Daunting - Chapter 2 by Xeen No copyright inFringement intended Note: set a few days after "AbilitY". So Peter has a new flat, but he can't sleep.... Prologue Coffee, What Else? -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o - Ground Control to Major Tom Peter's eyes snapped open in the darkness and he almost stumbled down from his chair. Legs entangled in the blanket, he stood up abruptly and looked over at his wristwatch but could not make out the time. He retrieved his cell phone from his pocket and 12:13 AM blazed right back at him. What was he still doing at the lab? He could not believe that he had finally managed to fall asleep and in Olivia's office no less. And on top of that, she had simply hung him up to dry in the dark. So much for having his back… He kicked away the blanket and mentally shrugged. Not only was he cold and angry at her, at himself and at the whole world, but thirsty and famished. He turned to the catwalk, passed before the cow who quietly shuffled when he approached the stall and raided the fridge. It was empty, except for a pint of Gene's milk, some undatable Chinese and Indian leftovers, a red apple, and Walter's paraphernalia of ongoing experiments. Leaning over in front of the glass shelves, basking in the eerie glow of the fridge, he finally reached out for the fruit. He'd have to believe that Walter didn't dose the fruit à la Snow White for unknown and unspeakable reasons. He closed the door gently and went to sit on the bench facing Gene, rubbing the apple against his chest impulsively. "Bon appétit," he said, raising the fruit in the direction of the ruminant before avidly biting into it. Gene blinked, shook her head and shuffled again, disturbed in her sleep by this unwilling human intrusion. Now what? If he returned home, he would not sleep a wink again, having already eaten into his limited resources. He would only face another night trying to read himself into oblivion. The prospect of dwelling into his inner geekness to get in synch with his brainless teleshopping alter ego till the morning comes was an alternative which will more likely lead him to spending yet another painful endless day trying to keep up with Walter's experiment pace at the lab or wandering in the field in Olivia's wake like a zombie. Of course, he could get so drunk that he will eventually have no other choice than withdraw by a knockout, -- but he didn't want his insomnia to turn into a drinking habit. He jumped on his feet and woke up his computer. Since he was fully operational and already at the lab, he could as well manage to have some work done. The cursor obligingly blinked at him. Elbow on the desk, his chin resting on his fist, he skimmed through the files and finally decided with a sigh against spending the wee hours in front of the computer. Bad, bad idea, he thought, shaking his head. He closed the document, displaying in the process a taunting Fringe Division desktop. He gazed at the screen until it went into sleep mode again. Working at night alone here, that was the worst idea ever. Going back home and having some real sleep, not on a chair in Olivia's office kind of sleep, that what he was going to do. Why had he extended his time at the lab whilst he was obviously exhausted was beyond him. He was rapidly losing perspective. He grabbed his coat and keys, switched off the lights, and rushed out for fresh air and his car. He should listen to Astrid and pop some pills or whatever concoction his father would be more than happy to supply and get it over with. That was the easy way. Or… His problem was so obvious, he could resolve it pretty easily should he chose to. Instead of waiting in awe for Walter to come up with the next out of this world unique theorem, he could find some extra curricular activities. Not that he was willing to go back to his usual routine as a genial crook and jack of all trades, but this life at the lab, that was not him. Time hung heavy on his hands and he was longing for something a bit more proactive to steam him up. Some real action would definitely provide him with a well deserved rest. With this thought in mind, he started the car into motion and headed to Olivia's apartment. TBC |
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