Night Owl

THE DARK DAYS
TWENTY-TWENTY
JANUARY
Night Owl
January 2020
Hong Kong, China
“Jesus, Hermann, you keep some weird hours,” Newt says as he moseys into the staff lounge and searches the fridge for food to steal. “You some kind of night owl?” Hermann startles. Unconsciously, his hand goes to his chest, checking the binding is still in place. It is and his heartbeat begins to slow.
“This is merely the first chance I have had to eat today,” he replies in a defensive tone.
“Seriously? You lose any more weight and you're going to be two-dimensional.” Newt cocks his head to study his new lab partner. “Well, you sort of already are. You're more like a walking stereotype than an actual human being.”
“I resent that characterization, Doctor Geiszler. Your dismissal of my individuality because I do not conform to your notions of proper attire and behavior is disappointing. I had expected you to have a more open mind.”
“I have an open mind. You just look like you've stepped out of a casting call for a 1950s nerd,” Newt says before he pops one of the grapes he has appropriated into his mouth and strolls out. “Later!” he calls.
Hermann watches him go. While part of him worries that Geiszler will eventually uncover his secret, another perhaps less mature portion takes perverse pleasure in how very wrong the obnoxious little man's assessment of him is.
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