Lockdown Begins
As the Mass Spec ran, the team inspected our victims home and found some concerning things, but I wouldn’t learn what until much later. While we waited to find out, I talked to Kasie about her contract.
“Relax, Jimmy, I’ll sign it when I’m ready,” Kasie says, but what is she waiting for?
“All I’m saying is that HR can be weird about deadlines. If you don’t sign your contract….” I don’t want to voice the possibility. I don’t want my young friend to leave but I also don’t want to stop Kasie from following the path she thinks is best for her. I certainly didn’t think that I would be examining dead bodies every day instead of saving children.
“Maybe I don’t want to sign again for another five years… maybe I’m looking for a sign” Kasie admits, she’s young and I get that she doesn’t want to rush this decision but I hope she stays.
My phone rings and it is Parker. But at the same time, an alarm goes off in the lab.
“The flask Jimmy, don’t open it!” Orders Parker. But of course the warning came too late. The warning always comes too late.
The lab screams about a biohazard and locks us in. “What is happening!?!?!” I ask Kasie as I try not to panic.
“Automatic lockdown. The flask must have contained some kind of biotoxin. Mass spec doesn’t like it.” She replies
“I don’t think this is the sign you're looking for,” I tell her, trying to lighten the mood.
It’s a sign all right. A sign we might die. A sign the lab doesn’t want her to go. Anything’s a sign if you read into it but I really don’t like this one.
I’m just glad that Torres has my Tori. She was here this morning and we categorized the victims' effects together. Thankfully my little helper knows to be professional and I knew to wait for Kasie before opening a container filled with mystery. This could have been so much worse.
“At Least I’m not going to lose my daughter today”, I think, trying to find some sort of positive in this scenario.
I can’t think that today is the day that another Potter becomes an orphan. I just hope they can keep Tori distracted and away from the lab. I trust McGee and Torres to take care of her but I can’t help but worry about her. Maybe this is nothing but I have a feeling deep in my gut that this is going to be a really bad day.
Tori and Torres come to visit and as much as I don’t want her to worry, it is a relief to know she’s okay. We begin telling her about the lockdown and the system. It’s just automatic! It’s nothing, right?
“At Least we know the system works,” says Kasie
“Yeah, maybe a little too well. I mean, as you can see, sweetheart, we are both fine.,” I told Tori. Of course spoke too soon or Did I jinx us as the Muggles say?
“And what mess have we gotten ourselves into this time, Jimmy?” Asks Carol, our friend from the CDC, as she walks in. I'm a bit amazed they were able to get someone of her caliber so quickly.
“Hey carol! You guys went straight to the top!”
“Only the best for you and Kasie,” replies McGee
And Torres right? I’ve heard good things,” says Carol
“Yes, and it’s all true. And you are?” Asks Torres
“Nick, do you seriously not know Dr. Carol Wilson? And Jimmy, why did you never tell me you knew her?”
“In my defense, you never told me you knew her either,” I tell Kasie as she begins to fangirl. But in all her rambling I learn that Kasie did her college dissertation on some of Carol’s research. I don't miss the fangirls that came with being The Harry Potter, they always made me uncomfortable. But Carol just brushes it off and naturally continues the conversation.
“And who are you?” Carol asks Tori
“Im Victoria, its nice to meet you,” she says
“Oh come on, Jimmy, are you serious? You mean to tell me that this beautiful young lady is your little baby Victoria? I swear between her and McGees twins time is just flying by!” says Carol
“Speaking of time, Carol,” prompts McGee.
Nice segue McGee,” says Carol before beginning to explain “ so here's the deal. Until we have more information, the Protocol states you sit tight in there.”
I've never been good at sitting still. I'm a man of action who sometimes acts without thinking. I've gotten into so much trouble after told that I had to stay out and listen to the expert. Waiting gets people killed. I don't want to be a sitting duck, but the enemy here is unknown. A chemical not a terrorist. I've always been kinda bad at potions and barely passed chemistry, I'm totally out of my element here. Thats the worst part. The helplessness. I am stuck in a room like the snake I accidentally freed at the zoo. While I could vanish the glass, that would out Tori and my friends at risk.
I force myself to breathe and do as I'm told. I need my magic under control. I need to keep my daughter safe. She is what matters. I have to put my trust in my team and my friends. I have to listen to Carol as she has the experience and connections to help Kasie and I survive.
“Now, I admit I am not familiar with this compound that you inhaled, but it seems similar to a VX-type gas. And I already have two calls into my friend, Yuri Pastov.” Carol says.
I feel like she is lying and knows something about the toxin but I hesitate to call her on it. What if it will worry Victoria? What if it is deadly with no known antidote? Carol has to have a reason for lying, if my instincts are even true at all. Kasie then interrupts my spirally thoughts with an insightful question.
“Didn't Pastov create some of these biotoxins to begin with?” Asks Kasie.
Great, now I have to rely on a terrorist to create this antidote. A Russian terrorist when they historically hate Americans. I shouldn't judge him by his nationality though, I’m a British magical and we are kind of the worst too.
“Yes,until he defected to the U.S. last year to create some antidotes. Look, if anybody can help us, Yuri can,” Carol says in defense of her friend.
I admire Carol’s faith in her friend but I have a feeling it is misplaced. Maybe it’s just my experience with Peter. What was Yuri’s reason for defecting? Did he really defect? Wormtail abandoned his friends for power and over the years I’ve heard of many more betrayals. You are most likely to be killed by someone in your circle after all. Besides, I learned early on in the war about the dangers of turncoats and spies. While Snape might have been Dumbledore’s man in the end, he always played his own game.The only two that turned out okay was Draco and Regulus , and they were only a Death Eater because he was forced to be. Maybe I could trust Narcissa too but she played her own game and wanted to protect her family.
“Then they're going to be okay?” Asks Tori.
It is then I realize that she probably has similar worries that I do. She doesn’t want to lose me just like I don’t want to lose her. But while I might not be okay, I know she will be as she won’t be alone. But how do I comfort her? I just want to hold her in my arms and squeeze the worry about with love, but there is a wall between us. I just hope my words don't fail me now as I wave through a window.
“Don't you worry at all, okay? Your job is to make sure that Dad and Kasie don't drive each other crazy in there until I can get back. Okay?” says Carol
“Okay” agrees Tori, but I can tell she is a little nervous. So I try to distract her.
“All right, ice cream check. What'd you get?” I ask her
“Rocky road.” she replies. I’m not surprised it is her favorite flavor and Breena loved it too so we usually had some in the freezer, but lately the only ice cream in the freezer has been plain old comforting chocolate. I should buy some Rocky Road when we get out of here.
“Rocky road. How many scoops?” I ask.
“Two”
“Did they have blueberry or butterscotch?” I ask her. Butterscotch ice cream is the closest I can get to Butterbeer ice cream on this side of the pond and blueberry became one of my favorite flavors during college. If this place has either flavor, I might have a new ice cream shop to look forward to checking out. I need more things to live for.
“No, but they had raspberry chocolate chip!” she tells me. That's also one of my favorite flavors.
We talk about ice cream and her trip with Torres for a while, but eventually talk of ice cream starts to grow cold and the anxiety begins to creep in again.