Nikola's Torment by KatherineBud15
Author's Note: This is a revision of some of the mistakes that I noticed while rereading this story. I have kept most of the plot and sentences, but have changed the more.. Cringy words. Lol I hope you enjoy this story, I had so much fun writing (rewriting) it, and there are more stories in the works in the Sanctuary fandom and one in the Hex fandom. I know I've been gone for a long time, so thank you for giving this another chance! Shout out to James The Idiot! Go check out her stories! She's amazing!
The Five were in their private shared laboratory at Oxford. The Five consisted of Helen Magnus, a brilliant female scientist and the only woman in the group, Nigel Griffin, another brilliant mind, James Watson, a studying doctor/scientist, John Druitt, a struggling poet with surprising intellect, and Nikola Tesla, an other worldly genius.
Together, they were working on a top-secret experiment that must not be known to anyone outside of the Five.
During one of those slow, testing theories-hoping nothing explodes-that would draw too much attention- type of days, Nikola was reviewing some interesting findings through a microscope. He turned the dial so it would bring the substance into focus. He was interrupted by a sudden burst of low giggling.
Nikola's eyes froze on his microscope. He chose to ignore the noise and regained his focus. The substance was in fact a germ, one Nikola had never seen before. His interest peaked, he moved the dial on the microscope to bring the thing into even better focus. He could just make out little spikey hairs sticking out when another bout of irritating giggles once again interrupted his concentration.
This time Nikola glanced up.
Helen and John were in the corner by the window. John was leaning against a table facing Helen, who was using the sunlight to look at test tubes filled with colorful substances. They were both grinning, not looking at each other. Nikola scowled at them and glanced back down at this microscope, breathing back irritation.
The germ seemed to have a strange color along its head area. Nikola stared closely, observing its movement. He was making different notes in his head when it suddenly started thrashing about, growing slightly with jerk of its body. It had expanded rapidly within a few seconds, and when it was almost a minute it looked ready to explode. Nikola stared eagerly, waiting to see what it did…watching…anticipating…
"Oh John, stop it!"
Helen's cry and round of loud laughter lifted Nikola's eyes from the microscope.
Helen was laughing hysterically into John's shoulder while John himself stood laughing into himself. Nikola glared at them before turning his gaze to Nigel and James. They were standing together at the same table experimenting. They too had noticed the atrocious laughter, but instead of being vexed by the disruptions, they smiling knowingly at one another before glancing down to their work.
Nikola, already fuming, glanced back down to his microscope.
To his utter dismay, the germs progression into whatever it was trying to transgress into, was over. There was nothing. He'd missed it.
Nikola furiously glanced away from the microscope, running a hand through his hair. In the background he could hear Helen starting to giggle again and John's whispers in her ear.
Without thinking, without feeling, he took his notebook and slammed it on his table. The whole room went silent, eyes traveling to him.
"I would greatly appreciate it if you two would stop giggling like two school children so I can get some work done." Nikola said trying not to yell.
For the next few hours, the giggling stopped.
When it was nine in the evening, Helen was the first to leave. As she said goodnight, John offered to walk her home. Helen agreed politely, and together they left.
Around nine-thirty, Nigel and James decided to leave and head to the pub around the corner. They asked Nikola to accompany them, but he declined. He preferred to eat and drink alone.
Nikola managed to work for a few more hours, but the intrusion of Helen and John's giggling invaded is concentration. He glanced at his pocket watch and saw it was nearly twelve-thirty. He decided to clean up and blow out the candles.
As he blew out the last candle by the window, he was left in darkness. The only light was the dim glow from the streetlamp below.
He stood staring out the window, taking in the still night. He spotted a stray dog sniffing the street.
He wondered what Helen saw in John Druitt. He was nothing special, he was a poor poet who had gotten an old greying lawyer to provide the funds for his schooling at Oxford, and he studied poetry. Not law, not science, poetry. He was a romantic! Nothing about that seemed attractive to Nikola. He was too tall to love.
And Helen was the daughter of a brilliant, wealthy man. Perhaps John was only using Helen to get a grab at her money? If so, he was a worthless scoundrel and he would have to answer to Nikola if he hurt Helen.
Nikola wasn't sure when he'd fallen in love with Helen Magnus. It seemed he'd been caught in the middle before he knew he was at the start. He knew that her beauty was immeasurable to any other woman. Her brilliance was awing, and her good heart seemed to melt his icy one.
He dreamed of spending lazy days on the sofa with her, his arms wrapped around her, her head resting content on his chest. He dreamed of passionate nights kissing her body, hearing her cry out his name in the dark, their bodies mingled together with the sheets. In the mornings, he would wake her up with tender kisses all over her face and neck.
Nikola smiled at his fantasy. He should ask Helen to lunch sometime, she was the only one he could imagine having any food with.
The clock in the distance chimed one and he smiled serenely down at the street. That once in a lifetime smile disappeared as he recognized two figures strolling from the dormitories.
The tall gentlemen bent down to place a kiss on the fair woman's lips. They smiled lovingly and strolled on, arm in arm, content.
Hopes shattering, heart breaking, Nikola felt rage and longing fill his body.
He knew those dreams would never some true, his loves heart belonged to another.