His bookshelf is divided into two sections: fiction and nonfiction. Fiction is on the top shelves, and the books there are worn and well-loved, dust-free and several of them with cracked spines and sticky notes sticking out of them. The nonfiction texts are largely medical and scientific journals in his field, but these are in significantly better condition than the fiction books. The ones on the bottom look like he hasn't touched them since grad school.
What would you like to look at first?
Many of the books look like they've been through the wringer: spines cracked, covers eroded, pages torn around the edges. He doesn't take good care of his books. What a shame. You can still read the spines on some of them.
- The World According to Garp, John Irving
- The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death, Corinne May Botz
- 20th Century Ghosts, Joe Hill
- Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, Christopher Moore
- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Edward Albee
You scan the medical and scientific texts, none of them catching your attention for more than a moment. Many of them have gone unused for months, maybe years. He must do a lot of online research.
As you're flicking through "Captive Audience: The Science and Damaging Effects Behind America's Prison System", you find a photograph. It's tucked between pages, somewhere no one but a snoop would find it.
The person in the photograph (you can't determine a gender) is smiling and has flour on their face. They're holding a book, but you can't read the title. The two things you can see very clearly are their eyes, bright and sparkling, dark brown and amber-ringed. Their hair is brown on the sides but a lovely light lavender on top, and you feel like you've seen this person before. They must be Dr. Bonjour's partner, you can see the ring on their finger, but you can't shake the feeling that you've seen them somewhere else. You put the picture back in the book and slide it back onto the shelf.
You feel like you've done enough snooping and you should probably get back to work. You drop the papers you brought him on his desk an open folder catches your eye.
Name: Dr. Emil Bonjour
Security Clearance: Level 3
Specialization: Counseling
Subspecialization: Grief and mourning
The kettle begins whistling. You absentmindedly pick up the file and carry it with you as you begin making tea.
History: Emil Otto Bonjour was recruited from his position as a teacher at Sunnycare Day School in ██████, OK, after one of his students began displaying anomalous properties. Dr. Bonjour reacted with the grace and aptitude expected of a Foundation researcher rather than a preschool educator, and after verifying his background and credentials, human resources elected to offer him a position as a junior researcher. He rose through the ranks
You lose your grip on the spoon and send tea leaves flying everywhere. You swear, drop the file, and begin sweeping it off the floor with your hands. There has to be a broom somewhere, a broom—!
resulted in █ casualties
What was that? The black box catches your attention and you abandon your sweeping efforts, instead pulling the file closer, ripping off a sticky note to read the section.
Dr. Bonjour was temporarily relieved from his position after incident ████-3, the escape of SCP-████. The ensuing chase and destruction resulted in █ casualties and ██ injuries. There was some suspicion that the escape was a premeditated plan between Dr. Bonjour and SCP-████ due to their recently revealed shared past, but no evidence beyond gossip and conjecture. Dr. Bonjour requested the relief before it could be issued, stating "I don't
"What did you find?"
You snap the file shut and look up at the big bearded man standing above you, a quizzical and vaguely disappointed look on his face. You scramble up, messing the papers in the file up, fighting a blush as you hand it to him. "I—it was on your desk, I was, um, dropping off the, uh."
"The 2118 papers, yes, thank you." He smoothly takes the file from you and puts it back on his desk, then goes to the tea table. "Do you want to finish this? Looks like you hardly touched it."
"Uh, I think I'm just gonna…" you trail off, backing towards the door. He sighs and pours some water into the teapot, swirling it around with practiced hands so it can be clean, shiny, new. You shouldn't ask. You have to ask. "What happened?"
He doesn't look at you as he says, "I'm still not certain. They told me I asked for amnestics."
You wait for him to elaborate, and when he doesn't, you slip away, into the hall, closing the door with a 'click' behind you.