WEIGHT OF THE WORLD ↠ Mazikeen [2]

05 | A DEVIL OF A JOB

                     IZZY FELT STUPID. More than that, she was scared. Her head was buzzing with questions – how had she not realized Michael wasn't Lucifer? What was Michael going to do next? Would Lucifer intervene or leave it to the unknowing humans to deal with his maniacal twin brother? And above all, what the Hell had Izzy meant when she had said she was worried there was something wrong with her?

                     Surely, it couldn't have been about her OCD – it was a burden to carry but it was something she had come to terms with years ago. Clearly, on some subconscious level, she was worried, and she couldn't help but wonder if quitting therapy had been intentional in the manner that she didn't want any new problems to be coaxed out of her. Maybe, there was something buried under the surface.

                     Sleep seemed impossible to achieve, and when Izzy rolled her head to the side, she found Mazikeen snoring softly against her designated pillow, her arm lazily over Isadora's waist to keep her close even asleep. Izzy couldn't close her eyes, or else, invasive pictures of Michael's grin welcomed themselves, leaving her flinching in the dark room. If her head quieted enough, she could still hear the sounds of struggle and the gunshots fired in the penthouse, and even with all the doors and windows locked – and the fact that they were on the 5th floor – she was scared that Michael would get in.

                     So, she lay awake and before she even realized it, the first sunlight of the new day was breaking through the curtains and illuminating their room in a warm glow. Morning had arrived without a wink of sleep, and minutes before her alarm was due, Izzy shut the reminder off and snuck out of bed, leaving Maze's arm on the empty side of the mattress. She was happy that at least Mazikeen was able to get some sleep, but when a stray yawn slipped from between her lips, she couldn't help but wonder how long the day ahead of her was going to be – and how long the burdensome recovery period would be, as well. A devil of a job, no doubt about it.

                     Nevertheless, without complaint, Izzy diligently arrived at work five minutes early like every day, giving a smile and a good morning to everyone she passed on the way to the bullpen. She was used to being a ray of sunshine to everyone's day, and she was damn well not going to let Michael take that away from her.

                     "Morning, Iz. Ready for another day?" Dan caught up with Izzy at the stairs, and when the woman nodded in vehement agreement, he gestured at Ella, who was waiting at his desk. "I thought you could shadow Ella today. Get into the details of why her work is vital and why we, too, need an understanding of forensics, even if she is not a detective", Dan continued, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

                     Izzy's eyes brightened. What better way to have a good day than working closely with Miss Lopez? "That sounds great", she agreed with a tired grin, hoping that Ella's company would re-energize her.