Swear I'll try pick up the pace for this a little bit. *Try*
/-^1^-\ Next Week. Monday. /-^1^-\
"You can't do this!" cried Penrose as he was being escorted out. He'd been told on Sunday not to go in and to go to somewhere else for a meeting. He'd failed to show up and people came around to escort him out. "STOP!" he barked.
"Dr. Penrose, it would be much more comfortable for us all if you just come with us," said a man who looked to be muscle. Everyone who had an office along that corridor had heard the disruption and had come to look out. Dr. Albert Weiss was at the end, looking pretty thrilled.
"GET OFF ME YOU LOWLY SCUM!" snarled Dr. Penrose.
"Now, now, Dr. Penrose," said one of the people who had come to see Alison for the discussion, "that's absolutely no way to speak to your fellow humans. No one is beneath you."
"All of you are for this mutiny!" he roared at the doctors along the corridor. He dug his heels into the ground when he got to Alison. "This was your doing; wasn't it?" he asked, seeming calm. Jonathan pulled her back over protectively.
"Actually, this was a mutual agreement," said Albert, causing Dr. Penrose to snap his head around. He was dragged out the rest of the way.
"We all know they were men in white coats in disguise," said one doctor. There were a few wry smirks and nods of agreement.
"Who's in charge now?" asked someone.
"I've been handed those responsibilities temporarily," smiled Albert, about to shuffle back into his office. Alison knocked and entered.
"Temporarily, Albert?" she asked.
"I'm going to retire, but I'm happy to take those duties until they find someone new," he smiled, "thank you for handing it to me."
"Oh, it's fine. I thought you'd have good judgement."
"Well, I whole heartedly agreed with your first evaluation," he smiled.
"Thanks," she grinned. "I know you might not be able to tell me; but what'll be happening to those who aren't meeting standards?"
"Well, I'll be conducting observations - the board will come in at some point I imagine and it'll be taken from there.
"Alison, I don't suppose you're aware we take about 8 students on here every year around this time, are you?"
"From the college?" she asked, vaguely aware.
"Yes. Would you mind taking two? I looked in your file, you have relevant experience," he smiled, "you've achieved a lot for your age."
"Thank you. I like to work hard. I'd be happy to take two, of course."
"Thank you," he nodded.
"I'll leave you to your work," nodded Alison, leaving quietly.
She glanced back into her office and found Jonathan roaming around still. She wandered in, shutting the door behind her. She did a little jump of joy.
"You need to explain your joy to me so I can feel like doing the same," remarked Jonathan. Alison giggled.
"I'm going to start taking more people to court if this is what it's going to result in. Staff communicating, being a little happier even though the job is grim and the right people being around!"
"No one quite had your motivation to get people progressing."
"I know the more extreme cases aren't leavers, but I think some of the low key patients could get shifted. Have you ever noticed we're more like a care home for the insane?"
"...Gosh, you're right," frowned Jonathan. He hadn't actually thought about it that way.
/-^1^-\ 1 week later. Weekend. Saturday. /-^1^-\
Alison perched on the edge of the seat as she drove around the corner at break-neck speed on the racing game. She cackled madly as Jonathan still lamely pushed the controls around, trying to get a grasp of it.
"I don't see how this is fun."
"Hey, look at me! I'm laughing-"
"At my failure."
"Awwh, poor Johnny!" she giggled, moving into first place on the game. "I think I win!"
"I think I lose three times over," he remarked, raising a brow and glaring at the controller as if it had done something wrong to him.
"You're continuing until you get the hang of it and have a laugh!" she warned.
"But I'll become idle and mindless!" he whined, crossing his legs and arms pretending to be a mood.
"I'll put you on the naughty step," she remarked. He laughed and picked up the controller again. And went on to win the next race with a surprising grasp of the controls suddenly rushing to him. "Did you hear about Albert?"
"Retiring! I know!"
"This is falling into place nicely. It's like she orchestrated the way for me," smirked Jonathan. One of the thugs frowned.
"I thought you was seeing her, Doc."
"I am. But it doesn't mean I'm going to be soft in building my esteem."
"Isn't that using her as a means to an ends a little bit?" asked Albert, shuffling a deck of cards and dealing them.
"I'm not ... you've made me feel bad. Thanks."
"She's not suitable for the role," said Albert, shaking his head, "she's too young."
"You think she's mature!"
"Yeah, but she's also fun loving - and having a job like that strips you off your free time."
"...Oh, I didn't..."
"Think about that? Yeah, but you can handle that responsibility because you don't need quite the same freedom she will. She might not even realise she needs it."
"You have suggested me, right?" asked Jonathan, pointing at Albert.
"The first," he nodded. It felt good to know he had Albert on his side, as always.
"This place is going to miss you though," smiled Jonathan, shaking the test tube and pouring its contents into a conical flask.
"How are you planning to test that?"
"Willing self-selected participants," said Jonathan, "I'll use the university or college to do that."
"Fold," sighed the thug as Albert went all in. Albert turned his hand over and revealed how poor it was and cackling as he scooped up the winnings.
"You're not going to retire, you're just going to live life as a casino ace," laughed Jonathan.
"To right I am! I deserve it thank you very much," said Albert, re-dealing the cards.
I'm kinda plagiarising myself, because in my other 'novel' (It just can't be called that but no other word works better) works Albert is one of my characters so I really hope if I take it to publishers and they somehow find this they don't hold it against me that I do that because we all hit a brick wall sometimes and this is what I did. Damn *crosses fingers*.