She had plenty of rest after persuading Leo to get some for himself that night, and arose feeling refreshed, even somewhat renewed. She was surprised by the speed of her recovery from the event, and later decided that it couldn't have been so quick without Leo's visit. She shed a couple more tears thinking about him that morning, but was very soon up on her feet again. The passing stares as she walked through sickbay were significantly different. Where there had been hostility there was now respect, and in the place of jealousy there was now admiration. She wondered how her workplace environment could have changed literally overnight, and was about to head to the CEO’s office when Francis appeared outside the entrance of sickbay, directly in her path.
“Clarisa,” he greeted her with a slight nod, “I hope you've rested well.”
She did not reply him, only watched him with hawk-eyed scrutiny. He fidgeted with the folds of his suit before saying,
“I came to apologise.”
This was coming from someone who had broken her trust when it mattered most. She raised her eyebrows at him, and Francis elaborated,
“What you did there inspired me, and made me realise what a selfish man I was. I still am, and I’ve accepted that there's no way I can bury the hatchet with you or Kathryn. I managed to talk to her last night, and at least we both agreed on that. But I still think that it's right to apologise if I feel the need to, and I truly am sorry.”
Clarisa maintained her skeptical expression and remarked sarcastically,
“I hope that solves everything.”
Francis remembered with a laugh, “Oh yes, I've just spoken to your executive committee, and am going to do so with the rest of the branches if possible. I've redeposited the funds.”
That explained it.
“Thank you Francis,” Clarisa nodded at him with a smile, in a way that was almost dismissive. Francis understood that she had accomplished her objective with him, and had no reason to see him anymore. She had already been so kind to give him one chance, and he knew she would be careful not to repeat the same mistake. It was up to him and him alone to deal with his own shame, all over again. At least now, he learned one way not to.
Francis smiled back, this time twice as bitter as when they first met, but it was safe for Clarisa to assume that the bitterness was directed at himself. With that, he left her alone, and she was surprised to not feel the slightest bit of sympathy for him.
Not anymore.
She arrived at the CEO’s office, and he was facing the door, as if he had expected her to arrive. He began cordially,
“I suppose you've heard the news?”
“Right from the horse's mouth,” Clarisa said.
The CEO was the next to exhibit guilt. He looked down and rubbed his hands together,
“Francis told me everything, about your meeting and what happened last night. I was appalled by his negligence of his own organisation, but I must say that I was more surprised by the level of corruption that went unseen by the committee. I for one, am a desk officer, and don't get to experience the Darkness firsthand. You could say that I willingly cut myself off from it, and that's something I won't deny. It gives me the advantage of objectivity, but what I lose is insight into the Darkness, and perhaps even compassion. I only saw the situation as a yes or no to the offer, and I wasn't wise enough to perceive the underlying problem of our work culture as a whole. It is in itself a breeding ground for the Darkness, capable of generating advanced forms that are nearly impossible to defeat. If it weren't for you, we'd have lost so many members. I did not understand it when you mentioned it at our meeting last week, but I do now. I'm afraid I'm a bit too late, but that's still better than never, I hope.”
“It's never too late,” Clarisa assured.
“I will make departmental welfare and morale a priority from now on, and as per your wishes, investigations will be carried out as soon as anything arouses anyone’s suspicion,” he declared. “You have a point that security and transparency are vital here, especially if we don't want another Johnson.”
She smiled in agreement, and the CEO went on to praise her,
“I realise that you are a terribly underappreciated member of this organisation, and I prove guilty. Your contributions have been invaluable, yet we do not learn from you, and instead take for granted the fact that you chose to do this for free. If you perceive anything that requires my attention, or if you ever feel unhappy with our treatment of you, please don’t hesitate to drop by my office, which I see that you have just done.”
Clarisa laughed. “I came in the hopes of hearing everything that you've just said. I’m very sure your new implementations will change our workplace for the better, and I truly appreciate your concerns. Just one more thing: who’s my team leader now?”
“That's up to the chief fieldwork officer to decide, but I bet you can guess who it is.” The CEO half-smiled at her, and she beamed back knowingly.
* * *
Three glasses were placed on the mahogany table- a beer, a coffee and a smoothie. Jonas insisted that they held a toast before the briefing, and he initiated,
“Here's to the restoration of funds, the defeat of the Johnson monster, the executive committee finally introducing a new concept called ‘leave’, and the fact that we are all- very much alive. Cheers.”
They clinked their glasses then held them to their lips. After downing a satisfying amount of espresso, Leo added,
“And also the fact that you're our leader again. I missed you, honestly.”
“And they say Leo isn't sentimental,” Jonas laughed before finishing the last drop of beer. He slammed the glass down and licked his lips. “Now, what was I going to assign you both?”
“How many shots did you take?” Clarisa chaffed, making Leo grin.
“And they say Clarisa doesn't have a sense of humour,” Jonas rolled his eyes. “I remember now. Hurricane Drew in Florida, there's Darkness everywhere even if you keep your eyes closed. You might want to ask a couple more people along, and a catalyst is highly recommended. The Darkness in the region should all be cleared in a week. Pretty tough, this one.”
“Nothing can be worse than the hell we've been through the past month,” Leo said optimistically. A week was ample time compared to what Johnson allowed.
“And Clarisa,” Jonas turned to the blonde, “Try asking Kathryn if she'd like to work with us. Part-time would be fine too.”
“Job details?”
“Not yet,” Jonas shook his head. “Just get an idea of her level of interest. If she's not ready, tell her we're here anytime she needs some cash.”
“Alright,” Clarisa nodded, but frankly, she had no clue how Kathryn was doing now, as they hadn't really spoken since their last failed session.
“Oh, I have another assignment for the both of you,” Jonas told them grimly. Once he had caught their attention, he chuckled,
“Nah, it's an invitation. I'm planning for a Christmas party at my place. Wanna come?”
Clarisa’s eyes widened. “Who will be there?”
“Not too many people. Just a few other perceivers, a couple of my old friends, my brother, and my dog. Don't worry, they’re not the type to ask about work. Except for my dog, who's growing suspicious about my irregular absences from home.”
“I’ll be sure to turn incorporeal wherever he's around,” Leo's lip curled. “I'm not much for socialising, but I'm going if there's food.”
“Aw, plenty of food,” Jonas assured. “As well as presents. I'm expecting some in return.”
Clarisa eyes lit up as she immediately thought of a gift for him.
“We'll be there.”
* * *
Kathryn had been running from her father for an entire week. Directly after the session, she escaped to one of the room’s of her favourite five-star hotel, only to have the chambermaid chase her out with a duster. She ran into her father in the lobby, and cursed him aloud before quickly disappearing to an amusement park. The visitors were packed like sardines, and she thought he would never find her there. It turned out that he had been following her through the crowd the whole time, only stopping when she entered the female washroom. She had no peace wherever she went, until at some point in her adventure, she screamed at the top of her lungs for him to stop being ‘such a hopeless creep’. It was then that he decided to give up, but they soon met again, tied up in a dark alley. She watched as the unfamiliar faces were being ruthlessly disfigured, not knowing how Clarisa still had the nerve to choose hope, especially after the creature beheaded Leo. She had shut her eyes, thinking that she, together with the rest of them, was done for. But when the smoke cleared, everyone seemed fine except Clarisa. The minute she saw her shaking like a leaf, all grudges slipped her mind, and she ran into her arms like they were where she belonged. She did not understand anything that happened, but it did not matter. What mattered was that Clarisa was hurt, and that she had to be there for her. She held on until Clarisa loosened the embrace and sank to the ground. Her father managed somehow to pull her aside, and stayed with her until she had finished sobbing. They teleported to headquarters where he explained the financial crisis that had been happening in the organisation all because of him, and how he had broken the promise he made to Clarisa. She kicked him so many times that her own feet ached, and he willingly took the beating. No one allowed her to visit Clarisa, so she spent the next three days sulking and crying, until she couldn’t take it anymore.
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