The Doctor and the Lawyer Who Were Neither

Aletheia "Thea" Beckett adjusted her sweater nervously outside Friction's Human Relations office. Apparently, beating Z.Z. senseless was against policy here. For some sadistic reason, AFW talent was allowed free reign to brawl backstage, but the support employees like Thea? Not given such leeway. Still, Thea was certain she made the right choice. Security was nowhere. If she had let Z.Z. plunder the infirmary, or worse, they would have brought the whole medical staff in for a meeting not too different from this. Of course, now that her job was on the line, Thea could barely shake the butterflies in her stomach. She had very few connections here in Japan and could not blend in as well here as she did in America. If she lost this job, it would be very difficult for her to go freelance. She could not go back to America, at least until that nasty mob business was sorted out... Thea hoped that she could evoke some leniency in whatever this meeting was supposedly going to produce.

Meanwhile, Margaret Roderick Sinclair bristled. Friction was short senior staff members and, for the time being, Lukretia had assigned her to deal with the disciplinary action regarding this Beckett woman. Margaret took a swig of her coffee and glanced over at Mercy Wrenn, her paralegal. This was beneath Margaret, so she had dumped the work off on Mercy. Margaret was here only as an obligation. She had hoped to get some paperwork out of the way while this nonsense proceeded.

As Margaret glanced at her watch, the door to the office creaked open. "Good morning?" Thea asked, trying to avoid sounding nervous. "I'm Thea Beckett." She approached Mercy and offered her hand. Margaret did not even look up to meet her.

Mercy Wrenn stood at the side of Ms. Margaret Roderick Sinclair as she often did.So used to was she being in this position that when she was home alone she would often stop and turn to no one in particular and offer a pencil, a legal document or case file to the blank space next to her only to blush at the prospect of having her life so singularly devoted to a woman. But the pay was good, even if the work was menial and in due time she would have her own personal Mercedes Wrenn at her disposal to fetch coffee and briefings and do most of the work that didn't involve showing up and taking a lot of credit.

Mercy adjusted her glasses and bit her lip as she arranged the pens and pencils on Margaret's desk. From most used to newest and in order of color by pens. Only the nicest pens for Ms. Sinclair. One day she'd have a 200$ pen. For now she was content for her 35$ pen. It wrote the same anyway. Ms. Sinclair was only paying for the brand. Mercy had checked a consumer magazine. But a prestigious lawyer like Ms. Sinclair needed that name engraved on the side. It said she was an important woman. She was definitely an important woman.

Mercy flipped through the details involving the woman who was about to enter. She'd already memorized the details but she needed to check to make sure that every i was dotted and t was crossed. They were but she had to anyway. If they weren't it would be her ass, not Ms. Sinclair's. Ms. Sinclair's shapely ass was far too important to be reprimanded over something as miniscule as an undotted I. One day, Mercy would be able to fire people for T's that were not crossed.

When Thea entered, Mercy did not look up from her open manilla enveloped, she didn't really care for manilla, it was very bland, and began to speak as Thea greeted her. "Ms.... Let me see here... Ms. Beckett?" Mercy knew the woman's name frontwards and backwards but pretending that she didn't made the clients feel like they were being imposed upon. It gave Mercy the edge in any negotiations that were taking place.

"Aletheia Beckett." She repeated. She offered the extended hand her envelop so Thea could review. "Do you know why you've been called here?" Make them believe that the lawyers believed that the clients were so stupid that they needed to have their hands held and have everything repeated to them. It was a good strategy. "You were in an altercation, right?" Answer them before they can get to the point of it just to confirm said projected stupidity. "How... unfortunate. There are possibilities though. Possibilities that do not have to end with your termination. How about you tell us your side of the story?" She said and lifted her hand and lowered her glasses to eye Thea. A raised eyebrow that was both questioning and demanding. Her face was serious. Lawyers didn't smile, after all.

Thea greeted Mercy coolly. She did not appreciate the girl's tone but she had no leverage here. She was here to be dressed down and she was going to take it. "An... altercation." Thea arched an eyebrow, "I would more say I was the victim of an attempted assault and robbery."

Margaret stifled a scoff, continuing to fill out her paperwork.

Thea continued, undaunted, "The, eh... woman in question had wandered into the patient areas of the infirmary outside of visiting hours. I asked her what she was doing. She attacked me without provocation." Thea brushed a lock of hair back, "Security was nowhere. They were more interested in the match going on." Thea's tone was indignant, yet subdued, "If she was willing to attack me, I hate to think of what she would do had she unfettered access to the clinic."

Thea folded her arms, "My termination? Why aren't we having this conversation with the security staff?"

Mercy shook her head at Thea's words and wagged her finger disapprovingly. "What you call assault and attempted robbery, Ms. Zeca calls an act of rage. Presently, it seems as if hearsay is the only evidence to support either side of the story so you should be thankful that we have labeled the incident a 'mere' altercation, Ms. Beckett.

Mercy listened with a feigned interest and feigned disinterest that she had worked hard on perfecting, giving occasional glances back to Margaret who had it down to a science at this point. Mercy nodded when she felt it was appropriate to do so but otherwise remained silent until Thea finished. At that point it was her duty to point out everything she did wrong.

"Well from Ms. Zeca's deposition, it would sound as if she was the one who was a victim of of quite a savaging at your hands. So, who should I believe?" She couldn't let Thea answer and lifted up a finger to shush Tea before she could answer. "It's irrelevant who started it or what happened. Let's say that we believe you. If there was some sort of ruffian who was causing trouble then it's your duty to find the proper authorities capable of dealing with the situation." Mercy picked up another envelope and scanned it with her finger. "I do not believe that wrangling miscreants is in your job description, Ms. Beckett." It wasn't she had just checked. "She's an employee. Honestly, where would she run to? Make a phone call. Observe her. There were many things you COULD have done but none of these efforts were written on your report. And all this is if we were to give you the benefit of the doubt." Mercy pulled her glasses down her nose slightly to give Thea a doubtful stare.

"Why would we need the security staff, Ms. Beckett? You were the one in the altercation. If this accusation of dereliction can be proven than they will be dealt with in time. Unless you are going to throw a punch. 'Irrational rage' I believe that corroborated Ms.Zeca's story. Plus you have tried to excuse your own behavior by constantly pointing to the supposed inappropriate actions of others. Such irresponsibility is hardly becoming of a model employee this company wishes for. My recommendation at this point would be termination but... We'd at least like to give you the chance to listen to our very gracious alternative to your termination.

Thea sat quietly, fuming as Mercy lectured her, while Margaret merely jotted proofreading marks, initials, and other entries on the documents before her. She lightly twirled the pen from finger to finger as she turned a page, but otherwise gave no reaction to Mercy or Thea.

Thea bit her tongue, controlling her temper. She was raised with better manners than to lash out, even and especially to those that deserved it. Mercy reminded Thea of so many police officers and lawyers she had dealt with before. Thea knew what a railroading was, but it never got easier to take. It was hard, but giving petty tyrants the satisfaction of anger was the wrong thing to do.

Thea took a deep breath, glancing back at Margaret. Margaret unwittingly aided Thea by not returning her gaze. She needed to look away from Mercy, take a deep breath, and calm down. Mercy had challenged her in a dozen different ways, but she had to wipe those arguments away. Thea turned back to Mercy with a faint smile. "I'm sure your alternative will be at least worth considering." Thea's tone was as pleasant as she could manage. She opened her mouth to speak, but as she inhaled, she thought better of it. There was little more to be said. She merely smiled.

Mercy adjusted her glasses when Thea replied. She cleared her throat. "Ms. Beckett, I assure you that arguing your case further in such a manner will undoubtedly..." She paused, looked at Thea and blushed a second. "Um.." She adjusted her skirt and suit coat. "Well.." She began. "It's nice to see someone who understands a good deal when she sees one. Very rare these days..." She glanced back at Margaret to see if she would be reprimanded with a visual tell from her assumption. As a lawyer she always expected everyone to be as irate and unyielding as possible. As she was. Well, she wasn't irate but certainly unyielding. A relentless shark. She was a shark... just... a nurse shark. She would be a Tiger Shark like Margaret some day but right now people still focused on the shark part, not the nurse part, thankfully, hopefully.

She slide back to the desk and grabbed another manilla envelope, of which there seemed to be a limitless supply. The inventor of such an indispensable item must have comfortably retired to a luxurious tropical retreat by now.

"Ms. Beckett we would like to sign you up for regular participation in the talent section of the company. It's obvious that you have some fighting skills, if all accounts are to be believed." She looked up past her envelop and glasses and gave Thea a look.

"I am sure this is far more suitable to termination or worse yet, lengthy civil trial between yourself and Ms. Zeca or, even worse still, possible jail time." That last bit was a bluff but it never hurt to throw it out. Make it seem like taking the offer given was the best of a terrible situation when it was probably the only real offer on the table aside from 'doing nothing' Z.Z would never have filed a suit, she was even more skiddish and afraid of the authorities than Thea had been. Mercy had coaxed quite a little deposition from her that the paralegal was quite proud of but, once again, Thea needed to know none of that sordid little but.

Thea stifled her smile at Mercy's inadvertent outburst. Margaret stopped her notation, tapped the page twice, clicked the pen four times, and continued writing. Mercy had made an amateur mistake. She would have to be punished for that later. Margaret offered Mercy not even a glance of disappointment, though the practiced energy she put into not paying Mercy any regard was enough to convince Mercy of the hot water she was in.

Still, Mercy's offer caught Thea off guard. They wanted her to... fight?! Thea arched an eyebrow, "Well, that's... an offer."

Thea narrowed her eyes at Mercy. Z.Z. was a career criminal. Thea could pick them out of a crowd easily. Of course, Thea's legal troubles were just as bad as Z.Z.'s. Thea had no medical license and her... associations back in the States mind land her in some trouble should they come to light. Thea took a deep breath, "You really think the girl will bring a case against me? That she might win?" Thea's tone was cool, it suggested she believed the answer to that question was a resounding negative.

Still, that was not a bet Thea was willing to take. "Look at the numbers. I have made the infirmary here much more cost efficient in my time here. Are you threatening to fire me if I do not assent to... fighting in the ring?" Thea was not pleased with that idea.

Mercy swallowed hard when she heard the click of Margaret's pen. She gave another glance back but she knew what it meant. She was doomed. Se tried to push the thought out of her mind and cleared her throat and looked back at Thea. "A most generous offer." Mercy corrected.

"It's certainly a possibility." Mercy said in regards to Z.Z. "Ms. Zeca seemed awfully traumatized by the incident. It will be a wonder if she'll be able to compete for months. All that lost income would only compile her trauma." Mercy then made a motion to Margaret. "If Ms. Sinclair is acting as her legal counsel then there is virtually no way Ms. Zeca would lose." Mercy turned her head and adjusted her glasses. "Frankly, I would be enough on this case."

"There are many options to consider, Ms. Beckett. Termination hasn't been taken off the table." Mercy smiled a fake smile at Thea. "But, Ms. Beckett, no one wants to see anyone be fired. And we are against unnecessary and cumbersome legal procedures as well." Mercy was cool now. She had this. Thea's last attempt at a defense was a house of sticks and Mercy was the big bad wolf about to blow it down.

"But, Ms. Beckett, I fail to see the relevancy of your argument. Should we let the world's most efficient bean counter run free if by night he's a serial murderer just because he's good at his job? Preposterous." Mercy let out an annoyed sigh that was much more prominent than it needed to be. "Ms. Beckett, I am sure that you would not like to have any more of your precious time wasted. I know that I am a very busy woman myself. All it takes is a little signature and we'll never have to deal with this sour business again."