July 7th, 1888 - Irvingly Infirmary

When Regina first heard of what happened, she hadn't known how to handle it. Despite everything that has been said and done, Regina still cared for the stubborn witch. Sitting in the hospital room, it had taken her twenty minutes to convince a nurse to let her in before Bella woke up. Not knowing when said brunette would wake up, she simply waited and gazed out of the window quietly. Most of her was expecting a damn tantrum on Bella's part. That seemed like the person that Bella had become. But there was a part of her that hoped that this would all end up being a conversation that goes from sarcasm to being there for each other, like they used to be.

It had taken up a lot of courage for her to be here. Her chaperone outside of the room to make sure to only come in if a man did, Regina was glad that her chaperone had been so understanding. If this turned into an argument, she'd rather not have an audience. Beginning to fuss with a loose part of her dress, she couldn't help feeling the anxiety rush through her. She did want her friend back. Even if said friend had a nasty habit of burning bridges. They had been so close for so long. Would that seriously end due to a stupid mistake from a stupid misunderstanding? How was that fair to either of them?

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Bella Scrimgeour

  

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MJ made Magic!

Bella was, in her opinion, fine, but it was her opinion alone. Despite personally feeling that malaria was a quick conclusion to jump to, the healers and nurses had confirmed that she was most likely suffering from a disease she never thought she'd have to deal with. If she did have to die in some horrid fate, why couldn't it be something more glamorous like consumption? And why before she had someone to bury her in roses and mourn her?

She wasn't going to die, not really. At least she didn't think so. She was Bella Scrimgeour—much like the mosquitoes that bit her, she never died when it was most convenient. Instead, she was left to suffer through her misery.

Regina Lacey was apparently also like a mosquito in that she didn't know how to buzz off when she wasn't wanted. That was the first thought that came to her mind upon opening her eyes and catching sight of the blonde in the corner of the room. There were half a dozen people she'd rather see—Mr. MacFusty, Mr. Gladstone, Gemma, Tilda, Cora, and even Reuben-fucking-Crouch would have been better sights.

"What—Why are you here?" she asked accusingly, wrapping her sheets tighter around her torso.

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— MJ is MAGICAL —

What had Bella been thinking? It was really starting to seem that the brunette did in fact have a death wish. That broke Regina's heart. Seeing Bella in a hospital bed broke her heart. No matter how frustrated and angry she was, she never wanted her friend to end up in a hospital. Why would she want that? Even now she was mentally calling Bella her friend. Friends had fights, and misunderstandings. Bella had been through a trauma, Regina was suffering at home. Both were fragile and were taking it out on each other. Regina didn't want that.

"Here's an unpopular thought. Regina actually cares about Bella. Regina doesn't want to see a girl that she's been friends with for most of her life to be in pain. Yes Bella, I care about you. Despite what you think, I never was trying to hurt you, and I do actually give a damn about what happens to you." She stated, looking at the brunette with a defeated expression. She didn't want to fight. Why did Bella always seem to want things to be a fight?

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MJ made Magic!

Almost immediately upon opening her mouth, Regina had dipped into the past and brought up their former argument, which ultimately had ended their friendship. This was not the sort of thing she was prepared to discuss while weak, tired, and icky; Bella was a combative woman, but there was only so much she could handle!

"Stop, Regina," she demanded, her gaze moving towards the infirmary ceiling as she laid her head back on the pillow. "This is not the worst that's happened to me, and there will be worse things that happen in the future. Don't - There's just no need to worry. I'll be fine." Good, clean, and to the point.

(Except it wasn't, because her mouth continued to move despite her better judgment.)

"It's not like you've cared where I was this past month, anyways."

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— MJ is MAGICAL —

No. She wasn't going to stand for this. "I have cared. You made it perfectly clear that you wanted me completely out of your life. It was so hard to do it, but I did what you asked. I'm sorry I hadn't thought better of my actions the first time, but I was trying to make up for it by doing as you asked. Fair, it took you threatening me to get myself to cut off communications from my best friend, but I did it. I cried for weeks. Doing that in a house with a mad man isn't the best move, but I didn't care. I'm just lucky that he shut himself in his stupid study. But don't you dare tell me that I don't care. I couldn't bring myself to even talk to our mutual friends because they reminded me of our friendship. Believe me, I would have asked them where you were because you obviously would never tell me if I asked." She said, getting into more of a rant than she had ever wanted to.

"And like hell you'll be fine. You'd say that if your eyes were bleeding." She muttered.

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Bella could be rational and logical, but most of the time—and especially when dealing with her friends—she was melodramatic. She let out a loud, annoyed groan, though made no immediate to cut into Regina's rant. She listened to the words, digested the words, and understood the words; it, however, made them no less annoying.

"I can't believe I'm going to die and the last thing I'm going to hear is your jabbering," she complained. "Most ladies wish to die with a beau at her side; some want to be surrounded by friends and family. All I want is to die in peace. Could I get any of that, Regina? For a moment?"

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— MJ is MAGICAL —

Regina couldn't help but feel a small sense of relief that Bella had actually listened, despite the groan that she had made. Progress... hopefully. Bella even seemed to think about Regina's words. That actually gave Regina a small, tiny sense of hope. Actual hope. A feeling that felt so new to her now.

That hoped was crushed by Bella's words. Why did she have to be so stubborn? In fact, why did Regina have the luck of finding such a stubborn best friend? "Bella. I'm here to make peace. Well, mainly I came to make sure you were alright, but the peace part was an added goal. But both are important goals to me. I messed up. I really am sorry." She said softly, not being able to help the slightly defeated sigh that escaped with her words. Would even one of her goals be obtained? Even if peace was not made, her biggest hope was for Bella to at least get better and find some happiness in her life.

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MJ made Magic!

The fact that Regina had chosen a time of grave weakness to act on her obvious agenda was unforgivable at best and harassment at worst. Couldn't the blonde see that her mind wasn't clear? She was sweating, shaking, and probably running a horrid fever; death might even be preferable to some of the fevers she'd suffered through since arriving!

"I am not in a mind to make peace," she stated firmly, trying to bundle herself tighter in her blankets—a necessary comfort in a very uncomfortable situation. "I'm ill. I don't want to argue, nor do I want to think through such complex emotions. All I would like to enjoy is enjoy some peace, just as I stated."

She let out a loud sigh.

"If you're going to be here, at least entertain me with news from the outside world. The infirmary must be the most isolating place in the already-isolated Irvingly."

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— MJ is MAGICAL —

Since Regina hadn't known where Bella had been at before all of this, and Bella had made it clear that she didn't want Regina to send any more letters, it had seemed like the easiest for the both of them to come when Bella was in the very village that Regina lived at. Without Regina interfering in a government expedition, anyway. Causing Bella more stress hadn't been her intention. If Bella was truly to die, a thought that rattled Regina immensely, than she really hadn't wanted Bella to die with them in a fight.

Truly, she would have likely left the topic of their bad feelings toward each other alone after her first sentence if Bella hadn't pressed salt further into the wound of a subject. But that was both of their faults. "Well, I had just said that making peace wasn't my main goal in the first place. We can discuss that later... if you actually let me speak to you." She mumbled. Perhaps they can leave it at that for now.

With a sigh of her own, so much sighing in this conversation, she decided to take Bella's lead on starting a new topic. "Well, Killian has hidden away in his study. I would be relieved, but he is one for planning, so I have my worries. I went to Hogsmeade for a short while, and got carried onto a roof top by bugs! That was quite terrifying. I guess us Gryffindors are prone to getting into danger." She began thoughtfully. Perhaps she should have started with that in their conversation. Bella probably would have been much more comfortable talking about Regina almost dying.

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MJ made Magic!

Perhaps her sense had finally kicked in, or perhaps she was just too tired to continue bickering, but she let Regina's pouting go by without comment. She would talk about their issues when she could trust her own mind; she was headstrong and liked herself that way, and was not about to give into her friend's complaints simply because she was out of commission! She pushed herself into a more 'conversational' sitting position, but found herself still weak.

"Sounds like an adventure indeed," she teased lightly, her eyes drifting down to the sheets that covered her body. It was nearly two months ago that she found herself in a hospital bed for entirely different reasons, with an entirely different person, and with an entirely different outcome. She had written Mr. Gladstone the day before, and had yet to receive a response from him. The thought that he'd moved on from her lingered in her mind; she knew it was for the best, but the prospect hurt her heart no less.

"I've recently been in the Hebrides," she commented casually, "I've been working for Malcolm MacFusty as a research assistant. It's a far cry from my original ambitions, but it works."

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— MJ is MAGICAL —

Things seemed so unsolved, but she let the feeling pass. Moving forward seemed better. Perhaps that would be their outcome, simply moving forward. Or this would all blow up in her face when Bella felt better and decided to ignore all of the good in their friendship once more.

She assumed that Bella was referring to the incident with the bugs, rather than the one where she might find herself in even more trouble than before with her so called guardian. Letting it go, it seemed that even Bella was now one to not speak to over this subject, remembering the brunette's threat from such topic.... Regina moved past that. "It was, though one that I would prefer not to partake in again." She responded softly. Despite her effort, she couldn't bring herself to smile even a little at this portion of their conversation. All of the thoughts raced through her mind.

Thinking on Bella's comment, she was surprised that Bella had even mentioned where she was living at all. Was this a step forward? Or simply the fever talking. "I hope you enjoy the work, at least. Do you think you will ever take up healing again?" She commented, her voice deciding to stay small. It felt like walking on glass, and she didn't want whatever kindness that was left between her and Bella to break.

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MJ made Magic!

Her current job was...not ideal, but it paid the bills and allowed her to provide some assistance to the family that had cared for her while she was indisposed. She hadn't taken Care of Magical Creatures nor did she have any prior knowledge of dragons, but it was a learning experience—and that was better than lounging around in Shere all day. Besides, her job was one she imagined some would trade theirs for given the opportunity.

"I like the isles. I like being outdoors. I like my boss. There's no such thing as perfection, but it's a vast improvement on my former arrangements." Arrangements meaning jobless, penniless, and nearly homeless. She would much rather be back at the familiarity of the hospital, but it was no longer an option.

"I don't think so," she said quietly, almost somberly. "I was relieved of my duties without reference; I could hardly imagine finding another position in my current state without one."

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— MJ is MAGICAL —

Enjoyment of where she was at. That was not something commonly heard from Bella... besides Hogwarts perhaps. Oh, Hogwarts seemed like such a long time ago. Avoiding their troubles was much easier when they were at a school for most of the year. "I'm glad you like your current situation. At least one of us has found a near perfect situation now." She responded thoughtfully. If only Regina was good at running, and finding opportunities. Bella seemed to be much better at that... at least right now.

As she listened to her frie- Bella's comment, she thought about what the brunette was saying and if there might be a solution. "Perhaps you can send a letter to the person who fired you. After all, everything is out in the open now. They might be understanding to your side of things." She offered.

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MJ made Magic!

Bella scoffed at Regina's comment about a 'near perfect situation'. As if! How could a woman be so naive? Had Regina any idea what suffering (even the part she'd placed upon herself!) she'd been through?

"I would not call my situation near perfect by any means," she responded coolly. "Saving drained. Family lost. Marriage prospects ruined. No - No security in life. It's far from ideal, Regina."

She continued. "It means little now. If they had plans to rehire me, I'd think they would have offered when I was being treated there for the injuries inflicted upon me by Mr. Scrimgeour."

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— MJ is MAGICAL —

And there's a crack. "Wrong words, got it." She mumbled. But then... family lost. Regina had no family. Bella had Lucy and her brother. What did Regina have left? A crazed guardian who wasn't even really related to her. Yes, she flinched at 'no family'. Bella had family, damn it. Regina didn't. It took every ounce of her being for her to not curl up and cry. The rest of Bella's words seemed to drift away.

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MJ made Magic!

Bella wasn't sure what brought an abrupt end to Regina's speech, but wasn't going to question. Regina had a tendency to take everything the wrong way and make things about herself when others were trying to explain their own suffering. That sort of insensitivity was one of the reasons Bella had cut ties with her to begin with, and it was not an argument she hoped to begin again.

Then again, her friend could be feeling guilt or have her own troubles that she'd withheld—it wasn't as if they'd had contact recently. A lot had happened, and she was living proof that shit could surely hit the fan!

"Perhaps you need some air; it's stuffy in here." In other words: maybe you should go calm down.

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— MJ is MAGICAL —