Poppy didn't regret her decision in the least. Here among the tents of the
muggle Eight Army, commanded by Bernard Montgomery, she felt of use, and
felt so far from what happened to her. Though, she did regret having to
leave Alastor, if only for the three months. Every time she thought of him,
she unconsciously fingered the engagement ring on her finger and remembered
how he'd come to see her off at the train station, how he'd found her in
the crowd and proposed to her, changing her world forever. It made up for
their brief separation, and her assignment.
She'd been requested, but really it was a demand, by the senior healer to go to Egypt and lend a hand to the muggle army there. It so happened that a band of allied healers had been helping the muggles soldiers, tending the wounded and all. Now however, with the possibility of a large campaign there, more help was desperately needed and Poppy wasn't the only one asked. Theodosia had also been requested. It was mostly for their Empathic abilities, and Stephen would have been asked, though since he was not only an Empathic Healer, but also a doctor of complimentary medicine at St. Mungo's, they couldn't afford to lose him for the three months.
As she shook her head and moved her thoughts back to Alastor and not her assignment, she glancing down and mused that he'd given her a very artistic and very much appropriate ring. Its head was a poppy flower, golden orange, the stem was the band, an emerald green, and it wound around her finger beautifully. She smiled, remembering how her friend and fellow Empathic Healer, Stephen Carrick had come to visit her, and how his thoughtfulness entailed him bringing Alastor with him.
That had been quite the fine day. Theodosia had managed to procure an Egyptian asp for Stephen, since he was quite the naturalist, spending more time reading about and studying different animals and their species than socializing. Poppy chuckled softly as she remembered how she and Stephen had played a duet for Alastor and Theodosia in the comfort of their tent: Poppy on her violin and Stephen on his cello. She had sorely wished they could stay longer, but Poppy and Theodosia had their work at the camp to attend to and she knew that Alastor and Stephen had busy schedules also. They had eventually left and returned to England, and Poppy had missed their presence ever since.
Though now a voice interrupted her thoughts, and she listened again, thinking vaguely that she must be hearing things. "Poppy, I've the most wonderful news for you!" Stephen's voice preceded him as he entered the tent, surprising Poppy. She hadn't been expecting to see him at all. "Stephen, what in Merlin's name are you doing here?" She asked in surprise, as she moved to embrace him, her longtime friend.
He smiled and returned her embrace. "I am here as a friend and messenger, Poppy. Do please sit down, for I know this will greatly surprise you." He gestured to the cot that she had previously vacated when she'd made to embrace him. She sat down quickly and gazed up at him expectantly, very curious as to what he was to tell her. As he gazed back at her, he couldn't but allow himself a slight chuckle as he sat down in the chair opposite her. "I came to relay to you, that our mutual patient, Athenia, has been released just yesterday afternoon," he began, his blue green eyes sparkling. "She has made extensive progress in the time since you've come to be here, actually." Stephen went on to tell her, taking her hand.
So stunned and happy was she, that Poppy had no immediate words or response save to look at him with wide eyes. She remembered Athenia well. The poor seventeen-year-old girl had been present for the destruction of her childhood home and the demise of her parents, who had been notable Aurors and members of the Advisory Council against the Fatali Veneficum. She had been brought into St. Mungo's with some minor third degree burns, broken arm and leg, and had been troubled by psychosomatic pains, most likely from when she'd been tortured, and had been one of the long term patients who'd suffered from the Lankersham attack.
Images of the girl flashed through her mind as she stared back at Stephen. "She's been released? That's so wonderful, Stephen! I had been worrying over her even since I left. I'd come to greatly care for her..." Poppy finally managed to say, still stunned. She wished she could have been there to see the progress. She wished she'd been able to say goodbye to Athenia, to give her a warm hug before releasing her back to life and reality.
Stephen gave her hand a small but warm squeeze, his eyes full of understanding. "I know you had, and actually," here he searched in the folds of his beige and red embroidered robe before presenting her with a slightly singed powder blue gossamer ribbon. "Athenia had asked me to deliver this to you along with this note," which he produced also and handed it to her.
"I thank you, Stephen, this means much to me, that you'd come to present these to me the very next day after she requested it of you. It's very thoughtful of you." Poppy told him sincerely, fingering the ribbon that she had ever seen around Athenia's neck. She had been wearing it when she'd been brought in and had thrown a conniption fit when one of the healers in training had tried to remove it from her, to better treat the scorch marks about her throat. The fact that she had given this ribbon to Poppy meant that she was finally putting what happened to her behind her, and was endeavoring to move on, to heal.
Stephen released her hand and rose to his feet, smiling a small smile. "If I had been thoughtful I would have brought it to you yesterday evening as I had originally meant to, but I had been rather distracted by my newest book on the Wildlife of the Galapagos." He told her candidly. She smiled widely, finding his pursuit of knowledge about science and nature most endearing. "You'll have to let me read it when you're finished." Poppy grinned and rose also, moving to kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you again for coming, Stephen," she thanked him yet again. He smiled once more. "A pleasure," he told her and ducked out of the tent after giving her a goodbye hug, leaving her to read the note at her own leisure.
Smiling a little, Poppy sat down to read the note, her eyes taking in every single word with intense focus. As she folded the note and slipped it into her box of letters, she knew that when she returned to England, she would be paying a visit to Athenia. She had just allowed herself to wonder at what she might bake for the girl when one of the soldiers peeked inside.
"Miss Pomfrey, your presence is needed. It's that sod Higgins again," he told her. She sighed and donned her light khaki coat, moving into action, as this was hardly the first time tending that rather licentious man.
She'd been requested, but really it was a demand, by the senior healer to go to Egypt and lend a hand to the muggle army there. It so happened that a band of allied healers had been helping the muggles soldiers, tending the wounded and all. Now however, with the possibility of a large campaign there, more help was desperately needed and Poppy wasn't the only one asked. Theodosia had also been requested. It was mostly for their Empathic abilities, and Stephen would have been asked, though since he was not only an Empathic Healer, but also a doctor of complimentary medicine at St. Mungo's, they couldn't afford to lose him for the three months.
As she shook her head and moved her thoughts back to Alastor and not her assignment, she glancing down and mused that he'd given her a very artistic and very much appropriate ring. Its head was a poppy flower, golden orange, the stem was the band, an emerald green, and it wound around her finger beautifully. She smiled, remembering how her friend and fellow Empathic Healer, Stephen Carrick had come to visit her, and how his thoughtfulness entailed him bringing Alastor with him.
That had been quite the fine day. Theodosia had managed to procure an Egyptian asp for Stephen, since he was quite the naturalist, spending more time reading about and studying different animals and their species than socializing. Poppy chuckled softly as she remembered how she and Stephen had played a duet for Alastor and Theodosia in the comfort of their tent: Poppy on her violin and Stephen on his cello. She had sorely wished they could stay longer, but Poppy and Theodosia had their work at the camp to attend to and she knew that Alastor and Stephen had busy schedules also. They had eventually left and returned to England, and Poppy had missed their presence ever since.
Though now a voice interrupted her thoughts, and she listened again, thinking vaguely that she must be hearing things. "Poppy, I've the most wonderful news for you!" Stephen's voice preceded him as he entered the tent, surprising Poppy. She hadn't been expecting to see him at all. "Stephen, what in Merlin's name are you doing here?" She asked in surprise, as she moved to embrace him, her longtime friend.
He smiled and returned her embrace. "I am here as a friend and messenger, Poppy. Do please sit down, for I know this will greatly surprise you." He gestured to the cot that she had previously vacated when she'd made to embrace him. She sat down quickly and gazed up at him expectantly, very curious as to what he was to tell her. As he gazed back at her, he couldn't but allow himself a slight chuckle as he sat down in the chair opposite her. "I came to relay to you, that our mutual patient, Athenia, has been released just yesterday afternoon," he began, his blue green eyes sparkling. "She has made extensive progress in the time since you've come to be here, actually." Stephen went on to tell her, taking her hand.
So stunned and happy was she, that Poppy had no immediate words or response save to look at him with wide eyes. She remembered Athenia well. The poor seventeen-year-old girl had been present for the destruction of her childhood home and the demise of her parents, who had been notable Aurors and members of the Advisory Council against the Fatali Veneficum. She had been brought into St. Mungo's with some minor third degree burns, broken arm and leg, and had been troubled by psychosomatic pains, most likely from when she'd been tortured, and had been one of the long term patients who'd suffered from the Lankersham attack.
Images of the girl flashed through her mind as she stared back at Stephen. "She's been released? That's so wonderful, Stephen! I had been worrying over her even since I left. I'd come to greatly care for her..." Poppy finally managed to say, still stunned. She wished she could have been there to see the progress. She wished she'd been able to say goodbye to Athenia, to give her a warm hug before releasing her back to life and reality.
Stephen gave her hand a small but warm squeeze, his eyes full of understanding. "I know you had, and actually," here he searched in the folds of his beige and red embroidered robe before presenting her with a slightly singed powder blue gossamer ribbon. "Athenia had asked me to deliver this to you along with this note," which he produced also and handed it to her.
"I thank you, Stephen, this means much to me, that you'd come to present these to me the very next day after she requested it of you. It's very thoughtful of you." Poppy told him sincerely, fingering the ribbon that she had ever seen around Athenia's neck. She had been wearing it when she'd been brought in and had thrown a conniption fit when one of the healers in training had tried to remove it from her, to better treat the scorch marks about her throat. The fact that she had given this ribbon to Poppy meant that she was finally putting what happened to her behind her, and was endeavoring to move on, to heal.
Stephen released her hand and rose to his feet, smiling a small smile. "If I had been thoughtful I would have brought it to you yesterday evening as I had originally meant to, but I had been rather distracted by my newest book on the Wildlife of the Galapagos." He told her candidly. She smiled widely, finding his pursuit of knowledge about science and nature most endearing. "You'll have to let me read it when you're finished." Poppy grinned and rose also, moving to kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you again for coming, Stephen," she thanked him yet again. He smiled once more. "A pleasure," he told her and ducked out of the tent after giving her a goodbye hug, leaving her to read the note at her own leisure.
Smiling a little, Poppy sat down to read the note, her eyes taking in every single word with intense focus. As she folded the note and slipped it into her box of letters, she knew that when she returned to England, she would be paying a visit to Athenia. She had just allowed herself to wonder at what she might bake for the girl when one of the soldiers peeked inside.
"Miss Pomfrey, your presence is needed. It's that sod Higgins again," he told her. She sighed and donned her light khaki coat, moving into action, as this was hardly the first time tending that rather licentious man.