A Symptom of Love (GERI Labs #1)

27. The Harrington hypothesis redefined

27

The Harrington hypothesis redefined

E leanor: “I’m so done with love.”

Grandma: “Oh honey, you’re just getting started.”

Eleanor: “No Savta, I’m serious, my heart is just not cut out for this kind of stuff. Har’el, it’s all up to you now.”

Har’el: “Uh-oh… Way too much pressure. Gillie, please chime in here.”

Mom: “Ellie, what’s wrong? Do I need to get involved? Let me text Aiden.”

Eleanor: “No Ima, don’t text Aiden!”

Gillie: “On my way.”

Grandma: “Gillie, honey, I think you texted your message to the wrong group chat. Do we need to go over texting etiquette?”

Har’el: “No need Savta, Gillie was just, unsuccessfully, trying to create a distraction. I owe you one man!”

Eleanor spends the next couple of days in her own personal dungeon at the Harrington lab, dedicating herself to science, but mostly trying to avoid everyone and everything else. She even avoids Gillie and family calls, pretty much trying her very best to avoid anyone asking her the bold question of “What the hell happened?” Or maybe they’ll go about it in a more polite manner, like “What’s wrong?” or “Do you want to talk about it?” Variations she’s avoiding at all costs, because this might require her to reflect, or worse—put the past few months into words. But even just inwardly, even without trying to arrive at a conclusion or some sort of internal understanding, all she can come up with is a big hot mess. Mostly hot, and then a complete mess.

Aiden tries to call, and text, and show up at the Harrington lab. But she’s doing an expert job avoiding him too. And he gets the hint and gives her space. Although she’s not sure space is what she needs either.

And on top of it all there’s this issue—a small, tiny issue—the thing she did while in the midst of going into overdrive—she quit. Quit her unofficial part of her fellowship in his lab, killed their collaboration. She could get Professor Harrington to be her sole mentor, do all of her experiments in his lab. She could let someone else manage the scientific collaboration part with Aiden, it doesn’t have to be her. They can still share a paper together—he still owns half of the work, they’re adults, it can be reasonable, and civilized. But it’s time to discuss business with Professor Harrington. Even if that means letting him down. Yes, the dinosaur who wouldn’t hire women because he spent too many years under the impression that the entire female gender was either too busy with life or created too many distractions. Eleanor was supposed to convince him otherwise. And heck, she was doing a damn good job for a while. But this—this is a major ‘I told you so’ moment. Like on an Academy Award level, only she won’t be collecting any trophies. Because instead of being the professional that she was supposed to be, for the sake of women in science, she was too busy breaking Aiden’s ‘no seduction’ rule. And getting into a fake relationship with him.

And falling in love… with him.

“Professor Harrington?” Eleanor knocks quietly on his office door, knowing all too well that he might have his hearing aid turned off for his daily uninterrupted deep-thinking mode and therefore might not answer her knocking. But she doesn’t peep in like she normally would every morning, because stalling right now feels more comfortable.

Yet she hears his welcoming “Come on in.” As if he was expecting her.

“Good morning, Professor Harrington,” she says as she opens the door. Her voice is a squeak.

“It’s so good to see you,” he says with a warm smile, alluding to the fact she hasn’t popped into his office for a couple of days, breaking her own habit she had so eagerly enforced. “Please.” He gestures for her to sit, as he’s done every day for the past few months.

She takes a seat. Despite practicing her lines repeatedly ahead of time, there’s no easy way to say it. It’s never easy to admit one’s failure. Especially when stakes and expectations are so high.

“I can tell you’re battling with something,” he says softly. His tone is encouraging. But of course, he has no idea what he’s about to hear.

She clears her throat. Here goes nothing. “Professor Harrington, you were right.” Even just admitting it, is incredibly difficult. “Right about me, I mean, not about the entire female gender.”

“Oh?” He gives her his signature wondering-almost-fascinated look. If she had his undivided attention before, now he’s in heightened-mega-focus mode.

“I am a terrible distraction. I am the epitome of distraction. And I did exactly what I shouldn’t have. Exactly what you were so afraid of.”

“I am intrigued.” Professor Harrington gives her a curious look, albeit somewhat amused. “Would you care to elaborate?”

There’s no going back now. “I let my feelings come between me and my science. Got side-tracked, created a distraction that impacted not just me but also Aide—" She catches herself and quickly amends— “I mean Professor Kowalski. I fell in love. And now… now it’s a whole mess.” She quickly blinks some tears away and takes a deep breath.

Be strong.

“And that’s exactly what you were afraid of,” she continues. “And I failed you, and I let you down. I let myself down.” She’s practiced these lines almost all of last night, but what comes out feels more like a disastrous word vomit. So she tops it off with, “I was wrong to think that I could somehow have it all.”

Professor Harrington studies her intently for a long moment until he finally says, “No, I was wrong. I had made a mistake many years ago, thinking love was incompatible with science. That a good scientist couldn’t possibly be productive when love or family was in the way. I avoided it at all costs, for so many years. Even at the cost of my own happiness. Don’t repeat my mistakes.”

“I think it might be too late for that. I already quit my unofficial fellowship in his lab.”

She expects no less than a look of disapproval from him. Expects the old professor to show his obvious disappointment. Maybe even shout or at least sound angry. But his voice is even as he says, “Seeing you and Aiden—there was a special bond between you two from day one. I thought it would only be an interruption, yet the two of you together were more productive than the sum of each of you alone. Exponentially better. More than anyone I’ve seen. Fearless, unstoppable. And believe me—at my age, I’ve seen a lot.” He stops for added impact. “You are an extremely bright, talented, and hardworking scientist. And in as little as—how long have you been here? Four months? You’ve managed to completely transform my ways of thinking. Both in epigenetics but also in life.”

Eleanor shifts in her chair. This new revelation is quite striking.

“Don’t make the same mistake I made—choosing one over the other,” he continues. “If there’s one thing you’ve taught me, dear Eleanor, is that you can have both. And actually do better. Don’t give up on Kowalski, he can be a real pain in the behind at times, I agree, but… You make him smile.” He halts, deep in thought, as if digging up memories. “I’ve known Aiden since he was a young child, playing around his father’s lab. Never once heard the sound of his laughter. I’ve never seen him as happy before as he’s been with you. And I can tell by the way you look at him.”

“Can tell what?” This conversation has taken a very unexpected turn.

“That you are forgetting something very important.”

“Forgetting?” She tilts her head, having a hard time following.

“Eleanor, you’ve been in my lab long enough to be able to cite it in your sleep.” The old man shakes his head. “What you two have is special, remarkable. And as I’ve said before, you must never ignore a once-in-a-lifetime observation, even if you can’t understand it fully. It’s those unique and unusual discoveries that hold the potential to transform everything.” He pauses to observe the impact of his little pep talk.

“Oh,” is all she manages.

“And Eleanor,” he says, a mischievous smile on his face.

“Yes, Professor Harrington?”

“This, of course, was a strictly scientific inspirational talk, and if anyone claims otherwise, I will surely deny it.”