April 5th, 1889 — Irvingly Arms Waiting Room

One of the dangers of Josiah's job were dogs. They tended to be territorial and Josiah had been very lucky thus far to avoid mishaps with any of them as he went about his daily work. Today, he had not been so lucky however and had gotten quite a nasty bite that was surely going to need quite a few stitches. He had wrapped his leg as much as he could but the pain that he was in was starting to get a little hard to bear.

  

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this set by Lady was well worth the wait <3

She had been watching him sidelong, her head turned with the intention of checking the clock. He hadn't said anything, but there was a little more tension at the corner of his mouth than there had been before, a subtle sign of growing discomfort. He also seemed to still be bleeding through the bandages on his leg.

"It oughtn't be much longer," she offered to him, hoping she might distract him, if nothing else. Though, efficient as the nurses and healers here were, perhaps they were busier than usual. Sarah hadn't meant to end up in the Irvingly Infirmary's waiting room like this, to be sure: she had hoped to slip in on her sister's break and have Miriam advise her on how to mend her blackened eye, and the wobbly feeling in her legs, the lingering effect of the spell that had hit her. She had refused the thought of visiting St. Mungo's until her shift at work had finished; had supposed this visit in Irvingly would be more discreet, but her sister had been held up with her proper patients, so Sarah had contented herself to wait her turn. Her complaint certainly looked less urgent than some.

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Josiah turned to face the woman speaking to him. It was a welcome distraction, one that would likely keep him from fading into unconsciousness which would be terribly inconvenient. "I hope not but I'm sure they're having quite the busy time of it," Josiah said, shy nature making his words more awkward than they needed to be. "Had a bit of an accident yourself?" He asked, referring to the black eye. Well, he did hope it was that and not something much more morbid.

  

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this set by Lady was well worth the wait <3

He suspected the same, then, about how long the wait was taking, and how busy the Infirmary must be. Still, he sounded entirely polite about it, polite and uncomplaining, which was refreshing; Sarah had been exposed to plenty of impatient people who resorted to foot-tapping and watch-rapping and snide comments when they were forced to wait a mere few minutes for assistance, and those impatient sorts weren't even patients with a good excuse.

This man clearly had a good excuse.

"Oh, yes," Sarah said, startled out of her thoughts at the question. "It's not what it looks like," she added hurriedly, because she kept forgetting quite what it looked like, and wouldn't have known if one of the other Welcome Witches hadn't made it quite clear what a state her face was in. It looked like she had been summarily beaten up, which was a mortifying thought. In truth, it was the weak feeling in her legs that hurt more than the black eye, at this point in the afternoon. "Got caught in the crossfire," Sarah said, mustering up a small smile, "just a rogue spell." Once in a while, even the Ministry Atrium played host to an errant duel. "What about you?" She said, more worried.

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Josiah was an entirely patient man. Sometimes to the detriment of his own well-being and interests, now being one fine example of it. He was in great pain but did not want to discomfort the others by making a fuss about it so he kept himself as still as he could so that the pain wouldn't go shooting through his body. Hopefully, it would subside in time or he would get used to it. He would take either option if it meant a little rlief from it.

Well, that was a relief. Josiah knew there were those that felt it perfectly fine to strike a lady. Josiah couldn't personally fathom striking anyone. Unless it was in defense of Jeremy or his sisters, that was. "Ah, magic," Josiah said, not quite understanding but supposing that he couldn't really blame himself for that. "I'm a postman. A loose dog protecting it's territory got to me quicker than I could get away."

  

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this set by Lady was well worth the wait <3

His little exclamation at the word magic caught her attention for a moment: that magic was at all worth exclaiming about was not usual for a wizard. So perhaps he was not a wizard. This was Irvingly, after all. Sarah blinked at the possibility, all the same. Sometimes she would have preferred not to be a witch, she thought. She was not a very good one.

The man may well be a muggle - he was a postman, he said, and wizards did not tend to need that sort of things. "I always forget not everyone -" uses owls, Sarah had begun brightly, but cut herself off when she realised now was not the time, he had been injured, conversations about delivering letters could be had at any juncture that was not this. "Oh, how awful!" Sarah declared, eyeing the wrapped wound more closely now. She hadn't envisioned the job to be so dangerous - and that didn't look like the work of an overeager little puppy. Blood seemed to be blossoming on the wrappings. "I think - that might need wrapping a little tighter," she suggested hesitantly. She was no nurse, but...

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Josiah listened as the woman spoke, his curiosity perking as she cut herself off. Had he been a lot less of the shy sort, he would have probably pressed on to hear what she was going to say. As it was, he let it be. The conversation was at least keeping his mind off of the pain that he was in.

"You think so?" Josiah said, looking down and following her suggestion. He was used to dressing up wounds but not ones like the one he had managed to procure for himself. "That also feels a little better though that could just be because focusing on our conversation has been preoccupying me with something other than the pain."

  

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this set by Lady was well worth the wait <3

He followed her advice without a great deal of fuss or questioning, which was - refreshing, Sarah would admit. (She was not an authority on much, so did not have a great deal of advice to give - and, indeed, most of the people she knew would be far too stubborn to ever listen if she offered it.)

“Well, I’m...” Sarah paused, and smiled at him encouragingly, “glad if I’ve been any help at all. I’m sorry to not be more riveting,” she said, with a faint undercurrent of laughter beneath her words now, “but if you’re still conscious, I suppose I could be worse!”

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Josiah tended to be an amiable sort, especially when it came to things he wasn't overly familiar with. He was not too proud to say when he didn't know an inkling or two about something. "Quite true," he said before looking up as one of the nurses came forth and said that they were ready to see him now. "It's been a delight meeting you, Miss," Josiah stated, realizing only then that he hadn't even introduced himself. And now he felt too awkward to do so now though the nurse had said his name and she had probably heard it.

  

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this set by Lady was well worth the wait <3

She had been focused enough on him that the nurse’s arrival startled her in her chair slightly. Recovering herself, and still smiling at the man as she stood up - she had almost forgotten why she was her until she did so, and felt the wobble again in her knees - Sarah returned the sentiment. “And you, ah, Mr. Rohlwing,” she echoed in earnest, just about catching his name and hoping it wasn't presumptuous to use it. She might’ve lingered to offer her own, but she didn’t suppose it important enough - he would have all but forgotten her in a minute, when he was healed! - so she left him with a, “Do get well soon!” and a last hasty smile before hurrying down the Infirmary corridor, where her sister would be waiting.

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