Harper sat at his overflowing desk. Dozens of books overlapped across the desk, charts spread open above that and all across his characteristic scrawl. Notes and arrows and his own little sketch littering the texts. Harper was completely absorbed in his work. He flitted between anatomical dissections and detailed text books. all the while, writing his own footnotes in the margins. The door to his study squeaked open, but the rustling of his papers seemed to drown it out. Penelope's footsteps eventually caught his attention. It had been a day or so since her arrival, Harper prescribed bed rest, and little else.They had hardly seen one another since their late tea the day before. Bastien himself had disappeared almost immediately afterwards. Harper had heard nothing from him. Harper stood up quickly, disturbing the many papers and book entombing him.
“Good morning,. Ms. Woolridge, you look well today.”
Penelope was distracted by the mess on the table. Her gaze exploring the old tomes and unfolded papers. When she finally responded she said, “Good afternoon you mean,”
“Beg your pardon?”
Penelope looked up from the papers. “Doctor Harper, it's well past noon, soon to be evening. You would know as much if you ever left this office, or the matter, opened a blind in here.”
Harper stumbled over his response, eventually simply apologized, though he was quite sure for what, however Penelope disinterest in his response. Her eyes had fallen over a particularly large and detailed diagram of a human brain. Bits had been circled in red with notes written along next ti them.
“Is this... me?” She ran her fingers over the drawing. Harper hesitated. “Doctor Harper, I think I deserve to know what is going on inside my own head... Please I want to know.”
Finally Harper answered, “Yes... The red is where the damage most likely is. These regions affect your long term memory...”
“Can you... do surgery to repair...”
Harper shook his head. “Time. Your brain may heal. Your memories many return slowly. But this is as much a condition of the mind as the brain.”
“I’m sorry”
“don’t be”
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