(1938-10-18) Healer for a Broken Heart
Details for Healer for a Broken Heart
Summary: At St. Mungo's, Rhyeline makes sure that the only healer she trusts, Healer Keenan, is the one that tends to Laurence.
Date: Friday, October 18, 1938
Location: St Mungo's Hospital, London
Related: Awkward Devastation
Characters
KeenanLaurenceRhyeline

St. Mungo's Hospital

What appears to Muggles as an old abandoned store, to the Wizarding Eye it is actually St. Mungo's Hospital. In the middle of the room, behind a busy and paperwork filled desk sits the receptionist. Next to her is a little sign, painted on a cheerful little yellow board, that says, "Questions? Can't Talk? Can't remember why you're here? Never fear, the Welcome Witch is here." Behind her is a large sign that lists the various departments of the hospital with little arrows pointing people in the correct directions. The rest of the room is filled with comfortable looking waiting room chairs and little tables with magazines and newspapers both Muggle and Wizardly.


With a sudden crack, Rhyeline apparates into the St. Mungo's main floor. Heading straight for the desk, Rhyeline doesn't cower, doesn't sway, doesn't faint. Instead, she leans against it and tells the Welcome Witch that she needs to find Healer Keenan. The sight of Rhyeline here on her own volition and asking for Keenan sets of alarm bells among the nurses and they rush to fetch him right away.

At the news of Miss Diderot actually arriving at St Mungo's at a non-appointed time, Keenan's brow furrows. He finds a healer to take his next patient, and comes out to the desk, his long legs eating floor rapidly, even though he doesn't actually run. When he comes around the desk, his chartreuse robes swirling around his legs at the stop, his brows furrow as she seems to be perfectly all right. "Miss Diderot?" he asks.

When Rhyeline notices Thomas arrive a few moments later with Laurence, she snags a passing, sturdy looking novice and takes him over to help. This is a good thing, because Thomas slips away, asking for them to keep him updated. And just then, Keenan strides into the area, and presumably approaches. Rhyeline meets him halfway and says, "Laurence's heart is breaking… and- and he's frightened of St Mungos… he needs a healer like you, Keenan." There no other healer she trusts.

The broom maker's body is limp save for the occasional body jerking spasm that causes him to gasp in a breath, and he squirms with one hand fisted in the front of his shirt over his heart, just clinging there and trembling hard. Laurence is flushed and a tad sweaty but when one redirects an extremely high emotional outburst back inward there can be…consequences.

The healer's green eyes go from worried to flat when Rhyeline speaks. He gives a curt nod and two orderlies levitate a gurney for Laurence, bringing it over to the broommaker. "Just lay yerself down, Laurence," he urges, his tone dropping to a confident soothing tone. "Was it a spell or a potion?" he asks Rhyeline as they try to move the patient onto the gurney and then towards the Spell Damage Ward.

"No… he found out that- that someone he loves… loves another…" murmurs Rhyeline, keeping close to Keenan's side as the novice helps Laurence lay down on the gurney. "Heartbreak…"

There's not much Laurence can do as he's moved over but he does reach out suddenly after a particularly sharp spasm that causes him to choke on a gasp and he grabs whatever part of Keenan's clothing or body he can reach, gripping tightly as he pants, licks his lips and inhales sharply a few times. "No…just…just let it…I can't…I don't…just let it…its mine, my lot…let it."

Keenan glances to Rhyeline as she speaks, but then he nods. Placing a hand over Laurence's he doesn't slow the pace that he sets for the orderlies. "Don't worry, Laurence. I'm just going to take ye to my office. I'll give ye a heartsease potion. It will lessen the blow ye've given yerself, and when ye're able to rest, ye can deal with it on yer own." He gives a wry smile as he looks ahead. "We don't have anything to heal that sort of pain completely, but we can make it a little easier to bear physically."

Rhyeline gazes up at Keenan with the most appreciative of smiles. Looking back into Laurence's agonized features, she bites her lower lip and murmurs, "It will be alright, Laurence…"

As the gurney moves along, the hand gripping Keenan drops away and those pale blue eyes are filled with a haunting anguish as he writhes on the gurney, hand gripping the sheets, fingers tangling and twisting in the material as he grits his teeth, jaw trembling and the faint sound of teeth occasionally clicking together as he rides out the spasm of pain, back finally arching as he cries out and then collapses back, trembling and staring up at the ceiling and then he just lets out a soft and almost desperate whisper of a laugh, closing his eyes as a few unshed tears momentarily blind him creating a distorted little wet screen that blurs his vision and he just shakes his head slowly. "Who am I?" That the only thing he whispers…pleading for the answer the question he knows will never be answered. Then he's quiet, gasping in breaths.

Once in the office, Keenan's wand does a scan, mostly of the broommaker's chest, looking into the heart to, "taking a look at your blood flow Mr. - Laurence," he realizes that he's not yet been given the man's last name. His voice still carries that calm yet confident tone, letting the patient know that he's going to take care of them, and it will be fine. After a long moment he straightens, then gives a nod to the orderlies, thanking them for their help. Turning to the Novice, Keenan writes something on a piece of parchment. "Please take this to Healer MacNair, she'll make the right dose for me." Once the staff are out of the way, he turns to Rhyeline. "Miss Diderot," he addresses her quietly, walking over to put his hands on her shoulders. "Would ye please wait for us outside? There is some paperwork that needs to be filled out, if ye can start it with what ye know about Laurence, that would help greatly."

Rhyeline slips around to Laurence's other side, keeping close but giving her trusted healer spac to work. Her dark gaze lingers with quiet concern on his face as Keenan sends the orderlies away. Feeling Keenan's hands on her shoulders, she blinks and peeks up at him. Biting her lower lip, her gaze flickers to Laurence. It doesn't seem like she wants to leave him alone- or be alone out in the hall with less trusted healers swarming about. "I… Alright, Keenan… but- you will- will call me when- when I can come back?"

Laurence's head turns to the side as he looks away from Keenan and he grips the sheets and his breathing just hitches his heart spasms and he rides the waves now, with the sob like gasp.

With a bit of a grin, Keenan nods. "I'll call you back in when I can, but the best help ye can give me right now is helping with the sign-in paperwork," his gaze gleams encouragingly, and the slight squeeze seems aimed to give her strength as well. Then he straightens, and waits until the door has closed behind her. Once it has, he settles into a chair next to the gurney, leaning back with his hands folded in his lap. "Laurence, I need ye to look at me, please," he requests, his tone lacking in censure or any kind of reproach.

With an obedient nod, Rhyeline slips away with only one last worried glance over her shoulder at Laurence.

It takes him a few minutes but Laurence does finally, look jerk his head to look at Keenan, as he grits his teeth and he just stares at the man and gives a small nod. "T-thank-SHITEONABRICK-" He gasps out another breath.

Outside, Rhyeline stares at the paper work she is meant to fill out, but realizes she doesn't know anything beyond his name. Biting her lower lip, she peeks over her shoulder at the closed door to Keenan's office before she heads off in search of an owl.

One red eyebrow raises as Laurence swears. "I haven't seen someone do this much damage to themselves in a long time," his brows come together with concern. "Was it because she found out ye're a man in yer heart and mind, but not physically?" The question is asked with complete sincerity, and even a touch of sympathy.

"They always leave, it was just a matter of time." Laurence sounds more resigned than anything else. "No…she's a saint…a little saint…" He jerks once more. "A little goddess, she'll be alright."

Keenan crosses his arms and cups his hands under his elbows, watching Laurence. He gives a nod. "I see. And would this also be why ye didn't want to come to St. Mungo's?" he asks, studying him intently.

Laurence gives a small nod. "Aye…its a reason!" He gasps in another breath, just holding a hand over his heart and grimacing and closing his eyes. "Its why I have perfect health."

One eyebrow raises again, and then he nods and stands up, going over to his cabinet. He pulls out a vial, moving back to Laurence. Putting an arm under his shoulders, he gives the man a sturdy back rest. "On the count of three, I'm going to help ye sit up so ye can take this potion. Are ye ready?" Waiting for a nod, he'll give a three count, and once he's sitting up, holds the potion up for him to drink.

Laurence trembles a bit harder and nods, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth before nodding, leaning against the man's arm as he struggles to sit up and he nods firmly and on three he's doing his best to drink the potion, coughing a bit, but swallowing almost desperately.

The whole thing about all potions tasting horrible is pretty much a fallacy. However, it doesn't really taste /good/ either. The effects should be felt fairly soon, though, as the heartsease potion begins to relax the spasming muscles of the broken organ.
Laurence gasps in something akin to relief, head falling back as he inhales and exhales deeply, feeling the muscles relax and not feeling like he's about to give birth through his chest and he falls back, just breathing hard and sighing.

"When the novice gets back with the potion that I sent him for, take it home with ye. It'll work under the same circumstances," Keenan offers. "If ye have need of healing, and are under yer own power to get somewhere, go to MacDiarmada's apothecary, and ask Niamh for me. Tell her I told ye to come over."

Having sent an owl off in search of Phil, letting her know of her lover's plight, Rhyeline has made her way back to waiting outside of Keenan's office. She is still no further on the form he gave her though than the patient's first name.

Laurence smiles softly and closes his eyes for a moment before taking a deep breath as he swallows and nods. "Aye…I know Niamh, a beauty that one." He offers thickly, roughly and takes another deep breath. "Thank you…um, you." A frown as he looks around. "The little bit…the gwoman, is she-is she okay?"

Keenan chuckles. "Aye, Niamh's a beauty, and hasn't thanked me for being an over-protective brother at times. But when ye've a sister as lovely as Niamh, ye want to keep the bums away." With a nod, he gets to his feet. "Now that we've got that cleared up, I'll let Miss Diderot back in. She doesn't care for St. Mungo's much, so she must really like ye to come in on her own."

Believe it or not, Rhyeline continues to linger out in the hall. Keeping her head bowed, she avoids eye contact with passing healers and orderlies by focusing on the form instead. There's one more thing she can answer in the meantime at least. Gender: Male.

Laurence smiles weakly and just nods a bit to Keenan. "Aye…" Then at the mention of the Diderot, he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before coughing and holding his chest, deep breaths and he nods. "Alright…poor thing must've been so frightened…"

Keenan opens his door, and looks out into the hall. "Thank you, Miss Diderot," he says, holding out his hand for the paperwork. He glances at it, then raises an eyebrow. "Well, I see ye don't actually know any more than I do." The door is held open for her to come in, and he hands it back to her. "Perhaps ye can ask him the answers to the questions ye haven't answered while I get back to my patients?"

Rhyeline gives a sharp squeak when Keenan pops his head out of the door and addresses her. Blushing, she bites her lower lip and nods. "A-Alright… thank you so much, Keenan. Truly. Is- is he alright?" It would seem that the girl is a mouse once more, now that the true danger has passed.

"C'mon in…" Laurence is still a bit weak as he takes a deep breath and hisses through his teeth. "R-right as rain…twice the pain…" He starts to laugh softly before wincing and coughing. "Kay…laughing b-bad…"

Rhyeline peeks into Laurence's room, biting her lower lip before at last she slips in through the door. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she makes her way to the young man's bedside. "I hope it was alright… that- that I brought you here… I heard you ask me not to but- Keenan- Healer Keenan is- is one you can trust… I promise."

Laurence just smiles softly at Rhyeline, blinking drowsily. "Hm? N-nah…its okay. Thank you…for caring, its okay."

Lingering at his bedside, Rhyeline offers him a soft smile. Then looking down at the forms in her hand, she murmurs, "He… he asked me to answer these questions about you… but- I realize that- I don't know anything…" Peeking back over at him, she bites her lower lip, hesitating. "Are you alright now? Darkness not trying to swallow you up?"

"Heh…Laurence Toulson, lovely. 29 years of age. Shopkeeper…" Laurence murmurs softly to Rhyline. "I'm…alive. For now. You never know…how things will hit you, but sometimes you know that…they will. I couldn't hurt…Thomas or destroy his shop, she cares for him deeply. He can give her what I never can…" He smiles dozily as the potion provides more relief. "I'd remove it if I could, my heart, lock it away so I don't feel this…"

Rhyeline scribbles in his answers with neat, delicate handwriting. However, when he begins to share with her the emotions that led to the heart attack, she pauses, peeking over at him with such empathetic pain. "You were very strong to- to control yourself as you did… And- as strong as you are, I… I'm certain that- that this pain will " Hesitating, she peeks down at the form. "After I… I finish filling this out… do- do you need help to- to get home?"

Laurence hmms and takes a deep breath. "Perhaps…but this isn't the first time, this is happened…doesn't happen often but here's a secret luv…they always end up with somebody far better and are truly happy." He blinks and then takes a deep breath. "I think I can make it, I'll close the shop though tommorow…rest…take me potions, but you're welcome to stop by, I have a broom, light as a sprite that I haven't yet found the right person for…I'd be willing to trade it for some takeout from the Cauldron for breakfast…and for you to send an owl to Thomas, tell him I'll fix the shelf I broke and finish the repairs I agreed to make…" He starts to push himself up, falling back against the bed. "Okay, I may n-need a little help."

Rhyeline's gaze widens when Laurence falls back. Quickly, the little mouse tries to slip under his arm. The fragile little thing isn't the sturdiest source of support, but she does her best. "I'll help you home… and- tomorrow, I- I'll be sure to- to come and visit… though… I've never been much for brooms…" Blushing as she peeks up at Laurence, she offers him a soft smile as bit, by bit, she helps him home.

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