The hum of the banks of computers greeted her as she opened the door. The familiar squawk of the scanner and the click of the seismometer eased her tension a little. She went down the hall, which was lined with pictures of volcanoes in various stages of eruption. Other walls held photo essays of the various studies going on—projects like gravitational studies, electrical processes, gas geochemistry, and ground deformation. She stepped into her boss’s office. It was empty. She went to the office chair by the window.
“Sorry to keep you.” Gina came into the room and moved to her desk. Barely five feet tall, she still wore the heavy work pants she donned when out in the field. A stench of sulfur followed her. The cracked leather chair practically swallowed her. She pulled her glasses to her nose, then flipped open a folder.
“I need to get home right away.” Annie slipped her hand into her pocket and fingered her sister’s necklace.
Gina gave her a kind smile. “Don’t look so scared, Annie. We’re just going to talk.”
Gina had taken over as Scientist-in-charge a little over a year ago. Things had run smoothly under Gina’s supreme organizational skills. Her dark hair never dared to be out of place, and every paper clip on her desk was perfectly aligned. Though in her fifties, she was still beautiful with perfect, unlined skin. She had a faint accent no one had been able to figure out. With her dark coloring, she could be French, Greek, part Hawaiian, or any of the other nationalities in this melting pot.
Annie knew Gina liked her. That was the only thing that might save this interview from going south. “Okay.” She moved toward Gina’s desk.
“It’s good to have you back. How have you been feeling? I noticed you’re only limping a little now.”
“Pretty good. The doctor says the limp may go with time, or it may hang around. But either way, it’s not bothering me much. The pain is gone and it’s just still a little stiff.”
“Scars? You don’t have your slippers on today. I kind of miss the designs on your toenail polish.”
Annie managed a smile. “The designs are still there. I just figure no one wants to see the scars.” Especially me. Every time she saw her right foot, she averted her eyes. “They’re pretty gruesome.”
Gina closed the folder and folded her hands. “Could you explain what happened today? Monica says you refused to bring her some equipment.”
Annie bit her lip. How could she explain the way fear had paralyzed her? “I couldn’t,” she whispered. She put as much pleading into her expression as she could. “Maybe I’d better stay in-house for a while until I get my bearings. I just froze out there. All I could think about was the pain of falling into the lava.” She rubbed slick palms against her jeans.
Gina shook her head. “We need your expertise in the field. Those new GPS receivers need to be planted. You’re going to have to face your fears, Annie. I know how scary it must have been for you when that lava bench gave way. But you’re a volcanologist. You can’t study volcanoes from inside this building.”
Annie nodded. Gina was right about that, but there was no way anyone who hadn’t gone through it could understand what Annie experienced. One minute she had been walking on solid ground, and the next moment she’d found herself standing in hot lava. The only thing that had saved her was the fact that the stream of lava was so small. The lava in the tube had almost emptied. What if the next time a full river of lava swallowed her? And the pain had been horrific. She still had nightmares about it. Besides, her mother had died out there. Maybe she was cursed to do the same. She wrapped her fingers around the delicate chain on the necklace in her pocket.
When Annie didn’t answer, Gina sighed. “You can’t let this fear defeat you, Annie. Face it and go on with your life.”
“Just a few weeks,” Annie pleaded. “I can’t go out there right now.”
“You can and you will.” Gina’s voice hardened. “What kind of a boss—and even more importantly, a friend—would I be if I didn’t make you face your fears and do what is best for you in the long run? I know it’s hard. But you’re stronger than you realize, Annie. I want you back on the job. You’re too good a scientist to let this beat you.”
It helped to hear Gina’s confidence in her, but Annie cringed at the thought of going back on the lava. “One week,” she begged.
Gina’s face softened. “Okay. But see a professional about this if you need to. I don’t want to lose you. I know I shouldn’t play favorites, but I’ve seen myself in you so many times, Annie. Your quick mind and total dedication to your work is outstanding. You have a bright future ahead of you. Don’t let this experience ruin your career. Get over it. I want my little ‘volcano cowboy’ back.”
Annie’s face burned at the reprimand. She gave a brief nod. “I just need a little more time.”
“One week. That’s the best I can do. I need a crew that can pull its weight. If you can’t get control of this fear, you’re going to need to look for a new line of work. What about your underwater research with Jillian?”