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He only takes the book out at night. After I've gone to bed, after Delia's gone home, and he thinks he's alone, he goes downstairs and looks it over.
I had no idea he did so until one night, when I couldn't sleep. I came downstairs to get something to drink, and he was there.
"Professor?" I asked. Usually if he was up this late, I thought he would be in the lab.
He jolted, slamming the book shut. "Tracey? What are you doing up at this hour?"
"Couldn't sleep." I sat down next to him at the kitchen table. "What's in the book?"
He sighed. "It's a photo album. From when Gary was a baby."
I smiled. "Wow, what was he like?"
"...go back to bed, Tracey."
This wasn't like him. Usually he couldn't wait to talk about his prize grandson. "Professor, are you all right?"
He shook his head. "...I've never told you about Gary's father, have I?"
"No, you haven't..."
The book slid across the table, and he opened it to the first page. "That's Gary right after he was born."
I looked at the picture. A squalling infant in the arms of a young woman--I knew her to be the Professor's daughter-in-law. With his arm around her shoulder, smiling to the camera, was a man with a striking resemblance to the Professor; younger, with Gary's auburn hair. "...Your son?"
"...he was."
I turned the page, confused. The Professor would have told me if his son had died, wouldn't he?
More pages of Gary growing up, but I wasn't looking at him. There were patterns to this book. The Professor's son seemed to appear in fewer and fewer pictures as time went on, and finally he was gone entirely. Shortly before he vanished, the young woman started growing progressively more pale and sickly-looking, until she too was gone from the pages.
I knew what had happened to her. She had been committed and was currently living in a group home outside of Saffron. But I had never known the circumstances leading up to it. But I had to ask about the man.
"...what happened to him, Professor?"
He smiled grimly, as though he knew I would ask. "He abandoned his family. Ran away to Viridian."
I closed the book. There was only one thing people ran away to Viridian for, and that was to join Team Rocket.
"...Never mention this to Gary. If he finds out you know, he'll be furious."
I nodded. "I wouldn't, Professor," I say as I picked up the book. "I'll put this away for you."
A picture fell out of it and I picked that up too, tucking the album under my arm. "Here, let me put this away too..."
"No, no, I'll do it." He took the picture, looking at it with a sad sigh.
On the front was the man, with an infant Gary in his arms, holding the baby's arm up as though waving at the camera.
When the Professor held it up to look at it, I could see the back read "Tyson and Gary--1 month".
He went back up to his room with the picture, leaving me to put the album away in silence.
I had no idea he did so until one night, when I couldn't sleep. I came downstairs to get something to drink, and he was there.
"Professor?" I asked. Usually if he was up this late, I thought he would be in the lab.
He jolted, slamming the book shut. "Tracey? What are you doing up at this hour?"
"Couldn't sleep." I sat down next to him at the kitchen table. "What's in the book?"
He sighed. "It's a photo album. From when Gary was a baby."
I smiled. "Wow, what was he like?"
"...go back to bed, Tracey."
This wasn't like him. Usually he couldn't wait to talk about his prize grandson. "Professor, are you all right?"
He shook his head. "...I've never told you about Gary's father, have I?"
"No, you haven't..."
The book slid across the table, and he opened it to the first page. "That's Gary right after he was born."
I looked at the picture. A squalling infant in the arms of a young woman--I knew her to be the Professor's daughter-in-law. With his arm around her shoulder, smiling to the camera, was a man with a striking resemblance to the Professor; younger, with Gary's auburn hair. "...Your son?"
"...he was."
I turned the page, confused. The Professor would have told me if his son had died, wouldn't he?
More pages of Gary growing up, but I wasn't looking at him. There were patterns to this book. The Professor's son seemed to appear in fewer and fewer pictures as time went on, and finally he was gone entirely. Shortly before he vanished, the young woman started growing progressively more pale and sickly-looking, until she too was gone from the pages.
I knew what had happened to her. She had been committed and was currently living in a group home outside of Saffron. But I had never known the circumstances leading up to it. But I had to ask about the man.
"...what happened to him, Professor?"
He smiled grimly, as though he knew I would ask. "He abandoned his family. Ran away to Viridian."
I closed the book. There was only one thing people ran away to Viridian for, and that was to join Team Rocket.
"...Never mention this to Gary. If he finds out you know, he'll be furious."
I nodded. "I wouldn't, Professor," I say as I picked up the book. "I'll put this away for you."
A picture fell out of it and I picked that up too, tucking the album under my arm. "Here, let me put this away too..."
"No, no, I'll do it." He took the picture, looking at it with a sad sigh.
On the front was the man, with an infant Gary in his arms, holding the baby's arm up as though waving at the camera.
When the Professor held it up to look at it, I could see the back read "Tyson and Gary--1 month".
He went back up to his room with the picture, leaving me to put the album away in silence.
