A/N: Hi! I know I'm posting one chapter immediately after the first, but I figured that since the chapters are short, and the story will move relatively slowly for the first few chapters, it'd make sense to post them faster.

Either that, or I'm just impatient to show you the good part. See chapter one for disclaimer.

Don't worry, it'll pick up soon.


Mr. Hope, as it turned out, was a proper middle-aged man, portly and ruddy-faced. He shook Toby's hand vigorously and welcomed the lad into his home. The Hopes set Toby up in a small room, obviously meant for someone like him, which was adjacent to the kitchen and directly next to the cook's room. The cook was a charming Irish girl named Cate McCalmont. She happily told Toby that Mr. Hope had saved both the lives of her mother and her little brother during his birth, and she'd offered her services free of charge out of gratitude.

"Still insists on givin' me a shillin' every week, he does, though," she said. "Kindest man I ever met, and no mistake."

Over dinner, Mr. Hope explained his routine to Toby. On Thursdays, he went around all of Whitechapel to check up on everyone who'd have him, and that's when he did most of his business. He had a couple of patients whom he checked on every other day, such as Mrs. Young, who had never been quite right since the birth of her eighth son. Every now and then a runner from Whitechapel would show up and inform Mr. Hope of some emergency, and he would set off to help.

"Your main duties will be to tag along after me and give me a hand, Toby," Mr. Hope said, "but if Mrs. Hope should need you about the house when I'm not busy--"

"I'll help her any way I can, sir," said Toby with a nod. Mr. Hope grinned at him and ruffled the boy's hair.

"There's a good lad," he said warmly. "Cate! How's about some more broth here?"

Toby swirled his soup around disinterestedly. He knew he ought to perk up if he wanted to keep his place in the Hope house, but he still saw Todd in the blackness when he closed his eyes.


Surgeons, Toby soon realized, were more like all-purpose practitioners, at least those of Mr. Hope's stature. The boy had never met with a surgeon before, after all, and had only heard nasty stories about them from the workhouse. Most of Mr. Hope's visits were incredibly boring in their purpose; he'd listen to the patient's heart a bit, ask some questions about their diet, and prescribe things like napping for two hours every day.

The walks to and from the visits were what Toby actually enjoyed. Yes, he had to carry Mr. Hope's heavy satchel of materials he never used, but Mr. Hope made conversation by talking about medical things, real medical things, that he couldn't practice in Whitechapel. He explained to him about anatomy, and told about the dissections he'd done in medical school. He talked about diseases and things as well, but Toby liked hearing about anatomy. Mr. Hope had been fond of it himself in his younger days, and was happy to show the boy books and explain diagrams to him.

Weeks passed. Toby gradually began to forget about Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett, the odd "parents" they'd made replaced by the warm-hearted Hopes. Mr. Hope taught him how to read and write, and about medicine. Cate taught him how to play the fiddle. Mrs. Hope explained to him about ladies, though her lectures were often interrupted by corrections from Cate.

One Thursday morning, as Mr. Hope and Toby were preparing to go about their rounds, Cate came in with a letter.

"Just dropped off, sir," she said. "It's from Anthony."

Mrs. Hope at once dashed for it, and Mr. Hope explained to Toby that their son Anthony was a sailor, who had recently thought to settle in America with his new wife, Johanna. Toby thought the names sounded familiar, but he couldn't place them.

"Oh, Richard!" cried Mrs. Hope. "They're coming back to England! Johanna's pregnant, you see. They've been living with a friend in Boston, and they don't want to impose on them any longer. They're going to come stay with us while Anthony finds a house!"

"Isn't this exciting?" said Cate, though with less enthusiasm than her mistress. She had not been pleased to find Anthony married.

"I can't wait to meet Johanna. Anthony says she's the most beautiful girl in the world!" gushed Mrs. Hope. Cate made a sour face, but smiled when her mistress turned around. Toby snickered.

Mr. Hope glanced at his pocket watch and cough.

"Well, my dear, I'm sure you will handle all the necessary preparations with admirable thoroughness; and now, it is time Toby and I were off. We'll return before dark, most likely," he said. He gestured to Toby, who picked up Mr. Hope's medical satchel and followed him out the door.