Looking up from her computer, the secretary heard an unfamiliar humming noise. She stopped typing and edged her chair closer to the desk, peeking above to see the man in front of her.
It was Mr. Brain, humming joyfully, even taking a mint from the secretary's desk.
"Having a good day today, Mr. Brain?" she said, trying to hide the shock in her voice. "I recall you saying that you hated mints."
"Can't stand them, it's for my assistant."
"Oh, that's sweet," she mused, "Any reason you're in a good mood?"
Mr. Brain put down his suitcase and drummed his fingers on the desk. "Very well then, I have to tell someone. There's an Orson Welles marathon and this is the only weekend I have any time to myself. No appointments, no readings, no ordering supplies, an entire weekend all to myself. Just me and Citizen Kane."
"Shall I send out the wedding invitations?" the secretary joked to herself.
"Pardon?" Brain asked.
"Oh, nothing. It's just strange to see you this cheerful, especially on a Friday. Normally our busiest day."
"I know, and it has been a while since all of us have had a break in the lab. We have not gotten any new results, so morale is low. So, hopefully this weekend will be a nice vacation from all this."
"I'll let you get to it. Documents don't type themselves," the secretary said with a grin, turning her attention to the computer.
Mr. Brain walked down the hallway and opened the door.
Odd. Pinky wasn't there. Normally, he was early.
He decided to do his daily rounds now and check on the post-docs and graduate students. Perhaps Pinky was checking out the experiments. The man was rather simple minded. A simple centrifuge could entertain him for hours.
He made his first stop to the Patrickson group. They were the ones working on transforming the fluorescence gene to different animals. He was sure Pinky would be here. He had some files that needed to be organized and he wanted to finish up any loose ends before this weekend.
Brain knocked on the door before letting himself in. The students were working with Petri dishes, so they merely nodded before going back to work. Brain kept his distance (he knew too well that cross-contamination could be a pain in the behind).
One of the post-docs saw him and took off his goggles and gloves, talking to Brain in a separate corner of the lab.
"Any new results?" Brain asked.
The postdoc, Eric, sighed. "Pardon my language, but we've gotten jack shit. Ever since that kitten breakthrough four weeks ago, nothing."
He fumed. "We keep doing different concoctions, but nothing. The genetic makeup of the animal keeps messing with it and not accepting it."
"I see. Have you seen Pinky? He wasn't in my office, and I need his assistance with some tasks. I thought he'd be here playing with the glow-in-the-dark kittens."
Eric ran his fingers through his blonde, long hair, nearly grasping it to tear it out. "Haven't seen the oddball today. Isn't he normally here around 9?"
"And it's past 11. Never mind that. Focus on your research."
He saw Eric's dejected expression and placed his hand on Eric's shoulder. "Don't worry. Every researcher goes through a rough patch. That's the joy of it; we enjoy the highs and lows. Science is a cruel mistress, but we return back to her arms every day. Don't forget why you're here. And don't feel bad."
With a curt pat on the back, Brain went back to his office and sat down at his desk.
11:10. Perhaps he should get started on the files.
He picked up the stacks, opened the file cabinet, and began organizing them.
The science line he used back there was good.
"Pinky, can you write that line down? I might want to-"
A loud noise interrupted his sentence as Pinky entered, falling to the floor and laying there in misery.
"Oh, you would not believe the day I have had, narf!"
The Cockney accent didn't have its usual pep. And good Lord, was the man a mess.
"Sit at your desk. I'll see if I can find a towel."
Pinky was sopping wet, dripping water everywhere. Brain made sure to watch him, grabbing his arm to redirect Pinky away from the file cabinet.
He called the secretary and asked for a towel. He got a pink one (if Pinky didn't look miserable, he might have laughed) and gave it to him.
"What happened to you?"
"Well, it started like this. I woke up at 5 in the morning and couldn't go back to bed. No matter how much I tried. So, I saw that the sky was a pretty orange. I climbed onto me roof and went to watch the sunrise. Zoit, it was so beautiful!"
"And you slipped from the roof and fell? How much was the fall-"
"Not yet. After that, I was starving and went to the backyard and watered me plants. One is named Bessy and she's a picky one, narf!"
"Bessy is a tree?"
"Oh yes, an apple one, even though I don't care for apples, but I feel bad because what else do I eat-"
"And the garden hose malfunctioned, hence explaining your state?"
"Not yet, I'm still getting to that part in the story."
Brain crossed his arms, "Then continue."
"So, I picked some apples and went to the park to feed the turkeys there. They love apples there. And it was raining, narf, so the puddles were huge! So fun to sink and play in and pretend that you're on the Titanic with Jack and Rose, she could have fit him on the door, poit!"
"And you slipped on a puddle. That's why you're soaking wet-"
Pinky shushed Brain by covering his mouth with his hand. "Not yet. Then I went home and washed the apples. But my favorite movie was on the telly, so I went to watch. And it's a long movie, and next thing you know, the entire house is flooooooded and I can't go home now!"
Brain waited, pulling Pinky's hand away. "And that's the end?"
Pinky nodded. "I shall accept my Oscar now. But I can't put it anywhere since I have no home!"
Brain pondered the entire story. "You could have just said the last part."
"Oh Brain, but the buildup is important. How would you have known where the apples came from?"
It took a lot of Brain's strength not to strangle Pinky, but the anger passed.
"So, you have no place to stay."
Pinky nodded. "Poit, and they're airing the Harry Potter movies this weekend! No place to watch them!"
He went back to his dejected state, his sneakers oozing water. Brain stepped back to prevent his shoes from getting wet.
"That is indeed unfortunate, Pinky. I shall keep a lookout for any places that are available. In the meantime, here is a mint."
Brain took the mint from his pocket and handed it to Pinky with a weak smile.
"Damn, that does suck, Pinky," Eric said while fixing a machine. "Wrench."
Pinky nodded, his normally spiky hair flat on the sides of his head like an old mop.
He handed Eric the wrench. "You have a spare room in the meantime?" He pushed the mint he was sucking to the side of his mouth so he accidentally swallow it.
Eric laughed, "I wish! Still paying off my student loans, Pinkster, so I'm living with my folks. Basement's small enough as it is. Shame though, I would love to binge the Harry Potter movies with you. I do have a killer pretzel recipe."
"That's fine Eric," Pinky said, with a sad 'Poit' added at the end.
After screwing in the last piece, Eric turned on the machine and it whirred loudly.
"Hallelujah! Finally, it works!"
He got up and patted the machine. "Gotta refill the shrines. At this rate, everything's probably gonna break down today."
He grabbed the toolbox and put it back in the closet. "Wait a minute, just ask Mr. Brain if he has a place!"
Pinky shook his head. "Oh no, it didn't seem like he had a extra room, narf! It'd be too much to bother him."
"Nonsense, I know he has an extra room. He's always hosting those international folks whenever they visit the lab. We have no one coming any time soon, just ask him, Pink! And bring up Mr. Wachositwz, so he knows what you're talking about."
"Are you sure?"
"Trust me, he lives by himself. I'm sure he'd love the extra company. Worse case scenario, you just do the dishes in exchange for a place to stay. I do the same thing with my parents, even though we have a goddamn dishwasher," he fumed. "I mean, what's the point-"
"Thanks, Eduardo, I just might!" Pinky made his way to Brain's office.
"No prob, but my name's Eric!" he yelled back to deaf ears. He shook his head. Pinky probably wasn't gonna remember.