“You’re welcome.”
"Just a heads up..." she added, feeling she owed him some warning. "Certain members of these meetings can be a little... rigorous in their questioning."
Finn simply nodded and looked back at his computer. She thought the statement would raise questions. Instead, she just ended up with more questions about her research assistant.
Elena and Finn arrived early at the team meeting. Other staff members filtered in, and then Paul. He looked at Elena, then shifted his gaze to Finn with interest. “Is this your new assistant? He must be catching on quickly.”
The meeting started like any other. Paul provided departmental updates, and then each staff member provided their own personal updates. Elena waited in painful anticipation aseverybody else paid their dues. Of course she was the last to speak today.
"Dr. Herrera," Paul began, looking between them. "I don't usually see research assistants at senior staff meetings. Should I take this as a sign that Mr. Cochrane has made significant contributions to the project?"
"He's been instrumental in identifying our new approach. I thought he should be here to help present it." Elena replied.
Paul nodded, satisfied with that answer. “We need all the sharp minds we can get on this with the new timeline. Go ahead with your updates.”
Elena drew a breath. "We've recruited twelve new patients for the next trial phase," she began, steering toward safe territory. "The new analysis software is fully integrated, which should give us more accurate data during treatment sessions. We've also optimized our data collection protocols to improve efficiency."
The room felt less tense as she moved through these updates. Paul nodded along, making occasional notes. Elena's confidence grew with each item. She took a deep breath before the final and most important update. “We’re also implementing a new treatment protocol. It shows promise despite initial challenges.”
Paul’s pen paused over his notepad. “A new protocol? Can you elaborate on that?”
Elena took a deep breath. "We'll be implementing a neurofeedback treatment with a higher intensity."
It was dead quiet as Paul absorbed this information. Elena knew it was only a matter of time. Finally, Paul’s brow furrowed as he made the connection. “Didn’t that method have an overwhelming failure rate in a previous study?”
Elena hesitated for a moment, trying to decide how to respond to Paul’s simple question.
Finn's deep voice cut through the silence. "No. It had a 95% dropout rate."
Not exactly helping, Elena thought, catching Rachel's sympathetic look across the table. Paul's eyes shifted to Finn, narrowing at being contradicted. Paul leaned forward. "I'm not following your distinction, Mr. Cochrane. How exactly does a 95% dropout rate not equate to failure?"
Elena felt her stomach tighten. This was the moment when their gamble would either intrigue Paul or alarm him. Probably both.
Somehow, Finn didn't seem affected by Paul's questions. He sat confidently, his expression unchanged. "They dropped out because their symptoms initially worsened with this protocol," he said calmly. "All the patients who stuck with it started to improve. So actually, this protocol had an overwhelming success rate."
Paul sat back in his chair, processing this. "So you're telling me that everyone who could tolerate the initial discomfort showed improvement?" He looked between Finn and Elena. "And how many patients was that exactly?"
"Two.”
The silence in the room was deafening. Paul’s eyebrows shot up. Underneath the table, Elena instinctively reached out and placed her hand on Finn’s arm.
"Two," Paul repeated, turning to Elena. "You're restructuring your entire protocol based on two patients?" His voice carried genuine worry now. "Dr. Herrera, I understand the appeal of a breakthrough, but this is... incredibly thin evidence. Especially with someone this junior—" he gestured toward Finn "—pushing for such a radical change."
Elena straightened. “This is my decision, Paul. Not Finn’s. He may have pushed for this approach, but I am the one choosing to pursue it. If it fails, that’s on me.”
Paul leaned back in his chair. “You understand what you’re risking? Not just the project, but your position at the Institute?”
“I understand completely.” Elena said with as much confidence as she could muster. She could feel Finn staring at her from the side.
The meeting wrapped up shortly after, with other agenda items passing in a blur. Elena realized her hand was still clutching Finn’s arm. She awkwardly removed it, her fingers still warm from his heat. Other staff members shuffled out of the room, leaving Elena and Finn alone with Paul.
As Paul was putting away his meeting materials, he provided a warning. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Elena. For all our sakes. The board won’t be forgiving if this goes south.”
He began walking towards the exit and stopped at the door. “Mr. Cochrane, a word of advice? In research, sometimes the most exciting possibilities are also the most dangerous. Be careful what mountains you convince people to climb.”
Elena watched Finn. His usual calm demeanor appeared to falter, but he managed a nod.
The coffee shop was three blocks from the Institute, far enough to feel like an escape. The combination of quiet and warm lighting was exactly what they needed. Elena had suggested coffee after the meeting. A moment to decompress after what had just become very real. In the lab, it had been theoretical. Now, with Paul's warning still echoing, the weight of their gamble settled on her shoulders. They slid into a corner booth, cups warming their hands.
