Professor Layton and the Rewound Repercussions –Part 16—

"Good morning, Clive."

Clive's eyelids fluttered and he muttered something incoherent. "P…professor?"

"How are you feeling, my boy?"

"It…I can't breathe."

"I'm sure you can."

"It…it hurts."

"Well, that's to be expected." The professor picked up an apple from the small basket beside Clive's bed and began peeling it.

"Perhaps for you. I haven't the foggiest about what's happened. How did I get here? I—aughh." He had been moving to sit up, but gave a yelp of pain and fell back against the pillows. "What the devil?"

"You fell on a table, I believe."

"I what?"

"I'm sure I explained this before, but you probably weren't in any state to remember. You had a bit of a breakdown and tried to escape. The guard, of course, wouldn't have any of that, and well… You ended up falling on a table. You gave me quite the scare, really. The sound it made was rather terrible."

"It?"

"Your rib. You've broken it. I'm afraid you landed badly."

"Oh." Clive stared at the ceiling numbly. "Well, that explains a lot."

"Indeed." The professor made a smooth motion with the knife and a long, curving string of peel fell into his lap. "Would you like an apple?"

"What? No, I—how did you get a knife in here?"

"It's a normal hospital and a blunt knife. I'm afraid the only thing it can cut is fruit. Are you sure you wouldn't like some? These apples look quite good, if I do say so myself."

"Did…did you bring them?"

"No, I'm afraid not." The professor chuckled. "I should have, though. It's rude of me to not have considered it."

"Where did they come from?"

"Oh, I'm sure you could guess."

Clive couldn't guess. "There is no one aside from you that I can imagine doing something like this."

"Don't be so narrow-minded. Every puzzle has an answer!"

Clive groaned. "Don't make me think. I've lost the capacity at the moment."

"Perhaps that will do you some good. You seem to over-think things quite a bit."

"Just tell me, professor."

The professor smiled, cutting the apple into eights. "A handsome young man in a hospital filled with eager young trainees? It doesn't tax the mind much to think that one of them may have taken a fancy to you."

"A…one of the nurses did this?"

"I would assume so. If you keep your eyes open, you may catch a glimpse of her—she's passed the room at least six times since I've come."

"I…I don't want her."

Layton frowned. "That's rather harsh, my boy. I've told you before; you have to give people a cha-"

"I don't need some superficial tart!" Clive snapped, grimacing as his side gave a painful throb in response.

Layton fell silent for several minutes, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of apple. "Are you in much pain? Shall I call the nurse?"

"Not that nurse."

"Clive…"

"Look, professor—the only person I care about right now is you, so stop trying to replace yourself with some foolish girl. You knew what you signed up for when you started visiting, making all of those silly promises and—"

"I'm afraid you misunderstood me." Layton shook his head. "I'm merely trying to teach you to be kinder. Calm down, now, or you'll hurt yourself."

"I already have, as you've so nicely explained to me."

Layton began peeling another fruit. "Have a piece of apple."

"No."

"It's very good. You should at least try—"

"I already have everything I need, professor. I don't need anything else."

Layton sighed sadly. "Sometimes, my boy, life is about 'want', too."