Doctor ~ G.Blythe [1]

sixty-one.

+ antitoxins +

All the girls were crowded around the take notice board, Jane still eating part of her sandwich as they giggled at the new notices which had been put up in the past week. I was sitting on the stairs of the open door which led into Miss Stacy's teacher room, sitting with my back to the inside as the spring sun hit me in the face. Gilbert was sitting inside on a chair as he read through a newspaper, his legs stretched out, a paper also in my hand as I read the latest news of Canada, Miss Stacy also sitting behind us as I caught snippets of the girls conversation outside.

"How many have you had this week, Ruby?" Josie asked her as Ruby shrugged her shoulders, leaning forward quickly as she counted them. "3" she squealed as Miss Stacy looked up and out of the door, her rocking chair moving slowly as she made a disapproving noise. I turned to look at her, putting my paper down as she shook her head, turning back to her paper as I raised my eyebrow. "I think we should just take the board down, it's all you girls seen to care about recently" Miss Stacy said as I turned back around, shrugging my shoulders as I looked down at the paper.

"I don't care too greatly" I said quietly as Jane looked over at me, rolling her eyes as she clearly caught my comment. "Kate, I reckon you'll be getting a notice from Charlie soon" she said as I looked up at her, Miss Stacy looking up as well as she listened in too. "Charlie?" I scoffed as all he girls made kissing noises, making me laugh as I shook my head, putting my paper onto my knees. "I hope not, we have a nice friendship" I said to them all as they all laughed, Jane swishing her hips as she pulled kissing faces, making me roll my eyes as I turned around, crossing my legs on the wooden floor as Miss Stacy looked at me as I shrugged my shoulders.

"Are you finished with your section?" she asked me as I nodded my head, passing it over to Gilbert who I noticed had been waiting for it, but not having said anything as Miss Stacy passed me the section she was reading, already holding the other one she had yet to read. "Thanks" Gilbert said quietly as he folded it in half, resting it on his leg as he read over it. "Medical research at The Sorbonne in Paris" he said as I opened up the economics section Miss Stacy had just read.

"Funny, Dr Prewett mentioned antitoxins last month" Gilbert said as I looked up at the mention of my father. "What's an antitoxin?" Miss Stacy asked him as she put the paper she was holding down on her knee, Gilbert's eyes lighting up at the opportunity to teach someone something new. "It's a new kind of preventative medicine" Gilbert told her as she nodded her head, my eyes also on the boy as I listened to him, already having red the article he was reading. "Seems to actually be working, from the look of it, even though Dr Prewett called it nonsense" Gilbert said as I nodded my head, looking down at the ground as I raised my eyebrows quickly.

"Sounds like him" I said quietly, neither of them hearing it as Miss Stacy nodded her head at the brown haired boy. "Most people have a hard time trusting new ideas" Miss Stacy said as she quickly put her hands back around her paper, not looking down at it as she kept eye contact. "The Sorbonne is an excellent university" She told Gilbert who nodded his head, his eyebrows scrunched in sadness as he leaned back in the wooden chair he was in. "Yeah, and thousands of miles and dollars away" Gilbert said defeatedly, shaking his head as Miss Stacy cocked her head to the side.

"You mention that Dr Prewett had offered you a place at a medical school he endorsed back in Australia, why don't you take him up on his offer?" Miss Stacy asked him as I rubbed my lips together, pretending to be interested in my paper as Gilbert cleared his throat softly. "I don't think I would like to be that far away from home" Gilbert said, lying straight through his teeth, knowing exactly why he didn't want to go Australia. "Well, I know a doctor named Emily Oak who's doing similar work at the University of Toronto" Miss Stacy started, clearing her throat as she clasped her hands in her lap.

"A female doctor?" I asked, breaking my silence as Miss Stacy and Gilbert looked down at me, a smile on her face as she nodded her head at me. "Yes, and perhaps you could write to her, Gilbert" she said as she turned away from me once again, Gilbert's eyes shining. "I expect she could guide you toward Canadian universities specializing in medical research" Miss Stacy told him as he laughed lightly, leaning forward as he set his hand on his leg, nodding his head. "Thank you, I will take you up on that" he told her as they both looked back down at their papers, my mind racing as I pretended to read over what was on the page.

The fact that Gilbert gave up the chance to study at a one of the best medical schools in Australia only for the fact that he may have to see me every once in a while really made me sad. Realising that I was the reason he had turned down that amazing opportunity that my father had given him, almost as if I had turned down the offer for him.

"I should get the classroom ready for this afternoons lesson, lunch is almost over" Miss Stacy said as she stood up quickly, putting down her section of the paper on the small table next to her chair as she ran her hands over her skirt, smoothing out some of the wrinkles. "You may have my seat if you'd like, Kate" she said to me as a i smiled at her, pushing myself up off of the floor as I sat on her chair, the whole thing rocking slowly as I set my paper on my lap, looking over at Gilbert who was reading his paper intently.

"Gilbert" I said quietly, clearing my throat as he looked up at me, his eyes questioning as we held eye contact for a moment, not having spoken to each other in quite a long time, since before Mary had died. "Yes?" he asked me, his voice soft as I let out a small breath, not sure about what I was actually going to say, which I probably should have figured out before I had said his name. "If you want to attend the university in Camperdown, I can tell my father to write them again and offer you a place there" I said to him quietly, his mouth opening slowly as I held my breath, not knowing exactly what I was saying but knowing what I was trying to say to him.

He didn't reply for a moment as he blinked, his face softening as he folded the paper he was holding in his hands. "I will stay out of your way. It's an opportunity that I don't want you to turn down because of me" I said to him, my voice soft as my accent cut through my teeth, Gilbert smiling at me as he shook his head, letting out a small breath. "I'll need to think about it, Katie" he said to me as I nodded my head, rubbing my fingers over the pearls on my wrist as I smiled over at him, this moment of happiness between us reminding me of what our relationship used to be, my heart melting at the sound of my nickname.

"Just let me know" I said to him gently, earning a firm nod from him as he stood up, walking over and leaning down as he put his paper on the table on top of Miss Stacy's section which was already there. He lingered for a moment, our faces rather close to each other as I knew he turned to look over at me, my whole brain telling me not to look over at him as this moment seemed to drag out. I didn't listen as I turned to the right slightly, almost feeling Gilbert's breath on his cheek as I took in his vanilla scent for the first time in a long time.

He straightened up quickly, clearing his throat as he pushed his hands into his pocket before walking back into the classroom, leaving my in the chair with the paper in my lap, my heart almost thudding out of my chest as I let out deep breath, shaking my head.

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A/N: hello, i'm back once again with another chapter because im on a writing binge right now for this story i'm not entirely sure why lmao
also i'm sorry that I play with your emotions so much lmao I don't like it anymore than you do trust me xoxo
please vote and comment and i will see you soon