I do not own any Disney characters named herein and am only borrowing them to tell a nonprofit tale meant for entertainment purposes only.
Kim Possible: A Tale of Prometheus
By LJ58
2
Kim found there were two maids upstairs and the cook. A rather grim old woman named Henrietta DeMenz. The woman had all the charm of an aging nun in Kim's mind. She seemed to think Kimberly was a fool and had no place coming out to a single man's estates for whatever it was the 'mad doctor,' as she called him was doing.
The two maids were slightly more pleasant, if rather vacant. They seemed to endlessly clean without ever stopping, and yet never seemed to actually get much done.
She put her own bags away in the guest room one of them indicated, unpacked, and then grabbed a few things from her own effects that might be required below. She then snatched a pillow, quilt, and stopped by for a tray of food from the kitchen that Henrietta handed over reluctantly, and then headed below.
She set everything by the door, then went back to the main lab, found a small table, and set a lamp upon it. She then found a narrow cot in one corner the doctor likely used himself, and stripped it before dragging it over to the door, and nodding as she considered all she had.
Unlocking the door, she drew a deep breath and pulled the heavy panel open to look inside.
"Hello," she smiled at the woman that only gradually looked up at her.
The woman just stared at her with dark green eyes.
"Hello? Do you understand me?"
The woman just stared.
"Well, I wager this will take a little time, and effort," she smiled. "But first let's show you that I am friendly," she continued to smile. "I brought you a bed. A bed," she said, and pulled the cot into the room, placing it against one wall.
She then rolled out the quilt, and put the fat pillow at one end, and smiled.
"See? Bed. It'll be more comfortable than the floor," she told the woman.
She then went out, and got the table, complete with the lamp, and set it near the bed.
"Light? You must likely hate this dark hole, I'm sure," she smiled. "I'll check the oil for you when I visit. Don't worry. We'll keep it lit for you."
The woman just stared at the lantern as if mesmerized.
"Light," Kim smiled.
The woman slowly unwound, and moved on all fours, crawling slowly toward the table, her eyes fixed on the lamp.
"Light," Kim smiled.
"Luh," the woman murmured.
"You can talk," she beamed. "Wondrous. I wager you'll be chatting in no time once we get to know one another," she enthused.
The woman sank back on her haunches and stared at Kim.
"Luh," she said.
"Yes, light," Kim smiled. "Are you hungry," she asked and brought in the tray next. "I brought food," she said and set the tray on the table.
"Luh," the woman asked now.
Kim smiled and removed the tray cover.
"Food," she said, even as the green woman lunged, and with both hands all but shoved the food into her mouth in great mouthfuls.
"My word," she gasped, staring as the platter all but vanished as the woman virtually gulped down the food without distinction for what it might be. "Well, table manners are something that will come later, I suppose," she sighed and watched the woman now licking the plate clean before then licking her dirty hands, too.
The woman stared at Kim, still holding the plate, and Kim had the feeling the woman would have liked a few more plates to empty.
"Well, you have a very good appetite," she smiled. "I'll try to bring you more next time," she assured her, hoping she did understand. "Now, how about clothing," she asked, bringing in a small tote she had packed from sifting her own things, and a few things the maid Fran had scavenged for her.
"Clothes," she asked, holding up a simple skirt before the woman.
The woman frowned.
"What about this," Kim asked. "Blouse? Clothes," she said, holding up the white blouse before the woman.
Even as she did, she realized the woman was simply too big for the top.
She'd have to find something else.
She sighed and pulled out a brush.
"Brush. See," Kim asked, and ran the brush through her own red mane. "Brush. Would you like me to brush your hair," she asked, holding out the brush.
The woman snatched it, sniffing at it, and then tried to run it over her head.
Where it was immediately caught in tangles, and she howled as she pulled at it.
"It's okay. Let me show you," Kim continued to smile and gently reached to push her hands away.
The woman eyed the brush Kim freed with a sour glare, but Kim only smiled.
"Let me show you," she said, and began to work from the ends of that tangled matt of dark hair, and then slowly up the sides until the woman's hair almost shone like a crow's wing once it was fully brushed out.
"Lovely," she smiled and nodded at her once she was done.
"L'lee," the woman echoed as if confused.
"You. You are lovely," Kimberly assured her. "Now, skirt," she said, and managed to finally get the garment on the woman's waist.
She was surprisingly muscular for a woman, but Kim found, as expected, the blouse wouldn't fasten. The woman was too large for it to close properly. She would definitely need larger garments.
"L'lee," the woman asked, plucking at the white blouse hanging on her after Kimberly's efforts.
"Yes," Kimberly nodded. "Now, I'll have to go up soon, but for now, let's try to give you something to think about," she smiled and pulled out one of her favorite books. "Would you like a story?"
"St'ee," the woman frowned and sank back down in her usual corner near where she obviously relieved herself.
Right, Kimberly told herself, the woman needed a chamber pot, too.
"Story," she smiled, and took the woman's hands, and pulled her upright. The woman teetered for a moment as if unsure of her balance, or used to standing, and then smiled down at Kimberly since she was a bit taller.
"Let's sit on the bed. Okay? Bed," she said and led her over to the bed, and gently guided her into sitting.
"Beh," the woman frowned.
"Bed. You can sleep here. Or sit. Now, let's see about a story," she smiled and opened the tome she took from the table. "Ah, just the one. Cinderella and the Prince," she smiled, and began to read, using the illustrations in the book to guide the tale.
The woman stared at her, eyeing the pages as if mesmerized again, and in the end, actually started to doze.
Kim closed the book, set it on the table, and chose to leave it.
She gently lay the woman down, smiling, and then folded the quilt over her, and said, "Goodnight. Sweet dreams," she said and kissed the woman's brow.
The woman smiled, and let her eyes close.
Kim left the room, locked the door, and frowned.
"Right. She needs a name, too. I'll need to ask Dr. Lipski about that, too."
Heading upstairs for her own late meal, and rest, she planned on what she would do in the morning. More clothing, for certain, and a chamber pot she would likely have to teach her to use. And food, she smiled as she recalled the woman's manic hunger. A lot of food.
~KP~
"Just what are you two doing down there," Henrietta demanded as Kim came up on the fourth day to again order four trays of food for her charge.
She had yet to get her to use utensils, but she was getting a bit less ravenous about eating.
Fortunately, she had found a large jumpsuit the gardener had left behind that fit her. Snugly, to be honest, but it did fit. The woman also took to the chamber pot with surprising ease. Which just left the matter of teaching her table manners.
"Well, the doctor is so busy he just doesn't want to waste time coming up and down the stairs," Kim told her blandly. "I try to anticipate his needs since I never know when he'll come out of his workshop to demand something," she told the dour little woman.
"Hmmph, there is something odd about a man that will not even stop to eat properly," she grumbled as she made two trays of hot food, and then two trays of sandwiches which the little woman detested making after Kim had shown her how. Apparently, the food had yet to catch on in other parts of the continent.
"Well, I'm just doing as he says," Kimberly smiled at the squat, mannish woman.
"Hmmph, and what's a woman even doing in a doctor's lab, I say," Henrietta demanded.
"Odds and ends, and a few errands," Kimberly smiled. "It does save him a lot of steps. Or so he says," she remarked. "Fortunately, my own parents were scientists, and so I know how to perform most of the chores he asks of me," she demurred.
"Unnatural, I say. Unnatural," the woman huffed as Kim carefully balanced all four trays, and took them down the hall to the stairs that led down to the lab. "Man has always been unnatural," she grumbled behind Kim.
Kimberly ignored the sour old woman that really didn't seem to have anything likable about her, and carefully made her way down the steps. Even as she set trays of food down, the door to the doctor's other lab opened for one of the few times she was around, and Dr. Lipski came out looking beyond weary.
"Dr. Lipski," she smiled. "Would you like a sandwich?"
"A what," he frowned.
"Ah, it's the latest thing back in London. Meat held between slices of bread," she said, uncovering a tray. "See?"
"How novel. Who engineered this little morsel?"
"Ah, an earl from somewhere in England who was always busy took to making them to save time as he dashed about. I forget his name," Kimberly admitted.
"Well, even I can admire cleverness when I see it," the blue scientist said and took one of the sandwiches. "So, who is our star patient doing?"
"She is starting to come out of her shell. By the way, I've been wanting to ask if she has a name, or should I just name her? It is getting quite tedious just calling her 'you,' or whatever."
Theodore Lipski eyed the redhead for a moment, and then just scowled.
"If she had a name," he declared, "She lost it when she died. Just call her as you will, but ensure you are keeping up that journal of observations I requested," he told her.
"Of course, Dr. Lipski," she smiled. "I have it on my desk in my room now. I write up everything from each day before I retire. Still, I've made marvelous progress already, though there is obviously much work yet to do."
"Hmmmm, well, let's see what you have done," he said blandly, looking skeptical.
She walked over to the door, set the two trays down beside the door, and unlocked it.
"She does eat a great deal. It's as if she simply cannot get enough. It makes me wonder if perhaps her restored metabolism is still trying to….repair things. Or so I surmise," she told him and pulled the heavy door open.
"A sound theory, I suppose, but…. What the devil is all this," he sputtered, looking into the room with a cot, chair, table, and lamp now as the green woman sat up on the cot, smiling at Kim.
Then her eyes landed on him, and she scowled bleakly.
"It's okay," Kimberly soothed, lifting the trays to set on the table near her bed. "Dr. Lipski just came by to see how you're doing."
"You got her to wear clothes," he frowned from the door. Then sniffed. "You cleaned her….?"
"She is quite clever, doctor. It took her hardly any time at all to learn to use a chamber pot properly," Kim told him. "Hungry, Sheraton," Kimberly smiled. "That is what we shall call you for now. Sheraton," she smiled, pointing at her, "Kimberly," she pointed at herself as she had when she first started getting the woman to try to conjure a name.
"K'meee," she smiled, and took off the cover of the first tray herself.
"Still eats like an animal," Dr. Lipski huffed as the woman began to eat.
"But not as manically as before, and she is learning to be neater about it. I wager, we'll soon have her using a proper knife and fork before you know it," she beamed.
"Indeed," the blue man grumbled, eyeing the woman. "She does seem….far more lively of late," he admitted as the woman finished eating, put the trays' covers back on herself, and then eyed Kim.
"St'ree," she asked, eyes bright.
"What," he sputtered.
"She likes to hear me read stories to her. She's quite clever, and her vocabulary is starting to grow," Kimberly told him.
She sat beside the woman, and didn't note how Dr. Lipski cringed as if expecting something, but the green woman only smiled at her and pointed at the nearby book. "St'ree," she echoed.
"All right," Kimberly chortled. "We'll read a story. Then we have to wash you up, brush that hair, and start work on your lessons again. All right, Sheraton?"
"Shaaa…."
"Sher-a-ton," Kimberly nodded. "That is your name. Name," she nodded.
"Shee," the woman said with a grin. "Shee. K'mee," she beamed.
"Very good," Kimberly beamed and reached for the book.
"She sounds simple," Dr. Lipski complained.
"She is relearning language, Doctor. Give her enough time, and I wager she will really surprise you. She's already learning quite a bit. She can even brush her own hair now."
"Marvelous. I'm going up for a proper breakfast, and then I'll review your journal. If necessary, I'll consult with you afterward."
"Of course, Dr. Lipski. I am at your disposal," she smiled and opened the book. "Look, Sheraton. Our next story is about three little pigs."
Dr. Lipski muttered and walked off, not even shutting the door.
Of course, Kim rarely shut the door herself now when working with the woman.
After she finished the story, Sheraton lifted the brush, proving she had been paying attention, and began brushing out her own hair which looked as if she had already brushed it earlier. Kim applauded that initiative, though, and smiled as she went out to the lab to bring back a bowl of warm water from the very fortunate plumbing that ran down the old walls, and considered just setting up a washstand for the woman.
"Ready to wash," she asked.
"Wa'asss," Sheraton beamed, and almost had Kim blushing as he deftly pulled off the jumpsuit without a hint of modesty.
Of course, the woman didn't understand a lot of things yet, but Kimberly was certain she could teach her, if just given time.
"I'm going to go empty the water, and your chamber pot, Sheraton," Kimberly told her. "Then we'll start your lessons."
"Shee go," the woman asked as Kim knelt to get the pot under the bed while Sheraton dressed in her jumpsuit again.
"What," Kim blinked as she looked up at her.
"Shee go," the woman asked again.
"You want to go with me," she asked carefully.
The dark head nodded.
She looked out the door, then smiled.
"Well, I'm just going to the far side of the lab," she smiled. "So, why not. Perhaps a little walk will help you, too. All right, Sheraton, you may come with me."
"Shee go K'mee," she said with a smile now.
"Yes," kim nodded.
"Shee go, Shee go," the woman clapped and jumped up and down as if thrilled with something.
Kim lifted the chamber pot, and the dirty water from her sponge bath, and carried both with her to the buckets that were left to one side of the lab for all wastes of any kind. She emptied them both, then rinsed the bowel and pot both, emptying them again, and then put the bowel away before carrying the chamber pot back to the room.
She noted Sheraton hesitated at the door, looking despondent again, but she walked in, and looked around as if somehow deflating as she walked through that door.
"Poor, Sheraton," she sighed. "You don't really like this room, do you? I know, why don't we do our lessons outside today," Kimberly suddenly beamed.
"Shee go outs? Shee go outs," the woman almost cried.
"I don't see why not. Come with me. We'll set up a little classroom in one corner, and I'm sure you'll do even better with more to occupy your mind than four blank walls," Kimberly declared as she lifted the portfolio she had been devising on the fly to create lessons half remembered from her own childhood.
"Shee go," the woman beamed, and followed Kim out of the room again.
She beamed, staying close to Kim, and looked at everything as she did. Kim set up several chairs, a desk for writing if they got that far, and began to lay out materials.
"All right," Kim smiled, and opened her portfolio. Let's start with yesterday's lessons, and then we'll go forward. Ready, Sheraton?"
"Sheer reddy," she beamed.
"Excellent."
She lifted the first card, and asked, "A?"
"Ah-pul," she said as she eyed the picture.
"Very good," Kimberly beamed. "B," she asked, showing the next image.
"B. B. Bzzzzzz," the woman's hand flew around as Kim's had that first time she tried to explain the bee.
"Bee. Bees go buzz," she smiled. "That is right."
"C?"
"Caht."
"Very good. You have a very good memory, Sheraton."
"You try this one. Remember this one," she asked.
"Duh…. Duuhd…. Dee," she blurted happily. "Woof," she barked at the image of the dog.
"Very good. Dogs say woof," she nodded.
Sheraton smiled happily.
"Now, E."
"Elb… Eba…. Elpaphan?"
"Very good. Elephant," Kimberly sounded out the word. "You have a very good memory, Sheraton."
"Shee memree," she beamed.
"What the devil are you doing," Dr. Lipski appeared just then, rushing over when he came down the steps, saw them sitting to one side of his lab, and couldn't believe the woman that was virtually manic at times was just sitting there as if sharing the day. "I told you not to let her…."
Kimberly and Dr. Lipski were both stunned when the woman looked up at him with a sour face and made a hushing sound.
"Sssssh, K'mee talks now. Shee memrees."
"What," the scientist sputtered.
"She's saying it is time for lessons, Dr. Lipski. She really does have a rather good memory. Let me show you. Let her show you. All right, Sheraton, next card? What is this?"
"Effs," she beamed. "Fren," she beamed at Kimberly.
"That's not the image…."
"No, sir," Kimberly said, staring at the smiling woman. "But it's the first free association she's made in the past week. I think that definitely indicates her mind is still alive if buried in there. If we just keep working with her, I think we can bring back her memories," she said. "All right, Sheraton. G is…."
"Gooat," the woman said loudly, and made a baaing sound, and applauded. "Gooat," she grinned.
"H….."
"Hahrp!"
"Very good."
Dr. Lipski watched them as the woman went through the alphabet, and then Kim started the next lesson, teaching her how to add words to make simple sentences. Even he was amazed that the manic, near violent, or more often catatonic woman now smiled, frowned, and genuinely seemed to be thinking as she made her own silly sentences as much as copying Kim's work.
"Very good," Kimberly would say every time rather than chide her for even obvious mistakes. The woman applauded herself at times, and stayed focused on the lessons without even considering escape, as he would have expected.
"You are obviously doing wonders here, Miss Possible. You may continue to let her out, but only in your direct company. Just do not let her out of this lab. Understand?"
"Of course, sir. I just realized she might like a little freedom to walk, and explore, and it might even stimulate her mind. So far, my idea has been quite spot on," she beamed.
"Well, keep on. I have to say, you're already exceeding all my expectations," he admitted. "Good job. Very good job," he declared and headed back for that other locked door.
Kim just watched him go, then turned back to Sheraton, and smiled.
"Now let's have fun," she beamed and pulled out a board with certain animal figures.
Sheraton clapped her hands, having seen the board before, and squealed, "Am'mals," as she watched Kimberly set up the pieces.
To Be Continued…..