, but in no sense due to fear or stress as she looked over to see the other scientist smiling at her. Lips parted as she smiled, and like a puppy dog to its owner Esther quickly made a beeline for Dr. Amelia Vale.


"'Melia!" The young woman exclaimed, most formalities dropped quickly between the two of them. If there was anyone that Esther could say she trusted it was Amelia, ever since she'd first arrived the young woman had basically latched onto the other. The dreary cloud that hung over her before dissipated into her usually ecstatic energy.

"You're surprised I'm not there?" She asked, fishing out another piece of candy before popping the sweet hard candy into her mouth. As far as today and her mood went with work she could only chuckle at the expected "dedication" sometimes. "I was beginning to debate with my work again so I decided it was time to take a break." Of course this caught the attention of some of the interns nearby, many knew that the work that Esther Lindley spoke of were her autopsy subjects.

"Really when they can't talk back it doesn't make for any fun, but I'm more worried that if I spend enough time here that they will." Scratching her head a bit the young woman sighed as she glanced around the lab, "Everyone is working so hard it seems...should I leave you alone?" Her mood grew a little dimmer for a moment as she glanced back up at Amelia. There were times that she worried about bothering the other woman, who she considered a friend, too much.

[Dr. Amelia Vale]

'She's always such a chatter box' she thought, mentally chuckling to herself as the girl spoke. She always seemed to brighten up when the other girl was around. Perhaps it was because her co-workers feared her because of her power save for Dr. Hart who was just an ass. The young girl was different from everyone else. Though brilliant as she was, she kept a light childishness about her which Amelia found refreshing on some days like today.

"Oh you're not bothering me at all. I just finished my work for today so I was about to get some more coffee from the break room. Care to join me?" she asked the younger girl, giving her a smile as she gestured her to follow her. "I'm sure it gets boring talking to those stiffs" she said with a light chuckle at her attempt to make a joke.

She was glad that with Esther she was able to relax a bit. It often got tiring being an ice queen. Perhaps it was because she found that it was the only way she could truly gain respect. 'It's bad enough people think I used my body to get where I am so in order to get their respect, they need to be afraid I'll fire them at a moments notice' she thought to herself as she and Esther reached the break room.

[Esther Lindley]

Being offered the coffee she'd hoped to escape Esther made no look of disgust, but instead just followed, "Of course...anything to get out of the lab. I was about to just go to my room, but really I think I would just like a living person who isn't going to try to kick me out when I want to talk." She chuckled a little at Amelia's joke, but the woman was right. It got so lonely on this island, and while some let their work consume them there was still a part of Esther that was a child not understanding why the others didn't crave the company of others like she did. While others would shoo her out Amelia indulged her craving, and she was not about to look at something like bad coffee to stop her from getting that.

Once in the break room Esther clamored into one of the chair, legs curled up underneath her as she gave a small sigh, "Some of these things look too human for my liking. Some look like kids and I just can't stay down there for very much and look at them too long. I guess I just need a reminder that there are others around." Running hands through her messy hair, bright eyes looked over at Amelia. She was in every way poised and collected, exactly what Dr. Mudo wanted, a perfect assistant. "I guess that makes me unprofessional still. You and everyone else are so focused."

Uncurling from her chair the young woman slipped over to the fridge that occupied the room, looking perhaps for a soda or anything that was not the coffee for now. "How goes your work? A few people have whispered that were getting closer to finding Lilith. Is it true?" The idea was an exciting, Esther had been brought on after Lilith, and the thought of meeting the island witch brought about fantasy-like thoughts to the medical examiner who was eager to see him face to face.

[Dr. Amelia Vale]

"You're young Esther. As brilliant as you are, there's still a lot you're still learning. It is hard to see the things we've seen, but you need to keep in mind it's for advancement in genetic science. With this we can do so much" she said, placing a hand on Esther's shoulders. The girl had a soft heart, and that's what Amelia liked about her yet she knew it was that very same heart that made working here sometimes difficult.

She poured herself some coffee and said to Esther, "If you look in the bottom corner, you'll find some chocolate milk. I had Dr. Mudo get some since I mentioned it'd help you focus." She didn't want to mention it cost her getting a bigger work load, but in the end it was worth it.

"It's been going well, and yes, we're getting very closing to capturing the elusive Lilith. He's extremely important in our research, and it'll increase the possibilities by combining magic and science, something that will be a first in our history" she said in a jovial tone of voice. This was one of the reasons she was glad to be working here. She was not only using her knowledge of genetics that she worked hard to get, but she'd be seeing it used in a way no one dreamed it could be used. 'Let's just hope we get Lilith soon' she thought.

[Esther Lindley]

Esther gave a small nod, a somber mood settling over her for a brief moment. "We're going to make the world a better place for everyone. I know we will!" She turned to look up at Amelia, a smile growing across her rosy lips though there was still just the smallest hint of sadness behind her gaze. She wasn't sure if she could compare to the others, her youth, no matter how bright she had been, it would always be her youth that made her a weaker link in some way. She'd been brought on later, she'd seen less, she'd been working so hard to keep up, but...

"It's tough not to get worn down though." She couldn't help it, when she'd gone into the university her hope had been to become a doctor, to help the living...but never did she think that her help would come through death. It had been so long since she'd seen any of her friends back home, and when one was alone and worked to the point of exhaustion...it could get difficult. Esther was just thankful that she had Amelia here.

At the mention of chocolate milk a happy squeal echoed from the depths of the fridge as noises of a quick search ended with a defiant laugh as the young woman held up the carton of chocolate milk. "Thank you 'Melia! I doubt Mudo would listen to me unless I had my hands halfway into a carcass and talking about what I've found that's new in our experiments. I wish I had your sort of pull with him. You are so lucky that he respects you." She sighed, looking around as she poured herself her milk.

"I can't wait. I've always wanted to meet Lilith. I've heard so much...it's so exciting!" She exclaimed, squirming in her chair, "What do you think will happen? Do you think we'll leave after with Lilith?"