DISCLAIMER: Detective Conan and all its characters belong to Gosho Aoyama. This is a non-profit fanwork.
Of fluffy rodent
A large white rat walked out of its cage into the metal box, as if it was curious of what it would find there. It sniffed the air for a moment and then marched towards a tiny container filled with a few drops of water. As it reached it, it moved its head down and drank from it.
Sherry pushed a button of the chronometer as soon as the rat stopped moving. Her right hand ran through the keyboard and carefully typed the exact numbers which were on the tiny screen of the watch. Her eyes then looked up and stared at the computer screen, comparing the results. She was completely alone – only the rats kept her company in the quiet laboratory.
She heard the door opening but didn't pay it much attention. It could be another scientist or one of their assistants. It didn't really matter – at least, as long as they didn't disturb her. She took the corpse of the rat away and replaced the container with a new one.
Whoever who had entered was next to her now. Sherry kept her gaze down. Suddenly, a familiar voice asked.
-How are they doing?
The girl finally turned and looked up. Gin was standing next to her in the quiet laboratory, wearing his usual black coat and one of his characteristic grins.
-'They'? –she repeated, turning back to her work after letting out a sigh.
-The rats –he specified-. Are they doing good?
-Their only task is to drink some water mixed with APTX –she answered with a shrug-. Whether they die or not is what matters to me.
-So… it's going badly? –he guessed.
-Why do you say so?
-Well, how could I say this…? There are less dead bodies around you than usual.
Sherry closed her eyes for a second and moved away from the computer.
-The dose is too small –she explained-. I thought it would be enough – but my estimations seem to be wrong. I have lost one week of w… Stop.
Gin looked up, having been caught red-handed. 'Rat-handed', Sherry thought. The boy was holding a white rat in his arms and petting it, just as anyone would do to a cat or a dog. Only that it was a rat. A laboratory rat.
-I'm wearing gloves! –the boy protested, looking very offended-. I know all that stuff about the rats having low defenses and all. But I'm wearing gloves this time – I can't pass them anything.
-Please stop petting the test subjects –she insisted, trying to keep her cool as much as she could.
-Oh, but a look at this cute face –he started, holding the rat closer to Sherry's face. The rodent stared at her with its big red eyes and moved its little paws in the air, as if trying to reach the girl-. Isn't it lovely? Look at him….
-How do you even know it's a he? –Sherry complaint as she turned her face so as not to have the rat looking at her in the eye.
-Once, you told me that these little guys you use are always male –he reminded her while still petting the rat-. That is, unless a specific experiment needs to be performed on females.
-Right –she admitted, nodding her head-. Anyway, let that rat where you found it. It isn't yours.
-But what kind of bad can this do? –he inquired-. I'm only giving them some love…
Nevertheless, he obeyed. Sherry watched Gin put the rat back into its cage and then sighed.
-You're completely mental, you know?
Gin let out a laugh, obviously amused.
-What a pity you're not a psychiatrist, then – if you were, you could treat me.
-But I'm a chemist –she replied with a grin-. I could drug you, I could poison you… Do you see this? –She took a tiny jar and held it so he could see it-. This is what I give to these 'little guys' – a few drops in your drink and you wouldn't pet any more of my rats… or anyone's.
Gin laughed harder and moved a few steps closer to the girl.
-You're so scary… -he joked while approaching her-. Would you have the guts?
-Of course –she answered, moving closer to him too-. I would love to get rid of seeing your handsome face every day…
-But wouldn't you miss me? –he inquired-. If I died, wouldn't you miss me?
-Not at all.
-Not even at night? See, you would sleep more than you usually do… and I bet that it would feel really weird at first.
Sherry couldn't help it anymore and let out a laugh, after which she bent forward and moved her arms around Gin's neck.
-You're mental, you know? –she repeated-. Completely mental.
-At least, I am the boyfriend of the greatest scientist I've ever known –he replied-. If someone ever poisons me, I know I'm in good hands…
-Unless I am the one to poison you, that is –she added.
-Would you?
Sherry smiled and suddenly kissed him. Right after their lips had moved away from the other's, she looked him in the eye and insisted:
-You truly are mental. Even more than I had thought.
Gin laughed and they kissed once more. The rats stared at them from their cages, as if they were watching a movie.
Author's notes:
Hello! ¡Hola! Salut! Hallo! Konnichiwa! Here comes Sherry Furude once more, ready for attack!
How are you? It's been a while!
The reason I wrote this is Tumblr. Searching for some things, I found a post of writing prompts. All that the writer had to do was to include at least one of the odd sentences listed in the post. The one I chose ('Please stop petting the test subjects') is underlined in the fic. As soon as I saw it, I knew that I could fit GinSherry very well (you know, Sherry is a scientist), and so I opened Word and started writing. And here it is the result! I wrote it all in one sitting, though that doesn't mean I didn't have to rewrite some things while I was working on the fic. At one point of its creation, for example, the story was going to get darker (as many of my fanfics tend to do) in which Gin and Sherry reflected on the use of animals for scientific experiments and even on the ethic implications of ending a human life, but I didn't like the idea and thus decided to give the fic a happier ending and plot.
I would like to thank toxixpumpkin, the creator of the prompt (which you can find on post/108022477839/ridiculous-sentence-prompts). Thank you so much! And thanks to all of you who are reading this, too! I hope you liked the fic. I would love to know your opinions on it! I will be very glad to get your reviews.
Lots of love and see you next time!
Sherry F.
P.S./Disclaimer 2: By the way, please notice that I do not give my opinion on the use of animals for scientific experiments. So please do not accuse me of anything. If you want to tell me your opinion, that's perfectly okay. But please do not forget to be polite. Thank you.