"So, tell me. What exactly did you do to Yuzu and why is she sulking like that?"

Harumi pointed at the blonde girl who was lifelessly looking outside the parlor's window and sitting a few feet away from Mei and her socialite friend. The doctor didn't have a single idea on what her friend was getting at because, to her observation, the blonde still acted the same way as she always did and there were no notable changes in their interactions. She was a little quieter though but Mei recognized that as a good thing and not whatever Harumi was implying it to be.

"I'm sure that I have no idea on what you're accusing me of."

"Really? I haven't known her for very long but this is the first time she's been so... quiet."

"Then perhaps she's just tired of your presence."

Mei spoke from experience and without regard to the fact that the majority of the world's population would gladly take Harumi as a companion over her, which she never quite understood why.

"I don't trust you one bit, Mei. Tell me everything that happened since the last time I saw you." The plum-haired girl said while casting a suspicious glance at Mei.

Harumi's distrust annoyed the raven-haired girl and as if to prove a point, she decided to tell her friend everything without leaving a single detail out. It was interesting how much her memory was able to recall when it came time to prove something and to the best of her knowledge, she recounted the events in perfect order and without missing a beat. However, Harumi's expression seemed to only grow worse as she continued speaking.

"As you can see, there is no reason I am the cause of her sulking. That is if she is, indeed, doing so." Mei confidently spoke as she finished.

"Are you serious right now, Mei Aihara?"

Mei raised one of her eyebrows at Harumi's apprehensive tone. She didn't have the faintest idea why the girl was acting as if she's done something wrong when clearly there was no issue here.

"You quite literally just told her that she's nothing more than an object of fascination to you. An object, Mei. That's extremely insensitive, even for you. You of all people should know the feeling of being degraded." Harumi rubbed her temples in frustration. She already knew that Mei had... a special disability but this was reaching a whole nother level.

"Sometimes I think you're an imbecile." Harumi unintentionally let that insult slide out of her mouth and she immediately attempted to take it back but it was too late, far too late, as Mei had already heard it.

"Excuse me?" Mei furrowed her eyebrows in extreme annoyance. She prided herself on her intellect and nothing got to her more than being called an idiot over a concept she couldn't grasp. In truth, it was probably because it's the closest she would ever get to actually being stupid.

"Stop. Don't go any further." Harumi held her hand out as if to block Mei's incoming barrage of insults before the girl could even launch it.

"I'm sorry, that didn't come out quite right but you still need to apologize to her. I know you have difficulty with grasping some of the basic concepts which come naturally to the majority of people but you do need to try, Mei."

The raven-haired girl tapped impatiently on the arm of her chair as she considered what Harumi said. She hated being scolded when it came to social concepts because she didn't really see a point in acting 'polite and proper' as her friend called it. To Mei honesty was the best way to associate with people and she always considered this to be an amazing gauge of a person's worth. Anyone who was repulsed by the way she spoke or how she acted could, pardon her language, piss off.

"Besides, that girl's been at that hospital through most of her life. Don't you think she may have just been happy to finally be around a woman her age?"

"No." Mei plainly stated.

"What?"

"There is no reason for me to apologize when I've done nothing wrong." Mei got up from her seat. "Now, if you'll excuse me. There are matters I must attend to that are of far greater importance than your ridiculous assumptions."

"And where are you going?!" Harumi shouted as the doctor started walking out the door.

"Hospital."

Harumi lightly pet her cheek and with knitted eyebrows, let out a sigh. Being around Mei was essentially being around a 5 year old and while she often enjoyed the girl's childish antics there were still times, like now, where she thought her skin would wrinkle at such an early age due to stress. Unfortunately, there was no point in trying to persuade Mei any further once the tantrums kicked in and Harumi was left with speaking to the blonde on the doctor's behalf.

Mei didn't give another thought towards the conversation as she sat on the coach bound for the local hospital in which she often rendered her services. London, as always, was already a busy concoction of ale, chatter, and street brawls at every corner of the city slums while the upper-class areas were no doubt filled with gossip, laughter and the sound of porcelain pieces scratching over tea time.

The doctor cared very little for the lives of those around her and how they went about spending their days. Though there was that occasional thought of how much faster the world would evolve should people stop wasting their time on these everyday familiarities and poured their all into the betterment of the future. Sadly, it seemed as though she was part of a rather small group which shared her opinion and the majority of humans would rather waste away than be productive.

Gripping tightly on the cold knob of the hospital door, Mei invited herself inside only to be greeted by the usual wails of pain which echoed through the halls. It wasn't unusual for surgeries to be performed throughout the day and the vast majority of those who underwent the knife outside of their homes were not wealthy enough to afford anesthetics.

"Good morning, Doctor." A nurse with similarly colored hair greeted Mei.

"Good morning, Nene. Is there anything new today?" Mei asked after wincing at the pain which shot through her eardrums as another death cry sounded from the end of the hall.

"I'm sorry. There's been nothing but amputations all day long. Ah, there is a letter addressed to you from Lady Emsworth though." Mei scoffed and rolled her eyes upon hearing the name.

"Let me guess. Pregnant again."

"You know you're the most sought after when it comes to birthing, doctor."

That wasn't exactly an overstatement. In this day and age, it puzzled Mei how the mortality rate of birthing women increased to a staggering 1:4 despite the enlightenment brought on the subject by books written by all sorts of professionals. For a few years, Mei buried herself deep in research alongside a French biologist and chemist who shared her enthusiasm in the matter of infection.

While the gentleman dabbled on pure scientific research, Mei decided on a mixture of both and experimented with different care and methodologies related to the birthing process. She started with a small idea that came from an old book which detailed the Egyptian's method of embalming: using vinegar to clean the cavity of a deceased's stomach. From then on she started using different substances on her hands before doing a procedure and found that a few substances truly did decrease the rate of puerperal fever.

There was also a few opportunities when the doctor observed her more experienced peers and noticed that there was one clear distinction in between their them - she washed her hand every single time she touched a patient and her co-doctors did not. It wasn't like she knew it was a necessity. For Mei, it was simply a nagging feeling of being 'dirty' and so she constantly had to wash for her own sanitational needs.

Once she realized this the doctor decided to send a letter to her French associate and informed him of her findings. The Frenchman encouraged the young doctor to publish an official case study on the local paper and after much debate she finally conceded. What followed was years of being shunned, ridiculed and laughed at for proposing the idea that it was the doctors themselves who were spreading puerperal fever. That may as well be the nail in the coffin which Mei locked herself in - she became unwilling to associate any further with these dimwitted butchers.

"I already told them that I have no further interest in childbirth."

"But that's the only thing you're good at isn't it, Miss Aihara?"

A tall man with light brown hair appeared from the end of the hall, still bloody from the operation he had just performed. Mei immediately scoffed upon seeing him, 'Great.' she thought as the unwelcome company quickly paced towards her and Nene.

"Mr. Amemiya, is there ever going to be a day where you won't appear before me?"

"Highly unlikely. I am, after all, still after your hand. Your grandfather approves of me, you realize?" He threw a bloody rag towards Nene and ordered the girl to have his newly deceased patient be disposed of.

"Still a terrible surgeon, I see."

"Hardly, Miss Aihara. God simply judges us by our worth and that pauper wasn't deemed fit to live. I offered my charity, God did not. It's as simple as that."

"Fantastic excuse."

"Don't start with me, Mei. You have no place in judging me at a profession where you don't even belong. Rather, your place should be beside me in bed and pampering me after a hard day's work. Would you not like that?" He smiled at Mei as if he actually believed his words were romantic.

"Actually, Mr. Amemiya. I think if it was between becoming your wife and being operated on by you then I would rather choose to have you amputate every limb of mine and leave me to bleed out. That is, after all, the only thing you're good at isn't it?"

Mei returned the insult so effortlessly that a few giggles emanated from the nurses and patients that could hear the two's conversation. Amemiya's mood quickly soured. He turned towards those who laughed at him and gave them a look filled with anger, effectively simmering down the eavesdroppers.

"Enjoy your freedom while you can, Aihara. I'll be sure to treat you kindly once you're my bride." He said.

"Unfortunately, that will never happen. Neither me being yours nor you being kind. I wish you a good day, Mr. Amemiya."

With the last of her venomous words, Mei left the hospital. Her mood had now turned bitter at the altercation with Amemiya. She came all the way down here to hopefully alleviate her frustration at being scolded by Harumi but in the end, she only made it worse and didn't even find a worthy distraction.

Sitting alone in the coach did little for her sanity and all she could think about were Harumi's words: 'You of all people should know the feeling of being degraded.' She finally understood what the plum-haired girl meant by it. The circumstances may have been different but it was no secret that Mei was constantly belittled by her peers for being a woman and it frustrated her to no end.

Now her guilt was welling up inside as she thought of what she said to the blonde. It was to a point where she couldn't help but consider a proper apology despite believing that she did nothing wrong. There was also the fact that she was too proud to offer one.

"Could you stop a moment, please?" She asked the coachman after spotting a particularly colorful shop at the end of the street. She might not be willing to offer a worded apology but gifts were always an option.

A few minutes later and the doctor was back at her residence. Harumi was quick to greet her with a pompous smile after the plum-haired girl noticed a peculiar package on the doctor's hand.

"What?" Mei asked with a bit of annoyance.

"Oh? Nothing at all. She's in the garden if you're looking for her."

"I didn't even-"

"Now, now. I was just on my way out. There's no need to explain anything to me. Pretend we never saw each other if that helps."

Harumi learned through the years that whenever the doctor felt like she needed to apologize, she would buy something instead of actually apologizing properly. It was just one of those quirks that made Mei Aihara... well, Mei Aihara and the thought that her friend was a little more accepting of other's feelings made the plum-haired girl smile as she left the manor.

Mei, on the other hand, furrowed her eyebrows at her friend's audacity to spout nonsense without ever bothering to explain herself. Harumi was not entirely incorrect this time though as she was looking for the blonde girl.

"Ah! Good afternoon, Miss Aihara." The blonde greeted her as she entered the garden.

"Good afternoon." She greeted back before wordlessly handing the package to the blonde and watching the girl fumble about with the sudden gesture. She thought that the blonde was likely uncertain of why she was receiving a gift out of the blue.

"Uhm- Is it for me, Miss Aihara?"

"Yes."

"May I open it?"

"Yes."

The girl carefully unwrapped the ribbon which held the corners of the box in place and gently set it aside before revealing the contents of her present. Inside was a set of four strawberry shortcakes which were neatly placed in a row and Mei tried to determine if they were to the blonde's liking but when no words came, she decided to ask.

"I asked the shopkeeper which ones were favored by his customers and he suggested this one. Is it not to your liking?"

"No, no. That's that it, Miss Aihara." The blonde shook her head gently before gazing down at the desserts.

"Then what is it?"

"I was just thinking that Miss Harumi wasn't wrong. You are, as she says, tactless but kind."

Mei felt the slightest hint of annoyance when she learned of what Harumi had been saying behind her back. Well, Harumi also said such insults to her face and the doctor understood that it wasn't entirely false... it wasn't false at all.

"Would you care for a late afternoon tea, miss?" The girl smiled at her while holding the box of dessert in a manner which the doctor was able to see them.

"I'll have Himeko prepare the tea."

Notes:

Amemiya, perpetually the arseshit.

Anyway, there is a difference between Mei's and Amemiya's professions. Before the 19th century, there was a very distinct difference between surgeons, doctors, and apothecaries. Amemiya is strictly a surgeon while Mei dabbled in between all three.