Suddenly Alfendi shot up from an awkward position in the passenger seat. His back ached and he had crushed the flowers between his legs. The car had gone over a speed-bump and Alfendi was startled into being fully awake.
"We're here." Dave said as the car came to a stop in front of the automatic glass doors of the hospital.
The cold breaths he felt were his own breaths bouncing back from the frosted window. Alfendi sighed and got out of the car to stretch.
"Remember 5:05. No later or you're walking in the freezing cold." Alfendi nodded and turned towards the hospital once more.
Dave took off slowly from the hospital's drop off zone. Alfendi discarded the crushed carnations and shoved his hands deep into his pockets.
'Well that's just great...'
He reached Lucy's room and she stared at him with an intense gaze. She smiled slightly and raised an eyebrow.
"Alfendi?"
"That's right, my dea- er... we worked together in Scotland Yard. You were my... assistant, I guess..." Alfendi was fidgeting and wiggling his hands around in his pockets.
"Well it's nice t' meet ya again Alfendi!" Her smile grew wider but only momentarily, still she kept her intense gaze locked onto his face.
"So, if you have any questions... I'd be happy to answer any of them." Alfendi smiled back at her awkwardly and walked over to sit besides her.
"What was it like in t' office and what did we actually DO at work?" She asked right off the bat.
"We solved crimes, we were a team, you and I. We had a room called the 'Mystery Room', where we were given the really tough cases to crack and you were very good at what you did. You picked it up quite quickly actually and you even solved a case that proved myself innocent." Alfendi sighed remembering the night of his return to Forbodium Castle.
"You were in trouble for somethin'?" Lucy interjected.
"Hmm, it would have been, what... about 7 or 8 years ago now? I was convicted for the murder of a notorious serial killer, Keelan Makepeace The Jigsaw Killer, and then the murder of his daughter Diane. It had turned out that my 'Best Friend' Justin Lawson, who also worked as a part of my team of investigators, before... 'the accident', had climbed across a tower, killed Keelan and later on in the same way, his daughter and framed me so no one would find out he was working with the murderers."
"So this Justin was, like a dirty cop or somethin'?"
"Mhmm." Alfendi nodded.
"But why did his daughter have to die?" Lucy frowned and scrunched her face, something she did when she was trying to concentrate really hard on something.
"She wanted revenge on the man who killed her father, and at that time, it was believed to be me."
"Why'd he frame ya? You said 'Best Friend'?" At this point Lucy had looked more confused than ever.
"Wrong place, wrong time I guess. He could have done it to any of us. Plus he had the opportunity to brainwash me, I was in a coma for a long time after that... Stupid brainwashing for dummies book." The last sentence he mumbled to himself.
Alfendi spent the next hour explaining the details of the case and what happened during the last visit to Forbodium Castle.
"I owe you my whole life Lucy!" Alfendi enthused. "And I really would like the opportunity to make it up to you."
"I'm sorry but... I don't even remember ya! You don't owe me anythin' Alfendi." Lucy watched as Alfendi backed away and slumped into the chair behind him.
"I-I mean... not really." She added.
"Not really?" Alfendi asked.
"It's a blur..." She said reaching out to grab a lock of Alfendi's hair. Al leaned forward and grabbed the bed's railing.
"But I remember yer hair, the way it changes colour, and when it get's dark there's a weird sinkin' feeling in my chest." She twirled the lock around her finger.
Alfendi had a sudden urge to lean in and he gave her a kiss on the cheek..
"Huh, that felt... strangely familiar..." She said as her voice trailed off.
"What else do you remember Lucy?" Alfendi slightly.
"Er, a strange machine, it 'ad rooms in it and it was in a small room wiv' a couch an a desk and-."
"What." Al said
"You're getting pretty close there Prof..." She frowned.
"Prof?"
"Yer Prof! Oh... sorry." Lucy paused.
"Please tell me, what else do you remember?" Alfendi's hope had risen slightly.
Lucy tapped at her cheek, trying to think of other things she might remember.
Suddenly her eyes widened and her tears had begun to blur her vision. Before long she was crying and in Alfendi's arms.
"Shh, shh, shh, it's alright Lucy. I didn't mean to upset you."
"How could I have forgotten you... I'm so sorry... I-"
"Lucy? Do you remember?!"
"I remember you... not much else but... I-I remember you and... I love ya Prof!"
Alfendi placed his nose in her hair, gently nuzzling the top of her head with his chin. She sunk even further into his chest and Al tightened his arms around her. Her crying was muffled into his shirt as Lucy clutched to it.
"Hush Luce. I love you too." Alfendi said as he sat down besides her, stroking her hair back behind her ears. Her tears rolled down her cheeks onto Alfendi's arms.
"It's odd..." She said through sniffles and tears. "I'm used to seeing you in a white coat." She giggled.
"Haha Lucy, my dear. Same goes for you without that pink cap on your head." Out of his pockets, Alfendi chuckled as he pulled a scrunched up pink hat and handed it to her.
"I-is this mine?" She said as Alfendi nodded, "I believe it was your favourite."
"Thank you, Prof." She looked up into his face and Al placed the hat in her hands.
He leaned down slowly and brought his face to hers, they shared a short gentle kiss and then Al placed the hat on her head.
"I love you Lucy." Alfendi said softly.
"I know." She smiled back at him and spoke in the same hushed tone.