a Chance encounter

Celeste Smith woke as she did every morning to the sound of her household slowly stirring as well; a bright green eyed creature her beauty was only marred by a long twisting scar running from under her left ear, disappearing into the practical coiffure she pinned her dark hair into. One of the few practicing female doctors in London she accepted the cup of tea her maid brought her with a smile of thanks. Her household was small, only four people including herself, and only the bequeathment from her mother had afforded her the luxury of buying it even in the less desirable section of London near the theaters. But that suited her; Celeste when she was not keeping her admittance permissions active with London Gernal by taking bi weekly rounds, she kept a neat little practice catering discreetly to the ladies of the theater, those fallen birds that so many of her colleagues declined to treat.

This morning far too early for her mind, she was by nature a night owl, and facing waking the wrong side of dawn sat poorly with her, yet needs must, and as the most junior doctors she was forced to take the least desirable shifts or be left with out, and with her own practice so new (a discrete plaque at the door only stated Dr. C. Smith) and she would require the operation theaters at the hospital Celeste must as needful take on these horrible shifts.

Although…

Celeste could not help but smile as she lifted the baby who had decided to come into this world bottom first to his exhausted mothers breast, several hours later, how could she feel anything but grateful that it was she and not some other who might care less for mother and child?

He was late. Forever late for everything, but it was worse today…. Today was his presentation; a full quarter of the year, ready to hand over to his superiors. Today, Hannibal wore a suit and tie, tied neatly under his chin, his hair combed and tamed into neatness.

He hustled through the streets, slipping fearlessly, or perhaps thoughtlessly, between the others that crowded the streets, headless of the traffic, pedestian and otherwise.

The slender man’s eyes almost never left his watch as he weaved carelessly between people, unerringly avoiding everyone until he suddenly…. Missed. “Oh, pardon me, terribly sorry for that.”

It was too early, or too late, either way it was all she could do not to sigh descending from the horse drawn streetcar - Only to be bowled over before her back foot touched the pavement. The thick coffiture of her hair, and the wide brim of her hat were the only things that kept her skull from a concussion inducing impact with the filthy side walk.

Celeste blinked, the world was...sideways, it was taking her too long to figure out what had happened, why she was laying watching her hand spasm towards her dropped umbrella. Moving from prone in corsets, skirts, and dazed was not quickly done. A hand raised to her head, bitting her lip from the small whimper as lightening crashed through it, her hand bag dangled from its thin chain from her wrist.

When he saw who he had bumped into, Hannibal’s face fell. A lady. And she was a lovely lady at that…. “Oh, I am very sorry. Are you hurt? Please, don’t be injured…” From another man, the words might be selfish or cold, but spoken as they were, there was warmth, concern, and compassion in them. He didn’t want to have hurt the poor lady.

“Let me help, please, miss.” He might sound and hold himself apologetically, appearing unsure, but the hands that moved to politely assist her to stand, supporting her deftly with a gentleness that might be rather surprising. Hannibal was, after all, a gentleman.

Seeing her reach for her head, Hannibal tipped head slightly, glancing to make sure she hadn’t cracked it against the pavement too hard or at a bad angle. “How do you feel? Dizzy? Well enough to walk? I have a flat just down the street…. There’s a lobby there. Perhaps a few moments to sit and recover might do you well?”

Her habit of wearing rather stern walking costumes was done with brutal practicality; there was still enough pushback against women without adding the charge of ‘frivolity’ by wearing the bright colors that naturally called to her. Plus it was economical.

Her parents had left her just enough to buy the modest brownstone and just manage to pay the servants that had been with her, her whole life a wage, but until her practice gained steady clients Celeste was keeping a misers grip on her pennies. Hence the street car and not a hansom cab even on this steamingly hot day.

The offer to rest at his apartment rang alarm bells even in her vaguely addled mind - “Just to the lobby-” Oh. She blinked twice, he did have rather lovely eyes didn’t he? Another blink and the stray thought was banished, her hand came down drawing attention to the thick scar curling under her left ear and into her coiffure. “Thank you.” she brushed ineffectual at the mud now liberally smeared up the side of her skirts, normally the rain would have been a godsend to beat back some of the summer heat, but all it had done was raise the temperature by making it nearly impossible to breathe through it.

Honestly she would have rather gone right home, slipped into a cool bath and napped till the evening when her ladies would begin to appear before their shows as ailments became known, but in all honesty she wasn’t certain of her ability to remain steady that long of a distance.

“You were rushing somewhere…” every time she shook her head against the lingering dizziness it just made it throb worse. “I don’t want to keep you.” she murmured as he escorted her.

The invitation hadn’t been to his apartment, not really, but to the cozy lobby where the doorman would be. “Of course. It will have a seat, and I can fetch you some water.” He offered her a small smile, still apologetic. “Easy.” Even in the city, Hannibal lived well, if not as grandly as he had in his childhood. Modesty was a virtue, one he was required to have if he were going to maintain his nearly theatrical appearance. “Please, here,” he offered her his arm to lean on so she wouldn’t fall.

“Oh. Yes, I was..” He was already dreadfully late. “I’ll get one of the boys in my building run down and ask to reschedule. It’s no problem. This,” he indicated her fall and current situation, “Is entirely my fault. I’d really rather make it right.”

Celeste let him lead her, wary but dreadfully dizzy, and so for the moment accepting the idea of a good Samaritan simply lending a hand where he could. “Is it far?” she murmured, wondering faintly, that she might have a concussion, which would be awful.

“If I could impose- “ she paused in the street, “I wonder if you could look into my eyes and see if the pupil on one is larger than the other?” she knew it was bold but if she DID have a concussion she needed to get home as quickly as possible and with out delay.

The green/blue of her eyes were slightly unfocused and indeed one was slightly larger than the other, and sluggish to respond as she raised and lowered her hand over it to make it respond to the light.

@eve

Where he had been so hurried before, Hannibal took his time weaving his way back to his building, sure to move sedately enough not to stress the lady at his side. The last thing he wanted was for her to fall again.

When she stopped, he paused as well, frowning slightly at her request. He understood what she was asking, and the idea that she may be actually injured was appalling. Mother would be horrified if he had done harm to a lady. And yet he showed no hesitation to comply with her request, crouching down to being himself level with her eyes and peering into them.

His frown grew as he looked at her pupils, and he quietly extended his magic, a few subtle fluttering gestures of his fingers, just to be sure she was in possession of her faculties. “You’ll be alright, miss, it’s slight, but some rest will do you wonders.” He paused, “I’ll call you a carriage ride in the lobby to take you wherever you should need or like to go.”

@kel

Had she been less distressed Celeste might have been pleased by his compliance with her request, as well as the fact he didn’t question the reason why or that she would know to ask.

“I do have a concussion than…?” His ‘it’s slight’ might have been in regards to her pupils but something…”are you a physician as well?” Celeste allowed him to lead her once again, feeling more secure in the venture. “I don’t want to keep you from your patients..” She murrumed relying on his guidance, her eyes shut against the blinding pain.

“Yes. Home.” She nodded faintly “I need to rest…”


@eve

As a gentleman, Hannibal was not going to deny a lady’s request without cause. She asked a question, one that was reasonable, fairly simple to grant, and served a purpose. On top of that, he understood the question for what it was, even if he wasn’t entirely certain how to properly diagnose issues of the brain or mind without his magic. That didn’t mean he didn’t know that a fall could damage the brain.

Making a face at the word ‘concussion’ Hannibal shifted and gestured vaguely before bringing his index finger and thumb closer together, “It’s not so bad that you need to worry. Just rest, miss.” A physician? “Not exactly, but I have an acute understanding of the mind and brain.” Acute enough to be an alienist for the Rippers in London, anyway. “Trust that you are keeping me from nothing of great import, miss. Nothing more important than your well-being especially.”

She needed to rest. Yes, that was what he’d been telling her. At least she was good enough to agree. “Then the carriage will take you home.”

The lobby to Hannibal’s was spacious, the decor fine, with large windows to let the light in. With a nod to the doorman who greeted him with a respectful, [/i]‘Mister Cain, sir, didn’t expect to see you so quickly,’[i] Hannibal led the lady to one of the couches to sit off of her feet. “Call in a carriage for the lady, Charles, would you?”

He turned to one of the boys that stood in the lobby, better dressed than many on the streets, and held before the lad two coins, “Two now to run down to the lodge and tell mister Elme that Hannibal needs to reschedule today, something’s come up. The same when you return with what message he gives you.” The boy nodded eager, took the coins, and ran. “There we are, miss, all settled.”

@kel

Celeste sat down gratefully on the offered seat, the actual appointments of the lobby passing her by under the influence of blinding pain that was radiating out into her jaw and skull. Ceeltes brushed back pair of loose tendrils out of her careful coiffure coming uncurled over her ear, falling loosely over her cheek.

Honestly most of her thought process was devoted to attempting not to whimper at the shards of white pain drilled into her temple, “I’m sorry to make you miss your appointment.” she gasped out, holding her handkerchief to her mouth, breathing in its lightly perfumed scent to hold back her nausea. “Please don’t let me put you out.”

@eve

Hannibal did not work magic before others as a rule. It was dangerous, if he were caught. As subtle as he was with it, it was always a risk should someone see, should a single spell catch the eye of the wrong person. This situation, however, was far from usual. Crouching before the poor woman for whom he had unwittingly caused so much trouble, he frowned as he considered her and her pain. “May I?” he indicated her temple, hoping to do what he could to help with her pain.

Should she acquiesce, Hannibal would touch her gently, his fingers brushing along her skin, working what magic he had to draw away her pain and to soothe the swelling her fall had caused. It wouldn’t vanish entirely or all at once, but it would lessen much more quickly than it would do so naturally, and it would begin to work the moment he touched her.

Her apology only earned an almost pained smile. “Oh, miss, I’m afraid I’m the one that is dreadfully sorry. The appointment is unimportant; Master Elme shall wait another day without anything more than a small inconvenience.” He was, after all, doing the other man a favor and as such Elme could afford patience.

’The carriage will be on the way shortly, sir.’ Hannibal gave the doorman a smile before he turned back to Celeste, “Is there anything I can do, miss?”

@kel