Bad Luck: Down the Drain (Thomas)

[Dr. Nik Kenjutsushi]

Unlike most of the administrative staff at the Hammel Institute, Dr. Nakia Kenjutsushi rarely had the luxury of spending more than a couple days outside the school. There were simply not enough medical staff to warrant breaks, and with her powers and training she was the most in-demand during the year. Especially during breaks, when many students and faculty took time off for the holidays.

So here she was, on New Year's Eve, washing up after going through another check-up that had turned out to be a sinus cold.

She wasn't upset, or even worried about it; Vincent had gone home with the girls, and her shift would be done at about two in the morning - easily enough time for her to go home and rest before her husband woke abysmally early to keep up on paperwork. Honestly, she wouldn't put it past him to come back to the school after their daughters fell asleep and walk her home - the thought even made her smile as soap was massaged between her pale fingers. In fact, she was so in thought that the ghostly woman didn't even notice until it was too late that the silver band on her left hand had slid past the knuckle and was dropping into the sink.

With a startled cry, Nik scrambled for it, missing the glinting metal just as it disappeared down the drain.

Oh dear.

That ring may have been simple silver metal, but it was her wedding ring - matching in its simplicity and style to her husband's. She could replace it, of course, but the ring had been on her hand for over twenty years now. She was attached to it, and the guilt that hit her for dropping it made her want to wring her hands in dismay.

Sluicing off the rest of the soap quickly and ending the stream of water, the doctor dried her hands and looked in the cabinet under the sink. Maybe she was lucky and there was a bend in the pipe somewhere. Ah-ha! A u-bend in the system! Perfect! But... Nik didn't have the tools to get into the pipes.

With a sigh, she picked up the Infirmary's landline and pressed the button for the Maintenance team. "Hello? This is Nik, in the Infirmary. Can you spare anyone to help me for a few minutes?"

[Thomas Legrand II]

Thomas worked holidays. This had stopped bothering him a long time ago. Lots of his family worked holidays. It was practically a tradition. The fact that he wasn’t getting paid much over minimum wage for working during a holiday didn’t bother him. For New Years, he might spend the evening in Denny’s, discussing things absently with the waiters or waitresses there. Or he might buy a thing of champagne and drink by himself. Or just read if he didn’t feel like being an alcoholic.

Due to the fact that Thomas didn’t want nor need to see his family, he was the only one working that night. He liked it like that. The school was relatively empty and he could take his time getting things cleaned properly and extensively. The work was relaxing, the building was quiet, and he could be left alone with his thoughts—like his latest translation.

He probably would’ve been quite wrapped up in himself for most of the night had it not been the call on his cellphone which, since most people he knew were probably asleep by now, had to be maintenance. He listened to the problem with climbing brows, then promised to go there shortly with a snake for the drain and anything else he needed.

It was a calm, friendly and reassuring Thomas that soon arrived at the door to the infirmary, offering Nik a smile and a nod. He was in his traditional coveralls and seemed unflappable. “Hello. Dr. Kenjutsushi, isn’t it? We haven’t officially met, but I’ve heard of you.” All good things, of course. “I’m Thomas Legrand. I hear you lost a wedding ring? Just point me in the direction of the drain and I’ll see what I can do for you.”

[Dr. Nik Kenjutsushi]

After finishing up with her hand-washing in the next room (couldn't leave soap on her fingers, after all), Nik went back to the main area and kept cleaning up after the day. Beds were remade, laundry set aside for pick-up later in the evening, supplies put away... but as scattered as she was, she was still filing things away when the janitorial crew showed up. Well, less a crew and more one person, but she expected that - it wasn't a big job.

With a relieved smile, the pale woman nodded. "Yes that's me," she answered. "Not many albino doctors wandering around this state, I'd imagine. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Legrand - or, would you prefer I call you Thomas?" It was something fairly unique to Asian culture that surnames were always used regardless of status, but unlike her husband Nik had adapted well to the Western preference of using given names more frequently. "You can call me Nik or Dr. Ken, if you'd like as well; I know my name is a mouthful."

Gesturing to the sink behind her, she added, "I must have lost a bit of weight recently. It just slipped off my finger as I was washing my hands." She really hoped that it was just stuck at the bottom and hadn't washed away - that ring had been with her through good times and bad for the last twenty years. It would be tragic to lose it now, even if it was a simple unmarked thing.

[Thomas Legrand II]

Thomas laughed. “Hadn’t heard that mentioned, actually. You look lovely in any case.” Thomas wasn’t really flirting. The woman had lost her wedding ring in any case. But it always came out with pretty women. It was a habit from all those Arthurian myths. He wouldn’t say he believed in chivalry, as Thomas had grown up with the rules of feminism being drilled into his head and didn’t believe women were merely there to be rescued, but a compliment never hurt—especially when a woman seemed to be in a spot of trouble.

“Thomas is fine, Doctor. It’s nice to meet you too.” He suspected the habit was foreign to her, but it was nice of her to offer. Besides, he quite detested being known as Legrand. The more it was mentioned, the more others might make a connection. If it wasn’t easier this way, it was at least a little less complicated. “It could be much worse,” he said. “But Dr. Ken will be fine, I think. Thank you.”

Thomas crossed over to the drain and peered in, fetching a flashlight from his belt to peer in. “Well, I’m not seeing it.” He glanced back. “But that doesn’t indicate anything, you should know. All it demonstrates is that I can’t see it. IF you turned off the water right away, chances are I can get a snake to pull it out.” He went out of the room and returned with the snake tool. “Maybe you should look into getting a strainer, doctor? Might help with losing things. I’ve got a few spare ones in my cart.”