Title: Feeding the ARC
Author: Pinkcat4569
Rating: K+
Spoilers: Series 5
Description: Meet the ARC's most important employee, Bernard Rice, head chef. It's a difficult and often strange job, feeding the ARC.
Disclaimer: I do not own Primeval or the characters. This is for fun.
Feeding the ARC: Chapter One Breakfast
Bernard Rice was one of the most popular people in the Arc. His job was crucial, in fact, James Lester himself knew that without Bernard Rice, the ARC would be in total anarchy. Bernie, as he was affectionately known, was instrumental in the health and happiness of the entire ARC staff. Every soldier, tech, animal expert, even Lester himself were all in the hands of Bernie. They could not perform their necessary jobs without Bernie's expertise. He was the backbone of the ARC. Bernie was head chef.
Bernie was a trained chef, before settling in at the ARC, he had traveled and cooked all over the world. He was in his late fifites, and had been born in Liverpool. The Beatles could often be heard playing from the kitchen. He was single, married to his career. He loved feeding people. He loved food, and it showed. There was a small sign sat on his desk in his office that said, "Never trust a skinny chef." Bernie certainly didn't, and vowed never to lose any of his 250 pounds. He was only 5' 8" so his cooking showed up on his body. He was proud of that fact. He often said, "Of course I'm fat, I'm a good cook."
Benier arrived about 4 am to start the ovens baking. By 6 am, when the other canteen employees arrived, breakfast was well on its way to being done. At 6:55 am, Bernie removed the 'closed' sign himself, just as he did every morning.
It was time to start the day and feed the ARC.
Bernie loved people, some more than others. One of his favorite people at the ARC was Jess Parker. She had the honor of being Bernie's first customer today.
"Good morning, Bernie" she said, flashing a smile as sweet as baked alaska.
"Good morning Miss Parker," Bernie said, getting a slight frown because he never called her Jess. "What shall it be today?"
Jess' appetite could be schitzophrenic. One day she would order something lite and healthy, the next day something heavy that said 'I don't care about nutrition.' Then of course, there was her need for chocolate.
Today Jess smiled. Bernie knew that smile. "Coming up," he said. He was gone for a few minutes and came back with what she had ordered with that smile.
"Thank you," said Jess, again flashing the grade A smile. She picked up the tray with the chocolate milk, chocolate donut with chocolate frosting, and a bowl of chocolate puff cereal.
Not long after, a sea of black walked in. The soldiers filled their trays with bacon and eggs for protein and muffins for carbs, they'd need the energy throughout the day, especially if there were alerts. Bernie liked cooking for soldiers. They were some of the few not caught up in cutting carbohydrates out of their diet. So many decicious foods were cut from diets because of the evil 'c' word. It was such a shame.
Abby Maitland was next ordering two muffins and two coffees. Bernie wrapped one muffin to go and put the coffee in a paper cup. He knew, without asking, that she was going to the lab to meet Connor Temple. Abby smiled gratefully, and Bernie saw how tired she looked. It was tough having a relationship when both of you worked in a top-secret government facility. Bernie hoped the long hours didn't strain the couple too much.
Lester strolled in, on the phone, and simply stuck an empty coffe mug out, which Bernie filled, then he left, without saying a word. Bernie shook his head in amusement.
Becker walked in looked around for Jess, smiled when he saw her, but pretended he hadn't, got a protein bar and a cup of coffee, nodded to his men and walked out in a hurry. Bernie smiled as he watched Jess watch Becker go. New, beginning love was fun to watch, though, never in a million prehistoric eras would he ever have thought to pair those two.
Bernie remained at his post, behind the counter for another half hour. Stragglers came in, eating up the last of the breakfast dishes.
Then that was that, breakfast was over. Breakfast was like that- fast, frenzied and done. Bernie took a deep breath as by 8:30 the canteen was basically empty.
End of Chapter One