| Details for Healing Half Truths |
| Summary: | Gabriel and Madeline have an encounter in the Infirmary where he convinces her he's no longer plotting aggressive options to the issues at the school, mending things between them. |
| Date: | 1939-10-02 |
| Location: | Hogwarts Castle, Hospital Wing |
| Related: | Have a Long Spoon |
| Characters |
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Hogwarts Castle, Hospital Wing
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Rows of like cast-iron beds flank a long center aisle that leads from the entryway door to a stained glass window at the end of the room. Each bed is accompanied by basic furnishings; a bedside table, an eating table, a chair and a screen to be pulled around that area when someone is in need of more privacy than is normally afforded. Medicine cabinets - perpetually restocked with all the basic necessities and remedies such as bandages, cough potions and the like, are positioned between large window that reflects any light against the glass cabinet doors. The opposite wall to the window is punctuated by a series of doorways leading to the Nurses' offices and private rooms for isolation cases.
Shortly after the bell for the dinner hour rang, Madeline appeared in the infirmary, complaining of a headache and a bit of a stomachache. She was settled into a bed with some potions, and a tray of honest, hot food has been offered. Perhaps surprisingly - she hasn't turned her nose up at the school food, but she's not devouring it hungrily, either. She's mostly tearing at the bread roll, and dipping it in her soup before eating it. Almost as much of the bread seems to just be getting shredded as eaten, though.
Once dinner was finished Gabriel made a beeline for the Hospital Wing since Madam Spleen had asked him to stop by and work on some filing. Since Madeline's bed was hidden behind the curtains that are usually closed around patients for their privacy when no one is with them he misses the fact that one of his friends is in the infirmary as he makes his way to the office. But once Madam Spleen stops to check on Maddie and he hears her voice he stops working to poke his head out the door to see what's going on with her.
"My head's feeling a lot better - really," Madeline promises the woman, while tearing off another little piece of bread. "I guess I'm just not very hungry today." Still - in the face of the woman's obvious concern, Madeline dips her piece of bread in her soup again, taking another bite. There. She's eating, alright?
Gabriel waits for Madam Spleen to walk away to check on a boy that had an accident in transfiguration class. Currently the skin on his arm looks like a melted candle with no discernible fingers or even a hand. He seems to be perfectly fine other than that but Madam Spleen has been finding the transfiguration resistant to reversal. As she's distracted with him Gabriel slips between the curtains around Madeline's bed and then just frowns at her for a while before asking, "What did Madam Spleen say is ailing you?"
Madeline frowns at Gabriel, then turns her attention to her tray of food, rather than have to look at her friend. "It's just a headache. And it's better now. I'm fine," she insists. "Tell the Cap'n to stop worrying." Picking up her water, she drinks some of that.
Gabriel tilts his head to the side and considers Madeline for a while longer before saying, "Headache's don't cause lack of appetite. What else is wrong?
Madeline gives Gabriel an annoyed look, then focuses her attention back on her plate. "I'm fine," she insists, tearing off a larger piece of bread and forcing herself to eat it without any enjoyment. "Don't you have a revolution to plan or something?" she adds in quiet anger.
Gabriel takes a seat in the armchair next to Madeline's bed. Completely ignoring her comment about a revolution he reaches out and pokes the side of her tummy, "Fine? Not according to what a lot of your housemates have said. Ate nothing at all yesterday, looking a bit green around the gills, barely had anything at all to eat today…"
"Don't touch me," Madeline abruptly snaps at Gabriel, abruptly throwing at him the little piece of bread she'd just dipped in her soup. She doesn't feel at all sorry about it, either. "I'm eating. Just leave me alone." Tears start to spring to her eyes, and she wipes at them with the back of her hand while trying not to look at Gabriel at all.
Gabriel seems to have been expecting that kind of reaction, or something similar. As Madeline throws her bread he ducks out of the way, one hand snapping out to catch the bread with a low squishing sound. Sighing he says, "If you get too much louder we're going to have Madam Spleen coming over here. Did you tell her all the truth about the last couple of days or just that you had a headache? You can be as mad at me as you want but I'm not going to let you get sick if I can help it."
"I told her my stomach's been acting up too. Okay?" Madeline answers with looking at him. "And maybe I should let her hear us." Then she could make Gabriel leave her alone. She tears off another piece of her bread roll - but she really has no interest in eating it right now.
Gabriel sighs again as he watches Madeline fake like she's eating then gets up from his chair. "I'm sorry, Madeline, but I need to make sure that you told Madam Spleen everything she needs to know to treat you properly. I'll be right back." Pulling aside the curtain he starts making his way towards Madam Spleen, tossing the soup soaked bread on the way there.
Madeline lets out an aggravated sigh. Why does Gabriel have to be in the infirmary? He's the last person she wants to see. Maybe Madame Spleen'll let her go back to her dorm room. Is she allowed to eat there? She'd rather eat there. Feeling more aggrevated and less hungry by the moment, she starts shredding her roll.
Gabriel walks up to Madam Spleen as she finishes with her curent patient. In a low voice, meant for her ears only he says, "Sorry to interrupt, Madam Spleen but I'm worried Madeline might not have told you everything. Did she mention she has been eating mostly things that people have brought back from meals for her, and I'm betting that has not made for the most balanced meals. And she's barely touched her food tonight, so I don't think she's feeling as well as she says she is." He stops for a moment to look back at Madeline with a genuinely worried expression on his face before returning to his conversation with the Nurse, "And she had a big fight with me the day before yesterday. Maybe the stress of everything that's been going on might be making her sick? Could that be it?"
Madeline continues to shred her bread roll in her bed, making sure all of the crumbs stay on her tray. She wears a rather annoyed expression on her features all the while - not at all how she'd looked before Gabriel came over to speak to her.
Madam Spleen hmmms shrewdly and lifts her tiny spectacles from where they hang from her apron upon a golden chain. Placing them on her nose they rest there so that she can have both hands free. Her eyes squint as she peers through the half moon lenses. "Yes, thank you Mr. Ward. I believe there might be no better medicine in this case than a good genuine apology from you. I will be over in just a moment." She gestures towards Maddie with one hand while the other gives his shoulder an encouraging 'you can do this' pat. Then it's off to her office where many of her potions and supplies are stored.
Colton comes strolling in with a few flowers that he plucked from the garden. Meanwhile there's grumblings of 'Ogg, ogg, OGG!' down in the garden as Ogg has discovered some clippings. "Ay pidge." The flowers are put down on her tray and he reaches to give the girl's head a little rub. A typical greeting from him to Maddie. "This isn't Arts Club. Go'on an' eat. For me?" He points to the artistically shredded roll of Madaline's.
There's someone near the entrance of the Hospital Wing. Cillian leans there in the doorway, idly toying with a cut out of a flower and he just watches the scene from where he is seeing as Colton has made his way in and he just looks thoughtful and rests a hand lightly on his overstuffed satchel.
Colton's approach is greeted much more warmly than Gabriel's had been - and she smiles at the older student. "These are pretty!" she remarks. "Gosh - did everyone notice I skipped dinner? I'm sorry. I just had a bit of a headache, is all… I don't want everyone worrying on my account." For Colton, she starts making an effort tearing off a larger piece of what little remains of her now largely destroyed bread roll. She dunks this into her soup, and obediently eats it.
Gabriel looks after Madam Spleen, frowning a bit at the unexpected turn of events. "But I didn't…" After a moment of grumbling about not being fair that he has to apologize just for holding a dissenting opinion he turns around and starts making his way towards Madeline's bed. Until Colton shows up. Then he just stops and watches, taking a moment to toss Cillian a salute from across the room. But if he's going to put out an apology he seems to think he has no reason to make its clearly not going to happen with other people around…
When Madam Spleen returns she makes her way to Maddie's bed and tsks, "Such a messy eater." She lifts up the bowl and sets it aside and while Maddie is distracted by visitors out of sight using her body as a shield she pours a little dose of a potion into the soup. She also distracts from the act by cleaning up the shreds and crumbs. "Truly Miss Evans. Do try to show more respect for the effort put forth in baking this bread and making this soup." The Nurse then sits on the side of the bed and takes up the bowl and a spoon lifting up a spoonful of the enchanted soup that does wonders for make a person hungry. "Now, if you are going to behave like a wee tot, I shall feed you like one. Hmm? Or are we feeling more hungry and able to feed ourselves?"
"I'm sorry, ma'am," Madeline answers, looking suitably embarrassed. "I'll, umm, I'll finish it, I promise. I can feed myself." She glances asides at Colton, her cheeks turning red that the only student had seen her being treated like such a child, but takes the spoon from Madam Spleen and proceeds to dutifully eat a spoonful of the soup as instructed.
Colton cracks a smile down at Maddie and then baby bird opens his mouth to Madam Spleen, "Spoon fed by such a lovely lady, sign me up!" Spleen scoffs but turns her face away while waving dismissively at Colton. Once her head is away the old woman allows herself to grin a moment before she looks back looking like the prudish concerned and compassionate Nurse everyone knows. "Very well. You have…" She sets a minute hourglass down and taps it with her wand twenty times and with each tap more and more sand fills the glass bubble and then she flips it over and the sand starts to run. "…Twenty Minutes to finish everything on this tray Miss Evans." The wand is pointed at Colton, "With no help from your visitors." Yes, after 7 years she knows Colton all to well. When Spleen stands to make the rounds of the other patients she gives Gabriel a look that says it all. She doesn't care if there's other company, he must apologize!
Gabriel nods to Madam Spleen and with another sigh starts making his way back to Madeline's bedside. Once he's there, thought he doesn't say anything, instead giving Maddie time to eat without interruption. Colton gets a friendly nod for a greeting.
Madeline looks slightly appalled as the woman sets a timer on her meal. She eyes it for a moment, then looks towards Colton. "What happens if I don't finish it all?" she asks uncertainly. She pokes at her soup, and then takes another spoonful, her eyes flicking towards Gabriel as the boy approaches. He earns himself a frown, before she shifts a little in her bed partly turning the back of her shoulder towards the boy, and angling herself towards Colton.
Colton smirks, "She has this device that she puts on your belly, it drills a hole into your stomach and she pours the food right on in. Torture it is." It's clear he is absolutely joking and he reaches down to tickle Maddie's tummy while he speaks of the make believe horrors that will happen if she doesn't eat. But then he shrugs and seriously says, "Y'll be stuck here even longer. C'mon, eat up, ya promised me." Okay she didn't actually promised, but her eating the last time he asked her too was promise enough and he's holding her to it. Gabriel gets a grin and a greeting jut of the lads chin.
Gabriel snorts at Colton's description of the result of not finishing the soup in time but other than that he remain quiet. After all, Maddie /is/ on a timer and speaking means risking not finishing the meal in time.
Madeline rolls her eyes, then squeaks, and squirms away from the tickling. "Hey! I'm sick! It's no fair tickling people when they're sick!" she complains - stalwartly ignoring Gabriel for all that she's got. She does takes another spoonful of the soup, though and - by golly - she's actually starting to feel hungry. She'll have no trouble finishing off what Madame Spleen gave her in the time allowed.
Colton gives Maddie a high-five 'slip me some skin' celebratory gesture when she finishes the soup. "That's a way!" He winks and then tilts his head. "Alright Pidge, you keep eating alright. You're too young to be fasting, you gotta grow up and then get all Aurory. Promise me you'll take care of yourself. Flint doesn't care that you're starving yourself, but I sure as hell do. So knock it off. Shang?" Colton says 'Shang' often enough that any Gryffindor by now knows that's the Shelta word for 'Understand?' He gives her head and hair another rub and ruffle, looking like he'll be taking his leave after she's promised him.
"Shang," Madeline answers. "And I am taking care of myself," she insists. Well. Most of the time. She shifts a bit uncomfortably, however, as the older students prepares to take his leave. That'll leave her alone with… Gabriel.
Gabriel nods as Madeline finishes her soup and uncrossed his arm from over his chest. After clearing his throat he says, "I'm sorry fo the fight the other day. I didn't want to hurt you." His lips press together for a quick moment, easily missed if someone isn't looking at him directly, as if he's holding back more words.
Madeline frowns, not looking at Gabriel as he speaks - and crossing her arms just when he's uncrossing his. "I know you didn't," the girl concedes. Nothing he says, though - /none/ of it - means he's changed his mind. "But as long as you're even considering anything like… that, I ain't talking to you. It's a mistake. A huge one."
Gabriel takes a deep breath, frowns slightly, then after taking a moment to think he says, "Well, Madam Spleen says the best way to make you better is to patch things up with you. So if that's what it takes I'll stop considering more… aggressive plans. But you are being irrationally stubborn and incredibly prideful in thinking that only you know what's best for everyone." Throughout his whole little speech he sounds massively frustrated and not a little bit sad.
The relief from Madeline is palpable as she turns to look towards Gabriel. "You promise?" she asks. "It's just me, you know. I talked to Miss Taylor. And Anthony Rowle dragged it out of me, too. I mean - I didn't tell them who, of course, I didn't rat you out or nothing. But it's not just me."
Gabriel looks down at his feet for a moment, more to compose his features than anything else, then he looks back up at Madeline and gives her a few soft nods, "If it will help make you feel better…"
"Loads better," Madeline says in relief. She bites her lip then adds sheepishly, "I'm sorry I got all mad and called you stupid and stuff. I just got really upset. I'm not supposed to do that."
Gabriel shrugs a little bit at that and smiles slightly, "No apologies needed. we all get frustrated and angry sometimes. And we all have a bigger chance say things in the heat of the moment when that happens." He grabs a piece of fruit from Maddie's tray and offers it to the girl, "Want anything else to eat?"
Madeline is thoughtful a moment - then gets hopeful. "What did they have for dessert today?" she asks. "Were there any peppermint humbugs, or chocolate custard, or the eclairs, or chocolate cake, or even the ginger biscuits? Why - yes. She did just name off a bunch of the desserts the muggleborns haven't been given all year. "I'll share it with you," she adds.
Gabriel digs in his robes pockets and, after checking to make sure Madam Spleen is back in her office, he pulls out a small cylinder of brown paper Madeline probably knows by heart at this point, "None of those. Not that we would have gotten them anyway. But you can have these." He then puts the packet in Maddie's hand, trading it out for the fruit.
Madeline grins at Gabriel and takes the cylinder - opening it to eat one. "At least go ask her, though," she encourages her friend. She's a little disappointed when Spleen brings her a proper meal instead - but not terribly, seeing as any warm meal is a treat for the girl these days. She eats it, especially the fresh veggies, which she hasn't gotten much of lately the way she's been eating. But it's the dessert she's really been craving. And true to her word, she lets Gabriel poach bits of anything off of her plate.