January 17th, 1895 - Hogsmeade Hospital Break Room

In the two months that Maggie had been with them, Sage had learned a lot about herself. She had always doubted she would be a very good mother, given the circumstances, but even after four years of not having her daughter around, it was shockingly easy to love her. She supposed she had never really stopped, but to be faced with it now, day in and day out, was another thing entirely.

It was hard though. Harder than she ever would have cared to admit.

In an effort to keep the burden off her sisters, Sage had taken up the night shift permanently. That way she was working while Maggie was sleeping and all Sage had to do was rely on somebody to be there in case Maggie woke up. From what she could tell, it wasn't that often, which was good. Nobody was complaining either, but she still felt the guilt and the responsibility weighing her down. Sleep was hard to come by, broken up in a few hours before her shift and a few hours after in the time Maggie was still asleep. It had been fine at first. She had gotten used to it, but now she could feel that added to the pressure and she knew she was close to breaking or getting sick and she couldn't afford either. The exhaustion was bone deep and she was struggling, but she didn't want to admit it.

The night had been relatively quiet, so Sage had curled up on the sofa in the break room to try and catch a few more minutes. Even a twenty minute power nap would help, or so she hoped. It wasn't unusual for those working overnight to take a quick snooze break, so she hoped nobody would hold it against her. No sooner had she drifted off (mercifully quick) than somebody came into the break room, the door closing loudly behind them, startling Sage into sitting up. It was a good try. Coffee. She could use some coffee instead.

Blinking back the fatigue, Sage moved toward the kettle to start the water.

---

  

---

Feiyu's entire forearm had turned to oak wood.

He'd stood there for quite some time admiring it, only mildly surprised, flexing his slender wooden fingers lightly. It looked precisely like he was wearing an ornate wooden gauntlet.

The young man could not fathom what had happened. He could only guess that perhaps he'd eaten a peculiar magical plant while exploring the woodland in Animagus form. Sometimes he ran a little wild.

Fortunately, Hogsmeade hospital was within roaming distance, so off he went, plainly but pristinely dressed. But having never set foot in a hospital before — let alone a British one — he swiftly became lost in the hallways, inadvertently bypassing the reception area altogether.

Finally trying a room that looked like it might have potential, Feiyu stepped inside only for the door to slam shut behind him; perhaps drafted by the open window in the corridor.

The door seemed to have startled the only other person in this room — a handsome woman with a most flustered air. "... Ah. I've taken a wrong turn — again", concluded the wooden-handed youth.

  

---

It had taken Sage a moment to realize that the person who had entered was not in fact on of her coworkers until he spoke. "Oh, I'd say so." She smiled, moving the kettle from the heat as she wouldn't be able to leave it there for the moment. "This room is for the staff, do you need medical attention?" Sage asked, wiping her hands on her apron before abandoning the stove altogether. Maybe she would dip into tea room to get something instead, she was hungry too.

Once she got this sorted, of course. Sage pulled her medical bag off the floor and shouldered it, used to taking it with her everywhere in case she got called out while she was in a different section of the hospital proper. "I'd be happy to show you to the right ward if you tell me what's going on?" She added as she moved closer toward the door he had just come through.

---

  

---

Feiyu watched as the lady's mode all but switched from Off to On. From world-weary to perked up and ready to assist. "Don't let me disrupt your... rest", he looked around, finally noticing that this was clearly a room for staff to recuperate between shifts. "You can just point me in the right direction. Unless you know of a quick solution to", he showed her his wooden hand; "this".

  

---