Doctor ~ G.Blythe [1]

seven.

+ the clinic +

The rest of the week flew past faster than it had come, after going to school, coming home, doing some piano work and then sitting outside for a while, Avonlea was coming rather predictable. Billy would say some snarky comments to me about how good I looked, the girls would love the new piece of jewellery or pants I was wearing that day, and Gilbert would walk me home, us talking about everything and anything along the forest path that wound back to my house.

It was now a Saturday and mother and I would be going to town to attempt to decorate the house some more, which was her mission, but for me it was to get a new violin, cello and flute. We had gotten into town by carriage as expected, the horse pulling us along the paths as we made it down to the cobbles streets. I was wearing a dress for once, it being a mildly sunny day with a faint warm breeze, the dress was purple and fell down just below my knees, I had a black over coat on and my pale blonde hair was intricately pulled up in braids.

We shopped for a while, buying throw pillows, with stitching on the front, and new china for our dining room for when we entertain guests at our house. My feet were already painful as we walked down the sidewalk, my mother gliding down the street as elegant as a swan as I walked behind her, the music store coming into view. My mother held the door open for me as I walked in, the dung ringing through the store as the man behind the counter looked at us as we entered his store, setting his hands on the glass.

There was pianos lining a wall, and violins and violas hanging up above them. Cellos and double bases were in a corner, and brass and woodwind in the other. The middle aged man behind the counter smiled at us as we approached, my mother taking a step in front of me to do al the talking so I didn't have to. "Good day, what can I help you ladies with today?" He asked and he put his arms behind his back, my eyes drifting to the bows on the all behind him, which were hung in a pattern.

"My daughter needs a few instruments, we just moved here and I promised she'd get them once we settled" my mother told him with a smile which he returned, looking over at me. "What do you play?" he asked me as I looked at him once again. "Violin, cello and flute" I told him, deciding to leave out the piano as I didn't need one of those, and Tom had probably come here to buy the one I had at home.

"Okay, lets get you suited then" he said before walking around the counter taking violins of the wall as I watched him intently. After trying Violin after Violin, playing a simple 4 bars to see how well they fitted, we found one. A simple deep mahogany colour and matching bow, the chin piece fitting my chin perfectly and it was comfortable. We went to flutes next, and that wasn't so difficult to find. It was the normal silver colour that fitted in my hands well. The cello matched the colour of the violin, it being a little smaller than a traditional cello as I wasn't playing fully grown ones yet.

Mother had arranged for the cello to be delivered to the house, but I insisted on carrying both the flute and violin home as they weren't too large and I wanted to play them once we got home for Tom. I held my violin case in one hand and a small case containing my flute in the other. We walked the small street and took a turn into the doctors office that father now owned, the door open as we walked inside, the small with a waiting room holding a few chairs pushed up against the wall. There was two practise rooms that led off from the main room, both of the doors closed as I looked around, setting my cases on a small table in the corner.

One of the room doors opened as my father walked out, only wearing his waistcoat as he smiled at both my mother and I. "Father I got to the most magnificent violin" I said, opening up the case as he walked over to me mother, kissing her on the cheek quickly as she looked around. "Well this is quaint" mother said taking off her gloves and setting them in her bag. "Yes, well Dr. Miller just wanted a small one so maybe this will be nice for me" he said with a smile as he looked over at me as I held the violin in my hand.

"Can I play a quick tune?" I asked mother with pleading eyes, knowing that she loves hearing me play. "Sure" she told me as she and my father watched as I gently lifted the body of the instrument up to my neck, my chin resting well on the piece. I placed the bow just above the strings, placing my fingers in the correct places, closing my eyes softly.
My bow glided across the strings effortlessly, my eyes drifting open and close with playing, my fingers moving instinctively, not even having to think about it. It had been a while since I had played this piece, but it was always my go to.

After the bow was pulled across the final string I opened my eyes, to see a new figure standing behind my parents, dropping the boy back down by my side. "That was beautiful" he spoke with a smile as I looked at my father who smiled at the boy. "Catherine, this is my apprentice, Gilbert Blythe. Dr Miller took him on before the clinic came into my hands so I kept him" he said to me as I nodded my head in response, the boy smiling back at me as My eyes drifted back to my father. "Yes we go to school together" I said placing the violin back into the case, my father laughing slightly.

"Well what a coincidence. Darling would you like a tour?" He asked my mother, before she nodded her head, following my father into one of the practise rooms which i'm assuming branches into his office.
"I didn't know you worked here" I said turning around to meet Gilbert's eyes. He stood there with his hands in his pockets, a smirk on his face as he shook his head at me lightly. "Well you never asked, and I never knew your father owned the clinic" he told me as I fixed the bottom of my dress.

"A smart boy like you should of figured that out by now" I told him as I made eye contact with him again neither of us talking to each other. As if on cue mother and father came around the corner, presumably their tour already finished as I made eye contact with my mother as she smiled at me, Gilbert shifting on his feet. "Ready to go home darling? I belive your father and Gilbert have some work to be doing" she asked me as I nodded my head, turning around and picking up both my cases again, smiling over at Gilbert.

"I'll see you later"

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A/N: another chapter that I have edited and pumped out today, i'm really excited for you to see Kate and Gilbert's relationship blossom, and honestly I have no idea what I wrote along time ago so i'm also excited to see it