The Bianchi Family Manor (15) – Rosas Spinis.

The young lady had strode straight up to the manor, she was rather stunned at the majesty of the place, she softly pushed the gate open and walked to the manor door, her soft heart pounding against her chest as she coughed slightly. Knocking softly on the door she let out a loud and cute “H-Hello, I-I am here to see the doctor, a man the hotel suggested I come here for a check up”

It would be Milly who heard the light knocking on the front door to the manor, with the etched glass panels showing an outline of a feminine figure. With the rustle of her white petticoats beneath the long black skirt, Milly trotted over to the front door, and opened it slightly, to see a waif of a girl standing upon the door step. It was not an uncommon sight to have such young urchins be directed to the Doctor’s manor. Word had spread far and wide of his unorthodox methods, and many clients paid him with a variety of goods as opposed to pounds, due to the poor economic situation for many. But the Doctor had signed an oath, that none shall leave his door without treatment for their ills. It was his calling, and his duty.

Listening to the stuttering ginger headed girl, Milly stood patiently, before pulling the door back further, and taking a step back so the girl could gain entry.

“He is just with Detective Blaine and Miss Westlake at the moment. I will announce you and then you can be seen through to his office. Please, just take a seat here, and wait to be called.” Milly was younger than most of the maids on the neighborhood estate, but a diligent and forthright member of the household. She happened to notice that the girl looked half starved and then as the girl took her seat, she leaned in and whispered.

“I’ll see to it Cookie makes you some tea and toast, Miss.” Milly bobbed and then went to knock on the Doctor’s office door, where you could hear the deep tone of Johnathon’s voice mixed with the laughter of the Detective and the whine of Miss Westlake.

Office

“Doctor…there is a young girl in the foyer who has been sent to see you for a check up.” Milly announced, just poking her head through the door, and giving a polite nod to the Doctor’s guests. Johnathon glanced up from his desk and then showed a half smile.

“Good timing, I was just showing Miss Westlake out.”

“You are just trying to get rid of me, before I ask more questions.”

“Absolutely. Reg, why don’t you escort Miss Westlake back to London, I am sure her editor misses her fiercely.”

Reginald chuckled and rose from his seat, placing his bowler hat on his head and then straightening his jacket. He offered his hand to Miss Westlake, but she simply huffed and marched out of the office and past a startled Milly.

“I’ll be back, Johnathon.” Vivian sung out, as she headed to the front door. Reginald shook Johnathon’s hand warmly and went to take his leave, picking up his umbrella from the stand. “Anyone would say you are trying to set me up with Miss Wsstlake. I do like her, but her temper.” Reginald admitted, watching Johnathon as he went to wash his hands before dealing with his new client.

“I rather enjoy her banter. But a woman of her nature can be tamed, my good friend. Why not make that your goal? You could use a woman like that in your life. And she could use a good…” He didn’t need to finish his sentence, as both men found humor in it, since…it was true.

Reginald hurried out after Miss Westlake, who was getting into a black carriage out the front of the Bianchi Manor, while the Doctor came out of his office to greet his new patient.

“Won’t you come this way, Miss?” Johnthon asked, and beackoned her inside his office.

“Thank you Miss, Do I have to pay” 

This was asked of Milly, before she was to be announced, and Milly shrugged her shoulders lightly. She knew the girl probably hadn’t a penny to her name, much like many that came this way. Just by looking at the girl’s attire you could see she was truly down on her luck. But an employer wants staff that are healthy, and a check up is necessary to confirm this, especially one done by Doctor Bianchi.

The Doctor allowed the girl to pass him into his office, and he closed the door behind her, showing her to a padded table, where he urged her to lay down. Doctor Bianchi rolled up his sleeves, and showed a kind face as he listened to the girl’s concerns about treatment.

“The hotel sent me here suggesting I check my health as it is oft smart to do so before looking for a job, I need a check up as the young Miss mentioned, I do not have any money but I am willing to find a way to pay you back.”

“Let us not worry about things such as payment, Miss. Sorry, I didn’t catch your name. No problems, I shall make note of that on my chart. Now, first we will check your blood pressure, then I am going to conduct a reflex test, followed by a quick eye exam and hearing check. These are probably most important.”

Johnathon placed a tie around the girl’s arm and started to work on getting her blood pressure, trying to be reassuring that he had no intent to hurt her. “Don’t worry, I never laugh at my patients. Well, sometimes when they get my bill later. But seriously, whatever you have on your body makes you unique, and not something that I would find trivial.”

The Doctor then took her temperature, and took notes on his chart, but you could see he had some concern. “Have you been getting enough fruit and vegetables in your diet?” He questioned, and then on checking her arms and legs, he could see how gaunt she was. The girl needed to eat, that was clear, and mal-nourishment, led to all kinds of bacterial infections.

As though an angel was watching over the young lass, Milly knocked on the observation room door, and brought in a tray of foods, and tea for the young girl, setting it down on a small table, and then excusing herself. The maid must have read the Doctor’s mind. He followed through with a reflex test and then asked the girl to sit up and read the eye chart, one hand covering each eye at a time. The last test was a hearing test, using his fingers, snapping them at each ear, and then watching her reactions.

He then stood back and went to wash his hands.

“I suggest you take the tray and follow through to my office, and I can give you my recommendations. You are seriously under nourished, and this meal, though small is a good start. Do you have a boarding accommodation, or a place to stay, before you find a suitable job?”

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-She smiled at the mans kindness as she followed through with the tests, The blood pressure was not too bad, rather normal and healthy, however in his reply to the bill, she laughed herself- “I still would prefer to give you a payment” -She lifted up the other sleeve of her arm and unattached a small gold chainlink bracelet, a heirloom she got a year before her family’s death, the gold may be fake but she still found it precious to herself. Handing it to him as she went onto the eye test, easily wording the chart to the smallest letter, both ears. As he snapped his fingers, she would turn quickly around at each flick, a safety reaction but it proved her hearing was perfect-

-As he finished and suggested they move to the office, she grabbed the tray and hoisted it having forgotten to answer his words about her eating habits- “I barely eat anything, the orphanage I used to live at was grossly overfilled, I be the newest one to leave it. I do tend to eat as much fruit as possible” -Walking in, she fidgetted but remembered a place she saw along the way to the manor- “I plan to stay at that boarding house for a little while, I still have yet to talk to them before having a bed for myself”

-She cleaned her tattered dress before thinking a thought however somber and depressing at first- “Is..there any place for a freak needed, I enter that category since I have..a um..appendage”

Seeing the girl take off the gold chain link bracelet, and place it down as payment, the Doctor let out a sigh. He didn’t want to embaress the girl, but he also didn’t want to take the bracelet as payment, since she may need it for trading on other necessities in the future. Not everyone was as charitable as the Doctor, and he picked up the bracelet, handing it back to her.

“Please, keep this. I am sure one day, when you are on your feet and well to do, then you can find a way to pay me back, but for now, we make it a simple, IOU.’The Doctor said, taking his seat behind his desk, and carrying on writing down a few more notes in regards to the girl’s health.

When the young girl, who had still yet not offered her name, asked about where she might find a place for a person like herself, considering she had…an appendage. Now, it was not common place for someone to up and explain about their biology in this manner, and the Doctor even took off his glasses hearing this bit of information, which he had completely missed in the physical.

“So you are a hermaphrodite. Interesting. I do believe I have only met one other before you, and she worked at the Bizarre Circus troupe, though…I am not sure if she still does.” The Doctor didn’t think that this condition should truly label her as a freak, for no one is truly perfect. He eased back in his chair and thought a moment. “Jobs suited to you, may well be a maid, or…caregiver, possibly a nanny. Course you need training. The boarding house of Miss Winifred should be able to help you there.” The Doctor said. He took out Winnie’s card and handed it to the young girl.

“She is a very warm and generous woman, but she is also a no nonsense one. I would hate to be on her bad side. I suggest seeing her, she is much better at helping place women in an occupation, than I.”

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