The Artful Dodger

1.03 The Autopsy

The next morning I woke alone. Jack must have slipped out once I had fallen asleep. Or maybe even early this morning after sleeping some? I don't know. But what I do know is that the feeling of falling asleep next to someone and waking up alone sucks. I'll have to apologize to him. I really shouldn't have been doing that to him. But at least I left him a note every time, unlike him who was just gone. Not a great feeling.

I was quick to dress. I was even mostly dressed by time Charlotte made it up to my room from hers. I had stayed up most of the night reading from what Jack said last night. I had taken forever to fall asleep properly, my brain just wouldn't shut off with the ideas I had. If Jack hadn't been here then I surly would have been reading instead of laying in bed. After two hours of more reading, I found a few books that could actually help. They explain infection more. Explaining what causes them and a lot of what doctors know right now. With this help to information, I grabbed my book and rushed to the carriage. And when I had arrived at the hospital, I made my way inside with the same haste from before.

I scanned my eyes around the entry way only to catch a glimpse of Jack and Hetty standing around Charlie's bed in the recovery ward. "Jack" I called. I made my way to them relatively quickly. "Here comes princess witch face" I heard Hetty say. "I heard that. And if you think I am the witch, then do not upset Belle -- especially about her husband -- and steer clear of Fanny on any day to exist. Spoiled bloody rotin that one" I said to her. "Sorry ma'am" she said and did a small bow.

I placed my hand on Jack's arm. "Doctor, can I see you in the morgue" I asked him. His eyebrows drew together in confusion, but I do not have time to answer any. If I am right then this could save Charlie.

I turned, walking away and heading to the morgue. Jack came beside me and wrapped his arm around my waist -- his hand on the small of my back as if he were guiding me. "Doctor?" he asked. "I think I know how to stop an infection" I said, ignoring his question. I moved in front of him when we got to the stairs. It is not like I meant to call him doctor. But when I saw his face, all I could think about was how I woke up alone after falling asleep safely tucked away in his arms. Made me bitter and angered.

Once we made it into the morgue, I walked around the table, Jack coming to the far side. "The cloth was on his wound and the infection's gone." I said as I drew back the sheets. "Look. There." I said and pointed to the infection-less wound on the dead man. 

Jack looked between the body and me confused. "The what?" he asked. He is looking for the cloth. Sometimes he can be dense on purpose, I swear. I know he was paying attention to what I was saying.  "The cloth. Had carbolic acid on it. Look, no rot." I told him. As impressed as he seemed, it appeared as though he didn't care.

I watched him shake his head lightly, as if he had to get some thoughts out of his head. "Right, so..." he began and I cut him off. "So, I've done some reading, all morning, actually, and there was a chap called "Pasteur"." I told him. He seemed to grow incredibly confused. "Pasta?" he asked. I laughed ever so lightly. "No, Pasteur." I answered. "Like, French pasta?" he said.  I took a deep breath. It is a person not pasta, but I do not have time. I need to tell him what I discovered. "Discovered something called "germs". Microbes. Causes fermentation in wine."  I continued. He nodded lightly.

I bit my lip when he interjected. "Right. Except, we're not making wine." he told me. "I am well aware, Jack. But it is important. So then, Lister..." I continued only for him to cut in again. "Who?" he asked. I cannot tell if he doesn't understand the names, or if he is trying to hear them enough times to add them to memory. "Lister at Edinburgh Royal, he connected microbes to infection. So, if fermentation and infection are caused by an organic property rather than spontaneous generation or miasma..." I began to rambled.