Pleasance watched with some concern as Vivian rose with difficulty as if she were in distress or pain. She almost ventured to wonder if she were somehow the cause of it, but banished the thought. There had been enough owning to her actions for today. She didn't need to be ascribing to them what had nothing to do with her. Yet, the other woman took a swig of water with some unmarked pills. It could've been something innocuous, or it could've been morphine or another opiate, for all Pleasance knew. Not for her to pry, although the sight of pills gave Pleasance an idea that she would file into the back of her mind.
The younger woman took a moment to compose herself, wiping the tears from her eyes with her sleeve, and smoothing her skirt before crossing her legs. She listened closely as Vivian answered her question about the term. It was an encouragement for Vivian to invite her to visit. For roughly seven years, she'd not had a proper winter holiday with family. She dared to wish that this prospective visit with Vivian and her brother would be like that.
She nodded at the explanation that her demerit would have to wait until important tasks needed carrying out. She also didn't miss the attempt by Ms. Rush to suppress her emotional response to the moment they'd shared. She reciprocated the sense of affection through her shield as it pulsed against her own. Pleasance was well able to suppress her emotional response on the surface, however, and kept her smile to herself.
Pleasance hadn't missed the moment that Vivian took to look at the clock on the wall, and grinned, which might've seemed strange with eyes that had been reddened with sadness, "Do you have somewhere to be, Ms. Rush?" She ventured rhetorically, then snickered.
"I suppose it's time for me to meet my brother, then. You said he's ready to accept visitors? From the family at least?" If Pleasance remembered correctly, although she hadn't many health issues that prompted a visit to the hospital, she'd seen the infirmary on the way to and from the faculty offices, such as she was in right now. The Infirmary would be to the right as she exited the offices.
"I'll go see him now then. And I'll stay in touch when we have figured out where we stand." Pleasance smiled sincerely to Vivian then, allowing her field to shift from affection to gratitude, "Thank you, Ms. Rush. I know this was not a reward, and I fully expect to be put to service, but I'm glad you were the one chosen to handle it."
So saying, if she were excused, Pleasance would stand, and make her way out of the office. She took a moment at the door to change her demeanor, from one that was bursting with enthusiasm, to one who'd been put through her paces. She hiccuped, choking on her breath to elicit a new stream of tears that were not as true as the ones she'd shed. She blinked her eyes rapidly to exacerbate the irritability of them and then curved her mouth downward in a frown. Easy as that, it would appear to anyone else waiting to see the Liaison, that she'd been given a suitably harsh punishment.
Before pushing through the door, on her way out, as she choked down a false sob. Just as she went through the door, she allowed her field to reach backward to Ms. Rush one last time, with an expression of lingering gratitude.
