Chapter Text
There was a soft knock at the door. Three quick taps that echoed through the silent lab. Dr. Crygor glanced up at the door, then at the clock. 11:43 PM. Why would anyone be knocking so close to midnight? Who would it even be anyways?
Crygor stood up and approached the door, his gait slow and nervous. He had a feeling that there would be trouble on the other side of the door, and he braced himself. He tightly grasped the front door handle and hesitated before pulling the door open, anticipating the worst. But instead of a stranger or intruder, it was the friendly face of his daughter, a weary smile on her face.
“Hi, Dad,” she muttered quietly. In her arms was his granddaughter, Penny. She was so small, gently cradled in her mother’s embrace, her wispy orange hair looking like a lush field of autumn leaves.
“What are you doing here this late?” Dr. Crygor asked, whisper-shouting out of surprise. She never showed up to his place so late at night. And why would she bring her daughter along at this time? Something wasn’t right.
“I need you to watch Penny for me. It’s urgent.” She pushed his granddaughter into his arms, startling the baby awake. Her bright blue eyes shot open and she gazed up at her grandfather before bursting into tears. Crygor was surprised, but laughed it off awkwardly as he tried to calm her down.
“Still not used to my face, I suppose…” He muttered to himself. His daughter laughed softly.
“You’re one of a kind, Dad.”
Crygor looked at his daughter curiously. “When will you be back?” He questioned. Her expression turned cold and serious as she turned towards the door.
“Soon. I’ll be back soon. I have to go…now.” Before Crygor could ask any more questions, she ran out the door, leaving him alone with Penny sobbing in his arms.
He stared at the door and blinked. Just like that, she had left. He regretted not asking why. He should’ve pried the answer out of her while she was there. But it was too late.
He made his way over to a chair and sat down, rocking Penny gently and trying to shush her cries. It took a while to get her quiet. Every time she’d look up at him, she began to sob again.
I’m not that scary, am I?
Eventually, her weeping subsided, and she slept comfortably in her grandfather’s arms. Crygor let out a soft sigh. It felt like so much time had already passed, but when he looked at the clock, only 15 minutes had gone by. He tried to think of a reason for having to watch his granddaughter on a whim. It had to have been some kind of emergency. If only he had asked…
Sitting and waiting felt like an eternity. Every second felt like a minute and every minute felt like an hour. He would’ve been asleep by now if his daughter hadn’t shown up. But he’d do absolutely anything for his daughter and granddaughter. He would stay up all night if he had to.
More time passed, a lot more time, and Dr. Crygor had completely spaced out. But the clock on his wall chimed and he looked up at it. He let out a gasp.
2:00 AM.
Where had his daughter gone? His anxiety was rising far too high above his limit. He stood up and grabbed his phone, holding his sleeping grandbaby in one arm. He dialed his daughter’s number and waited impatiently as it rang.
One ring, two rings, three. Four, five, six. He was sent right to voicemail. He decided to leave a message. Hopefully she had just been busy and forgotten. It’s okay, people forget sometimes. It happens.
“Hey, sweetheart…it’s me. I hope everything is alright. I’m…a bit worried. Please give me a call. I’ll watch Penny for as long as you need me to. I just want to make sure everything is okay. Just…please give me a call back. I love you.”
He ended the message and set his phone down. He realized how much his voice was trembling. He didn’t want to accept how nervous he was. He was just overthinking it all. There was nothing to worry about.
She’d be back soon.
Another few hours passed. He hadn’t realized it, but he had been pacing around the lab nonstop. Dr. Crygor fought the need for sleep, despite the fogginess cluttering his thoughts and the weight of fatigue urging him to collapse to the floor. He just couldn’t sleep until his daughter answered him. He had to know that she was okay.
He couldn’t stand another minute of this. He walked over to his phone and tried again, counting every single ring under his breath. One, two, three, four, five…six. He left another voicemail.
“It’s me again. I’m…really worried. Are you okay…? I’m still here…with Penny…waiting. Can you answer…? Please…?”
He realized he was whimpering and cut the voicemail short. He pushed the feeling down and took a deep breath. It was going to be okay. It would all be okay. Things like this happen.
…
He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this way. He knew he was worried and he knew he was scared. But…this feeling was more than that.
Dread. Panic. Anguish.
He called again. One, two, three, four, five, six.
He didn’t bother with a voicemail, he tried again.
One two three four five six. Again.
One two three—again.
One two—another call.
Again and again and again.
One, two, three, four, five, six.
“…Please. Pick up the phone. I’m begging you.”
His hand was shaking so much he dropped the phone. He choked out a sob and wrapped his granddaughter in a hug. Penny woke up, letting out a small giggle and clutching onto her grandfather’s shoulder. That only made Dr. Crygor more upset. She didn’t have a clue what was going on. It wouldn’t matter if her mother would just answer the phone.
He looked Penny in the eyes. She had a smile on her face. She looked so happy. Crygor wished he could find the will to smile in the moment, but with everything happening and the exhaustion taking over his mind, he just…couldn’t.
He sat back down, holding Penny close. The waiting only got longer and longer.
He waited for a long time for his daughter to come back.
Hours upon hours.
Days upon days.
Those days turned into months.
And those months into years.
He realized he would be waiting forever.
She wasn’t coming back.