The Iso-Stasis Experiment (The Experiments) by Jacqueline Druga Read Free Book Online Page B

that door. You literally hold the key to our survival. We should get to know you, trust you. How do we know we can do that?”
    Cal raised her hands with a shrug. “You have seven months.”
    “That bitchy attitude is bullshit.” John snapped.
    Jennifer, really trying hard to be the peacemaker, was at a loss. Less than an hour and already there were disagreements. Not at all like she envisioned in her picture of how it was going to be. She felt the tension. “John, Caleen , this is way too early for this. We’re all the same in a way, right? I mean, obviously none of us has any spouses or children to think about so we . . .”
    Cal interrupted her, “I have a daughter.”
    “Oh, Caleen ,” Jennifer said as the smile fell from her face. “I didn’t mean it like that, I really didn’t.” Jennifer turned to her right to look at John when she heard his huff.
    “She has a daughter and she’s up here for seven months?” John sneered at Cal. “Unreal. We let the person who up and leaves their kid have control over our food? Leaving her kid, that says a lot for her character.” He smirked as he wrote in his notebook. “Remind me not to vote for you for mother of the year.”
    Cal stormed toward him, passing Jake who had sprung to his feet. Just as John looked up at her, Cal pulled back, clenched her fist and nailed him hard in the jaw. Taken by surprise by her action and strength, John lost his balance, and his chair flew back, crashing to the floor. Cal shook her hand and walked angrily from the room.
    Rubbing his jaw, John began to lift himself off of the floor. He saw before him the uniform pants. “What? Like none of you thought that?”
    Harshly, Jake tossed his manuscript at John, smacking him in the chest. “Here, asshole. Because you probably didn’t get one, take mine. Learn your story before you write it.”
    John lifted himself to his elbow for support, tossing back the book and smacking Jake in the leg. “I did read it.”
    “Bull shit! Because if you did, you wouldn’t have fuckin ’ said what you did.” Jake bent down, grabbed his book and began to walk away. He stopped just before leaving the room. “You’re just lucky I wasn’t the one who nailed you. You wouldn’t be getting up right now.” Surprising those in the room over his personal rage at John’s statement, Jake left.

    ^^^^

    Cal thought she heard the knock on her door as she stood at the bathroom sink. She turned off the cold water under which she had been holding her hand to listen. There was a knock, and a voice calling.
    “Ms. Reynolds?” Another knock sounded.
    Cal shook her head and spoke out loud to herself when she recognized who it was. “Great, another male with attitude and I’m not dealing with his shit.” She stuck her head out the bathroom into her room and yelled coldly. “Leave me alone, please! I’m not in the mood for you.” Still clenching her hand, she returned to the sink, turning the cold water on full blast and submerged her right hand into the stream.
    “Ms. Reynolds?” Jake walked through his side of the bathroom.
    Jumping a little at his entrance, Cal turned to him with a snap. “Hey! What the hell?”
    The expression on his face was not the one she was accustomed to seeing. Instead of smug, Jake looked solicitous, full of concern. Grabbing a hand towel off of the rack, he moved to the sink, keeping his eyes in contact with Cal’s as he reached for her hand. “I’d like to see your hand, Ma’am.” He held it firmly, lifting it from the water and resting it on the towel to examine it. “It doesn’t seem to be broken,” he said softly, “just a small gash.”   He lifted the edge of the towel, dabbed the blood and pressed on the wound to check for depth. “You should put some ice on this, Ms. Reynolds.”
    “Ms. Reynolds? Ma’am? What’s with the sudden niceties?” Cal asked with skepticism.
    “Well . . .” Jake moved his eyes from her hand to meet hers, and raised his eyebrows,