Writing Prompts

Doctor Keith O'Daniels practically flew about the room, snatching up papers and documents. They all went into an open brief case on the floor, or at least as many as he could feasibly cram into them. In between handfuls of paper, the good doctor erased everything on the blackboards and whiteboards, cursing to himself when he dropped one of the erasers. Still, he kept running about the room, cursing again when his elbow brushed against a glass piece of equipment and sent it shattering against the floor.

Then, O'Daniels heard it. The door. Someone fiddling with the lock. He froze in place, his heard pounding in his chest as he tried desperately to contain his breathing. He was never any good at it. His hyperventilating breaths turned halfway to wheezes. He dropped an armful of papers and sent a shaking hand into his lab coat pocket, pupils dilated as he stared at the door. The lock clicked. The door opened. A college student walked in, black hair with a streak of purple running in it for flair.

"What the...?" They said aloud, until their eyes finally finding the good doctor. "Doctor O'Daniels?"

"Oh, dear me, oh it's you Branch. It's just you."

O'Daniels' knees buckled and he collapsed to the floor, chest heaving. Branch yelled something, he couldn't hear it. He slid the inhaler out of his lab coat and pressed it against his mouth as he felt someone lifting him upright. He sucked down the blessed blast of air deep into his lungs and took a few deep breaths. Branch was there in front of him.

"Doc, what's going on? What happened to the lab? You alright?"

"Yes, my dear boy, I'm perfectly alright. I'm alright now," O'Daniels said, struggling to his feet.

"Ok doc, take it easy. Just tell me what happened, ok? I'll call the police-"

"No!" the doctor yelled. "You mustn't, Branch, you mustn't call anyone! Please, help me to my feet, there's not much time."

"Doc, I don't understand. What the hell's going on?" Despite their confusion, Branch still helped O'Daniels rise and continue his frantic packing. And in the midst of it, O'Daniels finally explained.

"I've found it, Branch, I finally did it. Those bastards at Cambridge and CERN didn't think it possible, not after so long, but I found it. The answer we've been looking for, Branch, the one thing that could save the world, save humanity!"

"You discovered the cure to cancer?!" Branch exclaimed.

O'Daniels slammed shut the brief case, pressing it down just to get the latches on. "No, you ignoramus!"

"Don't call me that," Branch interjected.

"The CO2 engine Branch! A device that pulls carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere and converts it into super heated plasma. It's essentially a Carnot heat engine. Do you understand the implications Branch?" O'Daniels turned away from his frantic scrambling and approached Branch, eyes wild with excitement and imaginations. He clasped both of Branch's shoulders. "This would revolutionize the world! Hell, this could revolutionize space travel! We could save our planet, power entire cities, eliminate the need for any sort of fossil fuel."

Something roared outside the building. A car? A train? A plane? O'Daniels stopped mid-sentence and stared at the door. When nothing else happened, he turned away.

"We can't stay here, Branch. You've helped me before, so please, help me again." O'Daniels picked up the suitcase and thrust it towards them. "Take this, and get as far away from here as possible. I'll be driving the other direction. You remember where we first met? Wait for me there."

"Doc, what the hell's going on? You're not making any sense." Worry had started to creep into Branch's voice.

O'Daniels took another breath from his inhaler. He turned to Branch, solemn as a pallbearer at a funeral. "Branch, we're in deep, now. No one's going to let us have this technology. I don't know how they found out, but they did, and there are people coming after us. Coming after me. We can't let this information fall into their hands, and you're the only other person I can trust. We'll go somewhere south, Brazil maybe, or Venezuela. I've already made arrangements, but it starts with us getting the hell out of here."

"I..."

"Please Branch." The doctor stared into Branch's eyes, pleading as desperately as he could.

Finally, Branch relented. "Alright doc," they said, smiling. "I'll help out."

"That's my boy," the doctor said, a twinkle lighting up in his eyes as he smiled and patted Branch on the cheek.

"I told you to stop calling me that," Branch replied, rolling their eyes.

"I'll go first, they'll be tracking my car and I. Wait for five minutes, then sneak out as best as you can. Keep your head down, don't get spotted by any means." The doctor rushed around the room again, picking up his keys and wiping down more of the boards. He rushed to the exit, but before he left, he turned to Branch one last time. "We're going to do good things, Branch. I promise."

"Doc, I..." Branch started to say, but ultimately shook their head. "Good luck doc. I'll see you there."

With one last smile, Doctor Kieth O'Daniels walked through the door, leaving Branch alone in the lab.

Took it a different direction than what was written in the body of the text. Hope you enjoyed!