saw your hc about gruber adopting herbert? do you have anymore regarding herbert's past????
I'm currently working on an abridged version of Herbert's past before the events of Re-Animator. However, one headcanon that quickly became one of my favorites is the idea that Hill knew about Herbert even before he attended Miskatonic University!
Before adopting Herbert and taking him on as his protégé, Hans Gruber worked closely with Carl Hill as the two attended Zürich, tackling the uncharted depths of neuroscience. Their research primarily focused on brain death: how it manifests, the stages involved, and if it was possible to reverse such an inevitable outcome.
Overall, they managed to make significant strides in their studies. They published a handful of scientific papers, got nominated and won some awards, and even captured the media's and overseas universities' attention. However, as years passed, their partnership began to strain as Hill continued to push for increasingly unethical experiments, challenging Gruber's ever growing ethical concerns.
Finally, the rope snapped, and the two decided to part ways, with Hill managing to snag a position as a professor at Miskatonic University's Medical School—all the way in the States. In addition to this being a fresh start where no one would know about his 'falling out' with Gruber, Dean Halsey's offer of a hefty amount of grant money, complete control over his projects, and access to cutting-edge technology and tools was the cherry on top. Everything was looking up for the neuroscientist as he took his final months at Zürich in stride.
Soon, Hill would be able to capitalize off that utter fool Gruber's work and make a name for himself—and only himself. However, everything would come crumbling down with the introduction of a young Herbert West.
His first interaction with the snot-nosed rugrat was anything but pleasant. Walking into the lab one morning, Hill caught the boy—who couldn't be older than seven—carelessly erasing his carefully calculated theories, only to scribble over them on the chalkboard. This irritated Hill to no end; however, Gruber found humor in the situation, praising the boy for his antics. (Of course, why wouldn't he?)
After chomping down on a donut and sipping his sugary coffee, he hopped off his stool and wasted no time introducing the two, creating an awkward tension in the air. The entire time, Herbert glared daggers into Hill as Gruber rambled on about Herbert’s brilliant intellect and how, despite the tragic loss of his parents in a chemical fire, he continued to persist in his relentless pursuit to conquer death. "West here possesses one of the century's most brilliant minds; no doubt he’s bound to revolutionize the future of science. Wouldn’t you agree, Carl?"
From then on, wherever Gruber went, Herbert followed, like a kicked puppy, constantly jotting down notes or offering his unsolicited input. He inserted himself into every conversation and experiment, often criticizing Hill’s work, calling him a "pompous plagiarist" (whatever that meant) and accusing him of riding on the coattails of Gruber’s success. Overall, Hill utterly despised the special treatment Herbert was receiving and Gruber's lenience towards him. That kid could unleash a lethal toxin into the air, and Gruber would brush it off, claiming that we all make mistakes when we're young. He was nothing but a spoiled brat. He was the one with multiple Ph. D.s; he was the one who had earned respect in the field, not him!
Thankfully, the day finally came when he left Switzerland and Zürich for good. No longer would he have to endure playground insults like, “A gerbil could spew better intellect than you ever could,” or the constant eye-sore of that meddling, insufferable boy who clung onto Gruber like a parasite. Soon, Hill would be free to make a name for himself—and unfathomably rich, too. Finally, a fresh, clean, slate…
That is until West attends Miskatonic 17 years later.