"I'm fine. I can leave."

"Are are you really this ungrateful? How many times have you come to me for help?"

"Is that rhetorical?"

"Of course it is- you've kept count haven't you."

She didn't answer.

She pinched the bridge of her nose and crossed her free arm. "You are the most ridiculous, insufferable, childish-" she was cut off by Vastra getting up.

"I haven't even changed your dressing." A sigh, it was much too early for this. "Come here, I've got to leave soon so let's do this quickly."

Silently she sat back down and allowed Jenny to treat her again.

"You heal really quickly, are all of you like this?"

"Everyone in my clutch healed relatively quickly, it was desirable."

"Hmm."

"Are you going to let me leave or do I have to stay until you return?"

"Don't act like I kept to here by force, we both know you could have left at any time last night, you stayed because I was right and it was in your best interests."

"That wasn't an answer."

"If you want to leave then leave, you're welcome to stay if you think you'll be better off here than at whatever dump you're living in at the moment."

"I resent that."

"Resent away."

"Why are you so intent on helping me?"

"Why do you always come to me for it if you don't want help?"

"I don't want your help I just happen to need it."

"You're acting like a brat and I'm leaving."

Jenny wanted to slam the door, or at least close it with some force, but it was early and she was mindful of her neighbors. She would rather not have a complaint come through her door again, the last one being about having guests at odd hours, not that it was any of their business.

Her days were usually long and tiresome, getting to the surgery at least half an hour before it opened (a task made particularly painful when kept up late by the arrival of a certain lizard in need of medical attention) wasn't her ideal way to start the day. Then having to make conversation with the other staff, none of whom she particularly disliked or anything she just hardly knew them and found their talks awkward and forced. Not to mention the number of people she had to see, London was a big and well-populated place after all. Most of her patients were people with chronic illnesses, diabetes, arthritis, and the like so she saw them regularly and most of them were very nice and appreciated her help be it writing up a prescription or giving them a referral but she had to admit that it got monotonous. Perhaps that was why she put up with Vastra. A big green break from the norm, her manners and gratitude could be improved though.

Honestly she didn't expect said green break from the norm to still be in her apartment by the time she returned but she was fairly certain that she would come back in a week or two with anything from a twisted ankle to a broken rib, the latter of which Vastra coped with far better than the former. She had to know she couldn't keep relying on Jenny forever, she had a life and what if she couldn't help? It was a real difficulty to get her hands on the supplies she kept tucked away under her bed and she thanked the stars she had a friend at the hospital willing to smuggle out a few things on the understanding that she wasn't getting herself involved in anything questionable in a court of law.

It wasn't until late at night, later than usual too, that she returned home take-out in hand. Take-out she nearly dropped when she saw Vastra in the kitchen taking great interest in her host's foodstuffs.

"Good evening," she said flatly whilst reading the back of a tin of beans.

"You're still here."

"I'm aware of that." She put the tin down on the countertop along with most of the rest of the contents of Jenny's kitchen cupboards. She could at least put them back where they belong she thought. "Why don't apes simply get their food fresh? It seems like more work than it's worth to prepare all of this. We preserved our food too," she began, referring to silurians, "but only seasonal foods, you seem to do it on a far larger scale."

"Right," she wasn't paying full attention and decided it would be better to just let her talk. "Before you go you can put all that back."

"Why do you have that? You have plenty here why waste your money?" Vastra gesturing to the bag in her hand.

She put the bag on what little space there was left on the countertop and dug through her drawers for some cutlery, apparently her guest had taken it upon herself to go through her (formerly) neat and well-arranged drawers too. "I didn't feel up to cooking," she answered "Just clean up and put everything back where you found it while I eat and I'll sort you out something after," she was too tired to sound anything but exasperated, funnily enough she didn't feel half as tired before she came in.

After a short while Vastra came into the living room and took the seat closest to the radiator which had been on all day, Jenny wasn't going to like the bill. "Thank you for offering but I don't require you to prepare me anything to eat, I appreciate the offer however."

"Why are you still here? I know I said you could stay but I didn't actually expect you to- I mean I would have got you something as well," she gestured to her almost-empty plate.

"I just told you I don't need anything to eat," she said almost harshly, apes had a habit of not listening. "I still need you to check my arm, as you said, I'd rather not be forced to return due to complications."

"You'll be forced to return anyway, you seem like get yourself in trouble a lot," she half-joked before taking her plate to be washed up, leaving Vastra pouting until she returned.

"What even is it you do to get yourself hurt like you do?" She removed the bandage and was careful to avoid touching her scales, she was used to them by now but had learnt that the less contact she had the less likely it was that'd she'd accidentally pull a scale and cause Vastra further discomfort.

"A few things," she answered honestly, bracing herself for any pain that might come as Jenny began removing her bandage.

"Vague," she said absently.

"Truth."

"Still vague."

"I could be in serious trouble for just letting you know about my existence, for both our safeties I can't go into any more detail."

"And how much trouble would you be in for regularly coming to the same human for medical attention without proof you can trust her?"

"You'd probably find yourself in more trouble, perhaps danger too, than I would."

"So you've willingly put me in harms way?" her tone was somewhat jovial and Vastra wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

She donned a sheepish expression. "When you put it like that it sounds worse."

"It is pretty bad."

"You could have turned me away at any time."

"You're big green and intimidating, I'm not sure turning you away would be the wisest decision." Her tone turned more serious, "Plus I'm a doctor, I can't just refuse to help someone."

Jenny finished redressing the injury that she was satisfied was healing well she stood and went to fetch the other woman's large hooded coat. When she returned she found Vastra messing with the gauze around her arm which earned her some admonishment. She passed her the coat and waited for her to finish zipping it up before leading her to the door.

"Thank you, for my arm and making me stay," she said sincerely.

"Any time, if there's something wrong you know where I am. And don't stay out too long it's cold out and I'd hate for me looking after you to go to waste."

Vastra laughed. "I'll be fine."

"I'll see you next time you break something."


Kind of feels a bit all over the place but whatever an updates an update and this one has been a very quick update.

Reviews are appreciated