The Glass Scientists micro-fanfictions

Business as Usual

By all rights, it should have been a perfectly ordinary and altogether swift task to complete. After all, all that Henry needed to do was walk down the hallway, pass on a message to Rachel before she got too busy then make his way back. It was of no real surprise to him that this was nowhere as easily done as it was said, but it was still more than enough of a bother for it to be of note.

"Oh yes, Dr. Griffin, if you get the chance, one of your mice managed to escape into my office earlier today. Do come and collect it when you have the chance." the doctor was busy stating not five decent strides - a distance of which would take Edward Hyde a bare minimum of seven strides -from his door, having to stop almost right away.

"How'd you know it was mine?" returned the other, the bandages, Dr. Jekyll could not help but notice, having reached up to cover his jaw and mouth, muffling his words just a little, "Lots of experiments use mice."

"It was only half a mouse. I'd rather not leave it in a box for too much longer. If you could, I'd appreciate you collect it before I'm back?" 

As he walked off, the sound of the other man's half-hearted promise trailing behind him, Henry had no sooner had the thought that he hoped he would not be interrupted again than he was reminded precisely why it was he so rarely let himself entertain such a thought. 

"Dr. Jekyll, sorry to trouble you but my supplies are starting to run awfully low," another scientist, Dr. Ito, began, thankfully striding alongside him, just a few strands of her usually immaculate hair escaping her bun, giving a distinct impression of busyiness, "I'd usually be able to wait until the usual delivery but there is a few potions that must be kept brewing and added until completion, otherwise they can be quite combustible, you know? I'm sure you understand that we have already far too much combustion on the premises as it is." 

"Of course," Jekyll replied, his smile unwavering despite the fact that the woman's request had sent a chill down his back, far too aware that this is just one of many other expenses that they could in no way justify spending at that moment, "If you could leave me an itemised list, noting which is the more crucial ingredients, I can have your supplies to you within the day." 

"Much obliged, doctor." 

And with that, Henry was once again alone. He needed to run over the message he needed to pass on to Rachel again, his thoughts suddenly busy with the buzzing of other thoughts that he would have much rather avoided. He could have almost thanked the fact that the society was never quiet enough to get bogged down in his thoughts for long. 

"Is it true that we're going to have to delay the Exhibition?" asked a bespectacled scientist, Dr. Helsby, his head poking out from around an open door, far too busy with whatever it was that he was doing at that time. 

"What?" replied the other, blinking in quite visible bewilderment, "No! Who told you that?" 

"Bugger," came the less than verbose response, which had been accompanied by the sound of him clicking his fingers, "Supposed I'd best keep at it then, shouldn't I?" With this lamentful statement stated, he slipped away in a way that suggested this was not altogether voluntary.

Now, Henry was not the most fond of gossip and here-say at the best of times, and the thought that someone was actively making it harder for him to keep the Lodgers motivated in their work - he had a few safe ideas of who this might have been - did nothing to improve his mood, even as he actively worked on keeping his emotions from playing upon his features.

"Hullo Jekyll!" a cheery voice boomed from further down the hall and back from the way Henry had been going away from. 

"Hello, Mr. Doddle!" Henry called back, turning around on his heel, feeling already just a little self-conscious over the volume this conversation already was working at.

"You're still popping by later today to try my newest creations, aren't you?" Somehow the smile that was so clearly on his face managed to carry in his voice, so much so that even while he could not properly see him, anyone who heard him could see the moustachioed man's smile. 

"I would not miss it for the world." 

Henry had quite successfully forgotten all about the promise he had made to test trial confectionary, so he could not help but be a little grateful for the introduction. If he were to return to his office, he would surely have seen his note of reminder, but the way things were shaping out, it was far harder to get his way through the hallway so he had no idea if he was even going to be able to make it back to his office until it was well after the time he had promised his time in.

So caught up in his thought, he had not realised he had reached the kitchen. This was only fair, his brief journey had been so stop and start that there was no way he to be able to successfully keep his bearings. But after the seemingly impossibly long trip over there - from a starting point that he would have been able to see still if he strained his eyes - he had finally arrived. Henry paused just once to run over the message, a simple one so it was not the sort that would run too much of a risk of getting muddled after being bombarded by other questions and requests, then he knocked a little rhythm upon the door of the kitchen.
He waited a good few moments in which he listened for the sounds of someone approaching the door before it hit him.
Rachel had gone out for the morning and wasn't due back for a good few hours.