Open Hours

Date/Timing: 11 October 2011
Setting: Hermann's office, Imperial College London; Kensington, London, England, United Kingdom
.
Hermann leans over his desk, shifts his wings under his binder, rolls his shoulders. He straightens, wings still pinched, checks the clock, and sighs, "Another bloody hour."
He sits back, drags his attention to PAIGE.
hermann_g: Please check for changes in the at-risk students list and inform me.
PAIGE: Mr Hopkins and Ms Bradley must score at least 90% on the next assignment to remain in good standing, while Mr Kirby will be removed with a score above 70%.
PAIGE: All three are enrolled in 101.
hermann_g: Thank you, Paige.
PAIGE: What shall I do next?
hermann_g: Please compare Ms Marsden's posted schedule with those of Hopkins and Bradley and send a list of overlapping open 60-minute blocks to my email.
PAIGE: Email sent.
hermann_g: Thank you, Paige.
PAIGE: What shall I do next?
hermann_g: Please compare my lecture notes for 101 with the test questions for Unit 3 used by other instructors over the past 4 semesters and compile a list of questions which cover similar material and send it to my email.
PAIGE: This will take a moment. Please be patient.
hermann_g: Please, when you have finished, put yourself in research mode until I shut down this machine.
PAIGE: Yes, sir.
Hermann pushes his glasses up onto his forehead, rubs his eyes.
A knock at the open doorway.
""Doctor Gottlieb?""
"Come in, Ms Marsden." He nudges his glasses farther up, swivels his chair to face her.
She smiles, waves. "Sorry to pry you away from working with your little girl."
"My what?"
"That's PAIGE, right? Your silicon daughter?"
Hermann sighs fondly, "You and Edan."
"Who's that?"
"My fian—partner."
"Omigosh, you're engaged?! That's wonderful! Congratulations!"
Hermann feels a flush creep up his face, mumbles, "Thank you." Clears his throat. "Since I have you, there are two more one-ought-one students in need of assistance, if you desire more tutoring work."
"I can always use the extra fees. Who'm I looking at?"
"Mr Hopkins and Ms Bradley."
Marsden sighs.
"Is there a problem?"
"Hopkins will never agree to work with me, the sexist bastard."
Hermann frowns. "He'll just have to muddle through on his own, then."
She snickers. "Have I mentioned you're my favourite professor ever and not just because we're the same age?"
He ducks his head—
His glasses fall, clattering onto the keyboard.
—scrabbles for them, mumbles, "Thank you, Ms Marsden."
"Puh-lease call me 'Olivia', Doctor. No need to be so formal."
Hermann takes a moment fold his glasses and set them safely aside. "I'm more comfortable using your surname, not because I wish to be unfriendly, but because it shows you the respect you deserve for the job you do."
Marsden tilts her head. "Sooooo, if we were to bump into each other on the town, you'd call me Olivia?"
"Yes, I would, because then we'd be two friends meeting on a social occasion." He offers a crooked smile.
"Good to know." Marsden beams. "Have a good afternoon, Doctor."
"You, too, Ms Marsden."
She heads out.
Hermann shifts in his seat, scratching at the edge of his binding. On go the glasses and he opens PAIGE's next module, takes a moment to reorient himself to her coding, and begins keying the next part of the script to integrate Dixon's facial recognition routine with his pattern-finder.
Seventy or so lines pass.
A knock at the open doorway.
Hermann stays focused on his screen, calls, "Come in."
""Would you believe—""
He spins to Edan, smiling.
"—they made me leave Dottie at the security desk?" Shakes his head. "I was hoping she could spread a little sunshine in this dreadfully serious place." Drops his satchel on the floor, sprawls into the guest chair.
Hermann puts his glasses away. "You're sunshine enough."
Edan scoffs, still beaming. 
"I thought you had a seminar?"
"Coen has food poisoning and canceled it." Shrugs. "Ate some dodgy octopus apparently."
Hermann wrinkles his nose.
"'Never eat something smarter than you', my father always says."
"Sound advice."
"'s why I stick to chicken and vegetables."
"You ate a kebab yesterday."
Edan straightens, puffs up, fighting to keep a straight face. "Hey! I'm smarter than a kebab!"
"Of course you are," smirks Hermann.
"Don't go putting on airs because you've got an office to yourself and a few extra letters around your name."
"You'll be here soon enough."
"I'm here right now," Edan snickers.
Hermann rolls his eyes.
"And I do believe your open hours have just come to a close, so we can both be elsewhere."
"We can go as soon as I shut down and clear up a bit."
"Brilliant."
Category:Ficlet
Category:London (setting)
Category:Hermann
Category:Hermann's POV
Category:Hermann has wings
Category:Hermann is a professor
Category:Hermann is a programmer
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Olivia
Category:Olivia (ficlet)
Category:Edan
Category:Edan (ficlet)
Category:Peridot (mention)
Category:PAIGE
Category:PAIGE (ficlet)
Category:Torquil (mention)
Category:Ficlets with images