Fluorescent lights hum softly overhead.

You sit on an examination table, rubbing the lingering ache from the back of your head. The sedatives have mostly worn off, though your thoughts still feel sluggish around the edges.

Across the room, Dr. Jasper leans against a stainless-steel counter, sipping burnt coffee from a paper cup. His goggles hide his eyes completely.

"I swear, Easterman's gonna try to off himself one of these days."

Dr. Pendleton doesn't look up from the clipboard in her hands. "Amen to that."

Jasper snorts.

"I'm serious. Apparently, last night, some poor Security bastard found him passed out on his office floor."

"That's not unusual."

"-Covered in his own... excrements."

That gets a pause as Pendleton slowly lowers the clipboard. Her brows furrowed.

"Huh."

"He spent twenty-fucking minutes trying to convince the kid that the walls were spying on him." Jasper rubbed his temple.

A quiet laugh escapes the woman's mask.

"Were they?"

"'Course they were." The man scoffed. "We're government-funded."

"That's enough evidence for me."

The two share a brief chuckle. You clear your throat, though neither acknowledges it.

Pendleton flips another page.

"Looks like your transfer paperwork finally came through." she sighs, finally looking up at you.

"Condolences," Jasper says.

"Mm. You're under Easterman's division now."

Jasper pushes himself off the counter and walks over, setting his coffee aside.

"Any complaints? Dizziness? Nausea? Sudden urge to fall asleep and never wake up?"

You shake your head.

"Good. I give it a week."

He shines a penlight into one eye, then the other. Pendleton glances over.

She shrugs.

"Three days."

Jasper considers this.

"Fair."

For a moment, the room settles into comfortable silence, before Pendleton tilts her head toward you.

"This one's not half-bad to look at." her eyes narrowed in amusement.

"If you go for that type." Jasper groans, stepping aside.

"Hell, I ain't ever been picky." Pendleton's eyes crinkle slightly above her mask.