"That's not your decision, Miss Bradford."
"It's Doctor Bradford. And the safety of my patients is my responsibility!"
"And the success of this program is mine. If we allow her to--"
Both of them stopped talking instantly as Jon entered the room.
"Allow her to what?" Jon asked. He was a bit concerned that the man in black was using the word "her" to refer to him, but that was not the issue at hand.
"Mr. Jones believes that we should keep you here on the base for a while longer, to make sure that you have acclimated to the implants and to give you additional training before you're sent out on your first mission."
"I'm a little surprised to hear myself say this, but that seems reasonable. What's the problem with that?"
Dr. Bradford responded, "I feel that physically, you are ready. But there are bound to be a number of psychological issues to deal with, given how we have modified your body. I feel that it's best to get you to your foster family as quickly as possible, so that you can start to get a handle on what will be normal for you going forward."
"Foster family?"
"Yes," said Mr. Jones. "We can't risk jeapoardizing your secret identity by returning you to your own family. Especially since they wouldn't even recognize you anymore. So we have made arrangements to place you in the care of a foster family for the time being."
"I'm sure you'll like them, Jon! And they should be able to help you adjust very well to your new life."
Jones spoke up again with a scowl. "But that doesn't matter right now, because like I said, we need to keep you here for at least another two weeks to finish validating the modifications."
Jon decided that it was time for him to stick up for himself. Making sure to use his male voice, he stood tall and said, "I think it should be my decision. After all, it's my life you're talking about here."
"Yes, of course," said Dr. Bradford.
Jones grumbled for a few moments, then grudgingly nodded. "Very well. What is your choice, then? Meet your foster family this evening, or continue your training?"
Another big decision! Jon thought about it for a few seconds, then said...
