Work Text:
"Hey, we need you."
You look up from your work and see one of the guards. Joe, you think, but you're not sure.
"She's back?"
"Mhm. Cleaned out the lot of them quick."
That wasn't exactly surprising. Ill-equipped reagents mixed with the Jaeger in their trials had been ending badly most times.
You'd watched the camera footage a few times, out of curiosity.
The first time, you were probably as terrified as the reagents - and you weren't even there.
However, the horror slowly faded over time, just like it had before with everyone else - Gooseberry, Coyle, Franco.
There was a difference here, though.
You saw the rest as unforgivable. You knew their backstories - there wasn't exactly much to forgive in the first place.
But the Jaeger... Henrietta...
"Coming?"
"Yeah. Be there in a moment."
Joe walks off, and you trail behind a minute or so later, coming to one of the larger cells.
You hesitate outside the door as usual.
You see her as an unfortunate case. Considering everything you've come to know of her, it was... very unfortunate, indeed.
You scan your card and open the door. It shuts behind you and locks again with a quiet click.
"...Dorrie?"
Due to your own misfortunes, you somewhat resemble Dorris. The scar through your eye was due to a reagent gone mad - they'd used your own equipment against you before being subdued by the guard.
That must be enough to trick her, in her state, though.
She let's you close, and you fix her up. You patch wounds, fix the mechanicals, sedate... whatever is needed.
At this point, you're surprised they haven't assigned you purely as her aide. The primes all have one - why would this be different?
You remind yourself that you're here to do your job, not to overthink it.
Today, you just have to patch up some cuts from thrown bottles. It's a fairly easy task, and you get done rather quickly.
You turn to leave, but are surprised when she grabs your hand.
She doesn't say anything. She just holds it for a moment with one of her own before letting go.
She knows you have to leave.
You unlock the door with your card again, and step out. You return to the prior office, and restart your report.
Maybe she does think you're Dorris.
Another part of you hopes she doesn't, and is just accepting of you. Maybe as a replacement, or maybe as some sort of beacon of light in this dark place.
In any case, she never really leaves your mind.
You don't really want her to.