assist in a laboratory setting, even if it was for nothing more than feeding animals and cleaning up piss and shit.
“Well,” he said dismissively, “I’m sure the directions should be easily enough to follow regardless. Just pay attention, and if you have any questions, direct them to the lab’s animal technician.” He raised an eyebrow at Dr. Shelby. “Has she met Erik yet?”
“No, we’re on our way to the vivarium now. I imagine Erik is within the staff cubby provided for them, setting up.”
“Very good,” he murmured as his eyes trailed over her, making her stomach knot once again. She hated that she reacted to someone who obviously didn’t think she had any value. Finally, he turned away, and she found that she could breathe easier. His eyes slid to Dr. Shelby. “Once she’s adequately settled and provided everything that she needs, come find me.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Charlie watched a flush spread across Dr. Shelby’s cheeks as the woman nodded. Seemed like Charlie wasn’t the only one affected by Dr. Santo. Dr. Shelby whipped her head around, glancing over at her sharply. In fact, judging by the expectant look in the other woman’s expression, it was obvious that the doctors were intimately familiar with each other.
Dr. Shelby suddenly became aware that she was standing in the middle of the room staring at Dr. Santo, and her cheeks darkened with embarrassment. “Hurry and follow me,” she snapped as she whirled around. “I have things I must see to.”
Charlie pressed her lips together to prevent a rude laugh from escaping as she followed close behind.
“A word to the wise: do not get any ideas about Dr. Santo,” the woman ahead of her stated. “I know how you non-gratas women are, and I’m telling you right now that we do not condone such behavior in the lab. Any inappropriate behavior will be grounds for immediate dismissal at my discretion.”
Ah, so that’s how it was.
Charlie suppressed a chuckle. Dr. Shelby had nothing to worry about. Charlie wasn’t a masochist. She wasn’t about the take the man for a test drive when he had looked at her that way. Especially not if he was dipping his pickle somewhere else. She had no interest in getting involved with someone already in some kind of a relationship. Been there, done that.
“Yes, Doctor, of course,” she said.
It seemed like the right response because Dr. Shelby relaxed as she led her through another set of doors. Small glass-faced cages lined the walls with a single table in the center of the room and a large wash station in one corner. She had no idea what a vivarium was, but the tiny room felt disappointing.
“This is the vivarium?”
Dr. Shelby snorted. “Don’t be absurd. This part of the lab is where we will house our smaller specimens. Local rodents, insects, and the like. This,” she said firmly as she opened the door at the other end of the room, “is the vivarium.”
The low-lit room looked more like a long, twisting corridor lined with enormous glass-faced cages. Workers were already inside filling the habitats. Most of the cages were larger than the apartment she had on Earth and at least three times the size of her residence in the dome.
Charlie raised an eyebrow at one cage being filled with more of the blue plant life. It was among the largest of the enclosures.
“Just how big are the specimens that are being brought in?” she asked.
She sincerely hoped nothing that big. Cleaning up after large animals wasn’t her idea of something she wanted to deal with day after day.
“It varies. A vivarium tries to replicate their natural environment as much as possible, so the enclosures have to be on the larger side, even for more average-sized specimens. I’m aware that there are some rather large land animals on Turongal, so we need to be prepared for those specimens. Now if you would come this way, please,” Dr. Shelby said as she led her to an open room that sat off corner from the vivarium.
A wiry man with light auburn hair and a wild smattering of freckles on his face looked up from a supply box and raised his eyebrows at Charlie.
“Fresh meat?” he inquired.
Dr. Shelby sighed. “I do wish you would not refer to staff that way. Erik, this is Charlene. She will be the caretaker working under your supervision.”
“Ah, the shit-scraper. So glad to meet you,” he said with a friendly grin. He shelved a box of supplies