The Story of Molly Hooper
Chapter One
Molly's Biscuit Adventures
Molly Hooper enjoyed baking, that's what started it. To her baking was relaxing. She would make biscuits and scones. She would create pies and breads. She would fill pastries and frost fairy cakes. But there is only so much one person could truly eat. When Molly started at university she would bring boxes of treats to study groups or outings. When she had reached enough schooling to work in labs, Molly began bringing boxes of cakes for the office.
She did think, once upon a time, that bringing these treats as an offering would help her get to know people. That the freshly baked pastries would mask her shyness and smooth the rough edges of her awkwardness while enticing people to come and socialize with her. Molly didn't think that anymore.
When she started at St. Bart's, Molly decided to use her baking to have "Biscuit Adventures," as she called them. Molly did wonder if she should call them that, since she didn't always bring biscuits, but thought that since no one else would ever know then it didn't really matter.
She usually took the same route every time, but it was still an adventure to her. Every couple of weeks Molly would bake to her heart's content, letting the calming effect of one of her favorite hobbies wash over her. She would fill boxes big enough to fit three or four treats in, but small enough that they were easy to carry. Then Molly would load up large tote bags with a hundred or so treat boxes before lumbering on to the tube towards St. Bartholomew's Hospital. Having left at least an hour before her shift started, she would be able to get off at a station quite a bit before the hospital to start her adventure.
Winding her way along the main streets and into the back alleys, Molly would pass out the little cardboard boxes to the homeless. The old hope that her baked goods would start conversations still held to her as she passed them out. Molly learned people's names and stories as she made the journey closer and closer to work.
All out of boxes she would sit a bit on a bench or in the coffee shop near the hospital to pull out her sketch pad. Molly would draw the people and things she had encountered during that part of her adventure. Sketching out scenes was nearly as relaxing as baking, but it also felt like a puzzle or a game. She had to remember their names, what they wore, what color their eyes and clothes were. Filling in more details like the things that they carried with them or what was in the background while she talked to them felt more like a crossword puzzle made from art.
On a chilly day in late January, Molly was inside sketching out Katie. Katie was an older woman she had met several times. The lines around her eyes fascinated the artist and the puzzle solver within her. That day, though, Molly was focused on the background as there had been some interesting graffiti. Perhaps she would color this one when she got home.
The room had gone strangely quiet, Molly looked up. Everyone was staring at the television. The news was reporting no survivors at the British Embassy in Tbilisi. Molly didn't know anyone in Tbilisi, but she did know that people working in such places were trying to help the greater good. They counted.
Molly finished with her coffee and packed away her things. She thought about what she would bring the next time she went on a "Biscuit Adventure." For a moment Molly thought about how this was a highlight for her. The combining of her two favorite hobbies into a short adventure. It made Molly a little sad that nothing interesting ever happened to her, but she had accepted that was the way things would always be for her. Molly Hooper, specialist registrar for St. Bartholomew's Hospital, didn't have anything interesting happen to her ever. She didn't count and never would.
Boy won't she be surprised?
***The characters in this story were influenced by Amyth3dler on Ao3 thanks to the story "Undertow," which is completely different but had wonderful characters. Used with permission.