As Dr. Clark entered the university gates, he could feel the energy of youth upon himself again. It brought a smile to his face. As he felt the fast young steps around him, he stopped walking. At 73, Dr. Clark could scarcely walk for more than 10 minutes without halting. He stood in the middle of the road, while quick young feet raced around him.

He looked around. Students, as usual. Walking, chatting as they moved from class to class in their smart, cheerful way. Then there was the college basketball team, practising. He cringed. It momentarily reminded him of Clara forcing him to come to the games, while he argued that he hated sports. He felt a sudden loneliness come over him... he must get to the shelter of his office, and his books. He forced himself to walk fast and entered his room. He sat down and broke into a sweat. As usual.

--------

Engrossed in reading the new Science, Clark heard the door open and the familiar voice of Prof. Madsen say,
"Boy, do I have a surprise for you!"

Prof. Madsen was 20 years younger than Clark, but they had spawned a friendship since they were teacher and student at this very university. Since then, Clark had been instrumental in getting Madsen a teaching position here, while it was upon Madsen's insistence that Clark stayed on after retirement.

"What is it, Maddy?"
"Cringy as usual, are we? Well, today, I have something to get you out of this mood you've been in. Something special."
"Oh, come on, let me read this...", Clark replied as Madsen attempted to get him to stand up.
"Science can be dealt with later. "
"Tsk. Science comes first, Maddy."
"No time for obvious puns. Come...". Madsen almost dragged Clark out of the room.

--------

Madsen dragged Clark almost halfway round the campus till they came to the auditorium. It had a large board in front, announcing Guest Lecture at 12 by Dr. Bund.
"What's it on? It doesn't say that!"
"Well, you'll like it. Follow me."
Madsen took Clark to the third row, and they sat on two seats almost in the middle of the row, guaranteeing a full view of the stage.
The lecture started, and Clark began to see that it was on Theoretical Physics, and his cringe slowly disappeared.
Dr. Bund, a spunky young man possibly in his late twenties, began speaking.
"Today, I want to present before you a lecture on Statistical Ungent Coupling, based on a paper published by me in this month's Science. This is essentially my first oral presentation on the subject."
Clark began rapidly frisking through the Science he still held in hand, but Madsen grabbed it from him. "Listen. You can read later."

Slowly, as Bund began to exposit his new theory, Clark felt an uncomfortable sense of deja vu. He has seen this somewhere, he had read this earlier, but he couldn't place it. He began shifting uneasily in his seat, trying to search his mind for the answer.

-----------

After about an hour, when Clark's discomfort had reached it's maximum, Bund wrote shifted to a slide labelled "The Grand Conclusion". On it was a single equation, which he called the fundamental equation of Ungent Coupling.
Clark couldn't believe it. The notation was different, the name was different, but... he knew where he'd seen it.
"He calls it "Ungent". Wonder where he got that from..." Clark whispered to Madsen.
"Haha, I know. Can you believe it?"
"No. He's so young... Have you assisted him?"
"Nah, it's completely original. And young? I was twenty, nine years younger. "
"Yes..." Clark paused. Suddenly he got up. "I have to go... I have to find it."
"Stay... he's yet to finish. He's going to show the consequences too..."
"I can find it in Science... give it back. Now let me go."
"Tomorrow, then, I guess." Madsen said, almost to himself, as Clark sped away, in spite of age. "Thank God, I have given him something to think about..."

---------

After almost two hours of intense searching, Clark found the dusty paper hiding behind a huge stack of old Nature issues. It was as he remembered it, exactly the image that had flashed before his eyes when (or was it just before?) Bund showed them the equation. It was typewritten. Clark held the yellowish pages to his nose. "Ah, the smell of ol' days!" He loved to smelling books, it reminded him of his college days, his room full of books; and him, furiously at work.

He sighed. He remembered those creative years. The youthful campus flashed again before his eyes. His days in college. It was so much work, energy, and optimism. He often wished he had more of that now. Then he saw Bund eagerly expounding his theory. He knew how important it was. He was aware it was worthy of a Nobel.

With a thudding heart, Clark held his old paper before his eyes, and slowly started reading.
"On the Mathematics of Particle Phase Coupling,
By Dr. Timothy Clark and Prof. Aston Madsen. "

---------

It had been three years since Clark had published his most important work.

One day, as he was walking from the classroom to his beloved office. he heard footsteps coming after him. He stopped. The sound ceased. He started, and he heard them again. He turned around to see a nervous Aston Madsen, his favourite student. It must've been hard- becoming the favourite of a teacher who disliked teaching. But somehow Maddy's spunk and brilliance had won over Clark.

"What's the matter, Maddy?"
"Sir, I had to point something out. In the lecture today... I noticed a... mistake. Kind of. Or I thought it was."
A mistake? Hmm... could it be that? Maddy was young, but he had brilliance. He might have noticed it. "Where exactly, Maddy? Wait, let's get to my room. Elaborate there."
Clark walked to his room, Maddy trailing behind. When they got to the room, Maddy explained where he thought the error was. Clark's face slowly broadened into a smile.
"It's a minor point Maddy. but I'll explain it. You've been brilliant to notice it."
He pulled out a copy of Nature from 3 years ago and began explaining.

It took 3 days for Clark to explain his most important work to Maddy, but he could see Maddy was already forming ideas. As week later, Maddy came back to Clark, and began enthusiastically telling him his own ideas. From there, hundreds of hours of hard work produced a potentially path-breaking paper.

Clark had known his theory from three years earlier could be extended, but it had taken the brilliance of Maddy to see the way. This paper might be the solution to one of the fundamental problems, and be his contribution to science. It might fetch him a Nobel.

He hard-work didn't pay off, though. They could not complete the paper. Something was missing. In the end, it became his unpublished masterwork.

----------

As Clark compared and contrasted his and Bund's work, he tried to find the missing link. After much thinking and contemplation, he could see it. But to make Bund's vision his own, he'd have to rewrite his and Madsen's paper. He felt his approach had been more fundamental. Maybe he should wait for Madsen, and they'd do it tomorrow. Why? Why not now?

He sighed again. What for? Bund had done it. The brilliant young man had done it fantastically. To do it alone, to do it completely, such a impossible task. But the man had accomplished it. Genius. Clark felt a twinge of jealousy. Maybe he should give in to fate.

No! He had started it earlier, and he can finish it. He constantly felt his version was better. Bund finishing it before him didn't deny him the right to make a better work. Clark began typing.

Many pages and many hours later, Clark could feel he was minutes away from his conclusion. The most important conclusion of his life. Suddenly, he felt a slight twinge of guilt. He was taking young Bund's dream away from him. Bund had been the first to finish. In his mind, he simply couldn't stop duelling between the emotions of jealousy and guilt. It was too much.

He'd finish tomorrow. And maybe ask Madsen to help. After all, Madsen had played a major part. He'd share... the Nobel?

Again a smile came over Clark's face, and he closed his eyes as he rested his head on the pillow.

---------

Amid thunderous applause, I climb the steps of the Nobel ceremony. "This year's winners for Physics are Dr. Jonathan Bund, Dr. Timothy Clark, and Prof. Aston Madsen." I hear applause again. It feels great.

I can't take my eyes off Clara. She's looking splendid, in that red dress I always liked on her. Sitting in the front row. Is that Adam beside her? Yes! And all my other students... It feels so great.

I walk up to the microphone. It's been a long journey. All those years are flashing before me... Maddy in the class smiling, maybe he was the only one who understood. My college days... hard-work. Publication of the paper two years ago.

I look at Clara again... when did I buy her that blue dress? Must've been many years ago. She's looking so young.

"I'd like to thank you all..."

----------

"Yes, Officer, I have the key."
"Open it, Sir."
Madsen turned the key in the lock, and opened the wooden door. Inside the small room, he could see Clark lying on the bed, peacefully. "Doctor?"
The good doctor bent down to feel Clark's pulse. "He's passed away, Sir. My condolences."
Clark placed his hand on Clark's forehead and closed his eyes.

Madsen couldn't believe Clark was gone. While tears slowly dripped to his cheeks, he looked around the shabby room of his old friend and teacher. He wiped the tears off his cheek and walked slowly to the table. The room had never seemed this empty. He remembered the last time he was here, when Clark was sick with fever. Clark was reminiscing about Clara, an his and Mad's old days together. Madsen too felt that they were the best days of his life. And now he remembered those, and the tears wouldn't stop.
He looked around. The old mahogany table was messy as ever. Did he see a bundle of newly typewritten papers? Clark hadn't written anything for five years... Hmm... what was it?
He picked up, and began reading. He understood. It was almost complete...