Eberts shifted nervously as he listened to one end of a phone call. If watching a sleeping Darien had been outside of his job description, what was playing lab assistant to the Keeper?
"An Addisonian crisis? Already?" she asked, dismayed. "Bloody Hell!"
She listened, nodding and pacing. "Did you get it in alright? Good. And how did he respond?"
"No, no, you did fine, Bobby. Just fine. I'll be down to check on him just as soon as I can, I promise!"
She hung up and turned back to Eberts. She was clearly rushed now, but also trying to be precise and thorough. The way she pulled off the combination made Eberts' head spin.
"Albert, I need you to handle the next step for me. I know you can do it, you're the only one here I'd trust with this sort of work."
She led him, protesting, to the counter where a vial of milky white liquid sat on top of a heat unit, a little magnetized bar inside the glass stirring the mixture constantly.
"This really is outside my area of expertise. Rather far outside...."
"Look, just keep an eye on the clock here. When it hits ten minutes, you need to turn the temperature down to medium, here, and start adding this powder. Slowly!" She demonstrated, scooping up a small amount with a tongue depressor and letting it sift back down onto the paper. "Keep adding it until the solution turns clear, and then pour it, very carefully but as quickly as you can, into this beaker here. Then keep the beaker on ice until I get back. Can you handle that?"
"I believe so. It seems clearcut enough." She was already heading for the door by the time he could add, "But will I be able to call you if something goes wrong?"
She didn't break her stride. "Dial star-ten on that phone. And *pray* that nothing *does* go wrong, for Darien's sake."
Then she was out the door, leaving Eberts staring after her, wishing she would somehow make it back before the timer reached ten minutes. He pulled his eyes away and stood watching the clock intently, determined to do his part and do it well.
"An Addisonian crisis? Already?" she asked, dismayed. "Bloody Hell!"
She listened, nodding and pacing. "Did you get it in alright? Good. And how did he respond?"
"No, no, you did fine, Bobby. Just fine. I'll be down to check on him just as soon as I can, I promise!"
She hung up and turned back to Eberts. She was clearly rushed now, but also trying to be precise and thorough. The way she pulled off the combination made Eberts' head spin.
"Albert, I need you to handle the next step for me. I know you can do it, you're the only one here I'd trust with this sort of work."
She led him, protesting, to the counter where a vial of milky white liquid sat on top of a heat unit, a little magnetized bar inside the glass stirring the mixture constantly.
"This really is outside my area of expertise. Rather far outside...."
"Look, just keep an eye on the clock here. When it hits ten minutes, you need to turn the temperature down to medium, here, and start adding this powder. Slowly!" She demonstrated, scooping up a small amount with a tongue depressor and letting it sift back down onto the paper. "Keep adding it until the solution turns clear, and then pour it, very carefully but as quickly as you can, into this beaker here. Then keep the beaker on ice until I get back. Can you handle that?"
"I believe so. It seems clearcut enough." She was already heading for the door by the time he could add, "But will I be able to call you if something goes wrong?"
She didn't break her stride. "Dial star-ten on that phone. And *pray* that nothing *does* go wrong, for Darien's sake."
Then she was out the door, leaving Eberts staring after her, wishing she would somehow make it back before the timer reached ten minutes. He pulled his eyes away and stood watching the clock intently, determined to do his part and do it well.