Arthur is well aware of his strengths and weaknesses. He can throw together a quick and dirty chem mix when he needs to, but the lab is not the place for him. He'd be utterly useless trying to help develop any sort of cure. That was all Sally's bag.

No, he'd best just go and gather things. It's almost impossible to mess that up, and he'd gotten very used to being told to go and collect things by other people. It's nice and familiar.

This...er...realm? however, is not. It's so terribly desolate. A line of old poetry occurs to him and he speaks without thinking. "What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow out of this stony rubbish? The dead tree gives no shelter..."

Yes, this is indeed a waste land. Is this the future he'd left behind, a dead and used up land? No, he's not going to think about that. He is here to look for crystals using some strange innate magic he apparently has. That isn't very strong, but he's quite new. He's simply ambling along, trying to remember more T S Eliot, when he hears it. Out of nowhere.

"...sure to smile at just how lucky we are to be in Wellington Wells! Where there are always rainbows after the rain, and the bobbies always smile, and no one ever feels hungry or sad. It's good to smile as early as possible in the morning. That way you know you've had enough Joy! Remember, happiness is a choice. And we all want to be happy!"

Arthur freezes, dropping his bag, eyes darting this way and that. It's impossible. They can't have Uncle Jack's shows here! They just can't! It's not real, he's...he's having an episode of some kind, that's what they call it in the books.

This is the absolute worst place for a break with reality!