sensingΒ aΒ slightΒ disconnectionΒ fromΒ herΒ patient,Β theΒ experiencedΒ mediwitchΒ didΒ notΒ botherΒ toΒ makeΒ senselessΒ smallΒ talk,Β grabbingΒ herΒ chartΒ fromΒ theΒ bedsideΒ whilstΒ instructingΒ theΒ fair - headedΒ womanΒ toΒ getΒ moreΒ comfortable.Β narcissaΒ wasΒ inΒ theΒ middleΒ ofΒ toeingΒ offΒ herΒ shoesΒ whenΒ theΒ doorΒ creakedΒ open,Β promptingΒ herΒ toΒ lookΒ upΒ asΒ aΒ familiarΒ faceΒ rushedΒ intoΒ theΒ roomΒ inΒ aΒ whirlΒ ofΒ greenΒ robes.Β βΒ motherΒ wouldΒ haveΒ hadΒ yourΒ earΒ forΒ bargingΒ inΒ onΒ aΒ closedΒ doorΒ likeΒ that.Β βΒ theΒ sightΒ ofΒ andromeda,Β alongΒ withΒ theΒ thoughtΒ ofΒ whatΒ druellaΒ wouldΒ doΒ was,Β surprisingly,Β whatΒ startledΒ aΒ senseΒ ofΒ feelingΒ backΒ intoΒ herΒ addledΒ brain.Β βΒ thisΒ isΒ aΒ privateΒ consultation,Β soΒ iΒ wouldΒ thankΒ youΒ toΒ keepΒ yourΒ voiceΒ down.Β βΒ sheΒ didΒ notΒ deignΒ toΒ answerΒ furtherΒ thanΒ that,Β knowingΒ herΒ slightΒ emotionalΒ detachmentΒ mightΒ causeΒ herΒ toΒ sayΒ somethingΒ regretful.Β βΒ andΒ asΒ muchΒ asΒ iΒ amΒ gratefulΒ forΒ thisΒ displayΒ ofΒ sisterlyΒ concern,Β Β myΒ chartΒ isΒ withΒ healerΒ tenka.Β iΒ amΒ sureΒ youΒ knowΒ her.Β βΒ theΒ mediwitchΒ wasΒ onlyΒ theΒ oldestΒ maternityΒ healerΒ inΒ theΒ hospitalΒ andΒ someoneΒ thatΒ narcissaΒ hadΒ beenΒ seeingΒ forΒ nearlyΒ aΒ decadeΒ now.
βΒ canΒ youΒ stayΒ ?Β iΒ amΒ β¦Β notΒ feelingΒ quiteΒ allΒ there.Β βΒ Β
βitβs a good thing i do not have a mother.β it is a cruel remark, especially when said so non - chalantly, but andromeda had never been attached to druella β nor druella to her, to whom andromeda was just a disappointment from her birth, without even a chance for a narcissistic, twisted affection, as the matriarch had found on her last child β and so, to be cut off from the body and the memory of the rosier had not been a loss, certainly not a greater one than druella had inflicted upon her when she was in andromedaβs life. yet it is difficult not to be reminded of that glazier of a woman when narcissa embodies her so well : demure and detached, spewing noxious words with a chilling calm even when she may be in grave distress.
( once upon a time, andromeda had envied that β only twenty and something months separated her and narcissa, yet the youngest black had came out all druella, leaving andromeda grasping to be able to assimilate into their family so she may fit in. unable to be like or be liked by their mother, she had tragically settled into her role as cygnusβ daughter, but all that she had as a black was, other than her features, the potential to deceit and the promise of turning rotten, like the place of the tapestry of every other black who had been burned before her. blending in like that is an impossibility now, she realizes ).
the crystalization in her sisterβs voice does serve to ground her, and andromeda raises a stubborn eyebrow, though she does cease the search, retracting slowly into stillness. she knew tenka alright. the maternity ward of the hospital had never been one for her, even during the odd month or two she had been employed under it as an intern, but she had made her visits, mostly as a companion to apparently lonesome mothers - to - be spotted during triage. her sense of guardianship over those could perhaps be seen as cumbersome to the busy healers from the ward, but healer tenka did not seem to particularly mind her intrusion β perhaps the matron believed her useful to soothe the nerves of the patients, a task that often was an annoyance to the practicing physician, but, either way, to know that her sister had a competent healer was enough to make her comply ( even if more or less willingly ).
βi would stay even if you did not ask me.β andromeda assures, with firmness pairing up well with the mellifluous nature of her tone. βbut i appreciate you did.β she adds almost as a confidence, attempting to restrain the nerves in her body so she may appease her younger sister; returning to the beside, andromeda slowly worries her bottom lip between her teeth, trying to discover what malady afflicted the blonde just by sight but even for a seasoned healer β and andromeda humbly does not believe herself as such, childrearing robbing her of more experience to deserve such title β such a task could be a trying one; still, the tonks matriarch tempts with touch what she can not do with vision. βdoes it hurt?β the elder questions carefully, allowing a hand to cup narcissaβs. βhave you bled?β