Will This Do, Mr. Avery?

[lucky_kari]

Eileen walks into the dungeons of HPFGU-FAQ, a smile on her face,
cranberry sauce on her lips, and a piece of pumpkin pie in her hand. 

"Avery, I brought you a piece. I really can't eat another. With real
whipping cream. None of that spray-bottle whip topping."

No response. 

Then she hears the sobs. Great racking sobs. 

"Avery, what's happened? Cindy hasn't yelled at you, has she?" says
Eileen as she finds Avery sprawled across his desk, an empty bottle on
the floor surrounded by several cigarette packs. 

"N-n-no," moans Avery. "I-I-I..." 

He can't get the words out.

Eileen suddenly recognizes this variation: FourthManWithRemorse!Avery. 

"You told Cindy off?" asks Eileen increduously. 

Avery nods his head miserably, and pulls another bottle out of the
open drawer of his desk. Eileen gently takes it away from him.

"I go away for one weekend and you undergo stunning personality
changes," she says, shaking her head. "I think it's about time you go
to bed, Aves. I've obviously been working you too hard."

Avery manages a faint smile, and then falls out of the chair. This is
going to be difficult, thinks Eileen, getting him out of here before
the more respectable cataloguers come in to work. 

"George!" she calls. And suddenly, magically, George is here.

"About that date," he begins with a smile. "I didn't mean to stand you
up. Unavoidable circumstances..."

"George, could you get Avery to bed?"

George looks at Avery with dislike. "Classic sycophantism," he says.
"Like Elkins. The Totalitarian personality. Inside each sycophant is
an evil overlord. Or a Head of International Magical Co-operation."

"Yes, George," says Eileen. 

"Right, I'll get him up to bed. As soon as..." George turns to rifle
in Avery's desk. "Gum!"

"Gum! George, I could kiss you!"

"As you wish."

Eileen 

PS. Congratulations on your cataloguing achievement, Cindy, and I hope
to goodness you and Debbie are safe. 

--- In HP4GU-FAQ at y..., "Cindy C." <cindysphynx at c...> wrote:
> Cindy drew a ragged breath, her trembling fingers clutching the 
> wobbly door knob.  She tried to turn it slowly, but it spun 
> pointlessly in her sweaty grasp.  
> 
> The door swung open abruptly, stirring the air in the dusty 
> hallway.  Avery stood framed in the doorway of his corner office, 
> his face fixed with a contemptuous sneer.  "What do *you* want?" he 
> demanded.
> 
> "It's my -–" Cindy gulped audibly.  "It's my catalogue.  I'm 
> finished, Sir," she said.
> 
> "Well, what on earth *took* you so long?  Do you think I can wait 
> *forever* for this catalogue?"
> 
> "No, Sir.  No.  I don't think that, Sir.  Not at all, Sir."  Cindy 
> took a step backward, shaking her head vigorously from side to 
> side.  "No, not at all.  I know you mean *business* here, Sir.  So 
> I'll be starting on another message block immediately, if that's all 
> right."
> 
> "Excellent." Avery's scowl turned into an easy smile.  
> 
> "Just  -- just one more question, Mr. . . . uh  -– Mr. Avery -– is 
> it all right if I call you Mr. Avery?" Cindy whispered, wincing.
> 
> "Go on," Avery said impatiently.
> 
> "Eileen.  Eileen finished her message block too, didn't she?"
> 
> "Yes, she did.  And she will be rewarded handsomely for her effort," 
> Avery said.  "What's your point?"
> 
> "Well, Eileen finished message block 28,001-29,000.  But I finished 
> message block 25,000-26,000.  So my message block is *Bigger.*"
> 
> "So it is, so it is."  Avery nodded with approval.
> 
> "Well?"  Cindy held out her hand, which shook slightly.  She did not 
> meet Avery's penetrating gaze.
> 
> "I guess that means you get your own reward as well as Eileen's.  
> Here you go.  That's *two* sticks of gum for you, Cindy."
> 
> ************
> 
> Cindy -- sending out an enthusiastic welcome aboard to Marina and 
> Kimberly (moongirl)