(1939-11-04) Then She Walked In
Details for Then She Walked In…
Summary: Peregrine seeks treatment for an injury in the line of duty at St. Mungo's, and Keenan tries to put the battered hit wizard back together. Then Auror Rena Odori arrives, and learns about detective novels.
Date: 4 November 1939
Location: St. Mungo's Hospital
Related: Close the Barn Door
Characters
KeenanPeregrineRena

Inspector Peregrine Urquart has looked better. He's probably looked worse in his long career, but that's besides the point. His right arm is displaced at the shoulder, and it looks pretty obvious that bones are broken painfully. The trauma staff have already cut away his jacket and shirt - which has him looking more dour than usual - and now he occupies his 'reserved' bed waiting to get fixed up. The chart records the cause of injury as 'spell damage - close range canon curse'.

A favor called in sees Keenan working a night shift, and the healer gives a quick double tap at the door before entering. He lifts his eyes from the chart he picked up at the desk, and tucks said chart under his arm as his eyes go first to the patient's face, then to the shoulder indicated in the history. "Inspector Urguart, good evening," the healer greets easily. "Master Healer O'Shea, have they given you any potions, yet?" Stopping at the side of the bed, he looks down, the green eyes peering at the mangle of bone and the livid skin.

Part and parcel with being married to an employee of St. Mungo's hospital is that one often finds themselves there - not as a patient, mind - but simply to meet your spouse for one reason or another. And so, Rena Odori is there, waiting near the front entrance of the hospital for her husband in a dressy velvet evening coat. They are going out for dinner, it would seem, but he's been delayed. She was just peering into a fresh copy of the Daily Prophet when Inspector Urquart was rushed in with some mighty awful injuries.

Very much alarmed, the young redhead backed into the waiting area and stayed there for some little time before venturing forth to try and discover what has happened to the older Hit Wizard. Once she has, she makes a point to step off to the gift shop and find something. He's one of the oldest and most respected people in the office (to her) and she's not going to miss a chance like this to make a fuss over him.

Peregrine shakes his head, "Nae, the mediwizard said 'twas tae great a job for them tae handle downstairs." Urquart's Scots burr comes through more as he's distracted by the pain, and even a little shift against the pillows that prop him up and pad under his arm cause a wince of pain.

Keenan nods once at the answer, and takes a step back from the bed before turning and placing the history on small table. With a special unlocking charm, he opens the cupboard and takes down a bottle from which he pours a small dose. Returning to the man, he holds it out towards the good arm. "This will help ye with the pain a bit," he offers. "How close was the witch or wizard that cast the spell?" the question is asked with mild curiosity as the healer draws his wand and gives a clear, yet slightly hushed incantation as he scans the wounded area.

The girl minding the counter at the gift shop engages in some idle banter with Rena. She's become an occasionally familiar face around here, after all - and people generally remember the plucky Auror… one way or another.

Rena takes her time in picking out what she wants to bring to the poor inspector, hopefully giving enough room to whomever is in charge of taking care of his wounds. The girl arranges a positively sunshiny bouquet of flowers into a vase, and they are paid for accordingly. Then, taking them in hand, the young woman heads out of the shop and makes a bee-line for the lift that will take her to the floor on which Peregrine is being treated.

"Two ells, gie or tak an inch, Master Keenan." Urquart replies, then realizes what he's said and clarifies, "seven or eight feet, more or less. We were standin' nae far, all in the same barn when Inspector Lovegood near stove in the man's knee. The charm came my way, and I couldnae turn fast enough." He takes the potion and throws it back like a shot, screwing up his face at the taste - whether it's foul or not. Little does he know that somewhere in the hospital, another dangerous charm, in the form of Auror Rena Odori, is headed directly towards him!

For a moment, there's no response from the Healer. He surveys the wound a bit longer, eyes slightly narrowed in concentration, then he exhales and reaches to take the glass that recently held the potion. "Close enough to push the bone fragments a bit out of place. I'll just give that potion a moment to dull the sensation." He taps his wand lightly on his palm, gaze shifting to the Hit Wizard to look into his eyes, gauging the effects of the potion before he begins. "Just hold still, please, Inspector Urquhart. This is going to take a couple of spells, one to knit the bones back together, another to anchor them back where they belong."

Depending upon your point of view, having Rena Odori headed your way is either like an oncoming storm… or a break in the weather. Maybe she's just the proverbial "eye." It's difficult to say. At any rate, she finds herself on the correct floor and asks an attending nurse at the station for directions. She is told the location, but also told that she can't go in right away. She will have to wait until the Healer has done his work. Naturally, Rena agrees to this and walks on toward the room in question. Pausing outside of the door as another nurse walks by, she's given a critical look.

"M.L.E. business," Rena says quite seriously, flashing her Auror badge with her free hand. Never mind the bouquet of flowers in the other. Fortunately for her, the glint of the badge is enough to cause the busy nurse to just go on her way.

Slipping the badge into a pocket inside the lining of her coat, Rena raps on the door lightly before slipping into the room quietly.

Peregrine does his best to hold still, of course, though even despite the potion he winces as the bones are set back in place and the mending begins in earnest. He mutters a curse just in time for Rena to walk in. "Auror Odori! How nice of you to stop by. Be with ye in just a tick, I think. Do you know Master Healer O'Shea?" He bites his lower lip, and then lets out a sigh as the magic starts to work.

His work done with the wand, Keenan turns towards the charts, pulling out a quill that he sets to writing. He glances up as there's a knock on the door, and raises his eyebrows when it's not another Mungo's staff entering, but an Auror. He dips his head in a nod of greeting, but returns his attention to finishing the documentation. "Ye're doing well, Inspector, if ye don't mind holding still another moment to let everything settle, I'll have finished up in just that tick." Chart's done, he pulls a sling from the cabinet and turns back towards the bed.

Although Rena gives Peregrine an initial once-over with her eyes, showing deep concern for his well-being, she does quickly shift her expression into a bright, warm smile: "Evening, Inspector!" She says cheerfully, inching her way around to the other side of the bed whilst holding the bouquet of flowers behind her back with the one hand. Not even remotely conspicious or suspicious, that…

"Can't say as I've 'ad the pleasure. Nice to meet you, Healer O'Shea. I'm sure I know your name. Takeshi's mentioned it before - I suppose there's no surprise in that, what with being Master 'ealer and all." She does have a way of talking at random sometimes.

"What on earth 'ave you been doing to yourself, Inspector?" Rena asks at length. "Usually I'm the one what gets told off for taking big risks. Do you need a scolding for once?" She teases.

Peregrine nods to Keenan, "Ach. Aye. I've nae anyplace tae be." Then he turns a bit - which causes slightly less of a wince this time - to Rena, "You recall the case we were working on with the stolen Muggle documents? We found them. And some nasty German sassenach who wanted them, too. Hypatia Abbot and I took out two, and Elijah seemed to have the other under control, but he snapped off a canon curse in my direction." A sad smile, and, "I'm nae as quick as I once was, lass. But willnae keep me doon lang, ye ken?" He coughs, and his burr smooths, "I'll be fine soon."

Satisfied that the bone-knitting charms have done their work, and everything is back in place, Keenan returns to the patient once more. He gently, but firmly, presses to test the area in question, then wraps the sling under the elbow and across the opposite shoulder as he explains. "Yer bones are fine, now. However, I'd like ye to not use the arm for the next 24 hours. Let everything that's been moved around have a chance to settle back where it belongs. I'm also going to put some ice on yer shoulder to bring the swelling back down." The healer's wand is at work again, with an incanted 'glacius', Peregrine will find his shoulder encased in a cap of ice that the healer holds in place with another wrap of the sling. "Auror Odori," he nods his head in greeting. "It is a pleasure to meet ye. Will ye be taking Inspector Urquhart home, this evening?"

Rena's eyes go quite wide as Peregrine explains what happened between himself, Hypatia, Elijah and a German. Her lips part into a shocked expression: "Oh, lor! I'm glad you didn't come away 'urt worse than this. You're lucky, you are. But then again, I suppose you'd 'ave to be to 'ave such a grand career."

Pausing, she reaches out to clasp the Hit Wizard's hand on the uninjured side to give it an awkward, but enthusiastic shake: "Congratulations on a job well done! If only they knew on the other side. You'd be an 'ero, you would."

Sliding a chair up beside the bed, Rena is about to sit down when Keenan asks if she'll be taking Peregrine home. She seems to be quite dismayed by the prospect: "What, you mean 'e'll be right as rain that fast? And 'ere I thought 'e would at least need to stay the night. That's why I brought these!" She says, bringing the gloriously sunshiny bouquet of flowers around from behind her back at last. "Nobody likes sitting in an 'ospital room with nothing pretty to look at." Pausing, she tilts the flowers for Peregrine to see: "Look, I 'ad them put 'eather flowers in it. For Scotland, you know."

Peregrine sits still while his arm is bound to his chest by the sling, and then jumps a bit as the icing charm is applied, "Bloody cauld!" he exclaims, then, "Sorry." A little exhale of breath as he starts to get used to, you know, a sheath of magical ice on his arm. Then he reaches out with his good hand to accept the flowers, "Thank you, Rena. The thought is much appreciated, and they will look grand altogether on my chimneypiece. But I would much rather stay in my own beed if ye don't mind helping an old man home." He gives a nod to the healer, "Thank you for your help, Healer O'Shea. Much appreciated." He starts to slide his legs off the bed, then murmurs something to Rena.

"Not quite right as rain, no, Auror Odori. But also not in enough danger to need to keep him here," Keenan replies to the woman's question. "As long as he pays heed to the instructions for rest, and does nothing to aggravate the healing process, he should be fine in his own bed." The green eyes twinkle with an almost mischief glance at the oath the Scot utters when the ice settles on. "It will melt soon enough, Inspector. I'll send a couple of potions with the discharge nurse, and she'll see ye have all ye need before ye go. Try to take it easy for a few days if ye can, let everything heal properly." He nods his head as he steps backward, picks up the charts once more, and then takes his leave.

"Oh, I don't mind a bit. Takeshi's been delayed for quite a while and I've got nothing but time on my 'ands," Rena replies lightly, almost immediately offering support as Peregrine already begins trying to get up out of the bed. Naturally, she's delighted that he likes the flowers, and she's only too happy to help him get home, safe and sound. His whisper does not go unheard, but Rena tries not to show any shift in her expression beyond a quick, conspiritorial wink of acknowledgement. She'll handle it.

"Thanks awfully, 'Ealer O'Shea!" Rena calls after the man as he leaves the room. "You know, it's funny - I'm 'ere often enough, but I almost never get a chance to meet any of my 'usband's co-workers. They don't seem to be as tight as we all are over at the M.L.E. yea?" She muses, returning her attention to Peregrine.

"That's healers. Living their lives of dignified isolation." Peregrine replies, as he walks with her, pulling his robes back on so that they cover where his jacket and shirt were cut away from his now-slung arm. He takes the flowers in his good arm and heads out the door with Rena, "I suppose I won't put these on my desk, since I expect I qualify for at least a few days off. I have a few novels to catch up on anyway - there's a new Sam Spade that I haven't even started."

Rena may be little, but she's strong enough to be helpful in times of need like this. She's there to support Peregrine and give him someone to lean on if need be, as well as opening doors and the like. Whatever he needs done, he's got a capable helper on hand to manage it.

"Sam Spade?" Rena asks with a curious giggle, letting the door fall closed behind them. "I don't think I've ever 'eard of Sam Spade, yet. Who is 'e?" The poor girl has apparently missed the boat on the glorious adventures of Sam Spade, being but a simple British girl. Clearly, by the way she looks at her companion, she genuinely doesn't know.

The Maltese Falcon has been out for nine years among muggles, but it's new to Peregrine. And so, as they exit the hospital, he's filling her in on the details of the hardboiled detective genre and the novels he enjoys. "These German trouble boys, they were grillin' the skirt, really puttin' the screws to 'er. But we gave the stool-pigeon the third degree and had him singing like a canary, so we bust their racket and jammed our bean shooters into his alderman before we showed 'im our buzzers and told him his elbows were checked…"

Rena listens to all this American slang with great interest. However, despite her occasional giggles, she remarks with a quirk in her eyebrow: "The Funny way they talk, reminds me of someone I know."

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