After lunch, you met with Dr. Itkin and Dr. Sherman to go over your meeting with SCP-049.
Taking a deep breath, you nervously open the door to the meeting room slightly.
Itkin and Sherman turn from their conversation to see you peeking through the door.
"May.. I come in?" You asked worriedly.
"Of course, come! Sit down!" Sherman said excitedly, pulling one of the office chairs from the table out for you.
Entering the room and closing the door, you thank him and sit down in front of the two.
Dr. Itkin organized the papers in front of him and Sherman, taking a look over them.
"So! Everything went smoothly, and to be honest..." Itkin started.
"SCP-049 hasn't taken interest in a doctor like this since.. well, since Dr. Hamm was around." Sherman said, his excited expression dropping slightly.
Dr. Itkin put his hand on Sherman's shoulder for a moment before letting go.
You remember reading and listening to the logs regarding Dr. Hamm.
It was really unfortunate that someone like him was killed in an incident with 049. You still remembered how desperate 049 sounded at the end of that interview.
'I saved... I saved him... Dr. Hamm, I... I cured him... he was sick, I know he was sick, I know he was, and I... you are all sick, but I... I can save you.'
Shaking the memory of the audio log from your mind, you spoke up.
"Am I allowed to continue working with SCP-049? It didn't seem like it believed I had the cure so.. I was hoping to.." You trailed off, making eye contact with Dr. Sherman.
He nodded.
"We actually hope you don't mind, but we discussed it after your meeting with 049 yesterday, and we want to promote you." Itkin added.
Sherman quickly turned to Itkin, "C'mon! How are they going to think I'm cool if you keep telling them all the good news!?"
Itkin laughed, "Sorry, I stole the thunder. Then you elaborate, Sherman."
Sherman cleared his throat and stood up straight.
"We are excited to welcome you to our team, as a fellow colleague, Dr. Y/N! You have plenty of the experience and are more than qualified." Sherman said proudly.
"Sherman and I used this convenient meeting with 049 as a sort of, test, to see if you were ready for such a position. We understand you haven't worked with any SCP's previously, but we won't exactly be around forever." Itkin added, handing you paperclipped documents.
Attached to the paperwork was.. a higher-level access card?
"H-Huh? You really think I'm ready for this? This is a lot of responsibility, won't my peers be upset I gained a promotion so fast?" You asked nervously.
Sherman shook his head, "Compared to your peers, you're actually over-qualified for the assistant position. If it weren't for the requirement to start at that position, we wouldn't have put you there in the first place."
"It is convenient to know how to use our systems and upload logs though, that's one benefit of starting there." Itkin said with a chuckle.
You looked over the documents in you hand for a minute before your eyes hit a section that surprised you.
"I'm allowed to conduct interviews without getting permission from you both?" You asked.
"With 049. That's the only clearance to an SCP you have currently, we would have to discuss any other SCP's you have interest in studying with the higher-ups." Itkin said abruplty.
"Oh, I see." You said, understanding a bit more.
"Don't forget, you have to still follow protocol. That's restraints, and four guards.. two on each side of the containment cell's door," Sherman said with concern, "-and above all, don't let SCP-049 touch you. There's no guarantee you won't.."
"We aren't sure what happens when SCP-049 touches an individual he deems unafflicted by his 'pestilence'. We also don't want to see what happens, not to you, at least. You are too valuable a researcher to lose to such a study." Itkin said.
"There's not a lot of people he deems.. unafflicted.. it seems." You said solemnly.
Sherman nodded, "It's unfortunate, but if we are lucky enough to come across a D-Class he doesn't intend to cure, it'll be interesting to see what happens during such a situation."
You nodded in return.
At the end of the meeting, it was decided that you can return to work with 049 whenever you wanted. The main difference between your previous job and this one, was that you were no longer the responsibility of Dr. Itkin and Dr. Sherman.
If you were to get into an accident with any SCP without the two around, you'd be ultimately responsible. Well, depending on the circumstances, of course.
In the case of a breach...
You shook your head.
That's not something to think about right now. You should focus on the positive.
You get to continue working with 049! As a Head Researcher, at that!
"Wait, did we tell them about 049's current activity..?" Sherman asked Itkin after you left the room.
"...Shit." Itkin cursed, grabbing Sherman and quickly running out the room after you.
Arriving at 049's containment cell, you decided to surprise him, using your new com to request four guards for this surprise meeting.
The doors opened, the two guards following you in.
"Doctor! I'm was hoping you wouldn't mind putting on your restraints, I'd like to-" You started, looking up from your clip board of topics you scribbled down on the way.
049's back was turned to you, a mangled corpse laying in front of him on the operation table in the back of his containment cell.
049 turned to you in shock, his gloves covered with blood from fingertip to elbow.
"Y/N? What brings you here?" He asks curiously, "It may take me a second, I'm in the middle of an experiment, unfortunately."
You've never seen a cadaver in your life.
Of course, you've seen photos but...
This looks nothing like the photos.
It looks like a child was given scissors and went to town on a stuffed animal...
Your blood ran cold and quickly you shook, the stench of blood and other organic components filling your nose.
Who gave 049 clearance to dissect and experiment...? He only just got clearance again for in-person meetings with anyone, even D-Class...
"Doctor...?" 049 asked, tilting his head.
"What is- is- that's-," You took a breath, quickly covering your mouth as nausea hitting you like a wave.
The room was.. spinning? Was this an anomalous effect new to 049?
Quickly, you lost feeling in your knees, hitting the ground and feeling pairs of hands catch you from completely collapsing.
Everything suddenly went..
Dark.
You opened your eyes, quickly closing them from the blinding light, feeling something wet on your forehead.
Blinking, your eyes finally adjusted to the light. You've only been here once on your tour of Site-19, but it seems to be the medical unit.
There were rows of empty beds, turning your head to view the room before landing on a person sitting asleep next to your bed.
"Dr. Sherman?" You said, sitting up slowly.
Sherman quickly stirred from slumber, notable bags under his eyes as he looked shocked seeing you up.
"Y/N! You scared us half to death!" Sherman said worriedly, "We- We forgot to tell you- 049 was-"
"It's ok! I'm responsible for myself now, remember? I- thank you. For, well, being here." You laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of your head nervously.
"We- We thought 049 got to you. The guards had to hold me back while Itkin took you to medical. They explained everything after I calmed down... it was.. embarrassing afterwards, to say the least." He sighed, looking down.
You placed a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, I'd be pretty freaked-out if I thought 049 killed you too, okay? I'm sure 049 doesn't hold it against you either, trying to attack him."
He laughed, "SCP-049 shakes those sorts of things off pretty easily, it's creepy. Though I could care less what it thinks about me. I'm more worried about our relationship as colleagues. Have you.. never seen death before?"
You shook your head, "Not like that. Nothing like that."
"-but," you added, "If I want to work with 049, this is something I need to prepare myself for. I'll take the rest of the day watching from the observation room."
Sherman looked confused, before looking at his phone, laughing.
"W-What? What's so funny?" You asked.
"You've been out for a whole day. 049's little experiment is over by now, surely," he though, "...but, you could request another D-Class? If you'd like, and are ready. Don't push yourself."
You nodded, "I- are there any that.. are there any terminal D-Class? Recently deceased?"
Sherman shook his head.
"049 doesn't work on dead creatures, throws him into a fit. 049 compared it to 'beating a dead horse' once." He chuckled.
"I wonder where he learned that phrase from," you laughed, sighing and grabbing your walkie-talkie from the side of the bed.
Holding in the button, you bravely requested a D-Class to SCP-049's containment cell, quickly getting up and putting on your lab coat.
"Are you sure you can do this? It's impressive, but you've been out for a day. Are you really ok?" Sherman asked.
You nodded, "Thank you for sitting here, it must've been boring."
Sherman quickly followed you out of the room, towards SCP-049's containment cell.
"It- well, it wasn't boring. Stressful, but not boring. Itkin was there for a little too, before being called to 049." Sherman responded.
"What? Why was Itkin requested to return?" You asked, confused.
"Apparently 049 is very worried about you, and couldn't finish his experiment that day. They discarded the body shortly after. Pretty much... stared at it for a while." Sherman shrugged.
"Has that ever happened before?" You asked, arriving at the observation door to 049's cell.
"Out of other emotions, of course. Especially when he's on his 'cure-frenzy', he'll drop his work, quickly. I haven't personally seen him do this before, nor is it noted by any researcher. Not even when.. Dr. Hamm passed." Sherman sighed.
"...well. Thank you for following me here. I'll get started, they must be waiting." You said nervously.
"Just call me on my channel if you need anything. I'll be getting something to eat from the cafeteria for now. Stay safe." Sherman said, before walking off in the direction of the cafeteria.
Heading into the observation room, you sat down, turning on the mic.
"D-Class..," You started, looking at the paperwork for the D-Class in front of you, reading the number, "D-3049, enter the containment cell."
Suddenly, the door to the containment cell open, a D-Class quickly shoved into the room.
The door closed, 3049 turning quickly and banging on the door to be released.
You squeezed your eyes closed, taking a deep breath before opening them.
If you wanted to work with 049, this is something you'd have to get used to.
Moments passed and 049 had yet to approach the D-Class.
Confused, you lean over the mic.
"Doctor? Is something the matter?" You asked.
049 was standing now, near his seat, turned to face the window between you.
"If the D-Class isn't suitable, I can request another-" You started, before 049 cut you off.
"Are you alright, doctor? I didn't mean to- I had no clue you would be visiting," He said, his hands clasped together around... your book, "I sincerely apologize for startling you. It must've been your first time seeing such a sight, I feel regrettable that it was I who allowed you to see such a sight."
He must have been reading that before you arrived...
"Don't worry, I'm completely fine! I just- I never seen something like that before. I'm-" You stopped, noticing 049 struggling to keep his attention on you.
It was almost like... he was forcing himself to ignore the D-Class to make sure you're alright. To be honest, you find it hard to focus on the doctor too, when the D-3049 keeps banging on the door and screaming. You knew it wasn't the same for him though.
You knew he was focused on the pestilence and not the D-Class' wailing.
"Doctor, it's ok. I promise. If it makes you feel better... I'll be in after D-3049 isn't.. struggling anymore." You spoke carefully, holding your breath afterwards.
Without a moment's hesitation, he set down your book on the table and quickly made his way over to D-3049.
"Not to fret... I am the cure." He said deeply, reaching out for the D-Class.
Quickly, D-3049 retaliated by slapping 049 harshly across the face, suddenly slumping to the ground... unresponsive.
That must've hurt.
For 049, that is.