Peggy watched over Jenny faithfully whilst the young woman recovered from her cold, keeping her well supplied with whisky mac, hot sugary tea, and cough sweets. She took on Jenny's chores, keeping the house warm in the dampness of April. Jenny, grateful for the luxury of being able to fully rest whilst being ill, slept a great deal. Vastra hovered distractedly all the while, concerned that the cold would worsen into something more serious. When Jenny was awake, Vastra would read to her from the newspapers or from a book to stop Jenny being too bored.
Jess visited now and then, always with a serious expression on her face, studying her sister intently. Jenny was puzzled by the sudden attention but didn't comment on it. Perhaps Jess was just worried about the cold worsening too.
For her own part, Jenny was reminded of the first time she and Vastra and the Doctor had all met. How he had saved her life. As she snuggled under the blankets in the warmth, she remembered the cold and the snow. How scornful Vastra had been. She laughed softly, setting off a bout of coughing.
13th April 1888 (A Friday)
Jenny was dozing in bed, propped up against multiple cushions to help ease her coughing, Vastra was reading silently and Peggy was crouched on her small stool, still and alert. There was a knock at the door and her head jerked up from watching Jenny. Vastra gave a small sigh, marked her place, and then threw her veil on to go and see who it was. She hoped it wasn't Inspector Gregson; she felt Jenny was not well enough to deal with a case and dealing with one without Jenny might prove difficult.
It was not Inspector Gregson, but judging by the look on the man's face, he had come to them with a case. She beckoned him through to the plant room, realised their wicker chairs had not yet come through and ushered him instead into the dining room. He sat down gingerly at the large octagonal table, taking off his hat and spinning it in his hands.
Vastra waited patiently for him to start.
"I hear you are a person who deals with all sorts of…strange things."
"I investigate that which might puzzle the more practical of men, yes." Vastra remained standing.
"My name is Jenkins. Hywel…well…Howell Jenkins." He stood up, awkwardly dipped his head in her direction and sat back down again. Vastra slid into a seat opposite him, feeling awkward herself. The chairs in the dining room were not meant for lounging and she missed Jenny's presence. "I come from a small town in Wales. Well, it's not so small I suppose now with a railway station. I work on the farm and happen to London now and again, my brother came here, after he got work on the railway. And I saw your advert in the newspaper. And well, there's a bit of queer business goin' on. And I thought to come see you."
"And what is this queer business?" Vastra asked patiently.
He looked about him nervously. "I'm afraid you won't believe me."
"I have seen many strange and wonderful things in my life." Vastra told him entirely truthfully.
"Well it's my daughter see. She won't wake up." He looked miserably at her, as if expecting a snort of derision and to be thrown from the house. When this failed to happen, he went on. "I've had all sorts of doctors out to see her. But none of them have got a bloody clue. Pardon my language. They say she's just sleepin'. Apart from that perfectly healthy. I thought maybe it was some kind of supernatural dealing then. But the priests have helped no more'n the doctors. I'm at my wits end."
Vastra was silent. It sounded highly intriguing. But Jenny wasn't well…
"I can pay you too. And for all the travel. It won't put you out none. But please help me." The desperation she had seen on his face when she'd first opened the door reappeared. She nodded.
"I will take on the case. If you could make the necessary travel arrangements and inform me of them?" She stood up and he followed suit, relief spreading a smile across his face.
"Of course. And thank you. I'll be back tomorrow then to let you know. It won't take long." He tugged his hat on and hurried out the door with a brief farewell.
Vastra closed her eyes for a moment, smothering a small groan. But it was a case. And she knew if Jenny found out about it, she would wish to go in an instance. The past few days of bedrest had irked her, particularly now she had mostly gotten over the cold itself and was just coughing. She returned upstairs to inform Jenny of their new case and to pack.
16th April 1888
They stood on the chilly platform in Crewe, having travelled up there from London, waiting for the train that would take them to the small town of Flint, where Howell Jenkins lived. Vastra had been amused no end at the name and earnt herself more than a few unimpressed glares. Jenny was bundled up under several coats and a warm hat and one of Vastra's cloaks, looking several inches larger than she usually did. She coughed in the smoky air and Peggy looked up at her. Jenny had been adamant about taking an Irregular with her this time, remembering how difficult it had been in Swindon and Peggy had refused to leave Jenny's side. Vastra merely shrugged and bought an extra ticket, calling in at George's shop to get her some clothes that weren't rags. Jenny asked her what the story was behind them but Vastra hadn't said, not wishing to alarm Peggy. Jenny privately thought Peggy wouldn't care but didn't press the matter.
"I'm fine." Jenny reassured Peggy. She was grateful to be up and about again, but also grateful for the layers of warm clothing. "You ever heard of someone not wakin' up down in Below?" she asked. Peggy shook her head. "Guess it'll be a new experience for all of us then."
"I suspect some form of illness or coma. Possibly induced by ingestion of plant life." Vastra was wearing as many layers as Jenny but had still turned a pale yellow. "It is entirely possible there is nothing supernatural at all."
"With our luck in cases?" Jenny pointed out as the train finally pulled in to the station and they climbed into their compartment.
Peggy immediately glued her face to the window, as she had all the way on the trip up from London. She couldn't remember any of her time before she'd fallen Below and had only really ventured into the Upworld to follow Jenny. Jenny was equally fascinated by the world outside the window and Vastra sat in quiet amusement at the two of them, identical expressions of wonder on their faces. She'd seen quite a lot of Britain touring with the circuses and the large swathes of countryside and hills and mountains were not new to her. Instead she speculated to herself what could cause the lack of waking, and what, if anything, could be done to revive Howell Jenkin's daughter. If the cause were an entirely rational one, it might be impossible. If there was indeed some supernatural agent in involved…
Vastra grinned to herself determinedly. She had told Jenny she was happier, and she was, but sitting by a bed watching a sleeping Jenny, had left her plentiful time for brooding and her thoughts had turned again to her sisters. She thought back to what Jenny had told her, in the dream, and remembered it herself, watching her sisters climb into their pods with her aunt (although Jenny had not been there). She'd felt matter of fact at the time. Although there was a sense of urgency, there had been little panic. They would sleep and then revive once the disaster was over and rebuild. It had felt simple. But they had slept on beneath the surface, never again to waken. A burst of anger at the fact filled Vastra with a resolve to wake Howell Jenkin's daughter, whatever the cause might be.
By the time they arrived in Flint, it was well into the evening and they were all tired and hungry. Mr Jenkins met them at the train station and took them back to Coleshill farm, where he lived, their luggage loaded onto the back of a flat cart, where they were greeted by a small harried woman whom he introduced as his wife Seren. They were shown to a small guest room.
"Your maids can sleep with ours in the attic." Seren told them, looking dubiously at Peggy. "Though she only has a single bed."
Vastra glanced at Jenny and Peggy who both wore wooden expressions. "They are accustomed to sleeping on the floor, it will be of little matter. Show me your daughter please."
Seren nodded and took them through a twisting house with small steps and narrow corridors everywhere to a rather quaintly decorated room. The bed was by the window and by the light of a candle Vastra could see the girl, no more than six or seven.
"Mari. Her name's Mari." Seren told them. Mr Jenkins nodded.
Vastra, with her back to them, held her veil up to look down with unimpeded vision. The girl appeared in perfect health. There was colour in her cheeks, she was breathing evenly but her eyes were closed, and according to her parents, she hadn't opened them since the beginning of March. She let her veil fall back.
"Tell me everything that occurred before she fell into this state." Vastra commanded, turning back round. The Jenkins' opened their mouths but Vastra held up her hand. "Tomorrow. I will be able to work better with rest and if this state has not harmed her before now, it is doubtful it will over the course of one night."
"Of course." Mr Jenkins shoulders sagged but he led them all back downstairs and offered them a very late meal of soup and bread.
The bed in Vastra's room was thankfully a double and Vastra made sure Jenny was well tucked up. Peggy eyed them both and then retreated outside, Jenny assumed to go sleep in the stable. The past few days when she had not been watching over Jenny, she had slept in the stable. She was uncomfortable in houses and Jenny knew that she was hoping the rats in the stable would speak to her.
"Are you warm enough?" Vastra asked, wrapping herself up against the night and curling up beside Jenny.
"Mm." Jenny was already half asleep.
"Well at least this bed is more comfortable than the one in Swindon." Vastra mused.
"The case is stranger though. What could make a person fall asleep and not get up?"
"There are plants, cases of poisonings, head injuries." Vastra shrugged. "The doctors here may be incompetent and have merely missed the obvious. We'll find out more tomorrow. Sleep, my dear."
"I'm well enough." Jenny coughed, settling herself more comfortably on the pillows Vastra had stacked up.
The Silurian curled up at her side, resting her head practically in Jenny's lap. The young woman stroked Vastra's head crests unconsciously, her hand remained resting against them after she fell asleep.
17th April 1888
The Jenkins' got up early and Jenny woke to the sound of bustle around the house. Mr Jenkins had already gone to work by the time they got up but, as Seren said, she knew more about her daughter's comings and goings than he did anyway.
She set down breakfast for them and told them all she knew as they ate.
"She's a quiet girl. Goes to the school regular but not much in the way of friends. She likes stories, off with the faeries she is, in her head. But she's steady. I can trust her with the chores and she does her work fair enough."
"What happened on the day she first fell into the sleep?" Vastra had already finished eating.
"She did her work, same as usual in the mornings. Went to the school down the road. I let her off to play for the afternoon as it was a nice day for a change, one of the first of the year. She usually goes up by the river or the castle. I couldn't tell you where she went on that particular day though. Came home, had her food, said goodnight and the next day, I found it strange she didn't stir, went up to find her and there she was. Led there peaceful as anything, but nothin' I could do to wake her. Nor Howell. We've had doctors check her, the local vicar, everything."
"Did anybody see her that day? Where she would've gone?"
"The local children might, but they haven't said a word about it. Everyone's very worried. Not lettin' their children out far. You'd've thought they would've said if they had. Most all the adults are busy in the day see, working an' the like. Wouldn't really notice a kid wandering off." Seren suddenly looked a little guilty. "Well we're busy a lot." She repeated apologetically.
"I quite understand." Vastra nodded. "We will begin our investigations immediately. Could you give us directions to the river and the castle?"
"Sure. Sure. Can't promise you a cart to get there but it's not a long walk anyway, only about 5 minutes from the train station where you came in. Half an hour from here."
Once Jenny had finished her breakfast, they walked out and collected Peggy. Jenny updated her on all they'd been told and then sent her off to investigate by asking the local children if they'd seen or heard anything.
Most of the adults Jenny and Vastra spoke with, as Seren had predicted, had not seen Mari. The ones that had reported only that they saw her frequently head up to the castle ruins, but not that particular day.
"Some of the children like to play around it, make up stories, pretend." One woman shrugged at them before walking quickly away from them.
Vastra was getting stares again but Jenny was also an object of curiosity and suspicion. People looked at the both of them and then bent towards each other, muttering in Welsh. Jenny had travelled abroad, it was not her first experience at not being able to understand the people around her, but she found the experience of being stared at unsettling, when so much of her life had been lived, had depended even on her ability to fade into the background. Even in Swindon, she had been able to blend in fairly easily.
They hastened along the main road in Flint and made their way to the castle, Vastra being unable to resist one more quip about Jenny having a castle.
An: There is a town in Wales called Flint (Y Fflint). It's in the county of Flintshire (Sir y Fflint). I stayed there when I went to see Catrin Stewart in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (which also starred Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto Jones) and starred Mark Gatiss' partner Ian Hallard so it was a bit of Doctor Who fest really). Flint is a nice place.
Flint Castle is one of the settings in Richard II "Go to Flint Castle: There I'll pine away" and etc due to him being imprisoned there by Bolingbroke during the Civil War (the British one).
Hands up who recognises the name Howell Jenkins! Seren means Star in Welsh. Goe and catche a falling starre indeed. *literary laugh*
The railway line between Chester and Holyhead was built back in the 1840's and Flint was one of the stations originally built on that line. So Jenny and Vastra would've taken a train on the London and North Western Railway, changed at Crewe and then taken a train from there on the Chester to Holyhead route (taken over by the LNWR and now part of the West Coast Main Line) and stopped off at Flint.
