บท 43: It Isn't The Same, You Know?

Percy had been so worried about pulling off his plan to sneak into the hospital that he had a hard time focusing. He finished his homework for the week by the skin of his teeth. He was never like this! But when it came to his sister…

Penny had been more of a parent to him than Iris or Trevor had since they were always lost in academia. Not that he faulted them for that—he understood the pull of the mysteries of the world, which was why he was so into science.

They were good people, simply busy ones. They weren't around enough to notice their son struggling socially but Penny was.

She knew that Percy needed to know how to get by in this world full of other humans and taught him how to do it even if he didn't always enjoy it. He stopped getting into fights at school and was able to be pleasant to others even if he didn't mean it.

Not getting bullied was a game changer. The weak minds of other children weren't capable of making him feel bad—he knew he was smarter than them and they were simply jealous—but it had been inconvenient and took away time from more important things.

Learning to blend into the world he didn't quite fit into had saved him a lot of trouble down the road. He would always owe Penny for that and for being one of the few people in this world who loved him when he wasn't pretending for the sake of others.

Percy had to get her back at all costs. He knew the other one was away on business right now, which was both a blessing and a curse.

On the plus side, she wouldn't know what he was up to. But it also meant that Roman would have nothing to do and might not let him go when he showed up unannounced for a visit.

That was the only window of opportunity he had to conduct his tests and get the Penny they both knew and loved back. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to explain this to his brother-in-law. He had to keep the visit short.

With any luck, Roman would have plans with his friends tonight and would let Percy off the hook. He couldn't let this chance go to waste but he also knew that he wouldn't even be let into the building if he didn't go see Roman.

Percy packed all of his gear and a set of scrubs that would prevent him from standing out into the backpack he normally used for school. He could pretend he decided to drop by on the spur of the moment after getting out of class.

Roman normally got off work around 5 PM so he would have to show up around 4:30 to make this work. And then spend the next ten hours or so hiding somewhere so he could conduct his research undisturbed.

He sighed. It was going to be a long day. He planned to bring his laptop along to get more homework done while he was stuck.

Once he arrived at the front desk of the hospital, Percy acted as confidently as possible when the secretary asked him how she could help him. "I'm here to see my brother-in-law, Roman Cross. He's the director of this hospital."

The secretary looked at him skeptically until she noticed the color of his hair. Anybody who knew Roman had to know that his wife was a redhead.

"Name and ID please," she said.

Percy complied and gave her his most friendly, nonthreatening smile. She ended up making a phone call up to Roman's office because of his efforts. Halfway there!

"Hello, Director…I have a young man here to see you who says he's your brother-in-law. His name is Perseus Logan." She went silent for a moment listening to Roman talk. "Uh huh. I'll send him right up. Have a nice day."

The secretary smiled at him more sincerely than before. "Go on and sign the visitor's log before heading upstairs. Do you know how to get to his office?"

"Yes, I've been there before. Thank you!" Percy said after signing himself both in and out using a time about a half hour later.

This woman saw so many people in a day it was unlikely she would either check the log right now or realize she didn't see him leave. As long as the paperwork was in place, he should be covered. Not signing out later would likely be more problematic. Hospitals were high security places, after all.

He headed up to the administrative floor and knocked on the door before hearing Roman say "come in." The office had a large window but still seemed gloomy because of the paint choices and lighting.

Roman's diplomas hung on the wall and he had pictures of himself and Penny on his desk. A few potted plants were scattered here and there as well to make this place seem less depressing but it didn't do much.

Despite the gloominess of his office, his brother-in-law smiled brightly at him. "Percy! What a pleasant surprise. I was drowning in paperwork. What brings you here?"

"I was on my way home from class and thought I'd drop by to check on you. How are you holding up with Penny gone?" Percy asked, using his readymade excuse.

Roman's face fell slightly. "We've been texting and calling but it isn't the same, you know? At least she seems to be having fun. I've been watching sports after work the past two days but I'd rather have her with me. Harry is dragging me out tonight to do an escape room with some of his friends so hopefully that helps."

He barely managed to hold in his sigh of relief. Good. With other plans, Roman probably wouldn't ask him to come along. He knew Percy wasn't a huge fan of social gatherings.

"Escape rooms are fun. We should do one with Penny when she gets back," he suggested.

"I think they require a minimum of four people though. Have any girls you might want to bring and consider it a double date?"

As if. Percy hadn't had a girlfriend since his sophomore year of college. Too much trouble, not enough time in the day. He probably wouldn't try to have another relationship until he found a woman with the mind of a scientist.

"No but I'm sure I can find someone to bring along," he lied. He wasn't sure he knew anybody who would be willing to come since he wasn't particularly close with anyone in his department at school.

He supposed there were always his parents if worst came to worst. They would have to wait until they got back from their research trip though.