| Details for Good, Old Fashioned Medicine |
| Summary: | The last person to visit Rena while she's laid up (and possibly the most needed) Arthur brings food from back home, and a shot in the arm of East End attitude to help get her back on her feet. |
| Date: | 1939-07-07 |
| Location: | St. Mungos Hospital |
| Related: | The Wolf in the Room |
| Characters |
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Rest and recovery can be extremely dull for an average person… but Rena is no average person, and the rest and relaxation are already beginning to drive her into a fit of stir-crazy agitation. Instead of sleeping (as she should be at this hour) she is lying awake. She's annoyed with herself; she's upset with Mister Orwell; she's upset /about/ Mister Orpington… but most of all, she's rather upset at the conversation she had with Takeshi earlier. It left her feeling very unsettled and confounded, but what can she do? She's helplessly shackled to the damn hospital bed until she gets well and is cleared of all concerns about Lycanthrope.
Heaving a sigh, the young redheaded woman tries to slowly push herself up into a sitting position on the bed. She's feeling a bit stronger now, and maybe if she proves that she's getting better fast, they'll release her sooner. Another wince of pain causes her to whimper a little, forcing her to drop back down. "I bloody 'ate this." She mutters to herself, staring at the ceiling again.
Arthur has been to St. Mungo's a few times and has even had to stay a few nights in the course of his Initiate status. So he knows how crazy one can become sitting in the silent still that is Mungos. After checking with the front desk, some muttering about visiting hours and a few badge flashes and talk about official business. He makes his way into the ward Rena is in. He had gotten the letter she sent not that long ago and after handling a few things made his way to her.
As he walked up towards her bed, a frown was on his face and he was carrying something, in a small bag. The scent wasn't the greatest as he sat the bag on Rena's lap and kick a chair up next to her, his cold dark eyes on her and his lips straight. "'ent da O'Clare's on da East End." he says nodding, "His misses cooked dis up fer yeh, said a slice ah Irish cooking 'ill clean you right up." he says with another nod. Inside the bag, was a small thing of beef broth with potato's in it and a few small cuts of lamb, that are a bit overcooked to make them last longer and a couple stale slices of bread to dip in the broth.
Rena ought to be ashamed of herself. She heard Arthur's familiar footstep coming, and his frown is met by the warmest, happiest smile she has managed to give anyone in the last forty-eight hours. She seems to be sublimely unaware of the fact that he might be justifiably irritated with her over her behavior the other evening. At the moment, it's far from her mind. Her hands immediately go to the bag on her lap, and she begins to unwrap the contents: "Oh, Arthur! You're a wonder. You didn't 'ave to do this, but I'm ever so glad."
Pausing, Rena bites her lower lip as she considers something briefly. Then, turning to look at the man with a pleading expression, she works up the courage to ask: "Could you 'elp me sit up a bit? I can't seem to manage it on my own quite yet." She isn't lying to get pity. She's tried and failed several times. "Please?"
Arthur rolls his eyes, "Ah, dhese blocks dhink they know everything. Yeh ever seen a Irish man not eat after ah good fight?" he says tapping his nose, "Logic behind it, it may not be da fancy stuff people get use too, but it got what yeh need da kick yourself in the arse." he says slowly nodding. His duster is buttoned up and only his tie can be seen, as he stares at Rena for a moment before unbuttoning a couple buttons and leaning back in the chair. "Eat up." he says with a nod.
Though her request comes and he just stares at her for a moment, his tongue clicking against his cheek "Yeh can sit up." he says with a small wave of his hand. "Yeh been getten too spoiled." he says his eyes narrowing at her for a moment, "Sid up." he tells her, his voice a bit stern, "Push dhrough id and sid up." he says slowly.
The sunshiny smile and warmth slowly begin to fade out of Rena's expression. Arthur is taking a tough stance with her, it would seem… and it isn't quite like him to treat her this way. She doesn't pout, she doesn't sulk, but she does flash him a look that speaks very clearly that she's not happy. "What's the matter with everyone anyway?" She asks - for the second time in the last two days.
Gritting her teeth, she braces her hands on the bed and begins to try to push herself into a sitting position. It clearly hurts, judging by the tightening of her jaw and the fact that she turns her face away from him to wince. It takes a good deal of effort to restrain the whimper that wants to escape, but she keeps it inside. When she finally gets herself pushed up against the headboard, she leans back, closing her eyes as she steadies her breathing.
"'Appy now?" Rena asks, her voice somewhat strained. Dark eyes open and swerve to meet with Arthur's snapping with defiance.
Arthur looks like he is about to cry as he shakes his head, his hand coming up and point at her, "Next dime, someone dries da kill ya, ya better push yourself up and dry and kill them right back, yeh here?" he says composing himself, "Because next dime, they may and try and finish da job." he says clicking his tongue against his cheek as he reaches over and flat out just kisses Rena right there, his lips barely away from hers, "Promise meh, yeh will kill em right back." he says shaking his head.
Though before she can answer he leans back in his chair and runs his hands across his face, "So what da bloody hell happened?" he asks shaking his head, "All this crazy shit stabbed, werewolfs and such, yeh haven a party?" he asks tilting his head a bit to the right. His hand moving across his hair, which had turned a dark yellow, an unusual color for Arthur, especially when his emotions have gotten the better of him.
Taken off guard by Arthur's sudden kiss, Rena's first instinct is one of fear. Fear, because of all she was told earlier about the chance she might be infected by the Werewolf. But, the instinct to push him away quickly melts, vanishing into nothing as she clings to him gently. When he pulls away from her at last, Rena's head swims a little: "Arthur," she says breathlessly, "Aren't you afraid of…" What's the use in asking? He's already kissed her, and the answer is clear.
Recovering slightly, she sighs and toys with the food on her lap uncertainly before beginning her side of the story. "I was on a case in Umber Alley, following a lead, you know. I 'eard something awful going on - someone taking a beating. They were pleading with whoever was doing it to stop, saying they didn't know what they wanted to know. I snuck up on them and found out it was Mister Orwell… 'e's an 'it wizard, you know. And Mister Orpington arrived about the same time. 'E tried to talk reason to Mister Orwell and stop the beating. But I was stupid and interfered directly with 'em by stepping between. I said I would take the man to Mungo's because 'e was in such bad shape… then the bastard stabbed me." A small wince shows in her face as she looks down to where the wound is slowly knitting together and healing. "I thought we were supposed to arrest people, Arthur. Bring them in to interrogate them like decent people…" She looks up at the man with pleading in her eyes. "Was I wrong?"
Arthur just waves the hand at her first question not answering it at all. Though as she tells the story of what happened he just listens and sits back in his chair and stares at her slowly. Then he lets out a small nod, "'ell looks like yeh have quiet da story da tell over a pint in the future." he says stretching a bit in his chair silent now, clearly in thought. "'Ell I don't know Orwell, might have passed him at the Ministry but can't say I can put ah face to da name." he says slowly.
"Next suppose it was pretty dim da get in da way, seeing as yeh got stabbed." he says shaking his head. "As far right and wrong…" he says slowly, his finger moving up and tapping his lip for a moment, "Yeh gotta find yeh own line." he says with a shrug, "Sometimes bashen a head into a bar to get someone to talk can save meh some time and paperwork." he says slowly with a shrug, "Sometimes that paperwork and interrogation room saves meh ass and time." he explains, "It's not black an white, Love." he says nodding, "Yeh got da find the line yeh are willing to walk." he says offering her a reassuring smile.
Poor Rena. She really did get herself into the wrong line of work if she's going to be so soft-hearted. She's a light touch, and everybody knows it. She doesn't seem to have a tough or mean bone in her body. What's a girl to do when she's such an inherently gentle creature who's trying to make it in a profession like law enforcement?
Taking a piece of the bread, Rena quietly swirls it in the broth, letting it soak in the delicious goodness. Her dark eyes avoid Arthur's for a long moment, until she breaks the silence with a tiny remark: "Takeshi wouldn't 'ardly touch me." It might be strange for her to say this to him, but it's clear that it hurt her very deeply. Of course she understood why… but it still hurt. "Because I might be a monster, now."
Arthur waves his hand, before he reaches over and steals a small slice of potato out of the broth, tossing it in his mouth. Arthur is not much for personal boundaries and well things like putting his fingers in other peoples food when he has a history with them. "Sure he is just concerned bout work." he says with a small wave of his hand, "Dhough, I doubt he dhinks yeh are a monster, wha? He probably needed da follow some sort ah protocol, yeh know how all des Healers are. Dhey all have like a bullet list in dere heads on how everyone should be." he says with a small shrug.
"Meh? Pfft, yeh ever seen a werewolf on the East End?" he says with a small wink, "No, yeh know why? First ah all, da stuff we eat is more dangerous dhen their bit. Second ah all, anything with a bit of fur is a meal." he says with a chuckle, clearly trying to lighten the mood.
Rena doesn't mind Arthur snatching food from her. It's not likely that she could possibly finish even half of what he's brought for her to eat. With having been stabbed, apparated, potioned and upset repeatedly, she doesn't have a very good appetite at the moment. However, he does manage to make her smile a little. That's a triumph for the day. "I know," she admits at length, obviously half-hearted. "But it was the way 'e said Werewolves were beasts. And I asked 'im 'ow 'e would feel about me if it DID 'appen… 'E wouldn't really answer me at all. Said 'e would always love me, but that was that."
Finally eating some of the broth soaked bread, Rena has to turn her face aside again and discretely catch a drip of the broth on her chin. Swallowing, she chuckles a bit sheepishly after. "We never really did 'ave normal meals together, did we?" She asks, also changing the subject. Back in the day, brief as their time together had been, it had never been /normal,/ and neither had seemed to care.
Arthur lets out a small shrug, "'Ell…" he starts his hand moving and running through his hair slowly, "Don't dhink we can understand it anymore dhen him understanding some stale bread and broth." he says looking up at her, "Most wizards and witches be afraid and think dhat werewolves are beasts and such." he says shrugging a little, "Meh? I have seen men do just as bad dhings to one another in my life dhen a werewolf does, so I guess we are all beasts." he explains with a small wave of his hand.
On the topic of food, "Eh." he says waving his hand, "I don't eat much." he says nodding, "Normally da meals I trick you out ah, last me a good while." he says shrugging, "Some broth here, a potato there. A full meal once and awhile." he says shrugging. "Gets meh by, yeh know how it is. Sure you remember first day at Hogwarts, looking at all dhat food and thinking bout how that could feed people for months and it was just for one day." he says with a nod.
Poverty. That is one thing that both Arthur and Rena understand all too well… and something that Takeshi has never known in his life. Poverty of the heart due to the lack of love in his family, sadly yes, but not the kind of poverty East Enders so often live through.
Dunking another piece of bread into the broth lightly, Rena catches a bit of meat. She doesn't hold it to her own lips, however. Instead, she holds it out for Arthur with an encouraging smile. Of course this could be seen as slightly ironic (given the fact that she's the one who's sick and in bed) but she always has an insatiable need to take care of people.
"Nobody really knows this," she says a bit sheepishly. "But, early on, it took me the longest time to break the 'abit of squirreling away food. I would find any way possible to tuck a bit of anything into a napkin or an 'andkerchief so that I could steal it away and 'ide it." Blushing a bit, Rena can only laugh at herself, remembering. "I finally got in trouble for it. But they were kind to me, on the whole. Explained that I didn't 'ave to worry about where the next meal was coming from anymore."
They pass the rest of Arthur's visiting time quite pleasantly, and when he leaves her, Rena is in considerably better spirits than when he first arrived. Whether she learns something from this whole affair remains to be seen. One can only hope that she will do a better job of defending herself the next time a person tries to attack her. Because, when you're someone as reckless as Rena… there will always be a next time.