"It's alright little ones, we aren't doing anything more today. Shh shhh, It's okay~"
My ears twist in the direction of the soft breathy voice and see a yellow Pegasus mare cooing to the lab mice, gently calming them down and ushering them into sleep before changing out their nesting. I would of voiced my worry of them fleeing, but I know better. Fluttershy is one of the upper division scientists, she doesn't come around often and usually tries to stall the animal trials. When it finally comes to it and she can't make up anymore excuses, she is looming and ready to swoop in and coddle the animals. Though I admire that her morality and concern for the creatures remains intact given the years she's been here, it can get rather frustrating when she conditions the animals to fits.
"Miss Shy," She visibly flinches, I don't often see her socializing besides with the animals, I wonder if she'd be better suited to the pony trials "When do you think we should run the next tests? They serum should settle in a half hour or less."
I watch her glance about, trying to look anywhere but me, likely also fishing for an excuse to post pone the tests. I feel my lip stiffen with my mood, my patience has really thinned out. I'm no monster but I have a job to do, a job to keep and a filly to feed. Each time she post pones our tests she is wasting time, we can get it done with, see the results and then go back to the drawing board. But instead she insists on making this difficult.
"Maybe in the morning, they've been put under plenty of stress." Hardly. I take a breath and steady myself, I don't want to lose my job over this. Its been a long day pulling teeth with her, I just need a moment.
"With all do respect, the only stress they've been through is routine examination. If we wait too long we'll just have to do it again, then how long would we have to wait?" She flinches and looks down to the floor, scanning it's grooves. She looks so weak right now, what work does she accomplish to hold the kind of access she has. I do my work, I don't hold us back and she is here, a bleeding heart keeping us in a rut. At this point I cant help the snarl my lips curl, I stomp up close, looming over her as she shrinks into herself.
"We have a job to do, if you can't get over a few little rats, I'm taking this up top." Stiffening to a board with each and every word, she ducks her head down even further. I wait for a response but receive none, instead I turn to resume my work. But first, feeling a power high, I cast a final statement over my shoulder.
"We'll proceed with testing in an hour." After I pull my things together and start preparing for the tests. She barely makes a sound as she leaves, I have to pause and twist an ear to even hear her steps before the door opens and shuts. A triumphant smirk spreads across my muzzle as I take out my pager and alert my coworkers of the time, rubbing salt in the wound, I'll don't bother to exclude Fluttershy from the list as it sends out. I take my time as I put everything where it needs to be, wanting nothing to muddle further progress. I savor the feeling of hopefully getting on track, and about time too. I wonder why I was so worried, she may be above me on the ladder but she has no jurisdiction over this wing. She's hardly a back bone, I'm sure she's just as or even more terrified of the lead scientists than I am.
I end up leaving to have a late lunch, better make sure to eat. I really don't want to get light headed when making the injections. Entering the cafeteria I seem to be the only one late to eat, granted it's well into the evening, I decide I better head in back to get something fresh. What I didn't expect to see though, sitting at the island is none other than Fluttershy, along with Miss Diane Pie and Doctor Sparkle. My blood runs cold, maybe she did have the nerve to go to higher ups, in the kitchen though is a mystery. My jaw bounces uselessly as I try to form a sentence, Fluttershy barely looks up before ducking her head down. Doctor Sparkle and Miss Pie lock their gazes on me, giving a silent stare before the candy pink mare jumps up.
"Ooo, Hey there! You miss out on lunch, huh?" I tentatively nod before giving a firmer one as no one seemingly jumps to accusations.
"Yeah, been busy..." Fluttershy still doesn't move, Twilight Sparkle, the lead Doctor of this facility, gives a wave of her hoof.
"Well I'm sure you can help yourself, I miss out pretty often, not why I'm here though." She seems to cast a look at the bubbly pony who is now reaching around cupboards before finding plates. "Pinkie thought it would be a good idea to whip up some cupcakes." Now that she says it, over the scent of the cafeteria food I do smell the sweet sugary scent of cupcakes.
"Oh," I head to the fridge opening the large steel doors to reveal shelf after shelf of veggies. "I won't stay in your hair long then, heh." Oh Celestia, those cupcakes smell amazing. I hear a clack of metal on metal and pear out to see Miss Pie setting the cooked cupcakes up on the stove. From the corner of my eye I see Fluttershy, leaning in close to Doctor Sparkle who's head is tilted enough to obscure her eyes under the shadow of her perfectly cut bangs. She is saying something, far too quiet for me to hear over the clatter of drawers being opened. I slowly turn back to the fridge and pull out a left over salad mix and shut the doors. I head to go out when a voice stops me.
"Hey, why not eat in here with some company?" It's the level tone voice of Miss Sparkle, feeling my spine stiffen and a light sweat on my neck I turn and set the serving of mix on the counter. I look up to the unicorn giving me a friendly smile, in which I return timidly. I my eyes flick to Fluttershy, she is watching me, just barely through the split of her long mane. I brush off the strange raise of hair on the back of my neck as I start to eat, the only sound shared for a good while is he sound of the pink earth pony cleaning up her mess. But eventually Doctor Sparkle sits up straighter and speaks.
"Although I'd like to continue my work, I do enjoy taking a time to spend with my friends. I do value their happiness over some delayed progress after all." Her words seem lined with intent, it practically seething it. I swallow a thick bite of salad just as some of that processes, her friends. Is she and Fluttershy friends? Them three? Some things start to click, why I don't see Fluttershy in the cafeteria often, or at all unless Miss Pie is present. Or how she hasn't had any grief over her meddlings in a branch that's not even her specialty.
"Of c-course." I feel ill, any sort of power I felt earlier is completely ripped out from under me in this moment. Coupled in with the fact that I still feel Fluttershys gaze boring into me, I feel like a bug about to be stomped out. But if any further words were to come, they don't. It's just silent as I attempt to finish my meal before tossing it in the bin. I give a polite nod to my higher ups but as I'm turning to leave...
"You are starting your trails soon, correct?" I turn to face them, yet again, being polite. I wish I didn't though, all three are sitting at the counter again, staring me down. I barely manage a swallow, my mouth completely void of moisture at this point and nod.
"Good, I'd like to observe. A random supervision of sorts." My vision swims at the news, I manage a nod before being dismissed and I happily slip out. Frantically I go to one of the break spots and get a cup of water and sit. I always liked the spots they implemented. Little square spots in the middle of some halls on each floor, they have water coolers, a rug and plush seats. Nicer than the waiting room seats. I use this moment to gather my thoughts and steel my nerves. She must of told them, "random" inspections don't usually happen unless someone gets reported. Gulping down the water I wipe off my muzzle and head back to the lab. Inside are my coworkers, set up and ready to go. I give them a brief nod, before I can even warn them of the impending supervision the door beeps and slides open right behind me. I snap my head around to see said supervisor, Doctor Sparkle, standing just in the doorway. Having halted to keep herself from walking right into my rump. Her gaze locks on said offending obstacle, causing my cheeks to ignite with shame especially when I see Fluttershy looking in just past her... Friend. I'm quick to correct my stance, spinning around and back peddling out of the way. Meeting my beet red face to the unfazed and sober faces of my two superiors. Miss sparkle holds a small plastic container, it's blue and yellow with no means of seeing inside. She sets it on a clean paper desk, happening to be mine, before pulling free a pen and notepad.
We take this as our cue to get started and each crowd around the examination table, already we hear scribbles coming from the pen on paper. Making us slow slightly before snapping like a rubberband and getting into gear. I mutter a soft, "Just ignore her." to my peers before taking the first rat cage and opening it. The rodent nearly makes a break for it, just barely caught before going off the edge by a magenta glow. I glance up to see a rather unimpressed look to the purple unicorns features. Horn glowing, easily holding the pen and the rat. Someone else takes the critter from her magical grasp and I momentarily stew. I hadn't been paying attention and would of resulted in us losing a rat in the damn lab. I shake my head firmly before reaching for the syringe, I pause as I realize I need to pull up my mask, as my coworker across from me gestures in an attempt to be subtle. It doesn't slip past our superiors keen eye though, I know that for certain. Taking another breath I pull up my mask, secure the band to my nose and reach for the syringe once more.
The rest of the procedure goes well, we go rat by rat and nearly all have an initial fit but seem absolutely fine once we could quickly administer the shot. Not even once did Fluttershy move, strangely enough, she ended up pulling my seat up to watch. Occasionally looking over at my work which made me chew at my tongue, had I a pencil I'd been champing at it in frustration. Such things have personal musings, guess she found them interesting since for a good hour she had been poring over them, my hooves being full I couldn't just walk over and start cleaning off the sheets. Deciding to just internalize my agitation once more I focus on the task at hoof and finish up with the last rodent. Though, even if I try to ignore the brewing anger, it's still there, and I still make a mistake. I reach in at just the wrong moment, the rat makes a sudden freakish twist of it's body and sinks its little chompers right into the soft frog of my hoof. I let out a startled whinny before lurching onto my hind quarters, I look down to see the red of blood bubbling under my cheap blue latex glove.
"The rest of you, finish up." I frown to the stern tone the unicorn has, I shake my hoof, pained even by a little bite before carefully making my way around to the sink. I pull off my gloves and run it under some cold water trying to get the blood to stop beading out, it's a tad bit worse than I thought but still small regardless. The worst thing is the tender spot it had to nab, had a whole hoof and it hits the soft fleshy bit in back. I grimace, as I reach for soup but a clop of a yellow hoof striking my own makes me pull back. Fluttershy somehow made it to my side and is reaching around, her wings softly beating to hold her up just high enough to have easy access to my hoof and the cabinet up above. She holds it still, keeping me from pulling away as she rifles through some stock and pulls out a small personal medical kit we had shoved in back. How she new of that is beyond me. She lands and starts to guide me past the others to my desk and sits me down, not on the chair, on the floor. She takes the chair. My tail flicks but I'm more confused with her openly handling me to object.
I flinch as she swabs the wound with antiseptic, makes sense since who knows what that thing was nibbling on and soup can't wash everything off our hooves. The others end up getting cleaned in record time, putting away notes and packing up. By the time my hoof is being wrapped the last coworker of mine is giving Doctor Sparkle a nod and heading out the door. I am then left with the two mares. Both absolutely silent as I withdraw my hoof from Fluttershys grasp and look over the patch up job. It's clean and nice, not too tight or too lose and wrapped just right to use the least amount of gauze even with the tricky spot the bite was in. I focus suddenly on the plastic container as it lights up with a magenta hue and lifts off the desk. It quivers a bit before popping open, presenting a fresh, nicely frosted, cupcake. I nearly drool at the sight.
"Pinkie wanted us to bring you one, she said you seemed a little high strung." I go to reach for it but it raises just out of reach, arching overhead and making me turn to face the speaker directly. She is standing tall, like the superior she is. Fluttershy turns in the seat to get a better view, not ducking down in the slightest. I didn't even notice the lose bun she had pulled her mane into, using one of my pencils to hold it up. The cupcake starts to glow and raise separately from the platter, then easily splits into two shares. My brow furrows as one half floats over to Fluttershy, who takes it daintily in her hooves, and the other stays by Doctor Sparkle. Both mares watch me as I dumbly look from one to the other, confused and even a little offended before Fluttershy pointedly takes a bite just as I look her way again. They start to eat, Fluttershy taking bites and Miss Sparkle slowly breaking off small pieces.
"It... This some sort of joke?" I say, immediately regretting the stupid words as the two share a look.
"No joke, just sharing a treat with my friend. She's been very stressed by a little pest problem she's had. She thinks might be an aggressive sort of rat." The purple mare states, taking another bite. She smirks at the dumbfounded look on my face. Here it is, she did tell. Damn it. I feel my expression switch into a sour, resentful glare that I direct downward. I jump as in my site the platter gets dumped down as well as some left over cupcake soon after, not even all of it lands on the yellow plate.
"Go on, have your share." Her voice is happy, but it seethes contempt. I stiffen up, squaring my shoulder as my nose scrunches in concern. I'm about to pop a lid when Fluttershy finally utters her first words of the whole ordeal.
"You like it here, don't you?" I look up into her eyes, the somber look on her face is jarring. Much different than the weak timid one she usually has. "Don't you?" She asks again, making me jolt and nod. She turns to snout towards the plate, giving me a side glance. A wordless order. Shakily I lay my hoof down and use it to help myself scoot closer, I swallow down the bile that rises up when I think of all the contaminants that could be on the floor after we'd been tramping about. The cleaners usually only come in after initial working hours after all. I figure I can just eat whats on the plate and slowly, timidly do so. I feel their eyes watching me intently, my own misting up and getting blurry at the humiliation. Once I'd licked the platter clean I turn and almost bump my nose into a yellow hoof, holding out the rest of the partially eaten cupcake Fluttershy had. I feel a soft sob catch in my throat as I open my mouth and slowly start to consume that as well, right from her bare hoof. Lips and tongue barely brushing brushing the sole as I do.
"Feisty little rat's only deserve the scraps." I hear Doctor Sparkle mutter, a hoof brushes over the top of my head and down the back of my neck to smooth out my mane as I finish the cupcake. At this point trying to stifle short embarrassed hiccups and tears. When I sit up the hoof Fluttershy was using to bush my mane reaches up and pats my head. The mare looks sweet, a smug sort of sweet. Smiling in a way I'd only seen her give the damn lab rodent's.
"Maybe if you be a good little rat you can have some more next time." The pegasus coos before flapping her wings to lift up in the air to pull the cloth over the rat's and ruffles my head one more time before landing just at the door and stepping out. Twilight watches her go before turning to look down at me with a professional stare.
"Be sure to pack your things, Fluttershy and I agree that your work ethic could be useful elsewhere and Fluttershy herself seems most impressed." She turns for the door. "Starting tomorrow she will be your new supervisor, you'll be working in the lab directly under her care. I hope you'll keep showing promise, after seeing your work just now... I think you could learn a thing about patience." With that she's gone. Not even using the door just ZAP and she disappeared. I look at my desk to see a manila folder that wasn't there before... with three butterflies in the corner. Oh tartarus...