Reed barely had time to wrap his hand in a bandage before the next class started. He'd really gone to town on that punching bag, and he hadn't used any protection on his fists. For one thing, he hadn't had time to waste wrapping his hands, and for another, he'd just needed to whale on something as quickly as possible to get it out of his system. He could never just sit still and focus when it counted. It was frustrating. For him and anyone else depending on him. His teachers. His lecturers. Now he was making the DPD look bad to these guest speakers. He was making Connor look bad. He was making Fowler look bad. Tina was already waiting in their chosen spot when he returned. She gave him a tight-lipped frown of disapproval as she caught sight of the carelessly tied bandage. Red already dotted the surface in some places.

"Don't phcking say it," Reed grunted as he sat down, slightly annoyed that he'd fucked up his writing hand. He hadn't even thought of that. As usual. He sighed out a long breath as his heel started to bounce. People were filing in and the speaker soon arrived to set up. It was a male this time. The lack of an LED suggested he was human, but something about him struck Reed as odd. He couldn't say for sure, but he had the feeling he was an android with his LED removed. He was surprised as the man's eyes searched before falling on him with a piercing look. One that made him uncomfortable. It wasn't exactly a glare, but he was letting him know he'd been seen. He shifted his gaze to the door and watched Fowler enter, along with Connor. Connor slowly walked to the back of the room while Fowler settled in the doorway. It would definitely be a quiet class. Unfortunately, that made Reed's discomfort all the more obvious.

Reed fisted his hands in his lap, digging his fingernails into the torn knuckles of his injured hand. The burning pain was enough to keep him still for a while, but it didn't help him focus. His lack of focus made him nervous, especially as he felt Fowler's eyes upon him. Judging him. That was on top of the lecturer, who seemed to have singled him out. Reed crossed and uncrossed his legs, eventually opting to close his eyes once again. He figured it was better to at least be still and listening rather than constantly drawing attention to himself. He opened his eyes as Tina's foot tapped his shoe and lifted his head to find Fowler giving him a meaningful look. He pointed a finger at his ear. I am listening! He felt defensive, sighing as Fowler shook his head. Shit…

He remained sitting up for the rest of the lecture, restless as ever. The only difference was that at the end, he didn't get to head to the gym to take it out on a punching bag. The moment he was close enough, Fowler murmured to get to his office. Reed couldn't help the dull ache in his chest. It had always gotten to him. The way his teachers had always looked at him with some form of disdain. They'd never believed him when he'd said he found it easier to just sit with his eyes closed and listen. They'd always thought he was sleeping. They'd always snapped and told him to sit still. Stop fiddling. Pay attention. I'd phcking pay attention if you'd just let me work!

"I had hoped Miss Martin was exaggerating when she voiced her concerns to me earlier, but after watching for the past hour I-" Fowler began in a slightly grave but disappointed tone as they settled at his desk. Reed lowered his head and tightened his jaw, already knowing what was coming. He was definitely getting a disciplinary, at the very least. He'd be lucky if he didn't get fired. Fowler cut off as an urgent knock sounded and Connor barged in. He didn't even wait to be invited. "Connor, this better be damned good. You know I'm in a meeting," he added impatiently as he gestured to Reed.

"I'm aware. That's actually what I need to talk to you about…It's important," Connor insisted as his LED span yellow, his expression firm. Fowler dismissed Reed, but told him not to go too far. Reed stomped to his desk and threw himself down, kicking the metal frame in frustration. Across the pen, Hank looked up from his terminal and swivelled to face Reed with an almost concerned frown. Reed huffed out a sigh as he leaned forward on his elbows. His throat tightened and his eyes burned. It wasn't fair. He was doing everything right. He was going to the classes. He was trying his damned best. In the office, he could see the lecturer and Connor arguing as Fowler watched. What's gotten into them? It was rare to see Connor so passionate. It looked like he was even raising his voice. It didn't take long. Moments later, Connor was walking smartly across to his desk. "Come with me, Detective," he ordered softly as he motioned Reed to stand. Reed didn't bother to question it for now as he followed him into an empty interrogation room. He sat on the suspect's side of the table while Connor stood across from him.

"What's going on?" Reed asked nervously, unsure exactly how much trouble he was in. Is he planning to interrogate me or something? He felt bewildered as Connor leaned down on the metal table and stared down at him. It was an analysing stare. Level and cool. It made Reed feel a little nervous, and he crossed his arms in reflex. He certainly felt like he was in the suspect's chair. Connor's gaze dropped to his hand.

"You hurt yourself." It wasn't a question. Reed dropped his hand out of sight with something akin to shame swirling in his chest. Jeez, way to make it sound weird. He hadn't done it on purpose, in the hopes of getting hurt. He just hadn't thought about his hand when he'd lashed out at the leather bag.

"Got a little carried away training is all…" It was a half-truth, and Connor recognised it as such. He was well aware of Reed's temper, so he supposed he should be grateful he was taking it out on the gym equipment rather than his colleagues. "What's all this about?" Reed asked finally, watching as Connor pushed a small mini player and a set of headphones across the desk. He took them, since it was clearly expected, and pressed play. His eyes widened as he recognised the female android's voice. It was the morning lecture, recorded from start to finish.

"I have a theory about you, Detective…I'd like you to listen to this recording and take notes however you choose. At the end, I would like you to complete the written assignment. Right here and now," he added for clarification. Reed was about to argue, to remind Connor about the pile of case files sitting on his desk and ask which was more important. Connor's hazel eyes were firm. Whatever the plan was, he'd clearly run it by Fowler already and cleared it. Reed was speechless for a moment. Is he seriously telling me to do this however I want?

"Can I grab my notebook? And a pen?" Reed added with an anxious air. Connor said that he would get them. Reed was worried at first that he'd grab the wrong book, but he'd been observant. He'd looked at each cover and read the class names scrawled on each one. Upon his return, Reed took the book and flipped it open to a new page, uncapping his pen before pushing it away. Connor sat comfortably and watched patiently as Reed folded his arms and laid his head down, closing his eyes peacefully. His vitals were still ticking away. He was awake and alert. He looked peaceful. He was content.

Reed spent the next hour or so like that. Every few minutes, he'd lift his head and lean over the paper, pausing the recording as he jotted down a few notes. Sometimes he'd rewind and pause, looking at the ceiling as he reviewed the data. Connor watched curiously, figuring out how Reed's mind worked. His notes were neat bullet points, broken down into titled sections. It was very smart. Orderly. Once the hour ended, Reed pushed the notes away and accepted the assignment sheet. The task was to write a one thousand word essay where he had to detail an instance of android abuse he was aware of in the workplace and how it should have been handled.

For Reed, it was easy. He chose his own earlier interactions with Connor, although he didn't mention their names specifically. He treated it like an event he'd been witness to, and what he would do now, as an officer of the law. Connor was quietly impressed. The general point of his essay was exactly what he'd want from an officer, besides the littered spelling and grammatical errors. That aside, he was more than satisfied. His hazel eyes shifted to the glass almost triumphantly before he left the room with Reed's paper. Reed shifted in his seat awkwardly, unsure what he was supposed to do now. He glanced at the glass, almost able to feel the eyes watching him.

"Reed, I apologise," Fowler sighed in an apologetic tone as he entered the room. Reed was unsure what he should do with that. He had no idea what he was sorry for. "I thought you were slacking off and not taking these new classes seriously, but Connor came to me with a different theory…Why the hell didn't you say something?" Fowler chided as he rested his hands on his hips, still holding Reed's rough essay in his hand. Reed looked back and forth between the two men, speechless. Say something about what?

"Had someone looked into his academy or school records, it would have been evident. Detective Reed has consistently proven his abilities in the field and examinations, but suffered severely in a classroom setting," Connor piped up, and Fowler knew he was right. He could have looked into it sooner if he'd just put two and two together. "Detective Reed, you definitely have focus issues within crowded environments. It's no surprise that classroom settings are a challenge for you. As a result, it is my suggestion that we make an exception. Your presence within these classes is no longer mandatory. I will provide you with sound files and any presentation materials so that you can complete the work in a setting more appropriate to your needs," Connor said in an understanding tone. Something in Reed's chest tightening a little.

"Sure," he managed to force out, dropping his green eyes to the table as he felt a lump form in his throat. He coughed distractedly as he felt his eyes stinging. Phcking nope! He took a breath, tightening his jaw stubbornly as he blinked up at the ceiling. It felt good. He'd been noticed. Validated. Someone had seen him struggling and actually got it. "Thanks," Reed murmured vulnerably. The three of them parted ways quickly after that. Almost as soon as Reed sat down, he got an email containing the sound files and Power Points for both of the day's lectures. He quickly downloaded them to his phone so that he could take them home later. For now, he had a pile of files to drag his way through.