Open New Term, New Germs

[Rion Pendleton]

Rion hobbled bare-foot into the hospital wing, her robes pulled around her pyjamas. It was early, too early to be up for anything other than a genuine ailment, and the wing was quiet and dark. "Hello?" she called, a tremor in her jaw making her voice wobble. Her whole body tremored, though she was boiling hot and beginning to sweat.

 

[Isabella Romanes]

Isabella Romanes was not sure if she looked forward to the new year, but since she was now involved with one of the Charms professors, maybe it was a good thing. And her daughter, well, one of them, was sorted into Ravenclaw. All 4 houses ran in her family, so this was not new to her, but she was proud regardless. She heard a voice call out, which made Isabella take her tall mug that had her latte in it outside to see a first year in the wing. And she looked sick. "Bed, now."​

 

[Rion Pendleton]

"But I feel sick," Rion protested, panic suddenly rising in her chest. She wasn't lying! The nurse couldn't really send her back to her dormitory, could she? Another hot wave came over her. She knew that feeling - it was the feeling she got when she sat for too long in the back of the car, and it didn't tend to end prettily. But she'd never been sick on her own before. She wanted her mum. She wanted Ainmere. She wanted to go home. "I'm going to throw up."

 

[Ewan Wang]

It wasn't that Ewan hadn't eaten his dinner after the sorting ceremony, so much as he was just so hungry. He'd made his way down from the dorm room to the kitchens with a plan to take some snacks back to his bed, but by the time he'd loaded the pockets of his fluffy robe and had gotten to the third floor, he figured it would probably be better to eat his snacks before he got back, after all he didn't want to wake anyone up. He was munching on a turkey sandwich, albeit a little stale, when he saw someone else moving in the darkness. Stuffing his face and wiping his mouth on his sleeve, he followed after the girl to see if he wasn't the only one on a midnight feast raid, and keeping a few feet behind her watched to see what she was doing, and trying to make out who she was talking to.

 

[Isabella Romanes]

Isabella could have smacked herself when the girl protested. She took another sip of her coffee and pointed toward one of the hospital beds, "I meant the bed over there. Not back to your dorms. You look sick. Rather not have an epidemic if I can help it." Isabella took out her wand and conjured a small bag and held it out to the first year. "If you throw up, do it in this. Once you lay down, tell me what your symptoms are." Isabella was a mom, so she had probably need a little of everything. Even if she focused more on injuries, illness still ran rampant when she was a mom to many kids.​

 

[Rion Pendleton]

Rion took the bag and, true to her word, threw up into it. At once she felt ten times better; but not better enough, she noted sadly, to go straight back to her dormitory. She eased herself back on the nearest bed, wiping her clammy forehead. "I don't know," she said forlornly. "I woke up and my stomach hurt and I came straight here. Now I'm hot and shivery." Why her? Why today? She could have got sick on any day, but it just had to be the first day of classes. With some effort she lifted her head to look at the nurse. "I have Potions in four hours. Can I still go?"

 

[Ewan Wang]

Ewan was watching closely, straining his ears and even pausing his munches to hear what the girl was saying. He wasn't even sure where they were. After taking another bite of his sandwich, he heard what he could only compare to a noise his aunt sometimes made when she'd been out late at night. Ewan continued to enjoy his sandwich, moving closer towards the door the girl had disappeared into, and watched to see the student hop up onto a bed and another lady telling her what to do. Was this a special dormitory? He didn't think so, this one didn't have any special passwords on the door. Instead the first year just stood at the door, watching the spectacle unfold as he feasted on his snacks. The girl didn't look so good, but Ewan knew better than to tell her that. "Did you eat dinner?" he asked when he found a moment to cut in. Maybe this girl had simply eaten something that disagreed with her. Either way, he had plenty to go around to replenish her stomach.​

 

[Isabella Romanes]

Isabella winced a bit as the girl threw up, but she went to the bed, and wiped her forehead. The nurse vanished the bag because there was no sense to keep that. Her attention was all on the sick girl and ignored the other since he was just standing there. She retrieved a cold rag and heard her go on about the symptoms. "Sounds like a stomach bug. I believe I have something for that if Potions is all that important to you. You can always rest it off." Isabella shrugged her shoulders, but heard the student at the door speak about not eating. Her magenta eyes narrowed at him, and gestured with her hand, "Unless you are sick, you need to head back to your house. This is the hospital wing. So, if you are feeling well, you need to leave." Isabella was a little stern with her words, but she wasn't sure if this was contagious yet. She found a potion that should help with a bug, and held it out to the girl. "Either way, you need to rest."​

 

[Rion Pendleton]

There was something comforting about the way the nurse summoned a cold rag. It reminded Rion of being eight, struck down by a no less exciting variety of stomach virus, curled up in bed while her mum lay fresh cloths on her forehead and brewed something to settle her nausea. “Thank you,” she said to the nurse, then grimaced as her stomach turned again. Rest was inevitable. The potion would relieve her symptoms, but she knew from experience she would still be tired and achy for a while longer.

A small voice near the door made Rion turn her head. Was he eating? Gross. What kind of person brought a sandwich to the hospital wing like popcorn? Rion let the nurse speak to him, afraid of opening her mouth more than necessary. The interruption nearly cost her the rest of her dinner, but she swigged the potion and forced herself to swallow just in time. “I will,” she said, as she offered back the empty vial. “I’ll sleep now. Can you wake me up at quarter to nine? Please? I can always come back afterwards if I’m still tired. Please?”

 

[Ewan Wang]

Ewan had just been trying to help, and as he continued to watch and munch he thought he was just witnessing a student asking for some advice. It hadn’t actually occurred to him that this was the hospital wing, nor that such a wing was even available. As the nurse turned and told him to go to his house, his face dropped and his jaw stopped moving. He had only wanted to see if the girl wanted some food, was he really about to be expelled for that? It took him a second to realise she’d meant he needed to go to his dorm, not his actual home. The girl he’s been following seemed to just ignore him completely which was a bit strange too. “Okay. I’ll leave. But I’m leaving this here,” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little wrapped up warm roll, which he slid on the nearest table he could find before disappearing back out the door he came. He wanted to be nice, but he wasn’t about to get expelled trying to make a new friend.

 

[Isabella Romanes]

Isabella took the empty vial from the girl after she drank it. Her magenta eyes looked up when the other one finally left, but leaving food behind. Some first years were so weird. Isabella could admit that not much has changed when it came down to first years since her tenure at school. The nurse turned her gaze back to the girl. Isabella finally smiled softly, and reached down to pull the covers up to tuck her in so that she could rest. "As long as your fever is gone, you will be able to go to class. If not, I'll have to say no. You can always make up your class later. Besides, if it is the first lesson, I can tell you what you missed out on. I did attend here too a long time ago." Isabella leaned back up to finish the rest of her latte. Isabella was quite good with potions - since she was a master in her own right. ​