This is my fist Silent Witness story and I'm actually quite scared to see what you all think. I think a bit of background is needed, basically the Harry didn't leave for America, Jack and Clarissa still joined the Lyell Centre and Sophia is Nikki and Harry's daughter, but as this is the world of fiction they are still the same ages as the are in the show, I've just added Sophia in as if she was always there. Hope it's not too confusing, I didn't really want realistic ageing because it would make them all significantly older and not as fun. Explanation over.
Disclaimer: As much as I wish I did, I don't own Silent Witness nor it's characters and all rights go to the BBC and it's respective owners. Although I do own Sophia, so please be nice to her.
"Now class, we have been granted special access to a fully working pathology lab with a guided tour from a forensic expert. I would like to remind you before we get on the coach that this is a rare opportunity and that you should all be on your best behavior throughout this trip. Are we clear?" The teachers voice was clear in the rainy car park in which Sophia Cunningham's class was about to board a coach, without her of course. "Sir, where is Sophia?" One class mate queried. "Well Bella the school have allowed Sophia to meet us there as her parents work very close to where we are going. Now if you are done enquiring about your classmate, can we board to the coach?" The class boarded the coach without issue and embarked on their journey to the Lyell Centre.
"Dad, are you giving the tour?" Harry Cunningham looked up to find his daughter sitting at her mothers, his wife's, desk. He would never get over the fact that he had a daughter, nor that she was the perfect mix of both him and Nikki, his charm and wit and Nikki's beauty and talent. He really was the luckiest guy in the world. "Both me and your mum have decided that because it's your school that we would spend the day working in the morgue. Purely because we don't want to cause you prolonged mental scarring due the embarrassment that we would cause, that and your science teacher has an extremely obvious crush on your mother." Sophia giggled, at 16 her dad still had the ability to make her laugh about just about anything. The sound of her husband and daughter laughing greeted Nikki as she made her way to her desk to analyse the latest lab results that had come in. "I can't help it if your science teacher fancies me, your father is just jealous. Plus it would be him causing the mental scarring and embarrassment, not me. Want to have a look at these?" Her strong Oxfordshire accent coming across as she passed the lab results to her husband, but her daughter quickly moving to join him in his analysis. Offering her a quick smile Harry looked at the lab results before passing them to his daughter. "What do you think Soph?" Unlike the rest of her classmates, Sophia had pretty much grown up with the Lyell Centre being her playground, daycare center, and holiday destination all in one, even if her parents did try to distance her from their workplace she was insistent on spending more time there, eventually they gave in and started to teach her what they knew. Due to her parents above average intelligence Sophia had quickly picked up the basics of most forensic aspects, spend time with both Clarissa and Jack, them teaching her the basics of forensics and her mother and father teaching her to read lab results and look for evidence. Nikki had even pointed out that sometimes she was better than her father at making obscure links, much to his fake annoyance that amused their daughter greatly.
Today was one of those days, "Well, you missed this." Sophia pointed out the smallest inconsistency to her dad, impressing both her parents. "I didn't think you'd pick that up hunny, have you been working with Jack again?" Nikki was impressed that she had picked up something that most undergraduates would miss, a small inconsistency in the blood work that pointed to intoxication not being a contributing factor to the cause of death was impressive. But then Sophia had been trained by the best. "Maybe...oh look my class are here, do I really have to do this? Can't I just watch the PM from the gallery?" She pleaded with her parents. When the prospect of a tour being granted was brought up Sophia saw the pointlessness straight away, why would she want to have a tour of the place she practically grew up in?
Nikki tapped on the glass to alert Jack and Clarissa of their guest's arrival. Standing up from his desk Harry spoke "right that's our cue to leave, it'll be fine Soph." He embraced his daughter, whispering so Nikki couldn't hear he informed his daughter of something that would make her day "I've asked Jack to get you to help him with a demonstration, just act surprised when he asks so your class don't know." Sophia beamed as she replied to her dad "I love you dad, it's gunna be so cool"
"I love you to" He drew back from the embrace and walked over to his wife, "we'll see you in a bit Soph, we'll smile from the floor for you." The pair walked out of Sophia's sight towards the locker rooms to prepare the post mortem demonstration, a few strong stomached members of the class would watch from the gallery later.
"Come on small one, let's do this." Jack walked up behind Sophia giving her shoulders a little squeeze as he did. "Dad told me about what he planned with you, let me guess, cross analysing x-Ray results for minor inconsistencies?" Sophia enquired as they approached the glass doors. "You really are your parent's daughter Soph, why else would we have had practiced it all week. Plus, I know it's your favourite." A smile greeted Jack's reply as he buzzed the class in, with Sophia's science teacher at the helm. "Doctor Jack Hodgson" He extended his hand to greet the teacher "Doctor Walter Simmons, nice to meet you." The teacher had slightly sweaty palms, Sophia knew that it was because he was in a place that two people he considered 'science royalty' worked, but to her it was just mum and dad. "A doctor, very impressive. Shall we spilt the class in two? Me and my colleague will be leading a group each." Jack tried to remain professional despite knowing most of the embarrassing stories that Harry, Nikki and Sophia had told him about Doctor Simmons, from near exploding the science block to his ever increasing crush on Nikki.
"That sound fabulous, may I ask, is Doctor Alexander working today?" He couldn't help but smile at that question, knowing full well that Sophia was doing the same at the back of the group she had joined with her friends to avoid any attention. It wasn't that people didn't know who she was, her mother and father were in their biology textbooks, it was that most of her classmates didn't really have an interest in science and were extremely slow to make the connection. With only the people who sat on her table knowing the true extent of what it meant to be a Cunningham. "Unfortunately, both Doctor Alexander and Doctor Cunningham are busy preparing an exclusive post mortem viewing for the strong stomached amongst the group at the moment, as well as working on their individual cases." A look of disappointment washed over the teachers face, Jack continued regardless. "Shall we? Can I have my group over here please led by Miss Cunningham. The others you can wait over here for our forensic expert to join you."
I hope you enjoyed that as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let me know what you thought and anything you didn't like, I'm always looking to improve with constructive criticism :)