Hello all,
this is my first story here! I don't own The Professor Layton Franchise, Level 5 does. I hope you like it so far! Please review!
I wake up to the pounding of my head, beating heavily like a newly started heart. I clutch it as I try to lift myself from the couch I passed out upon, and look up at the clock. I almost have a heart attack when it reads 10:16 and hop off the couch and straighten my clothes and bolt out the door, planning to fix my hair on the way down. I was over an hour late, there was no time for breakfasts and showering. Of courses it's all his fault for being up so late. I always am on time but not today and I'm sure Lucy will pester me about being late and hypocritical.
You never let me take control, and when your weak mind managed to slip, I will enjoy it and be up for as damn late as I please. I swear if Ms. Baker makes a snarky comment about your tardiness, I will cut out her tongue.
I brush him off as I run throught the Scotland Yard hallway with my coat flying back behind me. I tear open the door to find Lucy looking utterly frustrated at my desk swamped in piles of paperwork. She turns to me with a smile across her face, looking a bit flustered as well, "G'day Prof!"
"Morning Lucy. Sorry I'm late, I was unwell last night and overslept this morning," I say rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly.
"It's fine, Prof. You're me boss, and if you're ill, I'll 'andle things an' 'elp you out, that's me job. Feelin' any better or summat?"
"I'm fine, other than my headache, thank you for asking. How far have you gotten on this paperwork?"
The large smile on her face slowly fades as I watch her pick a nice spot in the ground to stare at. "Nowt much, I just got 'ere an' you didn't tell me 'ow to fill it out. Flummoxing me it were." The face she wears looks terrified, as if I was going to fire her over paperwork.
Looks like your little Ms. Baker isn't as bright as you thought.
"It's fine, I'll review it. You can take a break and I'll show you when we are ready," I reply, a bit frustrated with her but it was easily fixed.
"Gi' over you need it more than me, 'Old I'm gonna put some cuppas on for us," she says sweetly with her eternal optimism as she bounces out of the Mystery Room to the break room. I sit down at my desk and review the paperwork Lucy filled out. Her spelling is horribly off and thinhs are in the wrong places and I run my fingers through my hair, how could such a smart Detective Constable not perform well on paper at all. It makes absolutely no sense.
See she isn't as smart as your pathetic mind thought her to be, she did decent yesterday but look at this, she isn't for to assist me.
I look down at the paperwork in confusion, wondering how I can fix all her errors. I don't notice when she walks up behind me with two cups of tea. I hear her cheerful voice say,"'Ere Prof, 'Hope you like it," as she sets one next to me and linger over my shoulder before heading to the couch with her tea in hand. "By t'way, I'm gunna 'op out for lunch 'round eleven is that okay?"
"That's early, may I ask why," I question whiel sipping my tea and mulling over the mess of paperwork in front of me.
"Florence invited me t'lunch wi' Dustin an' Sniffer. Says it'd be good for me to meetsome of me new coworkers."
"I suppose that's fine but we need to talk about your paperwork"
"Yes", she questions nervously, awaiting my reply.
"Is there any reason things are in the wrong spaces and things are spelt wrong right and left," I say as I turn to her. She looks to the floor in disappointment.
"Well if you saw me test scores, you'd lose your 'ead," she mutters to herself quietly.
"And is there a reason for that, Lucy," I ask in order to get to the bottom of this without letting him take over or seem to intimidating. As I see her try to avoid my gaze I go to the couch and sit next to her. "Lucy, you can tell me why. You're a bright young lady so you're not daft, it's something else isn't it."
"I'm dyslexic," she mutters still staring at the ground with a heavy heart.
"Dyslexic? Is that why it took so long for you to read our statements and files on the last case" I ask to try and get more out of her.
She looks up at me and seems to give up her resistance. "Yes Prof. I've got trouble readin' an'all that, That's why t'paperwork is screwed up, I am so slow an'me test scores are so low. I can't undestrand owt", she almost yells in anguish in tears with her eyesight,"An'you don't want an assitant who can't read."
I have no idea what to do in this situation and remember how the embrace yesterday subdued her. I move closer to her and give her a small embrace. "Lucy, don't tell me what I want in an assistant, you're very bright and this problem isn't under your control. I'll assign you less paperwork and train you on basic types if needed. I'm not going to let you go because you can read well, you're a brilliant young woman, Lucy?"
"You really mean it Prof," the
crestfallen young woman in my arms asks as she looks up hopefully with tears in her eyes.
"Yes Lucy, why would I tell you otherwise. We will work this all out if you promise you won't get like this when you have a problem," I tell her as I let her go.
"Promise," she says looking a bit more hopeful as she reattaches herself to me,"Thanks Prof for everything."
I can felt the heat rise to my face,"Now why don't you get ready for lunch, it's almost time to go."
My young assistant with a deep blush across her face almost jumps from me as she looks at the time, 10:54."By 'eck you're righ'. You sure you don't mind?"
"I'm fine Lucy, go on ahead, I'll fix up your papers when you're gone." She laughs and gives me another wave and a thank you as she runs off to the powder room to clean up. As she leaves I silently thank her for everything and move to my desk to study and fix her horrid paperwork. The moment of silence I have is soon interrupted by an "Al, are you —achoo— in here?"
"Yes Florence, what do you need," I ask the Yard's ebony-haired, sickly forensic, Florence Sich.
"Is Lucy here?"
"She went to clean up in the powder room, she should be back soon."
"I'll wait for here her then, were heading ov—Achoo—er there together with the boys. She's a sweet girl, eh Al?"
"Yes, she's rather nice and intelligent," I sat silently when the ginger janitor Dustin Scowers bursts in
"Flo! Wot are ya doin', Sniffer has 'is car runnin'!"
"I'm waiting for Lucy, would you ca—Achoo—lm down Dusty."
"Sniffer is lookin' for ya and Lucy, that's wot. 'E'll 'ave a cow if we don't hurry up. We've got a reserva'tion in a few."
As the two bicker Lucy flies through the door, "I'm righ' sorry!"
"It's fine Lucy, let's go though before Sniffer freaks out even more," Florence says as she grabs Lucy's arm with her arm not attached to her IV and starts to roll down the hallway in her wheelchair.
"Bye Prof! See you later," she calls as she is dragged by our coworkers out the door so they can make their lunch reservation, I give her a small wave and swivel by rolling chair back to the desk. The twinge in loneliness sparks inside me as she leaves. The past few days I have taken lunch with Lucy, so there is quite a difference in atmosphere. I brush it off and stare at Lucy's papers with a laugh. I study her little scribbles and all the words scratched out. Things are spelt wrong I and things are in the wrong places, I laugh lightly to myself at the girl's mess of an assignment. I quickly take out a new form and fill it out correctly and drop it off at the Yard's main office. Once I return, I take the lukewarm tea and sit on the couch and pull out a newspaper. As I pull it out a small paper falls to the ground. I pick up the paper to find some familiar writing upon it that reads Lucy Bakerabove a messy phone number. I realize it must be what she slipped on my desk yesterday and muster a small smile as I slip the paper into what I believe to be my wallet. I take out my paper and finally get to reading the crime section in peace as I relax and wait for the return of my up and coming Detective Constable.