Disclaimer: I don't own Professor Layton nor Luke Triton since they both belong to Level-5 games and nobody else, in fact I own nobody of the professor layton franchise!
Down goes the apprentice.
Professor Layton's eyes carefully flicked through the bookshelves for any book involving homemade remedies.
He had been searching ever since Luke had fallen asleep half an hour ago. The professor had just finished making some nice chamomile tea for his ailing apprentice and was doing something to wait for the drink to cool down a bit but that doctor continued to bite at his mind as he peeked through every book on the shelves but he eventually discovered a book that caught his immediate interest. The book looked fairly old but it was a book on homemade remedies;
the book he had searched for.
He gently lifted the heavy book out from its place sandwiched between a book on astrophysics and another on fossil history.
Honestly it did feel a little more heavy to carry in both hands and made them sink a little towards the ground and the professor staggered towards the sofa so he could put the book down on one of the cushions and he wouldn't have to carry it anymore. He gingerly seated himself down and stared at the book that sat towards his right side. The book looked rather worn away as it laid there on the sofa.
Reaching towards the worn away book, he flipped the book open and begun to read it eagerly. He needed to see if there was any type of medicine that could at the very least bring down a fever since he doubted that there wouldn't be anything potent enough to make ones breathing lighter...Or act as an immediate cure for pneumonia.
He flipped through the pages containing different remedies for different ailments but eventually found one that seemed to pique his interest.
Professor Layton smiled a little when he found the required remedy and he looked at the ingredients he would need for it. It would appear some herb hunting would be in order!
He jumped eagerly to his feet and darted towards the kitchen so he could begin rummaging through the cupboards and many other compartments. He needed to find some herbs that would create something to bring down Luke's unwavering fever.
That poor boy was obviously very unwell with pneumonia and needed something to soothe his horrible ailments.
Professor Layton didn't exactly know what kind of herbs he needed but he was sort of anxious to get back up to Luke so he just grabbed several bags from the kitchen and set them all down on the sofa so he could examine the instructions the book provided to make this special brew. His eyes scanned the writing very carefully and he checked the labels of each bag of herbs he had scooped up back in the kitchen.
He had grabbed parsley, Time, and maybe even a little bit of rose merry. He even grabbed a bit of lemon verbena which it turned out was the perfect thing and a favourite of reducing fevers such as the one that Luke had currently.
He once again rushed into the kitchen to go and fetch some tea that he had left to cool down a little in his tea set that sat on the counter right beside the kitchen sink. He also recalled that he would have to dribble some honey in there to make the taste more tolerable even if he had no idea how to get Luke to drink this.
Professor Layton furrowed his brows in determination as he had finally prepared the medicinal brew. He didn't hesitate on lifting the trey in his arms with the tea cup balancing on top of it, making a light "jingly" sound as the trey wobbled in the gentleman's arms. He steadily jogged up the stairs and went to go into Luke's bedroom once again.
He used his leg as an extra limb, his main ones busy, and pushed the door open with his foot so he could enter.
He found his breath hitching in his throat sorrowfully at what he saw.
Luke seemed to have been once again in the realm of half consciousness and semi unconsciousness as his dead, usually bright and playful eyes glared down at the floor absent mindedly. The dark circles beneath his eyes proved that Luke only got a little sleep following his short trip down the stairs before regaining a tiny bit of sense.
Listless didn't even begin to describe how Luke was probably feeling, actually he may have vaguely been aware that the professor had just entered the room.
"Luke..." The professor called out in a hushed whisper as to not frighten him.
Luke drearily responded by lifting his head up a little. His eyes met the professor and his face was very long and dragged from the fact that he was horribly sleep deprived.
Without saying another word but blinking back tears of sympathy, the professor travelled towards the bedside once more and he pulled up a chair so he could sit himself down.
Luke just laid there in a lethargic way. His body was completely limp and his eyes were letting off delayed blinking every 10 seconds. Slowly and with a raspy sigh, Luke slowly and deftly moved his hand towards the professor's hand until it hovered slightly over it, casting a shadow over the latter's tan hand.
Professor Layton sighed himself. He couldn't pretend that seeing Luke in such a foul state was completely heart breaking but he decided to tough up, knowing that Luke needed to be fuelled by a positive energy even if he felt like nothing would ever get good again.
Luke gave a meek series of whimpers to express himself but the professor simply shushed him while gently rubbing the boy's fevering head, being careful of the tray on his lap as he bent over slightly to reach Luke's head.
"Shhh, don't worry Luke. You will be alright." The professor comforted the ill youngling in a soft voice, clearly meaning to sound as kind as possible.
He retracted himself back on to the chair so he could sit up straight again. Professor Layton picked up a small tea spoon off the tray beside the delicate tea cup and began to stir the honey inside it in a gentle rhythm, watching some warming steam erupt from the round rim of the cup.
This should help Luke hopefully.
It took a full minute of carefully stirring but he finished. The professor once again leaned forwards and held the china tea cup on Luke's chest carefully and watched as the boy's chest raised up heavily before going down and flatter than a pancake, it was enough to show the outline of his rib cage actually.
Slowly and softly, the professor placed the rim of the cup to his apprentice's lips and slowly made the drink go down the hatch even though Luke's slight squirms of protest proved that he wasn't all that keen on this idea yet it was a way to get Luke better and hydrated. The boy exhaled through his nose in slight contentment.
Professor Layton smirked when an idea came to mind "Say, my boy, I do believe I have just the thing to cheer you up."
He placed the now empty cup and trey on the bedside table and stood up to walk out the door. The professor walked down the darkened halls as the rain splattering the windows provided a nice, soothing background noise that would also serve as a lullaby for others who were exhausted and dog tired beyond comprehension. He was one of those people who the rain became a sweet lullaby to.
He deftly walked through the creepy hallways, examining the doors to his right while the banister was on his left to prevent both himself and Luke from falling down below.
Professor Layton sighed as he tipped his top hat randomly to adjust it over the ridges of his eyes and he soon found the room he sought out. He entered the room that was stacked with books and scattered toys on the wooden flooring beneath, he could hardly believe it had been so long ago since he had teamed up with the little boy.
That wasn't the first time he had met Luke, though. He was also there on the day he was born and he babysat him a few times in his younger years of adulthood. When he was in his mid twenties, in fact.
As a matter of fact, those memories were what brought him to this very room.
He entered the room and deftly maneuvered passed the toys on the floor and stood before a shelve that had been marked "Shelf 20-29" which most likely hinted that these were books he had been keeping since he was at those ages and hadn't read them since.
He found a book in particular that made him grin in satisfaction. A book that was labelled "Memories of Luke Triton" and that was what he was planning on reading to Luke to make the time go by faster and to make sure he would be distracted from the dreadful fever he was suffering from. Luke may not pay attention to it at times in his groggy state but it was worth a try.
The top hat-wearing gentleman yanked the book out from its sandwiched position and held it underneath his arm, making sure it was fastened beneath his underarm so it would drop heavily to the flooring beneath. He began to retrace his steps back out the door and to get back to Luke's room, a look of slight worry etched on his face.
He was truly looking forwards to reminiscing on the good times with Luke.
A/N: Sorry it took a bit long to update, I was just a bit distracted. I'm happy with the reviews it is getting though even though I wasn't sure this was going to do very well. Thanks guys!
I did make a fanfic about Professor Layton's first meeting with little Luke, which I think you'd like.
I'm very glad I have the characters' personalities right too.
Hope you enjoy it.
-Chloemcg