Kyungsoo was the type of woman you pictured when paranoid nutters made home documentaries about places like this. A small, young and severe woman with her placid brown hair in a tight and perfect bun, minimal makeup, closed-toe three inch heels, nylons, a straight-cut grey dress and a white lab coat. She walked through the halls with a clipboard and a tablet against her chest and a vacant, but focused expression on her face. No one talked when they walked these halls and she was no exception, making the ten minute trip down from her office to the subject wards three floors below. Specifically, Ward Epsilon, whcih had been the place she'd been assigned when she came here nine years ago, flush with optimism about this opportunity to advance in her field and accomplish well-funded, long-term research. Needless to say, such optimism was quickly crushed under the burden of repetition and she felt less like a cog in a well oiled machine and more of nothing, really. Her only highlights were the twelve hours she spent in her ward with her charges. Being surrounded by eleven people worth talking to was a really nice change from the rest of her day. 

The elevator was a stark, unreflective chrome and the floor a boring steel panel. It didn't take long for her to reach her floor, the small LED panel on the side of the door lighting up with the title Ward Level 3. She left the smooth contraption and walked down another stark white hallway, turned right and halted at a scanning machine accompanied by a blank-eyed secretary who didn't even look up from her computer to register her prescence. 

"RESEARCHER DO, KYUNGSOO. ACCESS GRANTED." 

The little green light above the door flashed and the reinforced glass slid to the side. She walked through the portal and into the research and containment section of Ward Level 3. Down a third corridor, turn left this time, another few metres and a second right brought her to a small unassuming door, opaque white with a small, useless, blurred window. She stopped just to the left of the door and let the scanner register her eye coding. 

"RESEARCHER DO, KYUNGSOO. ACCESS GRANTED."

This door's computer was quieter and the door slid open. She stopped at the reseacher's locker room and locked up her tablet, taking out one of her store of pencils and leaving. She walked down a little hallway. Several of her coworkers brushed past her, leaving beta shift and going to shower and sleep. A couple of other researchers filed in after her, going about looking all the subjects over, noting changes or similarities in the control and test groups, logically on either side of the hallway, separate from each other. She liked to let them go through first because while they were good at their jobs and thorough observers, once they were done their twenty-ish minutes here recording, they would go back through the locker room and through a secondary door that lead to a research lounge, where there were computers set up for them to work and couches for them to talk. Oftentimes, the researchers here would observe, socialize for an hour or so, then go back up to their offices to work and come back before the end of shift to observe once more and leave again. 

The other researchers unfailingly followed their programmed routine, walking past the stiff-faced Kyungsoo standing at the observation desk reading over the daily report from the beta shift manager on the tabletop tablet. As soon as the door to the locker room clicked shut, Kyungsoo looked up. The subjects, once curled on the far sides of their containments, were standing, almost pressed against the glass. 

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen." She greeted. 

Zitao, the one she could see best from this angle, smiled and waved. "Good morning, Soo."

"Come over and let me see my favourite captor!" Baekhyun yelled, no doubt miming hitting her fist off the glass in protest. Kyungsoo walked out from behind the table and hooked her heel into the little wheeley stool she'd stolen from one of the computers in the lounge and pushing it into the hallway proper between the confinement chambers. She plopped herself down on it because she knew she was in for a twelve hour shift and these eleven would not stop talking between now and then. "There she is! My favourite severe medical staff member!"

"Shut up, Baek." Luhan snarked, locked in his own cell.

"Children, children." Kyungsoo mediated. "We all know that Baekhyun can't be original every day. It's unfair of us to expect perfection from such a flawed being."

"I see what you're doing. Challenge accepted, wise girl." Baekhyun's eyes narrowed playfully and she stuck out her tongue. Across from her, Chanyeol rolled his eyes, though he was smiling. 

"Or just . . . do exactly as she wants. That's cool too." He teased. 

"It's not about that. I am a perfect human being and now I have to prove that."

"Okay, okay. I already think you're perfect." Chanyeol soothed.

"I hate to break up your fun, girls and boys, but you know the drill. How do your bodies feel?"

"I'm sleepy." Sehun complained immediately. She was infamous for it. "You guys never turn off the lights and it keeps me awake."

"You've been here for like, four years." Jongin sighed. "Get used to sleeping with the lights on."

"And I haven't yet so they better start shutting the lights off or I'll keep complaining."

"Sehun." Junmyeon said sternly. "Let Kyungsoo do her job, then pester her after."

"Okay, Eomma."

"Thank you, Jun." Kyungsoo smiled. 

"Anytime." The other woman nodded. 

"Okay, boys, bodies. Hit me."

"I'm feeling less sore and stiff. I can almost dance properly again." Jongin commented. "I still can't sleep on my back, though."

"My insomnia's gotten worse." Luhan said, voice dropping. "I'm only getting a couple of hours and I can only do it for three hours or less during beta shift. I'll try sleeping when you're here. I feel safer, so I might be able to sleep more."

She jotted that down because Luhan's sleeping patterns were only getting worse and that didn't bode well for his chances in experimentation. 

"My hands have been shaking." Zitao supplied. "When I try to exercise, it spreads up my arms and down itno my legs. I'm having difficulty writing and I feel dehydrated all the time."

"My twitching's slowing down, but my neck is still very sensitive." Yixing commented. "I feel the shock right down to my toes when someone other than I touch it."

"I see." Kyungsoo frowned. "That's a little strange. Nothing painful or bad?"

"Not so far." Yixing agreed. 

"Okay . . . " She looked down at her list. "Yifan, then."

"My hands hurt. Strange as it is, I think I'm growing again." His voice cracked a little bit in worry.

She looked up and gave him a smile. "I'll look into it, Yifan. Don't worry until I tell you that you need to."

He chuckled wearily and nodded, looking down. She scooted over and pressed her hand to the glass. His hand pressed back and she felt a thrill run through her at the massive size gap between their palms and fingers. 

"I'm doing okay so far." Chanyeol said. "My headaches have stopped. My hair's just red now."

"I think it looks good on you, but you won't believe me." Sehun griped. 

"And the bleeding in your ears?" Kyungsoo asked, staunchly ignoring Sehun's bratty, wordless complaint. "The vessel bursting in your eyes has gone away."

"Has it?" His hands migrated to his face unconsciously. " I can't see my face. No mirrors in here and all."

"Smartass." Kyungsoo retorted. "And yes, it's gone. Ladies? Any complaints?"

"I had blood taken." Jongdae said. "Theyd din't say for what, though."

"I ddi too." Junmyeon added. "I think a couple of hours after you."

"I woke up with a bandage on my arm, so they might have done the same to me." Minseok said, pressing her face to the glass and trying to see the other women.

"Just stiff from not being able to move too much." Baekhyun said. 

"I want the lights to turn off when I sleep." Sehun snarked again.

Kyungsoo nodded and stood. "Thank you for being so cooperative." She walked back over to the desk and the control tablet inside of it. tapping a few things, the hallway bordered by rooms became a circle, all the occupants able to see each other. The thick glass walls separating them all turned transparent. The occupants stepped back from the glass, turning around to sit or lay on their beds. 

"Dr. Do?"

Kyungsoo looked up from the console to a coworker. The subjects had gone silent, all staring at the man with eerie silence and a distinct air of hostility. "Yes, Dr. Lee?"

"What is the purpose of allowing them to see each other?"

"Socialization provides an insight into their mental wellbeing, which has a significant impact on their physical states and responsiveness to experimentation and augmentation. I also find that my results are boosted and my output is more solid when I aloow them human interaction."

Dr. Lee's eyes flickered up to the camera. "You had best be aware that you are always watched, Dr. Do."

"I will note your advice."

He turned away and left. 

They normally never came back to talk to her or the subjects unless they had left something behind or forgot to observe something completely. And they never, ever talked to her or the subjects. She'd gotten a bad rap for being an unapproachable and stoic personality and no one ever tried to talk to her. her heart was fluttering in her chest and there was a nervous coil low in her stomach that had her fighting back the urge to vomit. 

"Soo?" Sehun's voice was soft and concerned. While she was the brattiest of the patients, of their little group of twelve, she was the maknae and, past all her unflinching ice princess exterior, was still affectionate and caring. "Soo, come sit down."

Her heels still clicked with assured smugness, but there was a twist to her face that belied her unease. She sat back down on her stool and she pushed back into the front of Sehun's unit, feeling the other woman's heat through the tempered glass. 

"How about a song?" Yixing suggested. 

"Which one?" Jongdae was quick to jump on the distraction and Baekhyun, too. 

"What about that Spanish one Kyungsoo-noona taught us?" Jongin piped up. "What was it? Sabor A Mi?"

"Yes!" Chanyeol broke into a grin and Kyungsoo felt better despite herself. Chanyeol was just that kind of person. "I think I remember the words Who started it last time?"

Kyungsoo cleared , leaning back against the glass more fully and looking at all of her subjects. Their eyes were glued to her, curious. She had forgotten that she hadn't taught them this song by singing it to them and indeed had never sung in front of them at all. Oh well. Come what may, she supposed. 

"Tanto tiempo disfrutamos de este amor~ | nuestras almas a acercaron tanto a asi | que yo guardo tu sabor | peru tu IIavas tambien | sabor a mi~"

"Oh! Yes, yes! I remember this!" Baekhyun piped up, clearing . "Si negaras mi presencia en tu vivir | bastaria can abrazarte y conversar | tanta vida yo te di | que por fuerza tienes ya | sabor a mi~"

"Oh! My turn now!" Chanyeol grinned like a madman. "No pretendoser tu dueno | no soy nada yo no tengo vanidad~"

Junmyeon cleared . "De mi vidadoy lo bueno | soy tan pobre, que otra cosa puedo dar~"

Kyungsoo closed her eyes, long unused vocal practise resurfacing gladly in . "Pasaran masde mil anos, muchos mas | yo no se si tenga amor la eternidad"

Baekhyun purred to life again. "Pero alla, tal como aqui | en la boca llevaras | sabor a mi~"

"I can imagine the guitar section that would come here." Chanyeol moaned, his fingers running over imaginary frets and strings. "No pretendo ser tu dueno | no soy nada yo no tengo vanidad~"

Junmyeon hummed back into it. "De mi vida doy lo bueno | soy tan pobre, que otra cosa puedo dar~"

Kyungsoo caught Sehun moving from the corner of her eye, mouthing along to the words. The girl wasn't much of a singer, but she really liked music and dance, enjoying hearing her cellmates beautiful voices. She was a little surrpised when the rest of the group rose up with her to sing out the final chorus bar. 

"Pasaran mas de mil anos, muchos mas | yo no se si tengaamor la eternidad | pero alla, tal como aqui | en la boca lleveras | sabor a mi~"

They settled into silence for a moment before Chanyeol started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Zitao asked, eyebrows furrowing. 

"It was just so awesome that syncronize at the end." He wiped away tears. "I wish I had it recorded. Can we sing more? Oh, and Soo, you have to sing more! I didn't even know you could!"

"Yeah, you've been holding out on us." Yifan teased. 

"I got it." Sehun annouced. "We each get to tell a secret or a talent. Obviously, Soo-unnie's is her singing ability. We'll go oldest to youngest."

"You're just saying that so you get to go last!" Minseok complained. 

"Fine, youngest to oldest." Sehun sat back. "I had a really bad lisp. If I take this little piece of metal out of my teeth, it comes back just as bad."

"A lisp?" Jongin questioned, innocent eyes wide. 

"Yup." She smirked. "Your turn."

He ducked his head. "Before I was brought here, I was in training to become a ballet dancer."

"No . No wonder you're so good at dancing!" Sehun groaned. "Okay, Taozi!"

"I was a top-tier wushu martial artist back in China."

Jongdae ducked her head. "I was a ballad singer in training."

"I can sing, rap and play guitar, drums and piano."

"Talented." Baekhyun commented. "I was a tenor singer in musicals."

"I was a child actor and did contemporary and hiphop dancing." Yixing shyly admitted.

"I have the best abs?" Junmyeon murmured, avoiding their looks. "I'm addicted to situps."

"I speak Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean and English." Yifan tossed in. "I'm also really good at sewing and designing clothes."

Luhan was looking at the ceiling. "I used to rap and sing on youtube before I was taken."

Minseok swallowed. "When I was little, my parents put me in a penguin suit and put my in a school play."

"I didn't know you all had so many talents." Kyungsoo said. "Why did I never think to ask that?"

"To be fair, we never thought of telling you." Junmyeon replied. "i certainly didn't."

"You know, Soo, you're the only one here that I like." Luhan said. "All of the other researchers are cold s. The scientists are just downright cruel. I know you don't have control over that and you just do what you have to to keep us in motion, but you are legitimately the only one that I like. You're like a friend."

"I have to agree." Yifan said. "I hate the rest of them."

Kyungsoo ducked her head, embarrassed at their affection for her. 

"Look! Look!" Sehun gushed. "The Squish has come forth!"

Kyungsoo was just happy that her week was beginning and experiment day Sunday was still a blissful six days of singing and laughing and talking away. Maybe she could even sneak Sehun an eye mask, because the girl just wasn't sleeping properly and it was starting to affect her mental capabilities, as well as her lisp control (which Kyungsoo had known about). She started making plans and care routines in her head for her charges, all so willing to do anything she asked of them simply because she took the time to get to know them. Heartwarming, really. Especially in a place like this, where Kyungsoo had been cold and vacant for too many years.