RP:The Impulse of Worry

Synopsis: Angela Graham and Noah Atwood show up at the Kelay Healer looking for Yerrel, a master healer. Instead? They find Penelope Halifax. A non-magical healer who Noah thinks is a logger and should be a housewife. The strange man sounds snobby when he is impressed the girl has such a science background. The comments from Noah go silently unappreciated, as she gives his Grams the diagnosis of pneumonia, but Penelope keeps up with her snakiness. Penny is a very work-oriented woman as much as the man before her. Grams does not make it easy with trying to sweeten up Noah, but really, it triggers other thoughts for the Ardelian. Penelope reassures Noah that Angela will, in fact, be okay with her temporary illness, and a couple days will do her good in the healing hut.

Kelay Healer

Noah (1-2) Noah opens the door to the Healer’s Hut and affords the first room with a sweeping glance, mildly surprised to find that it’s a sterile environment. He holds the door ajar and peers over his shoulder at the elderly dark-skinned woman that is hobbling in behind him, leaning heavily on a cane and stopping every few feet to catch her breath. The man mistakes her hesitation for uncertainty and he furrows his brows and helps her step over the threshold, “It looks clean, Gram. Relax! It’s nothing like that barbaric tent up in Gamorg.” He shudders at the memory of the ogres wanting to sacrifice the woman that is like a mother to him, at least he -thinks- they meant to sacrifice her, but he cannot be sure. He’s educated, but he doesn’t speak monster gibberish. Gram relaxes and smirks at Noah, “I think they meant to drain my blood and put in some fresh blood, Noah. I’m sure their hearts were in the right place.” Noah rolls his eyes and proceeds to the front desk to ring a bell, “Riiiight. Bleeding out a seventy year old woman is so heartwarming, Gram! I feel butterflies just imagining you bleeding out while that sick shaman drinks your blood.” Gram chuckles at the absurdity of medical procedures in these lands, and she begins to cough so heavily that it sounds like her lungs may collapse. She reaches into her pocket and procures a tissue, which she spits a wad of phlegm into.

Noah (2-2) Noah impatiently rings the bell a second time as he worriedly cranes his neck to try and peer into the next room with all the curtains. It -is- midday so it’s possible that Yerrel is out to lunch, but they traveled all the way from Rynvale and it’s taxing on the old woman. Noah offers Gram his arm to hold onto and pats her awkwardly on the hand, as he sees their reflection in a mirror. She’s dark-skinned, hunched over, and has dark eyes with black hair that’s pinned back into a modest bun. A loose summer dress covers her portly body, and she wears a knit shawl over her frame. Noah stands nearly a foot taller than Gram, physically fit, and he appears to be in his early thirties. His brown hair is combed back away from his face and his inquisitive hazel eyes scan every item in the room, as he has a rather curious nature. Today, he’s clad in casualwear which consists of dark pants, a yellow shirt with a few of the top buttons undone, and a pair of leather loafers. He’s handsome but not to the point of conceit. Noah’s gaze drops from the mirror to his expensive watch, “I know we heard that Yerrel is the best there is in these lands, but maybe we should try looking for someone else if he doesn’t show up in a few minutes?” Noah is fairly sure that Gram has pneumonia and he doesn’t want to delay her care much longer.

Penelope was outside chopping wood for the furnace inside. Although a petite stature, she had a heart of fire… plush, she had to boil tea somehow, right? The cut would echo throughout the woods, but the woodpile was also off to the side and not that visible to the average clientele. She hears the bell ‘ding’ once as she swings down to cut through kindling. Moss eyes reflect on the hut before moving to greet whoever is visiting the healing shaq. She crosses the threshold, and she is behind the tall man standing with hair tousled up on top of her head–pieces frame her face and loosely coil in different places. She wears simple denim pants and a corduroy brown button-up that is oversized and tucked slightly into the denim. A very casual, but tired appearance rests on her face. Mid-day and she had to pull a double–two hours to go. “Hi, sorry,” the Ardelian seems breathy behind the two in that greeting before she circles around to the front desk. “It’s just me holding down the fort for now,” she smirked. “I was out back.” She notices the heavy breathing from the elder, and mostly focuses her gaze on the woman. “What can I do ya for?” She glances slightly at the tall man, but he looked stable enough. A quick observer.

Noah turns at the sound of Penelope’s voice and he scrutinizes her appearance and nods at her apology, “Just… You?” He doesn’t mean to sound condescending, but the woman looks like a gentler version of a lumberjack and there’s no way she is equipped to deal with a sick senior. “We were told that we could find the master healer here… Yerrel. If he-” Sensing that his tone is about to get testy, his coughing counterpart elbows him and rests all of her weight on her cane, which happens to be perched atop Noah’s foot. The man scoffs and tries to interject, but Gram wins this feud, “I’m Angela Graham and I seem to have fallen ill during our travels. We moved from far away and I guess it was the change in temperature. I have this awful cough, I get a fever at night, and I just feel so tired.” It’s difficult for her to breathe and every few words she has to pause to catch her breath or cough. “Can you help me, young lady?” There’s a brief pause, before Gram elbows Noah again, “Don’t mind him. We aren’t from around these parts and we don’t know about all these races and customs. Plus, he’s a different kind of doctor and is suspicious about everyone he meets.” She chuckles, before having to catch her breath, again. Noah clears his throat and realizes that Gram cannot wander to another healer, as she likely needs to be on bed rest and intravenous nutrition. At a stalemate, he extends a hand to Penelope, “I’m Dr. Noah Atwood. I’d appreciate it if you could take a look at Gram, er- Angela.”

Penelope frowns momentarily at the ‘just -you-’ questioning. Noah is on a flow of Yerrel being a ‘master’ at craft, which, mind one, Yerrel was, but the Ardelian had been studying under the elder for years. Except for the magical part. If anything, the book nerd caught up–mostly. Magic was still… out of the question regarding healing wounds and disease. Penelope ignores the word-vomity, spewing scrutinizer before turning to Angela. “Nice to meet you, Miss Graham,” she says in her sweet, silky accent, and then she snatches a piece of parchment and tucks it into a clipboard. She lifts a piece of charcoal to scribble down brief notes about the symptoms the elder spoke of. “Cough, fever, fatigue,” she purses her lips. “Of course. Here let’s make you a little more comfortable. Come with me. We can sit at one of the cots–preferably the one closest to the fire,” the fire that was dwindling a bit… Crap, she forgot the wood! She is kicking herself for taking Ruari’s shift today. “Not from these parts? Sometimes climate change can really do a number on our bodies.” Once Noah extends a hand out to the freckled druid, she sucks in her cheeks before reaching out. She would never deny politeness… Right? Afterall, she does not need a bad review. Once he says ‘doctor’, however, she tilts her head. “What’s your specialty?” Now she was curious before turning to lead Angela to the cot nearby. “Any chest pain, Miss Graham? This, honestly, might be an easier diagnosis today. I hope you don’t mind, I’m not Yerrel, but I’ve studied under the man for years. Non-magic, mind you, but clinical is my main focus.” Once Angela is settled, and Penelope is plopped on a stool, she grabs a stethoscope. “Oh,” she forgot her name. She is truly a brainless mess right now. “I’m Penelope. Penelope Halifax.” Her name may ring a bell through passing. Especially regarding the Healer’s Guild–a part of the council. Then again, if the pair was new to the lands, most likely, this would not make a difference. Either way, Penny does not mention anything like that, as she is more... quiet about her titles and experience.

Noah gives Penelope’s hand a polite shake, noting the smoothness of her skin. He had expected them to be calloused, since she was out chopping wood. Is she even a Healer?! Perhaps a receptionist? She’s fair and young, and from where they come from, she would be wed and have a few children. Women were meant to tend the home and keep their husbands happy. Yet, here she stands, freckle faced and proudly calling herself a medical professional! Noah quickly looks at Gram to see her view on this matter, but the old woman is struggling to even breathe, let alone care who treats her ailment. “I’m a psychiatrist… Couple counseling, phobias, abnormal psychology, disorders at all ends of the spectrum.” He gives examples, in case she doesn’t know what sort of field psychiatry entertains. As the healer takes notes and marks ‘yes’ that Gram is having chest pain, Noah idly rubs his chin and studies her with newfound respect. “I have to admit, I’m relieved that you aren’t a magical healer. Not that there’s anything -wrong- with magic, it’s just that I find it much easier to blast someone with a spell than to actually study the art of surgery, diagnosing, coming into contact with new illnesses, etcetera. You actually hone your skills more and it’s far more admirable.” He sounds like a snob and knows that he should shut up at this point, but it’s been so long since he’s spoken with another human that’s not one of his patients, or actually left the office or house. Gram eyes both of them and smiles, “See, Noah? You can talk so nicely to this pretty girl, but you refused to even meet Jessica’s niece!” The man scowls, clearly not amused, “Gram. Just because someone is in your book club doesn’t mean I have to date their damned offspring! The girl is cross eyed and she’s been divorced three times. I have -some- standards! Now, please, enough about my dating life… Let’s focus on getting you better and maybe I can set you up with someone!” He winks at Gram to make her laugh and take the focus off of himself.

Penelope is listening to the psychiatrist. Why is he giving so many examples? For a psychiatrist, he is bad at reading people–so far. Penelope keeps her easy-going facial expression. “You probably get a lot of clientele with a job like that, yeah?” Moss eyes side-eye him for a split before reaching forward with the stethoscope to check the heart rate. “Take some deep breaths. The best you can, please,” she requests of Angela. When Noah says he is ‘relieved’ she is non-magical, she squints, but there is a puckered smile. “Do you always judge your local doctors this hard?” There was genuine curiosity floating there. After all, he was Mr. Observer. She thought she was bad. “I, uh, well, it wasn’t easy. Steady hands really come in -handy-, I guess,” good pun. “It took patience.” Once Angela takes her breaths and the instrument is pressed on different angles of Angela’s body (back and chest), Penelope nods before pulling back. Once the topic changes to relationships, she simply says, “Couples therapist without the relationship? Interesting. Hm, fourth time could be a charm, you never know,” she matches the snarkiness of the man before her, but she does not pay a glance. She was not sure if she was offended or not. Only a bite of a smile rests on her face before she relaxes, as the woman is breezy enough. “Miss Graham, it appears you most likely have pneumonia. What do I suggest? An antibiotic remedy which may involve a lot of tumeric. Herbal teas–peppermint to clear the chest of that nasty cough. The tumeric should help ease the chest pain. Your fever…? Hm, hm, hm,” beat. “Fluids. Cool ones, and lukewarm baths to ease your temperature. Lots of rest.” Penelope stands to move to a nearby shelf to sort through some vials and jars.

Noah (1-2) Noah stiffens as Penelope strikes a nerve with her comment, because it’s true. He doesn’t fancy himself being in a relationship, or rather he never considered being in one. Being an immortal, he had to move every fifteen years, otherwise people started to notice that he didn’t age and labeled him a freak. He could never marry being what he is, unable to die from natural causes and sterile. His partner would age and eventually die, growing to resent him with each passing birthday. He was a heavy skirt chaser in his prime, but not a single woman lasted more than a weekend. Will that change now that he’s in a realm with countless races, a few of which are immortal? Gram is thinking along the same lines, because she reaches out and pats Noah on the arm, “He never has time to date, Miss Halifax. Between his research, caring for his patients, and looking after Buddy and me? Well. I suppose that holds him back from finding love.” Noah clears his throat, “I’m literally right -here- Gram. I don’t care if I’m judged for putting my profession first, as so few people are so devoted to their work.” He gives the healer a ‘look’ but she cannot see it as her back is turned. She was outside playing forest ranger when she had a very sick patient waiting for treatment!

Noah (2-2) As the diagnosis of pneumonia is confirmed, Noah frowns, and he worriedly eyes the old woman, “Is she going to be alright to make the trip back to Rynvale? We are renting a place out there, but my office is in Cenril, and I don’t like the idea of her being alone at such a distance.” Not that staying at the clinic is much better, he thinks, since Penny was outside when they had arrived. Noah purses his lips and runs his hand through his thick hair, unsure where to put the woman for a few days, so that she can best recover. “Do you think she will worsen, or will the medication take effect rather quickly?” It’s now that the two healers lock eyes and Noah finds himself briefly forgetting that she’s unlike any woman he’s ever met, as he merely admires that intelligent yet spunky mossy gaze. The unexpected moment of intensity is pushed aside, and the man chalks it up to recognizing a pretty woman, and maybe some light dehydration as he practically had to carry Gram most of the way. “Could she maybe stay here for a night or two? I can check on her once or twice a day, until she’s fit enough for travel?” Money isn’t an object, and so he reaches into his pocket, “I can pay you in advance, Miss Halifax, as I know we are strangers.” Despite the cool exterior he’s trying to convey, Noah is clearly concerned about Gram, and his emotions are a tad on display.

Penelope (1 of 2):: Penny flashes a crooked, playful grin at Gram who pats her palm to comfort Noah. “Well, it seems he’s ambitious. I can, usually, relate. Researching,” meaning, work was her world, as well. Then again, things were different… strange. Kyori. What was he? She wanted him to kiss her, but what did that even mean? The other night, however, in the tavern, it was off-putting, and they still had not talked. Yerrel refused to inform Penelope what actually happened regarding the medical situation that happened to Kyori that night. The black liquid. Her face appears stone for a moment in her thought bubble. Had her face fallen at the mention of dating? Penelope’s romantic life was complicated, herself, but it was one thing that was the last thing to fall in line on her list. It was nice to kiss men. Be flirtatious. But were they really in it for the truth? The long haul? Well, it did not matter. Why the hell were they talking about dating lives anyway? Or more like Noah’s? No. It was Angela. Elders. The pot stirrers. Her back is turned, but her mind is focused on the man who falls into deep slumber. Was he okay? Was he okay?

Penelope (2 of 2):: Penelope turns back at the mention of worry. Worry, it triggered her every time. The nurture within her comes into play, and she strides back over with the vials and jars. “Hey,” she waits a beat to wait for the man to calm down. Was this how she was with people close to her? He questions her again, and purposely locks eyes on her and it was in that moment, she took a moment to memorize the hazel stare from the doctor before her. A face she would have to memorize, as Angela would stay and he would visit. Would it be her opening the door, however? Or Ruari? Celeste? Yerrel? She did have to travel some… The tasks from Kyori’s missing sword. A possible trip after she writes to a contractor for future plans. Career-oriented. “Natural remedies are a slower process than spells, remember? A couple days, and her chest will clear. It’ll be easier for her to travel then.” She says carefully, but tenderly. For the care of the worried patient. As he reaches for his pocket, she reaches out, but her hand hovers over his arm. She does not graze him at all. “Doctor, get yourself together,” she grins at the stranger. “She’s going to be fine. Have a little faith, eh?” Tired eyes stare over him. “We take our payment towards the end. Goes to resources, of course, but… really, coin is not an object here. We truly are personal here.” Not like the technical Cenril Clinic. The hut was… a little older fashioned. “Miss Graham, we will try to make sure you’re as comfortable as possible,” she smiles warmly at the woman. “Just a little phlegm is all,” she tries to lighten the situation.

Noah mistakes all of Penny’s silence and back turned toward the medicines to relate to the condition of Gram, and his concern increases. His lips set in a grim line and he wonders how many years the old woman has left, as he’s known her for nearly twenty years… And in twenty years she had aged before his hazel eyes, while he remained the same, never physically changing. The healer reassures him that Gram will be alright and that it’s not an issue to leave her in their care, and he visibly relaxes. Broad shoulders ease, a warm smile brightens his expression, and his knuckles that grip Gram’s cot are no longer white from clenching. Penelope has a tenderness for her patients which is admirable, and Noah feels that he can trust the old woman in her care. As his payment is rejected, he nods, “Alright. Upon discharge then, I will square away with you.” He drops his coin purse in his pocket, and he leans in to kiss Gram upon the temple, “Feel better, and please don’t badger this poor woman to date me, Gram. That also goes for any other females that may visit or work here!” He rolls his eyes and winks at Penny, as he finds the elderly matchmaking service to be rather comical. “Thank you Miss Halifax, we appreciate all your help.” He gives them a parting nod and prepares to leave, but turns on his heel and points to Penny, “Oh! I do have one other question… Would it be alright if I brought my dog in here to visit with Gram? He’s well behaved.” Buddy, a golden retriever, is the apple of Noah’s eye and often keeps Gram company at the manor in Rynvale. “If not, that’s alright. I just figured it couldn’t hurt to ask.”

Penelope’s lips twitch at the mention of payment, as that was the last thing on her mind. Health came first. If there was free healthcare… that would have been the simplest thing. Penelope parts her lips at the mention of dating. “I think multiple parties have a say in the dating realm there, stranger. But Miss Celeste loves men with dark hair,” she grinned broadly, and again, her mind was swarmed with the ghost whisperer. Was he okay? Again, her mind ticks. Ruari slips in her mind at that moment too. The reprimanding. Once Noah nods his head to leave, she is frozen at his point. Direct. Dog…? “A therapist knows best. I’m guessing he’s therapeutic, so I have no resignation. Ruari, however, might get a little miffed. He’s allergic, but… who cares. Doggos are doggos,” she grins before nodding the man off before her. Once he leaves, she turns to Angela, “Here, I’ll get you a cup of tea. Yerrel should be here any minute.”