September, 1883 — St Mungo's, Creature-Induced Injuries Ward

As he slept, Ephraim Belby dreamed of fur, of claw, of fang, of pain. It was this sharp pain that roused him in his hospital bed, though when he woke, the pain was duller and more manageable, still muffled by the same drug that had allowed him to pass into slumber as the healers worked at him. For a moment, Ephraim wondered if the rest of it had been a dream as the pain had been, but one look down the length of him—though what wasn't covered by blanket was largely covered in bandages—was enough to crush that last lingering bit of hopefulness.

He knew what had happened.

He knew what it meant.

He took in a deep breath, resisting the urge to cry.

Did Lou know, he wondered, the children? Had they even heard yet that there had been an incident at the hospital, that he had been injured? And besides the healer himself, what had happened to Cox? To Fawcett? To the young Miss Scott?

The private room in which he had been placed was a blessing to most, but served to isolate him now; Ephraim did not feel as though he could move from the bed, and there were no healers, nurses, or even visitors in the room with him to ask for information.

The shock of red hair as the door to his room answered, however, answered at least one of his questions.

"My dear," he greeted softly, a small smile at the sight of her in spite of himself.

— Eloise Belby —

  

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— MJ is pretty nifty @ graphics, if I do say so myself! —

No, no, no this could not be happening.

Ephraim was a healer for crying out loud, not a hitwizard or something equally as dangerous. He was not supposed to be the on nearly killed at work! Eloise was supposed to be enjoying her evening with her children, not roused from her home by a summons to the hospital for this. The fast paced nature of the evening felt like that of a whirlwind, a storm she was not prepared to weather, but would, no matter the cost.

Pacing the hallways of the hospital on little-to-no sleep was leaving her eyes bleary and hear head aching, but after all that had happened, she couldn't just leave now. It was unfathomable.

Finally things seemed to slow down, the healers had stabilized him, but the grim looks on their faces were not comforting in the slightest. Deep down she knew what happened, what had changed, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything aloud. The room was quiet, isolated and from where she stood in the doorway, she held her breath, waiting.

He noticed her after a few moments, and though she knew he needed to rest, she couldn't help the relief that flooded through her. Crossing the room in a few long, rapid strides, she resisted the urge to throw herself down on the bed beside him in fear of hurting him further and instead perched herself carefully on the edge, reaching out to brush her fingers down his cheek. "You gave me quite the scare," She admonished teasingly, barely holding back the tears that threatened to leak out.

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She was, predictably, understandably, worried, regardless of the brave face she was trying to put on. He had, after all, been able to read her like a book since their days studying together in the Ravenclaw tower. But did she know?

Wincing a the pain of doing so, he extended his less-bandaged arm to take her hand.

"I'm sorry to have frightened you," Ephraim answered, mirroring her forced levity. "I shall endeavor not to do so again."

But he could make no promises on that score.

— Eloise Belby —

  

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— MJ is pretty nifty @ graphics, if I do say so myself! —

Eloise automatically and as gently as seh could, took her husband's and and laced her fingers through his. A weak chuckle escaped through her lips followed by a long sigh. "Please see that you do," She rather thought this would be enough excitement for one lifetime, but she still had yet to really voice her true concerns.

"How are you feeling? How... bad is the damage?" Lulu had to ask it before she lost the nerve to. It came softly, but she looked him directly in the eye as she said it, trying not to flinch or look away. She had to know though, had the attack left him simply scarred or permanently changed? The nerves twisted her stomach and she held her breath, trying to calm the internal storm that threatened to rage, but she couldn't bring herself to really panic until she heard him say it.

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MJ is maaaaagical

Ephraim was many things, but a poet was not one of them. Even if he understand the full extent of how he felt at this early juncture, the healer knew he would lack the words to express it with any degree of accuracy.

"I'll live," he allowed after a moment. How full could he possibly hope for that life to be, though? "Though I have certainly felt better. I would not recommend, I don't think, being attacked in one's own hospital ward."

The attempt at a joke fell entirely flat.

— Eloise Belby —

  

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— MJ is pretty nifty @ graphics, if I do say so myself! —

Lou inhaled sharply, quirking an unforgiving eyebrow at him that signaled she was not quite amused by his attempt at humor. "You know what I mean Ephraim." Nope, she had no time or desire for anything other than the truth at this point in time. She'd had to cut to the chase in order to even ask the question that had dread settled in the pit of her stomach like a stone and she needed him to answer her wholly before she sunk completely with the weight of it.

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MJ is maaaaagical

A pregnant pause loomed between them before Ephraim finally uttered the words he knew had to come, but that he hadn't been able to summon.

"I'm changed, Lou," he murmured at last, dropping her hand as he did so.

— Eloise Belby —

  

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— MJ is pretty nifty @ graphics, if I do say so myself! —

There it was.

Lou felt the air leave her lungs in one long, slow exhale as she closed her eyes, willing the threatening tears away but failing miserably. It didn't change anything. The man before her was still her husband and they would figure this out. "Alright, alright." She wouldn't panic. She would not. This could be handled. It would be handled.

"We can figure it out." She assured him, squeezing their joined hands gently. It certainly wouldn't be easy, but they'd figure it out.

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MJ is maaaaagical

Well, she hadn't run screaming from the room. Ephraim ought not to have been surprised, mind; Eloise had always been made of sterner stuff than that.

We can figure it out. The wizard had not anticipated that he could love his wife more, but those words did it. Ephraim winced as he moved his other hand to sandwich hers gratefully. He would not be alone in this.

— Eloise Belby —

  

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— MJ is pretty nifty @ graphics, if I do say so myself! —

This could be handled. Managed. Just like any other chronic illness. Certainly they already had a leg up, given the nature of her husband's profession. It wouldn't be easy, but it would be done.

Smiling softly once more, Lulu leaned in to kiss her husband's forehead gently. "Perhaps you should rest. Everything else can wait until later." Rest for now, plans and decisions another time. Lou had to unpack what this meant for their family and how best to get everything back under control- and what to tell the children.

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MJ is maaaaagical