Reality Raincheck

CHAPTER 08

By: The Mistress~

A/N: Oh my god I'm SO SORRY for such a late update! But I just didn't have the muse for this series fic for a really long time and only just now got it back. And you'll all be happy to note that I'm already starting work on CHAPTER 09! Pretty sure that will be when we first meet all the Phantomhives! Oh I'm super excited to get that one out. But anywho, I hope you all like this one. I felt kinda scatterbrained writing it so please forgive any errors you find in it. And be sure to comment! Those help me find energy to write more for you! Hugs and Kisses! -Mistress

````````````````````````````````````````````Three Months Later````````````````````````````````````````````````

Catherine has been working at the Royal London Hospital for three months now. And she couldn't believe people survived any illness or injury in this time period. In comparison to hospitals from her time these people were being treated by mud covered slobs in a filthy barn. At least, that's what it felt like to her. There were no rubber gloves, nothing was sanitized to her standards, and everything was so ass-backwards it was painful. And the multiple cures for things that were readily available in her time hadn't been invented here as of yet. Which was troubling to say the least. Not to mention the close calls she'd had with treating her patients. A week into her stay at the Royal London Hospital Catherine almost prescribed antacids to a woman who'd been suffering from heart burn. But luckily she'd stopped herself in time. She'd asked the woman what her diet was like. It came as no small surprise to find out that 90% of it was greasy or fried food she'd purchased from vendors around town. Things like small meat pies, sausages, fish and chips, and pig's trotters.

Catherine wanted to gag when the woman mentioned pig's feet but refrained. Instead she told the woman the reason she as getting so ill every day was because of what she was eating. And that a diet consisting of nothing but greasy, fatty foods was no doubt going to kill her one day, maybe very soon. The woman was thoroughly spooked. But Catherine told her that to get rid of her heart burn and help her become healthier all she had to do was stop eating so many bad things. The woman frowned and told her she didn't think she could stop eating her favorite foods. Mostly because that kind of food was really all she had access to. She was a 'working woman' and could usually only managed to scrape enough together to get ready made things off the streets. Catherine nodded and said,

"I understand where you're coming from. I wouldn't be able to give up my favorites either. But you don't have to~! Just cut down on them. Don't have them every single day. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Also meat that isn't fried or cooked in heavy grease is better. Baked foods tend to be the healthier option for the body, alright? And if you don't have any choice and end up eating something that causes you to get heart burn anyway there are remedies I can suggest that will soothe the burn. You can drink a cup of buttermilk, eat a few slices of apple, or a banana. All those things are relatively easy to acquire and will help you feel better." The afflicted woman nodded and got up from her seat on the examination table. Meanwhile Catherine wrote out a list of healthy things the woman could eat instead of her unhealthy favorites, as well as the things that could help ease her heartburn. The woman paid the doctor fee before dipping in a polite curtsy. "Thank you Dr. Bennett," then she was gone, and Catherine could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

But at the moment she was sitting with the parents of her newest patient writing down the girl's symptoms. The young girl was from a low ranking noble family. She was barely hitting puberty, and yet she'd been admitted by her parents because the poor thing confessed to be suffering of muscle cramps and numbness in her fingers. Catherine questioned the girl's mother and father to see if they knew when this had started but the father knew absolutely nothing. Which spoke volumes about how very little attention he paid his only daughter. But luckily her mother had noticed how her daughter had become more lethargic as of late. And she'd recently lost her appetite to the point where her mother and their maids had to work overtime to get her to eat even the barest of meals. And it showed in the girl's unhealthily thin figure. The pathetic waif of a girl would have been the envy of the 'thinspo' morons of her time period who valued being unhealthily thin over being healthily fit.

"When she does manage to eat what does a typical meal consist of?" Catherine may have been ignoring the father but she doubted he knew anything helpful so she focused on the mother, who was in regular contact with the girl every day for substantial periods of time.

"Well she can only hold down a single piece of toast or a scone for breakfast, and sadly she skips lunch altogether. But I put my foot down when it comes to dinner. She's to eat some vegetables at the very least. Oh doctor, what is wrong with my darling baby girl? Will she be alright?" The fear that edged the mother's voice was reassuring, it meant she cared. And Catherine was 99% sure she knew what was ailing the young lady. She had all the symptoms of Hypocalcemia, or a calcium deficiency. Normally she'd prescribe some calcium tablets along with some vitamin D pills but alas, that just wasn't an option at the moment. So instead she explained that she was in need of lots of calcium and sunshine.

"Yes ma'am, I think getting the girl out into direct sunlight for at least 30 minutes every day is a wonderful place to start. As well as starting her on a diet of dairy for each meal. She appears to have low levels of Calcium and Vitamin D, which isn't at all good. But if you follow my directions and diet plan then she'll be right as rain in just a few weeks."

Quickly she wrote down an appropriate meal plan rich in milk and cheese for them to give to their cook so the young lady could begin on her way to better health. She also made sure to write down that she was to have direct contact with sunshine for as little as thirty minutes every day if the weather permitted. She gave it to the parents and accepted the bag heavy with coins before signing off on her release and closing the girl's chart. Catherine waved goodbye to the no longer gloomy parents before getting back to work. The young lady had been her last patient of the day so now she was planning to finish up the last little bit of paperwork she'd put off the day before. Then once she filed it all away she could return 'home' and see Adam.

At least that had been her plan before Madam Red practically danced into the room and closed the door behind her swiftly. In her hand she held a formal letter. She snatched up Catherine's letter opener before breaking the wax seal on the envelope and yanking the stiff piece of parchment out to read. The smile on her face was wide and full of excitement. It was the biggest smile Catherine had seen the ruby eyed woman show in the time she'd known her. And before she could ask what had her so happy Angelina squealed and began talking a mile a minute. "Oh I just got my invite for the Viscount of Delaney's party that's being held in a week! I am so excited for the social season to start. It'll be non stop parties. I've got the perfect gown for the Viscount's party too. Red of course~"

Catherine listened to Angelina excitedly babble on about parties and dresses with a smile. But while the redhead chattered Catherine took the time to finish filling out the rest of her work. But one particular question from the fiery redhead caught her off guard.

"Catherine dear, would you like to come with me? All you do is work, work, work~! You need a night off from it all! Beautiful ladies like us need to relax or we'll turn into old spinsters before we're aware it's happened!" The brunette pursed her lips while awkwardly scratching her cheek. In all honestly she didn't want to go to whatever party her friend was so interested in. But she was afraid that outright refusing her offer would upset her. And Catherine owed a lot to the redhead. She'd bought all those clothes for her and Adam and then refused to let Catherine pay her back even a cent. And she even helped her get the job that was letting her and Adam live normal lives free of worry.

And another big problem was that Angelina was a high society gal from the Victorian era. Catherine was from a family that was, quite simply, nouveau-riche. Her parents weren't trust fund babies, they'd worked up from the bottom for their place near the top. And they'd made sure Catherine and her brother Mark worked hard too. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett had seen so many lower class people, some they knew personally, get ahead in life with hard work only for their kids to turn out spoiled rotten. It was a thing most parents who grew up with nothing did when they made big money. They didn't want their kids to face the same hardships they did so they tended to spoil them. But it never worked out because then those kids grow up never appreciating anything they're given.

So Angelina and Catherine weren't just different in terms of time periods but class as well. And the brunette had no clue what sort of fancy non spoken rules the rich people here went by. She doubted the stuff she'd gathered from movies counted as 100% historically accurate. And she didn't want to make a fool of herself in front of them. But she also didn't want to be rude to Angelina. She'd helped her and Adam out so much in the short time they'd become acquainted with her. So in order to try and say no without offending her Catherine gave the only answer she could really think of off the top of her head that sounded at all plausible.

"Oh um...well you know I'd love to hon, but...I can't leave Adam alone all night while I go out with you. I don't have anyone to watch him for me. Plus I don't have any formal party dresses to wear. Bad luck eh? Sorry Angelina~Maybe another time?" Catherine thought that would be it but apparently Angelina was more determined for her friend attend the party with her than she'd originally thought. By any means necessary it seemed.

"Oh Catherine please! Those are all easy fixes! I have an entire wardrobe bursting with suitable evening gowns that would look stunning on you! Though I admit they might look a tad short...what with your impressive height and all. But I'm sure we can make it work! And as for Adam, just bring him along! There will be quite a few children there as well. I'm sure he'll have a lovely time playing with children his own age. As a matter of fact I'm sure my sister and her son Ciel will be there as well. He's going to be turning 7 in December." Catherine internally screamed at the mention of Ciel Phantomhive. Knowing what was to befall the boy was torture. But she was feeling conflicted. She really wanted to save him from having to suffer but she also knew that there really wasn't anything she could do to prevent it. She didn't know what day that wacko angel would be attacking his manor and burning it down. So unless she wanted to to make everyone think she was either crazy or a threat she'd better keep her mouth shut.

So the brunette gulped and figured it was best to simply go along with it. No way she could worm her way out of this one. "I suppose you make a good point Angelina. In that case, Adam and I would be delighted to accompany you to this party. Just please keep me company while we're there. I'm afraid I won't know anyone there but you. And I'd hate to make a fool of myself, or you for that matter." The redhead brushed off your worries and flashed the brunette a bright smile. "Oh don't even worry yourself over it darling. You're too polite to embarrass me! And Adam seems too shy to either. Now I'll need you to come by a day or two before the party so we can figure out the dress situation. Oh I simply cannot wait to start dressing you up!" Angelina seemed to already be planning things over in her head. Catherine just sighed quietly and got back to her work. She might as well just go with the flow. Things might go smoother if she didn't fight.

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That night she told Adam that they were both going to a fancy party. He seemed excited for the most part but she could also see nervousness nipping at the edge of his smile. Catherine did her best to assure him that nothing bad would happen. And she even mentioned that some children about his age would be there and he could talk and play with them. He looked pretty excited about that part. Being able to interact with kids his age instead of clinging to his mother's dress while being surrounded by grown ups sounded way more fun to Adam. But suddenly a thought struck Catherine and she gasped. She'd never asked Adam how old he was! She didn't know how old her adopted son was or when his birthday was! She mentally scolded herself before clearing her throat and meekly asking,

"Um, Adam sweetie? I'm so sorry for not asking sooner but...how old are you?" Adam looked a bit surprised before replying a tad uncertainly, "My dad left me with the orphanage when I was 5. I remember because he told me before he left I was five. And I think I was there for almost two years before you took me in mum. So I'm seven now. Or about to turn seven I think?" The brunette nodded and asked another question with a smile. "Well when is your birthday then? I need to know when to make you a cake and buy you gifts~!" Adam seemed to boggle at the thought of a cake and gifts but he eventually sputtered out, "O-oh no mum you already got me all sorts of gifts, remember? All those nice clothes an' things were the best gift I ever got in me life!" His accent seemed to thicken the more excited he became. Catherine had noticed that the more time he spent with her, the less his English accent shined through. Which was good considering he was supposed to be from America, like her. Though she focused on the task at hand and told Adam that those didn't count as real gifts since they were things he'd needed.

"Those things were just what a mother is supposed to give her child. Merely necessities sweetie. But you didn't answer my question, did you?" Adam seemed to pout but finally relented and gave you an answer that didn't satisfy you in the least. Apparently he'd never celebrated his birthday past being three years old. Once his mother died his father just stopped caring. Then finally when he turned five his dad dropped him off at the orphanage and never returned. And the Matron didn't know his birthday, just like she didn't know the birthdays of other kids in her care. Because their parent(s) hadn't bothered to stick around long enough to give her any info on the child they were abandoning. All Adam could tell her about the only birthday he did remember with his first mother was that it was cold outside when they'd made a cake. He didn't remember what month it was or anything, just that it had been cold and they'd been alone together. He didn't remember where his dad had been.

This upset Catherine. Adam didn't know when his birthday was because his shitty dad didn't feel like growing up and being a responsible parent. She was going to have to make his next birthday unforgettable. She pursed her lips and asked if he'd want a new birthday. His eyes got wide in awe. He couldn't believe you could just get a new birthday! But he nodded happily, making Catherine chuckle a bit. Then she tapped her chin thoughtfully and asked, "What about on December 1st? It'll be during the holidays and you'll get twice as many gifts as everybody else. Plus December first is a couple weeks away so I should have enough time to figure out what to get you. And also make birthday party preparations~!" Adam looked almost overwhelmed but happily nodded in agreement. And so it was settled. Adam Bennett's birthday was on December 1st.

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Catherine gritted her teeth when Angelina turned her back to head back into the closet. The two maids that had been helping gave her pitying looks but said nothing. Angelina has been making Catherine try on dress after dress for the last hour and a half! Not only were the brunette's feet killing her but her arms hurt as well. She'd had to hold them out so her fellow doctor's maid could take all of her measurements. Normally that wouldn't be that bad but her arms were already feeling sore from the exercise she'd started up again. She'd been too busy (and honestly forgot) to keep up her almost daily routine of stretches and squats since she'd landed in this time. But the week before she'd gotten back into it, even letting Adam join her for the stretches. Only now did she realize she should have refrained from doing any workouts this day since apparently dress prep counted as exercise itself! Finally she couldn't take any more and groaned out loud.

Angelina poked her head out of the large walk in closet filled with racks of ladies clothing and gave her a smile. "Oh my dear, we're almost done! I promise! And once we finish I'll have my servants bring us some lunch. How does that sound?" The redhead laughed when her dark haired friend sighed and agreed. Catherine was having so much fun with her darling new friend! It had been too long since she'd had a female companion to spend time with like this. Catherine seemed to match her intellectually, which Angelina was glad for. Plus she was a doctor as well, so she could talk to her about work without Catherine getting squeamish. Angelina had tried befriending other ladies that were still unwed like she was, but most were so achingly annoying and vapid. Now Angelina could appreciate some juicy gossip and loved dresses, dancing, and parties as much as the next debutante, but goodness! It was like that was ALL those girls cared about! Angelina loved to learn and broaden her mind! And some days it seemed she was the only woman out there who did.

Her sister Rachel used to be her only confidant when it came to wanting to further her education. And she was pleased to say her sister encouraged her every step of the way in her pursuit for knowledge. When they both lived at home Angelina couldn't wait to learn something new so she could tell her sister all about it. But ever since her sister had gotten married she'd been more focused on starting her family instead of spending time with her sister. Angelina wasn't mad at her sister for marrying the man she herself loved because deep down she knew Rachel and Vincent loved each other very much. And seeing them happy together made her as happy as it made her sad. So she pushed away her sadness and focused on getting her doctorate and attending parties. And so far she'd been able to squash down her loneliness. It helped that she spent so much time either working or visiting her sister's family. Ciel was the sweetest little boy, though his asthma and allergies kept him from playing too hard or for long periods of time. And Vincent was a wonderful father, just like Rachel was a wonderful mother.

Angelina was broken from her thoughts by Catherine's voice. She looked back and the taller woman stood in the closet's wide doorway, wearing nothing but her underthings. When the brunette shot her a worried look Angelina just flashed her a grin and held up another dress. Which just made said brunette groan in agony. Angelina laughed loudly and tried to pacify her by saying it was the last dress. Which was true. She'd had her try on at least a dozen dresses. And while almost every single one looked lovely on her Angelina found something wrong with them. She knew she was being picky but that's just how she was. She wanted the first party (and yes, she planned on dragging her friend to many more) Catherine attended here in London to be memorable! And that meant the dress she wore had to be perfect! And she thought this last one was it. It was a dress she bought on a whim but never wore it anywhere. It was impeccably crafted and made of the finest materials. It was a Rosewood pink satin ballgown. It had a long, low bodice and trained skirt. It had dainty ruffles decorating the hem and shiny ribbon trim on the collar. It was gorgeous but Angelina knew it clashed horrendously with her vibrant red hair. That's actually why she never wore it out.

Though now she was glad she'd bought it because when Catherine put it on she looked simply gorgeous. It fit her perfectly. It showed off her lovely arms and throat in a flirty manner. Angelina knew her friend was going to be catching many men's eyes the night of the party. The redhead glanced up when Catherine spoke up with a smile in her voice. "Oh I almost forgot to mention. Adam's birthday is in a couple days. He's going to be turning 7 and he's so excited. I've gotten him a few toys already but I'm not sure what to do about a cake. Do you know of any good bakeries? I'm still rather unfamiliar with things here in jolly old London." Angelina smiled broadly and clapped her hands in excitement. She'd grown rather fond of her friend's little boy. He was a bit small for his age, just like Ciel. Catherine told her he'd been sick when he was a toddler, but he was better now. And if the healthy flush in his cheeks was any indicator then he was doing well.

Catherine also said he always seemed to be hungry, which was good. It meant he was growing. Both women looked outside the large open windows and saw Adam running around the courtyard chasing butterflies. He had a huge smile on his face and when he saw he was being watched he waved. Angelina sighed and figured it was time they all sat down and had lunch. They had the dress picked out so there wasn't much else to do now. So she ordered her maids to bring in lunch to the dining room while Catherine got re-dressed in her original clothes. And after calling in Adam from playing they were sitting down to a delicious lunch. Angelina noticed how Adam and Catherine didn't seem to know all the fine nuances of eating a sophisticated meal. Adam looked the most conflicted when he had to figure out which fork to eat with. And when she asked why, in a hushed tone of course, Catherine flushed in embarrassment while Adam looked at her nervously. He said nothing though, just slumped his shoulders.

"Oh...you noticed that?" Angelina raised an eyebrow and said it was rather obvious. Her friend seemed to deflate in shame. Then she turned a hard stare on her that had the redhead surprised. She'd never seen such a look on Catherine before. And when the brunette asked her if she could keep her secret she found herself nodding easily. They'd only known each other for a short time but Angelina already felt attached to the taller woman. She didn't want to spoil their friendship over a little secret. But when Catherine told her that her mother and father had been self starters she'd been shocked speechless. "Yes, my parents weren't born into wealth. No, they were commoners before the money flowed in. They worked very hard for their fortune and wanted us to work hard too. But they never saw the point in teaching my brother and I anything like this." She gestured to the fancy tableware. "Things like etiquette and such weren't high on their list of priorities. I tried to learn what I could but I didn't get far before I had Adam. We're both a bit out of our element. I would hire a tutor for us so we can learn what we need but...I'm rather ashamed by it all. So much so I feel ill just thinking of how much a tutor would silently judge me for not knowing anything."

Catherine looked up from her half eaten food, expecting to see distaste or at the least some anger at her for lying. But instead she saw Angelina grinning and looking...happy? The brunette flinched back when her friend squealed and said excitedly, "Oh this is wonderful!" Catherine glanced at Adam and he looked just as confused as she felt but thankfully Angelina started explaining. "Why don't I teach you both the ins and outs of upper class sophistication? Oh it'll be such fun! Let's start right now!" Catherine smiled at her friend's enthusiasm and nodded in agreement. And that was how she and Adam got etiquette lessons from Angelina.

TBC