The Professor's Daughter

Maria awoke the following morning, her hand stretching out into the thick quilts of the sheets. Empty; alone. With the serenity only brought about by sleeping, she padded through to the living room, spotting the figure curled up gallantly on the sofa.

Maria pulled the blanket further over his tall and wiry frame, perching on the edge of the cushion and delicately tracing his jaw line.

She bent and pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth.

Without opening his eyes, Leighton hooked Maria with his arm and brought her down next to him. Maria laughed in surprise and kissed the end of his nose, taking in the familiar smell, the feel of his thumb brushing up and down her side, his breath against her cheek.

"Good morning Professor."

Leighton moaned and his eyes drifted open, "Don't say that."

"Hmm?"

"Makes me feel old."

Maria smiled, her eyes resting lazily on the collar of his navy t-shirt. The colour made his skin look paler, papery thin, almost translucent. It was strange, thought Maria, that this man who from a distance with his height, appeared so strong-minded and resilient and yet, close up, he was so light.

"Oh but you are old." Maria joked.

Leighton's hand rubbed slowly up her back, his touch grazing the bare skin at the bottom of her shirt. He rested his head further into the cushions and sighed deeply.

"Too old for you, sweetheart."

He had meant it lightheartedly but Maria noted the deeper meaning as her eyes trailed his face. They lay in the stillness for a while longer, perfectly content to do nothing but be in such close confines with one another.

"You've no need to worry," Maria spoke. "I only tend to go for a person if there's a thirteen year age gap between us."

"Oh yeah?" Leighton's lips quirked beneath his closed eyes.

"Mmm. Luckily for you, I don't know many six year olds."

Leighton laughed, rolling over and kissing Maria greedily, "Lucky for me."

.

It was an hour or so later that Maria turned the key in the lock of her apartment though why they needed a lock she had no idea. As a family they had nothing of any worth, only each other and even that was starting to slip away. Nevertheless, Maria couldn't stop the smile from gracing her face as she entered, her mind far away, back with Thomas in his arms.

How cliched! she begun, but then again she was not about to start complaining.

Maria had left Thomas with the strict instructions to call his sister and he had simply looked at her in return. It was a look that Maria had never had before but she'd seen her father do the exact same to her mother years before. It was one which said, You can't boss me about! But I don't mind watching you try.

With her head rather firmly in the clouds, Maria almost didn't notice her father sat stiffly in his armchair.

"Wo bist du gewesen?" He chipped.

And straight back down to Earth again.

Maria sighed as she hung her jacket up.

"Does it really matter now Papa?"

Professor Ludwig stood shakily from his chair, whether the trembling was from anger or age, it was not important. "Of course it does, my daughter out places all night? I have right to know where she was."

"With friends." Maria began folding the washing from the previous day, it was important to keep on top of such little things, her mother had taught her that.

"Willst du mich für dumm verkaufen?" Her father shouted.

"I never called you stupid, Papa." Maria mumbled distractedly.

"With him, weren't you?" He pointed an accusatory finger at her and Maria had no choice but to stop and turn, knowing her father wouldn't rest the topic.

"Yes." She stated, her voice equally raised. "I was with him. There I said it, happy now?"

"Happy? Happy!" Professor Ludwig paced towards her, "Out all night with strange man, eh? I brought daughter up to be good child, not a disgrace to family."

Maria's mouth fell open as she stared at her father in disbelief. "I'm the disgrace? Shouts the man who can barely support his wife and child. No job, nothing very much for years. You know what other professors think of you, Papa?" Professor Ludwig watched Maria with pure anger. "They pity you; think you're a fool."

Ludwig shook his head with disgust. "If you're mother could hear you-"

"Well, she can't. Unfortunately for her, she's lying in a hospital bed." Maria raised her hands. "You're fault, Papa." She hissed.

Ludwig grabbed her wrists, his hold tight for someone so old and weak.

"I love your mother." He said by way of an excuse.

Maria's vision blurred, "Then perhaps try showing it sometimes!"

She knew she'd overstepped the mark long ago, the disappointment evident in her father's eyes. But she'd gained momentum and it all just came out with such little thought. She loved her father, no doubt, but right now that feeling had been suppressed with anger.

The feeble ring of the telephone broke their staring contest, Maria's wrists ached in her father's hands but she didn't want to show him such weakness.

She wriggled out of his grasp and took a deep breath before lifting the receiver.

"Hello." She breathed coolly, eyeing her father.

"Miss Ludwig?"

"Yes?"

"It's the hospital here." Maria focused back on the conversation, turning away from Ludwig.

"Is everything ok? What has happened to my mother?"

The lady on the other end gave a small titter.

"Everything is fine, do not worry. Your mother appears to be stirring slightly, she could wake very soon. It would be good to have a familiar face there for her."

"We'll be there as soon as we can. Thank you."

They said their goodbyes and Maria turned back to her father. She didn't look him in his eyes and her voice trembled slightly.

"Get your coat Papa, your wife needs you."

And then Maria left the room.

.

The nurse had been right, Anne Ludwig was showing more signs of life then she had in a long time. Her fingers twitched at her side, her eyelids flickering every now and again. The machines by her bed beeped steadily.

Maria watched as her father stepped towards her mother, taking her hand with such gentleness. He stroked back her thin wisps of hair and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"Oh Annie."

She wouldn't have heard his words if she hadn't been following him so closely with her gaze. Instantly Maria was flooded with guilt. She knew her father loved her mother more then anyone and whilst the casual onlooker may not notice it often, the care he held for her was clearly evident in those small and tender moments.

Now annoyed with herself, Maria stepped out into the corridor and watched her parents through the slitted blinds of the window.

"Maria?"

She turned at the sound of her name, surprised.

"Professor Daniels."

Daniels stepped closer and glanced through the window.

"How is your mother doing?"

"Better. The doctors say she is improving, albeit slowly."

"I'm glad to hear it."

They stood in silence for a moment before Maria rotated around to the professor. As she played his last phrase over in her head she noticed his usual bubbly expression was gone and his eyes, normally bright and shining, were faded.

"Why are you here, Professor?" She asked carefully.

Daniels heaved a sigh and glanced down at his fidgety hands.

"It's Susie."

Maria tilted her head in confusion.

"What about her?"

Daniels raised his gaze to meet Maria's.

"Last night," He spoke solemnly, "she was attacked."

"Wha- I don't..." Maria gasped, "Who?"

Daniels shook his head. "We don't know yet. The police are looking into it."

Maria's thoughts spun back to the previous night. She could almost feel Susie's hand clasping her own, almost hear her voice telling her not to go.

“Stay.” Susie pleaded. “You don’t have to go.”

Daniels motioned for Maria to follow and she was shaken from her reverie, within a minute they arrived at Susie's bed side. Maria noted the red grazes which sprinkled her sleeping friends face and the bruises shadowing her cheek.

"How is she?"

"Quite shaken up but nothing too serious by way of injuries. Someone found her, managed to chase off whichever imbecile did this to her before much harm was done." Daniels piqued in a quiet voice, careful not to wake his niece.

"Where are her parents?"

Daniels scoffed a little, "Visiting friends in Nottingham. Susie asked me not to call them but I might do later on."

Maria sat down on the chair by Susie's head, her head a wave of emotions; guilt, regret irritation, tiredness.

Slowly, Susie stirred. Her pale fingers gripped the white sheet closer around her and her eyes flickered open.

"Maria..." She uttered with a croaky throat.

"Hey Suse." Maria smiled warmly.

Susie's stare jolted around Maria's face, "L-L-"

Maria took Susie's hand and leaned in closer, unable to hear Susie's voice.

"Pardon? It's alright, I'm here for you."

"D-Don't leave." Susie seemed to be working herself up and she shut her eyes in weariness. "Have to stay-"

Maria placed her arm over Susie's shoulders and squeezed her hand as she saw tears slip from beneath her eyelashes.

"Of course." Maria whispered, "I'm not going anywhere."

And this time Maria didn't defy her friend. She held her tightly, hushing her sobs and shutting her eyes.

"Don't leave." Susie repeated herself in a voice barely audible. "Stay."

Stay away.