Rafael was exactly where he had planned to be two weeks later: buried in work, insulated by routine, and unavailable for anything requiring emotional availability.
The administrative wing was quiet in the way only well-run institutions ever were. No shouting, no hurried steps, just the muted rhythm of clerks moving between offices and the faint hum of the building's systems threading through the walls. Rafael sat at his desk with his sleeves rolled to the forearms, stylus moving in short strokes as he annotated a budget revision that should not have needed revising in the first place.
His comm vibrated once. He ignored it.
It vibrated again, sharper this time, insistent in a way that suggested something either urgent or stupid. Rafael paused, jaw tightening slightly, then set the stylus down. He checked the caller ID.
Kendall.
That alone was enough to put him on edge.
