Henry slipped his tweed jacket over his waistcoat, grabbing the stack of three letters off his bureau before taking a brief look at himself in the mirror to ensure he looked presentable. He'd always been taught that first impressions are always crucial, and a surefire way to make a good one was to dress smartly and look the part. Straightening out his tweed suit jacket he hummed in satisfaction at how he looked before taking off out the door and into the corridor.
Two days had passed since the day he'd arrived in Fir Creek and today, being first day of the working week since he'd arrived, meant that it was Henry, or 'Dr Dunmurry's' first day as Fir Creek's general practitioner. He'd spent most of the weekend getting acclimatising to the clinic; the equipment they had, where they stored medicines and tinctures he'd use for treatment, preparing his leather bag to make house calls which often in small towns at the time was the usual method for seeing patients.
He trotted down the staircase and into the downstairs area, continuing down the corridor that led out into the infirmary; which included the examination rooms, reception, waiting area, and his office. He had arranged to meet with Mary, who was to be his secretary, at exactly eight o'clock; thus giving them time to get acquainted before the clinic opened. Since Thomas had priorly told him that the post office in town opened at seven he figured he could easily nip round to drop his letter into the post box.
Thomas had been very helpful in helping Henry to feel at home in Fir Creek thus far; dinner was a nightly thing for them all to do together and even though it seemed small, the gesture alone made Henry feel warm and tingly deep within. And though the town's dashing young Mountie had been welcoming, he still still couldn't help but feel apprehensive about it all; would people like him as a person, but most importantly would they trust him as their doctor.
Henry shuddered as he opened the front door of the clinic and stepped onto the front porch; a wall of crisp autumn air hitting him as he felt a chill run up his spine. The air seemed to cut through the fibres of his tweed jacket; he could feel the weather changing, as though winter was only days away from descending upon the flat prairies. His hands felt so cold to the point at which he'd wondered how he'd survive the Alberta winter to come.
The wood under him seemed to creak as he stepped along, walking towards the steps that led down onto the street. He glanced down at the envelops in his hands, flipping through them to ensure he had all three and they were addressed correctly; one for his parents, one for Edward, and one for Georgina. As he walked down the footpath towards the postoffice he felt his mind race far and wide. He was excited to start working, but at the same time terribly weary of what was to come.
"Hello there." Henry flinched as he heard a familiar voice beckon him out of deep thought, paired with the sound of a horse trotting gently towards him from behind. His deep sapphire eyes shot upward to see a familiar blond haired man in a red uniform with his fitted brown trousers, boots, and a rimmed brown mountie hat; sitting regally on his thoroughbred steed.
"Hello." Henry said softly, his alabaster skin flushing red though he wasn't quite sure if it was from the cold October air or the the fact that he still found himself flustered every time Thomas was near.
"Cold out, eh?" Thomas furrowed his brows as he flashed Henry his heart melting dimples; dismounting of his horse with ease and standing before the dark haired young Doctor with his first resting on his narrow waist and his shoulders broad. "Winter's just around the corner, we can expect snow any day now." He stated matter of factly, glancing down to see the letters in Henry's dainty pale hands. "Where are you heading?"
"Oh erm, just thought I'd pop round the post office to post these before the surgery opens." Henry said casually lifting the letters in his hand with an awkward chuckle.
"Well I was going that way anyway, I could walk you there." Thomas offered genuinely as Henry glanced up to read his face.
"You wouldn't mind awfully, would you? I'd normally hate to inconvenience you but it always helps." Henry mumbled sheepishly, practically shaking like an autumn leaf on the inside though he didn't know why. Thomas was simply being friendly and neighbourly, yet here Henry couldn't help but find himself utterly smitten by the handsome uniformed man.
"Of course I wouldn't mind." Thomas cracked a soft smile. "It's my duty to make sure Fir Creek's newest resident is given a proper Fir Creek welcome."
They strolled leisurely down the pavement in silence; Henry nervously clutching onto the letters in his hand as Thomas anxiously wrung the leather horse reins in his hands. But though there was this awkward silence, there was a strange inexplicable comfort they felt with each other; as though there was a connection that transcended the need for small talk.
Henry leant forward looking past Thomas and to his gorgeous brown horse, Trooper; a proud tall thoroughbred with as a smile crept across his pouty lips. Growing up he'd always been around horses, he'd go horse-riding about the estate with Georgina, or Edward, and sometimes Papa if he wasn't busy.
"He's beautiful." Henry admitted with a beam over his face; he'd always adored horses.
"Trooper?" Thomas cocked a brow at Henry, glancing over his shoulder to his trusty steed and back to the handsome young Doctor. "You can pet him if you'd like."
"Really?" Henry's sapphire blue eyes brightened visibly as Thomas felt this strange feeling of warmth permeate over his body, doing battle against the crisp autumn chill in the air. For a second Thomas could see past Henry's defences, his cold stiff English upper lip that he always kept erected like the emotional walls of an aristocratic English fortress; for a moment just then, he saw a childlike excitement in the raven haired lad's deep sea blue eyes.
"Y-yeah um... sure thing. Just approach him slowly, he's not too fond of strang-" Thomas chuckled nervously, suddenly realising he'd likely made a mistake in letting Henry pet Trooper, who was known to be temperamental to anyone other than Thomas.
But just as he was about to warn Henry of Trooper's temperamental nature he trailed off mid sentence, observing a calm and confident Henry as he expertly approached the horse slowly and at angle from the left. And much to Thomas' intrigue Trooper didn't seem taken aback by him as he usually did when others tried to touch him; if anything he seemed to neigh contently as the raven haired young man raises his hand up and gently stroke Trooper's deep brown coat.
"He... likes you..." Thomas raised his brows in a mix of relief and surprise.
"You need not sound so surprised." Henry cocked his head to the side, giving Thomas a cheeky half-smile as he continued petting Trooper on the head whilst he neighed softly and rubbed his head against Henry's hand.
"No I didn't mean it like that." Defended Thomas profusely. "It's just, he's not always good with strangers. It took him a while to warm up to Danny. But I'm glad he seems to be comfortable with you." Henry glanced up at him as he saw this strange soft genuineness in the handsome Constable's inviting brown eyes; it almost seemed like he cared that Trooper liked Henry, though Henry chose not to make a thing of it. "You seem comfortable with him too, did you grow up around horses?"
"Oh yes! My family simply adore horse." A smile blossomed across Henry's face as he gave Trooper one final pet before they continued on their way. "I used to go riding around the estate with my brother, Edward, and sometimes I'd sneak into the stables behind the Manor just to spend extra time with the horses. Of course Papa and the rest of the men of my family rather enjoy the hunt, but I've always found it barbaric."
"Hunt...ing?" Thomas furrowed his brow, shooting Henry a look that bordered on perplexed. "The Manor?"
"Oh erm yes. You see my dear Papa was a common tenant farmer for His Grace the Duke of Hertford; so our parcel of land was right behind the Manor where His Grace lived with his family." Henry hastily recovered, forcing a smile as he regurgitated his priorly rehearsed 'life story'. "He toiled, but regardless I'm afraid we were terribly skint as us common folk tend to be... We often had no food so Papa had to hunt for it so we wouldn't die of starvation. Just the plight of us common people, you know."
Henry chuckled awkwardly to hide his discomfort as he glanced up to see Thomas staring at him blankly with slightly narrowed eyes. Thomas simply pursed his lips and without so much as saying a word, nodded. Thus giving Henry the illusion that he'd bought his little story as they continued down the unpaved road ahead; the gravel beneath their boots crunching under their soles as they treaded along.
"Can I be honest about something?" Thomas asked with a cheeky smile creeping over his perfectly chiselled face. "I wasn't actually going in this direction."
"I figured as much considering you were coming from this direction." Henry flashed the handsome blond a knowing look. "I could've walked there myself. I hate to have distracted you from crime fighting."
"Crime fighting?" Thomas teased subtly, gesturing around at the nearly streets of Fir Creek. "Not much crime in these parts. You'll find Fir Creek to be a safe little town, with good people."
"Well thank heavens for that." Henry breathed out an exaggerated sigh of relief.
"And, here we are. The Fir Creek Post Office." Thomas stopped in his tracks gesturing over towards the building behind Henry.
The raven haired man glanced towards where the Constable was pointing to see a sturdy brick edifice with a small red postbox next to the entrance; that looked nearly identical to the ones back home barring the embossed letters reading "Royal Mail Canada" and a coat of arms on the front. Henry walked up to the postbox and opened the flap, slipping his three letters trough the slit; he couldn't help but feel this strange sense of nostalgia mixed with a muddled sensation of melancholy.
"You mentioned a telegram? Do you still need to send one?" Thomas interjected as he watched the boy slip the letter into the postbox and stalk back up to him like a lost child clinging to his father in a crowded unfamiliar place.
"Or, erm. Yes. I nearly forgot about that, thank you." Henry blinked rapidly remembering that he needed to send a telegram home
"Well, I'll leave you to it then. Enjoy the rest of your day." Thomas tipped his hat cordially to the pretty raven haired lad as he stepped his brown leather boot onto the stirrup and effortlessly mounted onto the saddle.
"Thank you." Henry flashed him a smile as he looked up at the handsome young Mountie on horseback; his eyes wincing from the morning sun along the horizon that seemed to shine from the background of Thomas, giving him an almost surreally dashing appearance like something out of a fairy tale. Thomas smiled down at the gorgeous raven haired doctor as the the sharply dressed lad shifted his weight awkwardly between his feet. "Thank you for all your help. I mean it, truly. I should think I'd have been terribly lost here without all your help. For that I'm grateful."
"You're very welcome." Thomas reciprocated with a warm smile. "What are friends for?"
Henry felt a dull heat permeating through his chest and into his extremities; he didnt' know how to even describe the sensation he felt within him. An emotional mix of happiness to have found a friend that made him feel less alone this far from home; and partially disappointed that though he'd felt this deep bodily yearning for the handsome Constable, he'd only ever be a mere friend to him. Henry gave Thomas a nod farewell as he turned around to walk into the post office only making it a few paces before he heard Thomas call out to him once again.
"Hey! Ummm..." Thomas called out, watching as Henry craned his neck towards him with a hum of acknowledgement. "I just wanted to wish you luck today. Thomas scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "You mentioned being nervous about your first day on the job, but don't be. You're going to do great."
"T-that's awfully kind of you... Thank you..." Henry locked eyes with Thomas with a glint of pleasant surprise in his sapphire gaze; he didn't know why but just those words seemed to put the anxious burning in his nerves to rest almost instantaneously.
"My pleasure. Enjoy your day, Doctor." Thomas winked subtly; so subtly to the point where Henry wondered if he'd imagined it altogether.
"You as well, Constable." Henry replied mindlessly as the handsome man pulled on the reins and clicked his tongue to start Trooper off on his trot in the opposite direction.
Henry shook his head in disappointment, chucking to himself at his own naïveté as he strolled leisurely towards the post office to send a telegram to his family. He knew better than to mistake Thomas' friendliness and kindness as any sort of 'interest', but a part of him couldn't help but entertain the idea if only in his daydreams. But at the same time what terrified him most about it all was how different he was whenever interacting with the devastatingly handsome Constable. Henry Aldringham who normally was ever the suave, attractive, confident young man; but for whatever reason that yet remained a mystery to him, every time Thomas spoke to him or was near him he felt himself turning into the blithering village idiot.
Henry managed to send a telegram back home with the help of Mr Graeme who was the town's postman; he was a kind-faced older man with a tasteful amount of greying hair and a pleasant smile that made Henry feel instantly welcome. He seemed so friendly and enthusiastic to get to know Henry which helped the young Doctor to feel less anxious about the daunting task of gaining the townspeople's trust and favour.
With his errands completed Henry made his way back to the clinic, glancing down to his gold wristwatch to see that he thankfully had time to spare. By now there were a few townspeople walking about the street, carrying on about their business and chattering amongst themselves; the autumn sun began to shine as Henry felt a smile creep across his face. He'd locked eyes with a few of the people who very clearly seemed to notice the handsome dark haired stranger whom they didn't recognise.
Henry simply nodded and flashed tight lipped smiles at each of them; he wasn't terribly accustomed to the concept of interacting with strangers, nonetheless he figured he might have to break that habit whilst here in Fir Creek. Though Henry was often confident when the need presented itself, he couldn't help but feel terribly uncomfortable being the centre of attention; like a West End actor taking centre-stage. But contrary to a paid actor Henry's spotlight was quite unsolicited.
The wretched Henry couldn't possibly have been more relieved as he stepped up onto the front porch and rushed up to the front entrance of the clinic; fumbling with the skeleton key in his hand to get the door open, only to realise that much to his surprise, it had already been unlocked.
Creaking the door open Henry glanced around perplexedly, swearing to himself that he'd locked the door prior to leaving earlier that morning. His sapphire blue eyes darting about as he wondered if someone else was inside; it was only half past seven and the only person he'd been expecting was to be in around eight. His heart began to beat through his chest as he heard some light shuffling from just around the corner in the office as Henry became all too aware that he indeed wasn't alone. He turned the corner slowly and flinched visibly as he found himself face to face with a young lady around Henry's age in a baby blue coloured frock and neatly plaited auburn hair and a pleasant, pretty face.
"Ah! You must be Mary?" Henry recovered from his initial surprise with a charming smile; his eyes brightening as he realised just whom this young lady was. "I'm Dr Dunmurry, how d'you do?" He nodded professionally extending a hand out to the clearly blushing girl.
"O-oh um... H-hi." The girl stammered, her eyes sheepishly lowered to the dark wood flooring beneath her heels; Henry had that way with people, one of his suave smiles and a mere look from his mysterious deep blue eyes and anyone was butter in his hands. "Y-yes I'm Mary. It's nice to meet you too." She said hastily as she shook hands with the handsome dark haired man; clearly smitten by his physical attractiveness as well as his charisma.
"Right, well. Perhaps we ought to get acquainted as we'll be working together; shall I put the kettle on? We could have some tea and discuss the clinic." Henry offered; he'd heard of people 'putting the kettle' on but if he were being honest, the ever-well-born Lord Henry Aldringham hadn't ever touched a kettle in his life, let alone put one on a stove. A part of him was wondering if he'd ever actually seen a kettle before.
"N-no Doctor. I-I can do it. I-i should do it. I'm the secretary." Mary figuratively shook the glazed over look off of her bright green eyes.
"Oh well, if you insist." Nodded Henry cordially, internalising a sigh of relief as he watched the auburn haired girl the girl had scurried off to the kitchens to make two cups of tea leaving Henry utterly puzzled with the whole ordeal.To be quite honest Henry hadn't ever even made his own cup of tea, which was quite peculiar seeing as he practically lived off of it. To Henry Aldringham making a cup of tea involved ringing a bell, waiting for the butler to come, asking him to fetch him some tea and waiting patiently for it to arrive; but for 'Henry Dunmurry' it was a different ordeal.
It wasn't long before Mary returned with two mugs of hot, strong builder's tea on a china platter as Henry graciously directed her towards the library so that they might get better acquainted; and much to Henry's delight the sheepish young woman soon enough had warmed up to him, giving him a thorough run through of everything he needed to know.
After they finished their tea Henry went off into his office; it was rather quaint with a simple oaken bureau, a bookcase with any sort of medical references he'd required, and an organised and categorised 'dispensary' or wardrobe, rather, stocked with a plethora of medicines and tinctures that he could foresee himself needing to use. He slipped on his white coat and sunk down into the leather chair, letting out a content sigh as he interlaced his fingers and rested his forearms onto the clean wooden surface of the desk. And he waited...
He waited for what felt like a small eternity for someone to come and though everyone warned him that this would be the case, Henry didn't really access just how accurate their warnings would be. In a town as small as Fir Creek where only a few hundred people live, there simply weren't many people coming into the clinic for routine checkup for even emergencies; worlds away from what Henry was used to at the Kensington Infirmary.
"Dr Dunmurry," Henry's gaze shot up towards the doorway, hearing Mary's voice beckon him. "There's a patient here to see you he says he's been feeling ill since last night." Mary explained.
"I see..." Henry hummed to himself, nodding as he rested his finger on his lips as he shut the medical encyclopaedia he'd taken to reading whilst waiting for patients to come; it helped him stay current whilst keeping him from going absolutely mad. "Go on and send him in and I'll have a look."
"But... There's... a bit... of a.... prob-" Mary glanced nervously towards the waiting area before turning back to face a very confused looking Henry.
"I don't want a new doctor, I wish to see Dr Davis! I'll only see Dr Davis!" Mary was cut off by the sound of an angry man's raspy voice coming from a distance; a distinct Donegal accent catching Henry's attention.
"Eugene, please be reasonable!" A meeker woman's voice with a similar accent pleaded in vain as the man let out guttural wet coughs.
"Ah. I see." Henry cracked a smile, earning him a weary look from Mary. "Not to worry, I shall handle this." Henry said confidently as he stood up, straighten out his cuffs and marched cooly towards the waiting area to see an older couple around fifty years of age.
"Hello, what seems to be the problem?" Henry asked politely, glancing between a frustrated looking older woman and the very disgruntled looking wisened man.
"Who's the wee limey?" The man muttered irritatedly as he glared Henry up and down, earning him a stern shush from his wife.
"Seamus, please." The older woman pleaded under her breath.
"Ah yes, terribly sorry. I am Dr Dunmurry. I'm the new general practitioner here in Fir Creek. How d'you do?" Henry introduced himself, shaking hands with both the man and his wife. "Now Mr...?" Henry trailed off, glancing towards Mary for assistance.
"O'Donnell" Mrs O'Donnell cut in with a welcoming beam. "Dunmurray, you say? Are you Irish?"
"My Grandpapa on my Mama's side is." Henry explained with a smile, noting the shift in demeanour in the older couple. And it wasn't a lie, Henry's Mama was the daughter of the Anglo-Irish Duke of Ulster and a Princess Royal. And though by title they were 'Irish' the family were as English as sticky toffee pudding and queuing.
"Anyway enough about me." Said Henry dismissively as he turned the focus back to the older man. "Mr O'Donnell. What's this I hear about you feeling ill?" Henry asked, flashing the man his signature smile before frowning at the sound of the man coughing profusely once again. "That's quite the cough you've got there, Mr O'Donnell. I'm sure it's jolly dreadful..."
"Aye, that it is." The man admitted, his priorly icy cold, slate grey eyes melting ever so slightly as he seemed to warm up to Henry.
"If you'd like, Mr O'Donnell, Perhaps I might take a look?" Asked Henry gently; his voice kind and understanding, terribly careful not to seem condescending. A smile blossomed across the dark haired man's handsome face as he watched the man nod wearily; it wasn't the first time he'd dealt with a patient who was hostile, this was part of his training and clearly it'd come in handy. He'd successfully won over one weary Fir Creek resident and soon enough he hoped to win over more.