Scp-049 nine sat at his desk as he tinkered with the various unnamed chemicals in his possession. His dark cell was silent aside from the constant tink of the tiny glass vails as he moved them about and the occasional fizzing of reactions each time he poured them together. The room was filled with the stench of the chemicals. A mixture of iron and acidic armour that was as unpleasant as it was potent. He'd been at this for days, rarely stopping except to scribble down notes as he went. It had been two days since he had sent (Y/N) away and despite Dr Itkin's plans  to interview the SCP, any contact with it had been postponed due to the plague doctors' foul mood. He'd been unresponsive and irritable ever since his last interaction with (Y/N). So much so that the researchers had decided it was too risky to move the SCP to an interview room. Instead dr Itkin had ordered the entity be left alone with minimal contact until it's mood had improved enough to be considered relatively safe.

In the meantime (Y/N) had been subjected to nothing but interview after interview for the last few days. Right now you were laying on the bed curled into a feral position as you stared off into the far corner of the room. More specifically, you were staring at the tatty old book that SCP-049 had leant to you. It sat on a small chair and anyone who paid attention could tell it had clearly been placed there with genuine care. It hadn't moved from that spot in several days. After what happened you couldn't bring yourself to open the pages again. You'd gotten up to move it out of sight several times but each time the sickening feeling in your gut had you turning away before you could even touch it. And so there it stayed. Acting as a constant reminder of the strange entity who had turned his back on you, seemingly for no reason. After you'd passed out in the hall you'd been brought back to your so called apartment and had woken up alone. It had taken a few minutes for you to remember what had taken place but when it did come back to it came with a good dose of disbelief. You had, at first banged on your door and demanded to be allowed to speak with Dr Itkin. For some reason you were sure that the scientist could explain what had happened. Your request had been granted but unfortunately the Scientist had no answers for you but instead many, many questions of his own. Questions that would continually haunt you through each Of the following interviews. "Did you aggravate SCP-049?" "Why did SCP-049 send you away?" "Can you tell me what triggered its hostility?" The questions they asked you were the same questions you were already asking yourself. You had replayed the events in your head over and over again trying to understand what had happened.

After just one day since the incident with 049 you had been interviewed over twenty five times by maybe eight different researchers including dr Itkin and each interview had gone almost exactly the same. By the end of the last interview you'd had enough. You had slammed your fist on the table in anger as Dr Itkin asked for the fourth time if you knew what triggered 049's behaviour. "I'v already told you I don't know! I don't know what happened or why he did what he did! Why don't you just ask him yourself?" Dr Itkin hadn't even flinched at your outburst. It was as though he had expected it. Instead the researcher simply leaned back in his chair and massaged his temples. "That would be a marvellous idea but unfortunately SCP-049 isn't being very cooperative at the moment so all we have is you." You had stared at the researcher as though he was stupid. You'd already told him and the other researchers everything you knew and didn't have anything else to offer them but for some reason the research team was convinced that you must have known what happened. "I'v told you everything already. The questions you are asking me now are the same questions I'd like to ask 049 myself..." "well you just might." Dr Itkin had responded in an almost amused tone.
Unfortunately before you could ask him exactly what he meant dr Itkin had concluded the interview and sent you back to your apartment.

You hadn't seen Dr Itkin in the days that followed. The repetitive interviews had continued but Dr Itkin didn't conduct any further interviews with you. When you finally bothered to ask about him you were informed that Dr Itkin's absence was due to him being preoccupied with SCP-049. Apparently Dr Itkin had spent the last few days inside the security room next to 049's containment cell watching the entity and waiting for it's mood to settle.
You had on the other hand had spent those same days going through several fazes of grief. In the four days you'd been locked in this room, continually being shifted back and fourth between here and the interview room, you'd gone through denial and disbelief which had then given way to anger and sadness. And then, eventually acceptance. Or maybe it was more akin to giving up. Maybe that was why you no longer felt like crying or throwing something across the room as you had been doing less than a day ago. Maybe it was why now, as you stared off into that dark corner you felt emotionally numb.

Dr Itkin sat in a small dimly lit room as he gazed at the monitor in front of him. He leaned back on the small swivel office chair as he observed the camera, trying to fight off the urge to shut his eyes. He was so overtired but he couldn't bring himself to delight the task of observing 049 to one of hit co-workers despite them having offered several times to take over for him. All he could think about was the time limit he'd been given. No one could interact with the entity while it was this irritated but the second it showed any signs of its temperament improving they had to move fast. There was so much to do. Firstly, he needed to conduct a basic interview with the SCP to gauge if it would tolerate the girl's presence. The future interactions between the (Y/N) and SCP-049 would be determined by the outcome of that interview. If the SCP was happy to continue then he would make arrangements to continue with the same experiments as before. If however, the SCP lacked interest in working with the girl or worse refused to altogether then he'd have to work around that. The only certainty was that the interactions between SCP-049 and (Y/N) (L/N) would continue in one form or another.

It took Jim a few seconds to realise that his eyes were shut. Once he did it was an effort to force them back open again. He had to blink a few times to clear his vision. Once he did he glanced down at his watch to see that he'd drifted off for at least ten minutes.  He gazed across the table towards the monitor. As expected SCP-049 hadn't moved from his spot. It was still carefully mixing chemicals. Jim gave a heavy sigh and slumped against his chair, causing it to squeak in complaint. He rubbed his temples in an attempt to ease the headache that was threatening to become a migraine from constantly staring at the camera. after a few seconds Jim forced himself to focus back on the monitor as he stifled a yarn. He knew he was over doing it and had to at least get a few hours sleep but every time he thought about clocking off the anxiety of missing an important change in 049's behaviour stopped him. What if he allowed someone else to watch the camera and they miss an important change in the SCP's behaviour. reading SCP-049's mood wasn't an easy task even when speaking to the entity but from the monitor of the black and white security camera it was even harder. You had to really know what you were looking for and Jim was certain that no one else was better qualified than he was. If he walked away now and the person he left to watch the entity miss a change in behaviour it would be a waste of valuable time. He May have been given two months to get these experiments with (Y/N) (L/N) and 049 started but he knew he'd eventually need much more time if it worked.

His hope was to gain an indefinite extension for his tests but in order to get that he'd need some success to show Dr Martins. Two months should've been enough to achieve at least that but Jim was painfully aware that he'd already eaten into four days of it without having achieved anything and his frustration was building. He'd had his colleagues conduct interviews with the girl in an attempt to get a better understanding of the situation from her point of view, however it hadn't offered them any new information. (Y/N) either didn't know what had caused the SCP's sudden intolerance to her or didn't wish to share it with them. Jim thought the former but had her continuously interviewed just to be safe.

Jim caught himself drifting off again and pinched his arm in an attempt to shock his body into awareness. He dug his short nails deep into his forearm until he was sure the marks would bruise, only then did he release his grip. He looked down at the three crescent moon shaped marks he'd left in his wake and winced. They were already taking on the shade of a deep purple, they'd definitely bruise. Jim knew this wasn't healthy. The fact that he'd now taken to harming himself in an effort to stay awake was a sure sign that'll was hitting his limits. Maybe it would be best if he did take a break, just even an hours sleep would improve his mental state. Just as he thought this movement on the camera caught his attention. He watched as SCP-049 stood from it's seat, something it hadn't done in days and proceeded to tidy away it's tools and chemicals. Jim leant forwarders, resting his arms on the table as he brought his face to what would be considered a little too close to the screen. He held his breath as he strained his ears. The security camera was equipped with an audio system but it was mainly for communicating to the SCP rather then listening to it. Because of this when the receiver broke down no one had bothered to repair it. This meant that any sound coming from SCP-049's room could only be heard by leaning incredibly close to the monitor.
Jim could faintly hear the gentle clanking as the entity carefully placed each item back into its doctors bag. Then he heard it. It was so faint at first that Jim had to really concentrate to make sure he was imagining it. After a few seconds he was certain the noise wasn't just in his head as a familiar tune echoed through the sound system. SCP-049 was singing. "Ring around the roses..." The already creepy nursery rhyme was only made creepier by the eerie tones of 049's voice. However, Jim couldn't be more thrilled to hear it, this was the sign he'd been waiting for. SCP-049 was notoriously difficult to read but one sure thing was that the SCP never sung when it was in a foul mood. Hearing it singing could only mean that it's mood had vastly improved and this meant Jim could finally make some real progress. Bursting with excitement he jumped to his feet only to stumble and nearly fall face first onto the floor. The hours of sitting had sent his legs to sleep. Reluctantly, Jim sat back down as he prepared to wait out the pins and needles. Five minutes later a slightly less hyper Jim made his way to the door, lazily collecting his notes from the desk as he went. The adrenaline rush caused by his excitement had worn off, leaving Jim feeling exhausted again.

As he stepped through the door he nearly walked straight into someone who was about to enter at the same time. "Oops." The woman chirped as she stepped back to avoid the collision. She looked up at him seemingly stunned to see him there. "Dr Itkin, you surprised me." Her shocked expression quickly gave way to a bright smile as she held out a cardboard cup out to him. "I brought you some coffee, thought you'd need it." She chuckled happily. Jim slowly took the cup from her and lifted it to his lips. "Thank you Cathy." He muttered before taking a sip. "Two sugars, just how you like it." She added cheerily. Jim hummed in approval as he gulped down the beverage.

Catherine Shepherd was a women a 30 and had joined three years after Jim. Despite having less experience than him she had quickly moved through the ranks of the foundation and by the time Jim got assigned to SCP-049 she was eligible to work as an assistant researcher. Naturally, Jim requested to have her on the team and he hadn't regretted it. Cathy, as she liked to be called was always so upbeat and enthusiastic when it came to her work and that quality had kept Jim from losing his mind too many times to count. She was extremely good at her job and Jim was certain that she was well on her way to becoming an executive one day. Jim felt a little sad as he thought about this. On one hand he was hopeful that she'd have a bright future in the foundation but on the other he was disappointed by the thought. Cathy was a rarity among the foundation, her happy go lucky demeanour was very uplifting. Unfortunately the foundation had a way of killing those personality traits off in its employees. He was sure it was a side effect of the unrelenting pressure but no one kept such a positive outlook for long in here. Jim could already see the telltale signs of it happening to her. Most wouldn't notice but Jim was certain that Cathy was more bubbly a year ago then she was now. Nothing else had changed, she was still impeccably tidy. Her dark hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail and her lab coat was always crease free no matter what. However, as he looked at her Jim could see the beginnings of dark circles forming under her eyes. Her smoothie dark skin disguised it rather well but it was definitely there.

Jim didn't realise he was staring until Cathy's expression changed from a happy smile to a concerned frown and she tilted her head at him. "Dr Itkin are you alright? You look like you're about to collapse." Jim pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to clear his head. He had to stay focused. "Uh, yeah I'm fine." He gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder as he handed the file he'd been holding. "listen can you get SCP-049 arranged for an interview while I let the Dr Williams know about it? It's finally showing some signs of calming down and I don't want to waste anymore time." Cathy gave a light nod as she flicked briefly through the notes. "Of course, give me half an hour and I'll have It ready for you." Jim offered her an appreciative smile and made his way down the brightly lit hallway.

Jim stood quietly outside the door of the interview room. He'd been preparing for this interview for days but it was only now that the anxiety hit him. How on earth was he supposed to convince SCP-049 to work with (Y/N) again? He didn't even know why the entity had taken such interest in her in first place let alone changed it's mind afterwards.

He licked his lips nervously before giving the guard a nod to open the door. He took a few extra seconds to smooth out the creases in his laboratory coat before heading into to the room. SCP-049 was already sat at the table waiting for him and it's piecing eyes followed him as he walked towards the opposite end of the table. "Greetings Dr." The entity greeted him in it's usual polite manner. Jim just gave a quick nod and responded with a vague "Yes it is is isn't it..." He quickly tugged at his shirt collar in an attempt to loosen it  but stopped himself when he saw the plague doctors' head tilt as it examined his behaviour. "You don't look well doctor." Dr Itkin stiffened at the entity's words. "What exactly are you insinuating?" He asked it cautiously, already prepared to flee the room if necessary. Observant as always SCP-049 took note of Jim's nervousness and hummed in amusement. "Not to worry my good doctor, I am simply referring to your clear fatigue. An ailment I can easily cure I assure you." 049 placed it's hand to the bottom of it's mask as if thinking to itself. "I suggest a strong sleeping aid." Jim decided to interrupt 049 before the SCP could start offering him various sleeping aids, all of which would likely contain a variety of unidentifiable chemicals. "That's very good of you SCP-049 but unnecessary. I'm actually here to speak about your work."  Dr Itkin purposely added the last part, knowing full well the SCP would react positively to him showing an interest in it's work.

As expected the plague doctor visibly perked up at his words. The chains around it's wrists jingled as it moved it's hands to interlock it's fingers in front of itself, elbows resting on the table. It's golden-yellow eyes scrutinised the scientist with intently as it answered calmly. Unfortunately progress has been...slow as of late. I have been unable to focus, thus my work has suffered greatly." Dr Itkin gave a nod to show his understanding and jotted down the response. Paper records weren't really necessary as the interview was being recorded but Jim found writing helped keep him focused so he did it anyway. "Ah yes we are well aware of your recent problems however I'm glad to see your mood has improved." Jim tried to sound upbeat as he said this hoping it wouldn't trigger the SCP's mood to turn sour again. Luckily it didn't seem bothered by the comment as it gave a slow nod in agreement. Jim waited for the plaque doctor to say something but when it simply stared at him in silence, he awkwardly realised That's was waiting for him to continue. Jim shifted under the entity's intense gaze as he tried to pick his next words carefully. "Well...uh, how did your most recent test subject do? You know the one the ur... the ur.." Jim tapped his head in frustration, his tired mind couldn't recall what animal he had previously given the SCP to work with. "The squirrel money. Yes it was a success unfortunately my records of it are not as extensive as I'd have liked." Jim could hear the dismay in it's tone. He knew he had to tread carefully but he couldn't resist the opportunity to try an angle this to his advantage. "I'm sorry to hear that but I assume you will want to continue your work now." SCP-049 nodded again. "Indeed."

Jim fought the urge to run his hand through his hair, a nervous habit, as he prepared to inject his next statement. "Well it just happens you are in luck, it just so happens that I have another primate for your research." Jim flicked through his papers to check his dates before continuing. "Your next provisions aren't due until next month but I may be able to budge it forward for you." Jim could literally feel the air lift as the SCP's mood lightened at his words. "Why thank you dr, I know I've said this before but you have once again proven yourself to be a genuine man of science. You may rest assured that when the time comes my cure will serve you well." Jim did his best to brush off it's comment as he tried to remain focused. "Ur Yes, Yes..um thank you but that's not all. Ur..before I can sign off on any new experiments there's still the matter of your assistant to discuss." "Assistant?" The SCP questioned. Jim was stunned, had it really forgotten the girl so easily? Was he wrong in thinking there was something deeper to it's interest in her? Jim opened his mouth to speak but before he could even begin the SCP beat him to it. "I presume you mean miss (Y/N) (L/N)?" Jim watched as the plague doctor shut it's eyes as it seemed to muse over something. "Yes she certainly is an intriguing one." It muttered this so softly that Jim wasn't sure if he was even meant to have heard it at all. Still, he wrote down it's exact words, just in case the recorder missed it. He was still writing as he addressed the SCP again. "Yes, so as agreed previously she will be delivered to you for the next experi-"  "No sir, she will not!"

The doctor's out burst nearly jolted Jim right out of his seat and set his heart pounding. The entity never raised it's voice unless it was about to lose