| Details for Crawling Home |
| Summary: | Aren't many places a squib can go for help, but there is one place for certain.. the Leaky Cauldron. Elly and Edwin are a great deal of help. |
| Date: | 30 October 1937 |
| Location: | Leaky Cauldron |
| Related: | Madness and Melancholy |
| Characters |
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Leaky Cauldron London
Tue Oct 30, 1937 ((Wed Oct 24 01:43:33 2012)) (E,4 NE)
It is a fall night. The weather is cool and clear.
This cramped, angular room is the taproom of the Leaky Cauldron. A long bar runs along one side of the room, plain wooden stools set out before it. Smoke from pipes and candles fills the air. The patrons of this curious little bar, many of them elderly, sit hunched over their mugs at the tables. Waitresses sometimes coined 'Wenches' bustle back and forth bearing trays of food and mugs of ale. Many of the people seem strangely out of place, dressed in cloaks and floppy hats, as if they stumbled out of another century. Notably absent is any modern muggle devices or electric lighting, or any sign of electricity at all. Still, the occasional muggle does find their way in here, usually declaring it to be 'quaint' and 'atmospheric'.
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October nights are getting colder in London, but not so much cold as damp. Rain or no rain, the feeling of wetness in the air can only be properly dispelled by a fireplace. Heat burping out of an old boiler in a basement somewhere simply doesn't cut it.. and in comes Jack, his jacket wrapped about him, fingerless gloves on his hand. He's got something of a paler complexion as he moves directly for the fireplace rather than a spot at the bar to collect his porridge and ale.
As for the rest of the Cauldron? For a Tuesday, it's in full swing; business at the bar is reasonably brisk, for the 'Cauldron anyway, keeping Mick busy.
As is the usual Edwin makes his way to the cauldron for dinner. He swings in and his hat and coat hit their normal place. Still, he sees Mick and his nose wrinkles a little bit. He shakes his head and continues into the bar and moves to settle down in his usual seat. A little look is sent to Jack and he nods his head to the man, "Evening."
Elly is very busy bustling about the floor around tables and some grabby hands. She does pause long enough to smile to Edwin who comes in and then she sees a familiar hat move about the crowd and she smiles a little more. "Cheeky Beggah." She calls to get his attention so that he'll still long enough that she can cast a drying and warming spell at him. "Me arhm's feelin righ' bettah!" Not one hundred percent, but well enough that she's able to to the smaller simpler domestic charms that help her day to day around the cauldron.
Jack's got the fire now, and he half-smiles at a couple that's got a table nearby as he grabs a spare chair from there, and sits down. "E'en.." is murmured, his jaw clenched, and he's still got the jacket wrapped tightly for warmth. Twisting 'round in order to catch Elly's words, he blinks.. and stares for a long moment, focusing on her before he gives her a smile. "Dat's aight-fine, dat is, Ells.. Soon ye will be good as gold.." and it's to Edwin he looks back- he's trying.. and he gives the man a nod after the earlier greeting. "'Ow is?"
Edwin smiles wide at the words from Elly, "Good news. Truly good news." The smile is returned to Jack as he settles in at the bar, "Wonderful to see you getting back to your self." Another little glance to Mick before he speaks back to Elly, "What's on the menu?"
Mick is very distracted it's true and he has told Elly that Edwin is her responsibility as she worked very hard to convince him to let Edwin continue to be a customer here after all that happened. So the man doesn't even glance to Edwin's usual spot, just keeps tending to the other customers. Jack is given a warm mulled hard apple cider when he arrives to the bar. When Elly finally makes it over to Jack she frowns seeing him doing poorly even after giving him a dry off and warm up. "Cheeky Beggah?" She says with worry as she moves to lift up a hand and feel at his forehead.
Jack's on a seat, so at least he's off his feet. The warm mulled hard cider is taken with appreciation, and he looks towards Edwin, the words forming slowly. "I.. ah.. t'ink t'night is venison.." and he turns his gaze towards Mick, and back to Elly. "'aight? Venison? An'.. stew." He's sweating, with his jacket still on, his hands on the cup. He's pale, and his gaze doesn't look as if they're focusing quite well. "I'm no' feelin' too well, Ells.." At the hand on his forehead, he closes his eyes, but it's not for too long. "I'll.. be righty-right in a bit.. fire's good.. nice an' warm.. so's the cider.."
Edwin lifts a brow as well to Jack and looks a little concerned. He looks to Elly and shakes his head as if to disagree that Jack doesn't look good. "Jack. Maybe you should let Elly take a look at you?" He gets to his feet for a moment and walks over to look at Jack, "You really don't look so good."
Elly frowns when she feels Jack, her world went tunnel vision when she saw him doing poorly. "Aye, Jack, c'mon up stairs wif Elly now?" She wipes his head and then gives the freshly dried spot a kiss and looks over to Edwin. "Could ye help me wif'm?"
Jack looks.. dubiously at the stairs and back towards Edwin and Elly. He swallows hard, and puts the untouched cider back onto the bar. "I dunno.." if he can make it? He makes the attempt to smile, and it's a weak, lopsided one, but he's obviously game. "I'll do't.." and sliding off his chair, he's in danger of sliding onto the floor directly, his legs a bit weak, and he wobbles. He shoots out a hand to try to steady himself, which brings the jacket open, but it also brings a weak yelp. There, within, there's a stain of blood that coats his side.. darkening to brown from the brighter crimson it probably was earlier.
Edwin gives a nod to Elly, "Sure." As he moves in next to Jack and moves up under the man's arm and begins to lift. "Come on, Sir." He says and as he looks down to see the blood, "Elly!" He says rather quickly and does his best to steady the other man, "We need to go to the hospital…" His words drift now, looking to Elly for some kind of opinion.
Elly is very quick to scoop Jack up and gasps at the blood. "Beggah! Oh Jack! What's 'appened? Ye need the hospital?" She isn't about to take him to the hospital if it's going to endanger him with the authorities. She kisses his temple and is doing her best to get him towards the stairs, which is also close to the fire as well. So either decision Jack makes, they are going that-a-way.
"No! Nononono.." and even as Edwin gets a hold of him, Jack's trying his best now to not go to hospital. "Won't take me, no way.." He'd be a charity case.. and probably left unattended in a hallway, asking for food and water. He's come here simply because.. well.. if he is going to be a burden on someone, at least it be on someone he can repay. He couldn't go to Mungo's either- not as a squib. "Up.." and he wills his legs to work, even if his breathing is a little more laboured, and he's sweating out, though his face looks pale and cool. He's shaking now, and his teeth start chattering.. "Mates.. went wif 'em.." and, apparently not everything went well?
"What happened, Jack?" Edwin says as he adjusts and does his best to get Jack back on his shoulder to help him upstairs, 'Come on, Elly." He says to the woman and begins to make the way up the stairs, "I need to know, Jack. What happened?" But there is an urgency to what he does, trying to get Jack to some kind of safe place so Elly can look at him. "I got him. Get anything you need, Elly." As he continues to get the man up.
Elly kisses Jack again, "Idjit." She says lovingly and then squeezes Edwin's arm in thanks and she turns to rush back towards the kitchen to get her things. "Bit of an accident wif's Lorry." She explains to those that have caught on something is wrong but she doesn't linger, hurrying to her room above the kitchen and bar to get her Healer's Bag. Then she's running fast as she can back to the stairs and up them after them to room 1.
Jack's trying to walk, he is.. and he's trying not to be too much a burden, but as he crosses the room, he's getting winded from the exertion. The stairs are given a long, baleful stare.. and a mutter, "Y've go't'be kiddin' me.." though, he does make it up, they make it up the stairs. He's breathless, and with each step he takes, he's trying to explain.. "Rick.. 'e done somefin.. I dunno whut.. but 'e fought I did.." Leave no witnesses.. well, at least the expendable ones that can't be blackmailed into their silence. At least there's some innocence that can be claimed! The others can have the threat of hanging over their heads.. not Jack. As comforting a thought as that is, he's not really considering himself to be 'fortunate' at the moment. Once in the room, he's sprawled on the bed, a groan rising. It's the softest thing he's been on in YEARS. "Heaven.. I'm in heaven.." he murmurs..
Edwin does his best to move and adjust as they go up the stairs and keep Jack from falling or getting more hurt. As he makes it into the room he puts the man down on the bed and starts to pull the man's jacket off so that Elly won't have to look through too much to see what she needs to see. "Gotta get you undressed, Jack. Nothing personal." As he continues to move and get to the wound. "Not in Heaven yet, my friend. Not if we can help it." He mutters softly.
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Room 1 London
Tue Oct 30, 1937 ((Wed Oct 24 04:55:59 2012)) (E,4 NE - 1)
It is a fall night. The weather is cool and fair.
The old oak door swings open into a wide, comfortable room. A sturdy bed occupies the center of the far wall and to its side is a well worn, but comfortable arm chair. A dark green ottoman stands in front of the chair. A wide window opens up behind the chair, casting cool light into the room.
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Elly comes into the room with her bag, chest nearly popping out of her bodice with how she's panting. Hurrying she puts the bag next to the bed and then looks over to Jack to begin to diagnose what's happened to him. Sure, she's 'just a midwife'. But she took the same courses as every other Healer did! Trauma just isn't her specialty.
"Cheeky.." but his jacket is removed; not so much blood on it as there is on his vest, his shirt. The moment the jacket is gone, however, he begins to shiver with the cold.. and with each piece of clothing gone, the pale, wiry figure on the bed shakes. The wound itself is a large bruise across the side of his ribs, as well as some sharp instrument that's cut him.. okay, yes.. a knife. He'd gone down in the fight, the knife was first.. which was followed up with a pounding. He's got a few bruises, but the one nearest the wound looks worst. Nothing on the face; so it wouldn't arouse suspicions if he was just found… somewhere.. in a ditch. Wouldn't look like foul play, and after all.. who'd look closely at someone like Jack?
Edwin looks to this and his eyes go really wide at the sight. "I'll get a blanket." He says and moves over to find one in the room to cover the man up while Elly works. He swallows hard at the scene, never having seen something like this before as he pauses for a moment before he looks back to Jack and Elly with the blanket. "Who did this to you?" He almost whispers as he moves to the other side to put the blanket over the man on the side that isn't hurt. "Should… I get some tea? Warm him up?"
Elly swallows hard and nods to Edwin, working on someone you care about is always tricky which is why it's normally not done. But she pulls out bandages and an array of potion bottles. Tears in her eyes she nods to Edwin, "Aye, please, bring all the blankets ye can too." She sweeps back Jack's hair and looks down at him with a brave smile. "I'm 'ere Jack. Just keep your eyes on me, alrigh? Horrible I know…" She sniffs and weakly giggles before she slides one hand behind his head. "Drink up for me, aye?" With that one of the potions is unstoppered and lifted to his lips to gently pour it in. "That'll dull the pain."
Edwin bursts out of the room and runs downstairs to grab a pot of tea and a couple mugs. It doesn't take long as he just goes behind the bar and does it. He comes up and deposits the tea and mugs before he goes back out and pulls the blankets from every room. It doesn't take too long as he's back as soon as he can be, blankets all bundled up in his arms.
The softness of the bed really is alluring.. and thankfully, or not so much, he's not feeling the extent of his injuries as his body's in shock. Cold, clammy to the touch.. and pale. "M'mate.. Rick.. an' Jez.. Baz too.." Muggles all; Jack moves in both worlds, and isn't really a member of either. But, he does find his way 'home' to the Cauldron, even if he does live in Muggle London proper. Hoxton.. such as it is. "No' wizzies.." Not squibs.
Jack looks at Elly, his gaze a little unfocused, but he's trying.. he really is. The potion, though.. as Elly helps him forward, he pauses, looking up.. "I'm n'a wiz, Ells.. I ca't.." isn't there something of a rule? "I'll suffer through seein' ye while in bed.. though.. yer a damned sight better'n.. all."
Edwin bursts out of the room and runs downstairs to grab a pot of tea and a couple mugs. It doesn't take long as he just goes behind the bar and does it. He comes up and deposits the tea and mugs before he goes back out and pulls the blankets from every room. It doesn't take too long as he's back as soon as he can be, blankets all bundled up in his arms. He looks to Jack and something occurs to him, "I can't tell anyone about this to get those bastards arrested, can I?"
Elly chides him, "Shut it an' drink, it's simple tonics and elixers, nae a one used wif magic. No fightin' wif me. Besides, dinnae who told ye it wouldn't work wif a Squib. Potions work fine on anyones. Just the law says we con't treat muggles." A grateful smile is angled to Edwin. "Nae yet. Let'm heal an' decided wha's to be done." Then it's back to pouring a variety of potions down Jack's gullet. She'll force them down if she has to, a few don't taste the greatest after all.
The first goes down.. and the second, he chokes on, coughing.. and he yelps at the pain.. and with each potion, Jack in turn shakes.. and sweats.. and rolls his head back, tears coming from the edges of his eyes as the potions do as they're supposed. "Ells.." he calls out.. it hurts.. it burns now.. and he shakes, under the blankets. Big tough Jack. He looks all the world as if he'll say something else, but his eyes close, and soon enough, there's light, shallow breathing- regular, however.
Edwin slides in and makes sure the blankets cover the man as much as they can. He's watching this with the kind of eye of a child watching a horror movie for the first time. He doesn't know what to do at the moment so he goes to his knees and reaches out to take Jack's hand. "She's helping you, Jack. Stay with us."
Elly sniffs and sobs, "I'm sorry loverly. Your Ells is 'ere. Shhh. I'm gonna make ye all better. Drink and breath an' rest." Once he's been put out by the potions she takes a moment to just sob and get it all out before she cleans her face and then starts to rub the balms and salves on Jack's skin. If his lung is deflated she'll use her wand to help inflate it again and then seal up the puncture. Then the bones are set and placed and another potion is poured down his throat to begin to knit the bone back together. Then the slice is knitted up with a spell and some salve and once all is said and done she curls up next to Jack on the bed and pet his hair. Tears once again are allowed to flow and she softly sings to him the lullaby she always sings to her babies at Mungos.
Edwin watches as Elly does all of her work, sitting there and holding the other man's hand to try and help in whatever way he can. He watches, eyes just wide and watches everything that comes with the whole situation. As she lays on the bed he releases the hand and slips away from Jack. He rises to his feet, as quiet as he can to move slowly from the room and give the man the peace he needs.
Elly realizes she's covered in blood and she's actually in a great deal of pain herself and so she moves to get a potion out of the bag for herself. "Please don' go." She will not leave Jack's side til he's stable. But she also doesn't want to be alone with the man that's basically in a anesthetized state. Left to think about all the what ifs and imagining what happened.
Edwin stops and turns to look to Elly, "All right." Then he looks to her and smiles a little, "Let me get you some towels and water to clean up. And some food… Yes?"
Elly takes a deep breath and nods wiping at her face but then she can feel that she's just wiped some blood on her cheek and she whimpers and just mouths, "'urry please!"
Edwin nods and disappears off to pull some towels and a basin of water from another room. He comes in and places it by her and smiles, "Let me get some food. I know you haven't eaten." He smiles, "Won't take no for an answer." He says and then slips back out. He's not gone too very long before his face shows again with two cauldrons of food and a set of clothes to change, "You dad got them for you."
Elly is still trembling from adrenalin and nerves. She takes the clothes with a whispered bit of thanks and goes behind a privacy screen and starts to change. Normally she'd just get the stains out with a bit of magic, but she's crying behind the screen as silently as she can because her arm still hurts.
Edwin watches her as she moves behind the screen and as he waits he sets up the little cauldrons and some cutlery with them. He pours some tea for her and him as she changes. He moves the food to the ottoman and takes the last blanket he had and waits for Elly to come out.
Elly comes back around from the screen after taking quite the while. But she's looking much better and she moves over to the ottoman where the food is. "Thank you Edwin. And for understanding…" About how this can't get in the public wind.
Edwin wraps the blanket around her as she settles by the ottoman, "I do. Mum is the word until you tell me otherwise." He moves to settle down next to her, "Do you need those supplies replaced? Can I do that for you?"
Elly reaches over to pat his forearm. "That's very upstanding of ye. But I think I'll be fine. The Blood Doublers will be the most difficult to replace. But it'll still be easy enough, just have to talk to Nia about it." She takes a deep breath and just holds the teacup in her hands to warm them up. Looking through the steam from the cup over to Jack bundled up on the bed. "My po' Cheeky Beggah." She shakes her head. "'E's a Squib ye know… 'Is family are the Pure-Blood Purist sort, swept po Jack under the rug when he didn't get magic. 'E's felt like an' outsider evah since. 'E don' take any sort of thing tha' even hints at charity. He's had it hard knocks fo' so long. Do my best to take care of'm. Can't count the times 'e's come in lookin skin an' bones. He's a good chap. Just dealt a really bad way of life."
Edwin listens as Elly speaks and gives a slow shake of his head. "I can't imagine what the man goes through." He takes his tea and sips from it as he looks to the man on the bed. "Nobody should be treated like that." He shakes his head a little more, looking to the food, "Eat, Elly." He says and opens his cauldron and begins to take a few bites. He disappears into thought for a bit.
Elly takes a sip of her tea and then puts it aside and then lifts up her cauldron. She settles in under the big down blanket. She watches both Edwin and Jack as she eats and then tilts her head at Edwin. "Knut for your thoughts?"
Edwin looks at Jack for a very long moment before he looks to Elly and snaps out of his thoughts, "You take such good care of so many people." He looks to his food and eats a little bit of it before he puts his fork down and looks to her, "You are a wonderful lady."
Elly blushes a little and hides behind her cauldron bashfully. "I try. It 'urts me to think tha there is people like Jack out there still. All it takes is one person to smile, give a lil. Tha's all. I con't wait for the Statute to be lowered, so we con once again try an' live in 'armony wif everyone. Maybe then the Jacks of the world won' be so out of place."
Edwin lifts a brow, "The statute? You think it should be lowered?" He ponders this a little, "There's good and bad in that I think." He looks to Jack a little more and shakes his head, "Does he have a job?"
Elly sighs, "I think that it will take awhile of careful planning. But don't ye evah wish tha our children … I mean … general like… but don't ye wish tha they con live wiffout fear of bein exposed? Jack could have died tonight, if it weren't for potions. Imagine all the lives tha we can save. It breaks me 'eart when I 'ere bout a woman or babe tha's died in labor. Tha wouldn't 'appen if they were allowed magical treatment. 'Ell, Mumsie would still be hale an' 'ealthy if she dinnae have such a fear of Healers an' 'ad me an Eve so late on…"
Edwin listens and even with the little slip up he simply nods to her words, "But do you see how it could go so very wrong?" He sighs a bit and looks to her, "I see both sides and it perplexes me all around. I just don't know." He closes things up on the ottoman as they are both finished and he moves over to one side to lean against the wall, "Come here?" He says, "Harmless, just rest against me."
Elly smiles to him and nods, "It could go very wrong. It was put into place for good reason. The muggles wouldn't pass laws to protect us. I've heard all the facts from every side, I'm a wench at the hub of the Wizarding World Edwin, I tend to get things from all sides. So I do understand. It's just a hope and desire for sappy idealistic world peace. Both words combining into one wonderful world."
Elly doesn't come over to him, but she does lift up the blanket so he can come under it and sit with her all warm and cozy. "He's looking better, more color to'm."
Edwin moves over and pushes up under the blanket with her to rest next to her, "He does, yes." As he then looks to her, "I am right on the cusp of both. I see both sides, live in both sides." He doesn't try and wrap an arm or anything around her even though she might see the awkwardness of him trying to not crowd her. "I hope for the same thing but I see the dangers in it. I can hope for the good… But if it goes through, I'd be without a job."
Elly seems to realize that she forgot to answer his question about Jack's employment when he brings up being out of a job. "He's got a Lorry, runs deliveries and the like. Lately he's been working for Dada. I've convinced DaDa to let'm stay 'ere…so that 'e can be right on 'and with the lorry when we need supplies. I was goin to tell'm tonight. This is now 'is room iffin 'e'll let me give it to'm. But as far as your job goes, I'm sure that ye can do something still. An' if ye don' then ye can tend bar 'ere." She grins cheekily to Edwin.
"Well now. Job security!" Edwin announces in a mock shout, voice kept soft to not wake Jack. He looks to Elly's hand and takes it, lifting it to kiss the back of it. "You are a true jewel, Elly. A really special woman." And releases that hand back to her. "Far too good for the world." He smiles. "Maybe having the room will convince him to not get into any more trouble." He pauses a bit and sighs, "Maybe having a good woman will help that too. The man needs some stability."
Elly reaches out to boop his nose at that last part, "Aye, maybe, but I think that's for the good woman to decide or nah. Don't ye? Which was supposed to be the whole point of the ol' fashioned courtships. He's going to be going off to war Edwin. With his beloved aeroplanes. I'm so proud of'm. I adore'm so. But I've nae made up my mind yet. I need some time to figure it all out. A couple of week is nae enough time."
Edwin nods and looks back to Elly, "All right. Sorry. I just… Seeing him like this with so little." His head shakes slowly as he thinks, "I just want to do something to help him."
Elly gives Edwin soft eyes and whispers, "Aye, well, giving me to 'im is a good way of makin' me feel like some prize to be given ovah." She's not made, just letting him know how that could be taken. Trying to help him with all of this relationship stuff. "But I'm glad that ye now see, that it's not some easy thing I can just do because ye thought ye were over the moon for me. When's the play by the way? I'm making a dress and everything. But if it's too soon…" She looks towards the recovering Jack pointedly.
"I think we have time." Edwin says and looks down to the floor, "You are a prize, Elly. One hell of one." As he looks back to her, "One for the whole world with how you look after them at the cauldron. It's such a simple thing to be like you are to people. Just nice, friendly, just as warm as the food. It's an oasis. Thank you."
Elly smiles and whispers her genuine thanks to such a high complement. But then Jack is talking in his sleep and is saying her name. "I'm going to curl up wif'm now. Thank ye for stayin' wif me til I was feel more right in the 'ead."
Edwin gives a little nod to this and pulls out from under the blanket. "Welcome. You can just apparate at the house if you need me. All right?"