There was a knock at the door and John stood up. He waited a beat. No need to appear too eager. He'd stay composed and stone faced like the elders in his lessons. They were always calm, even when the patient was bleeding and screaming or convulsing violently. Calm. In control.
John felt a pang and knew he'd feel much more in control and focused if he could've done a line of coke before starting this. He closed his eyes and breathed in, then out. Fine. It was going to be fine.
The door cracked open and John looked through the narrow opening to see the girl on the other side. Only then did he pull it open the rest of the way. "Hello. You're Corinna?" John didn't yet step back to let her in. He looked her over, thinking that she looked nervous.
Relenting a bit, John softened his stance and moved back, opening the door for her to come inside. "Come in." His eyes went down the hall, both ways to see if anyone was coming or watching them. Leon had said Dr. Hallowfen might try to shut him down, and he couldn't have that on his first assignment to help a student.