Just in case anybody was wondering, I have not abandoned this fic. I'm just a really, really slow writer. 

Also, this chapter was difficult to write because I feel like Kris has been featured in so many other chapters that it was hard to find the right approach. I'm not sure if I have but it's something, even if it's short. 

Anyways, if anyone is still around to read this, please enjoy. 

Thanks!

Tenth Thread - Kris

If Kris didn't know any better, he'd have thought that Tao snatched the wrong person. The observation reports had described Kyungsoo as 'somewhat timid, especially around strangers, non-confrontational which isn't to be confused with easy-going.' But Kris can't seem to intimidate the young man sitting across from him. Every question or plea to eat his meal is met with either a snarl or complete disregard.

“If you're unsatisfied with the food, I can talk to the nutritionist,” says Kris.

Kyungsoo glares at him. “That's a ing joke, right? You think it's the food I have a problem with?”

Kris sighs. At least he had been privileged to a verbal response this time.

It has been seven days since Kyungsoo arrived at the Institute, five of which have been under Kris's care. For the last two days, Kyungsoo refused all meals although he drinks the water provided to him and it looks as though this day would be the third of his hunger strike.

Kris pulls out a small zip-lock bag of purple grapes from his lab coat pocket and pulls apart the seal. He pops one into his mouth before holding out the bag in his palm. “Would you like one?”

“Did you really think you could win me over with fruit?” Kyungsoo asks with an impressive amount of contempt, considering how exhausted he looks.

Kris ignores the question. “If you don't stop starving yourself, I can't stop them from strapping you to a hospital bed and forcing you to eat. And believe me, I don't want that for you.”

“Gee, I had no idea you cared.” Kyungsoo scowls and shoots him a look of pure poison.

If Kris feels guilty, he doesn't allow himself to acknowledge such an emotion. Not while he's faced with the subject. Right now, his main objective is to convince Kyungsoo to eat or else the scheduled tests will be pushed back again. The Board had ruled the tests could not be run unless the subject is at full physical capacity.

And he needs to prove to the Board that his position as D.O's coworker would not affect his ability to be lead counselor on this case, as they inquired when his name was first suggested for the position.

Kris likes to think he's fair and treats all of the psychiatric recruits the same but even he admits that he dotes on D.O. Ever since Tao showed him that poster of them as a boy band, he feels a strange compulsion to protect the young men that had once stood by him. The ones he knows about, anyways.

Unfortunately, that protective urge seems to extend to Kyungsoo as well. It startles Kris how much the subject looks and acts like D.O. They both grow fuzzy, uneven patches of hair around the corner of the lips when they haven't shaved for a few days. They narrow their eyes in the same way, glowering at him with their chin tilted downward.

One of the guards picks up the uneaten tray of food and another collapses the folding table. Kris stands and holds out the bag of grapes. “I'll leave these here with you in case you change your mind.”

There it is: that all too familiar look of irritation. “What would your nutritionist say if she knew you were trying to feed me contraband?”

“Don't worry. I've bribed the guards. They won't tell a soul,” Kris replies.

Kyungsoo stares at the bag for a moment before turning his head. “Don't bother. I don't like grapes.”

Kris slides the zip-lock bag back into his lab coat pocket. “Of course you don't.”

D.O doesn't like grapes either.

*

Kris glanced at the clock on the nearby wall. It was nearly one in the morning and he still had more than half his notes to study but luckily, he wasn't the only person stuck in the library. Most students in his year were also cramming for various exams and papers and lab reports.

Everyone knew that the fourth year of Artemis was the most rigorous because it pruned the less gifted from the general student body. In a few months, they would also be resubmitted to a physical endurance test but Kris couldn't worry about that now.

The alarm on his phone vibrated loudly and he disarmed it quickly, although not quickly enough to avoid glares from the other students. He gently nudged the figure sleeping at his feet with his toe. “Tao, wake up. Nap time is over.”

Tao groaned and sat up, nearly hitting his head against the bottom of the study tables. Even at fourteen, three years younger than everyone else in their grade, he's far from the shortest. “I need more,” he said crossly and rubbed his eyes.

Kris resisted the urge to reach down and ruffle his hair. The last person who tried to treat Tao like a puppy ended up in the infirmary with a broken finger.

“Well, if you want to rest more, you can sleep in my bed,” said Kris. “Suho won't mind.”

“Thanks but it's probably best if I just go to my own room.” Tao crawled out from under the table and began to gather his things.

“Are you sure?” Kris asked. He knew that Tao did not get along with his roommate. In his opinion, this seemed to be a common issue among Artemis students. He considered himself one of the lucky few who was not only on speaking terms with his roommate but actually friends.

“Yeah, he's probably asleep. As long as I don't wake him up, it should be fine.” Tao waved. “See you for breakfast in a few hours.”

“Yeah, see you,” Kris echoed. He turned back to his textbook and attempted to make sense of his reading but without Tao, he found himself growing sleepy and with the ticking of the second hand in the background, he nearly nodded off, a hi-lighter clutched in his hand.

Realizing he had spent all of his concentrative energy for the day, he decided to head back to his room.

Kris ran the short distance from the library to the dormitory building. He never liked the campus this late at night. Once inside, he walked calmly towards his room although his heart thundered wildly.

Even from the end of the hallway, he could see the light streaming beneath the door frame which mean his roommate was still awake and so he didn't have to worry about disturbing him.

“Hey Suho,” Kris greeted as he opened the door. “How's your studies going?” He tossed his backpack onto the bed and rolled his neck to release some of his exhaustion. He straightened his back and only then did he notice the security guard in addition to his roommate.

“Kris.” Suho swallowed nervously. “I didn't think you'd be back already.”

He was about to explain that he couldn't concentrate on chemistry when he spotted the suitcase on Suho's bed. And the empty closet and bare desk. “What's going on?”

The security guard answered, “Perhaps its best if you wait outside.”

Kris frowned. “But this is my room too.”

“I'm done packing,” Suho told the security guard. “Could...could I just give my roommate something before we go?”

The security guard hesitated at first but eventually nodded.

Panic welled in Kris's chest. “Oh god, Suho, have you been expelled?”

“No, nothing like that.” He smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Kris felt relieved that Suho hadn't been kicked out of school but that left only one other reason for packing up his things. “Did you request a new roommate?”

Suho shook his head. “Of course not. Kris, you-you're one of the few reasons that I've been able to endure my time here.” He ducked his head, seemingly bashful, and held out a piece of folded paper in his hand.“I haven't been expelled but I won't be returning to Artemis. Not for a while anyways. And I know I'm not in a position to be asking for favors but I'm hoping you might help me anyways.”

Kris didn't like the way that Suho avoided looking at him but he knew not to press him. Too many questions and Suho would clam up and turn colder than ice. “Sure. Of course.” He took the paper and held it tight.

“That's my brother's address. I was hoping you could look in on him from time to time. He remembers you fondly from Family Day.” Suho finally raised his head. He looked like he had been trying to hold back tears.

His roommate loved younger his brother more than anyone in the world and he knew it couldn't be easy for his friend to ask someone else to look in on Kai. That convinced him more than the security guard that whatever reason Suho had to leave, it was crucial.

“Yes, I will definitely look out for him,” Kris promised, ignoring the feeling in his stomach like something was trying to claw its way out. “You just...don't worry about Kai. He's a good kid.”

Suho laughed, unexpected and short. “Yeah, he is.” He held out his hand. “Thanks. You don't know what that means to me.”

Kris shook Suho's hand. The formal gesture felt strange. “He'll be fine. I'll make sure of it.”

Suho pulled away. “Good-bye Kris.”

“Yeah.” Kris watched him put the suitcase on the ground and lift the handle. “See you later.”

*

Kris checks his watch. Kai's meeting with Amber should have ended twenty minutes ago but the door to the meeting room remains closed and he can hear voices inside. Curious and somewhat concerned, he slowly leans his ear against the metal door.

“If could you stay here, please. There's someone else who would like to speak with you,” Amber's muffled voice travels through the thick steel.

He jumps back just in time to appear like he hadn't been eavesdropping when she opens the door.

He looks at her face closely, searching for any hint of weariness or frustration since he knows how taxing these final interviews can be. But Amber is Amber and she hides her exhaustion so well that he almost misses the uneven, half-frown she makes before looking up at him.

It takes all of his professional willpower not to put his arms around her and tell her that she did the best she could, not everyone has what it takes to bear the burden of what they do.

Instead, he waits until the door closes and asks, “How did it go?”

Amber sighs. “Well, he didn't flat out refuse so there's that. And he asked a lot of questions but not the kind that leads one to believe that he'll want the position.”

“On a scale of one to ten, how likely is he to refuse?”

“Probably an eight. I don't think he's bothered by the scope of the research. It's the moral aspect that bothers him.”

Kris isn't surprised but had hoped that wouldn't be the case.

“Look, if he doesn't want the position, we shouldn't force him to take it,” Amber continues. “You know what happens to those who feel as though they've gotten in too deep and then want out.”

He knows all too well but he also believes that Kai could do very well in Sector 302-D, especially under the right mentor.

Plus, if Kris is being entirely honest, he has slightly selfish motivations for wanting Kai to work in the same department. With D.O gone, Tao away so often, and Amber's refusal to talk about their jobs after-hours, the work strain builds and builds without a release. He would like to be able to confide in Kai, especially after a day such as the one he's had with Kyungsoo's third straight day of fasting.

Kris quickly glances around the hall and leans down. “Let me talk to him,” he says quietly.

Amber's right eyebrow ticks upward. “What, you think you can convince him?”

“Yes,” he says more confidently than he feels. “Look, you know that he's the most qualified candidate and all that's left is for him to accept the transfer. Director Tony is a smooth talker but Kai doesn't know him so his bull detector is going to be on high alert. Let me soften him up before the Director interviews him.”

Amber doesn't respond right away. She flips through Kai's files and remarks, “He may be the most qualified professionally but his background, especially his biological parents, is troublesome.”

Kris doesn't know what she means but figures it doesn't matter. “He was a kid when they died. We can't hold that against him.”

Amber looks like she's about to tell him otherwise but instead, bites her lip. She checks the time on the sleek black watch on her wrist; the one she insisted on buying herself even when he had offered to get it for her birthday. “You have fifteen minutes before Director Tony gets here.”

He pats her on the arm in silent thanks and softly opens the door.

Kai is sitting at a table with his back is towards him. He doesn't turn until Kris steps into the room and shuts the door behind him. His eyes widen in surprise and then darken. “So this is what you do all day?” More an accusation than a question. “Run experiments on people without their knowledge or consent?”

Kris walks around to the other side of the table and sits. “I monitor the subjects for any – ”

“Don't call them that,” Kai interrupts “They're people.”

Kris placates him by nodding and wishes he could ask Amber if it's this difficult for all non-Artemis graduates to understand the necessity of Sector 302-D's work. “You're right, of course.”

“Then how can you justify what you do?” Kai begins to sound angry. “How-I mean-what gives you the right?”

Kris is quiet, waiting for Kai to calm down before answering, “The Ivory Flu.”

Kai inhales sharply. “What did you say?”

Kris has to tread carefully. Kai doesn't like to talk about his biological parents, especially not how they were early victims of the Ivory Flu epidemic that killed over 60,000 people before it was brought under control 12 years ago. “I know it's not a lot of comfort since it didn't help your family but the reason we were able to find a vaccine before it became a pandemic is because of Project Phoenix.”

“How?” Kai crosses his arms defiantly. “By infecting people with the Ivory Flu so you could experiment with vaccines?”

“This was twelve years ago so I was not personally involved.” Kris tries not to let his irritation show. “But no, they didn't. There was no need to develop a vaccine of our own because the Beta-3 Universe had already developed one. Over there, it is called H1N1 Influenza. It killed an upward of 100 million people.”

He pauses for a moment to let the information sink in.

“I'm not going to argue ethics with you but the fact remains that if we did not discover this vaccine when we did, a lot more people would have died. Experts had projected we would lose three to five percent of the world's population.” Kris places his folded hands on the table and leans forward. “You may question our methods and procedures. That's fine. But don't doubt our intentions.”

Kai stares at him. “I don't know who you are anymore,” he says slowly, quietly.

Kris hears the despair in his voice and it cuts through him. “Yes, you do,” he says. “I'm still me. The same guy who promised your brother that I would look after you.”

Kai falls silent. Minutes crawl by before he speaks again. “Is that where Suho is?” He asks almost as if he doesn't want to know the answer.“Is he in Beta-3 for Project Phoenix?”

“I'm sorry,” says Kris and he means it. “I can't tell you that.”

Kai nods quickly and sniffs, glancing down at his lap. When he lifts his gaze again, he looks more like a young boy than a grown man. “I don't know if I can do this.”

A soft knock on the door startles them both.

“You're well qualified for the job if that's what you're worried about.” Kris stands briskly. “Director Tony will be here very soon. All I ask is that you keep an open mind. This could be a great opportunity for you.”

The defiant Kai who had been so quick to condemn is gone. He looks troubled and a bit lost. He nods distractedly at Kris.

Amber opens the door. “He's on his way,” she tells them. “You better get going.”

Kris puts a reassuring hand on Kai's shoulder on his way out. “Whatever you choose, make sure it's the right choice.”

A/N: So FYI, as far as I know there isn't actually a vaccine for any H1N1 but this is about alternative universes so who knows, maybe someday there will be. 

Anyways, I hope you're not too disappointed with this update. It's been almost three months and this is all I've managed to come up with. 

And if you noticed a discrepancy in the way Kai and Suho's parents died, that is intentional and will be explained later.

Next chapter is Lay so stay tuuuuuned!

Comments, votes, subscriptions always appreciated and make me happy!