"Holy shit, sir are you okay?" Asked a brunette rushing towards Tom where he lay on the ground in an alley. He'd just created a new Horcrux and his magic had burst causing him to apparate and somehow he'd ended up here, "Can I take you to the hospital?"
And she was a muggle. great.
"No, no hospital, I'm fine," He said, as he tried to stand up but there was searing pain in his chest. and his side on which he had landed hurt,
"Did you take something?" She asked, as she helped him up,
"No, I didn't," Said Tom and she put his arm around her shoulders, he was sweating, and so she sighed,
"Because I haven't heard that before," She said, "I won't take you to the hospital,"
"Thank you," Said Tom, and she nodded,
"Do you live close?" Asked the girl,
"No," Said Tom,
"Well, I do, you are a junky not a serial killer-"
"I am not a junky," Said Tom,
"First of all, not shameful you just need the proper help, and second Okay, be short with the person who wants to help you, you do that, I was going to take you back to mine and make sure you don't die or get picked up by police," Said the woman, and Tom was so weak that he had to lean on her, "What's your name?"
"Tom," He said,
"Well, Tom, I'm Lorelai and I am a nurse," She said, "Convenient for you,"
"Do you live close?" Asked Tom,
"Oh, is someone not fine anymore?" She taunted,
"How are you a nurse?" He groaned,
"Fundamental desire to help others," She said,
"And give them a hard time about it?" Asked Tom,
"You're the one giving me a hard time for trying to help you," Said Lorelai, and he continued to lean on her as she essentially carried him down the street and to an apartment building,
"So stairs are a thing." She said, "I believe in Karma, so I won't topple over,"
"Karma?"
"What do you have a better way to live your life?" She asked as they began moving very slowly up the stairs,
"Karma is bullshit," Groaned Tom as they reached the first landing,
"What you put into the universe you get back," She said,
"Religion is bullshit," He said,
"You are looking for danger aren't you, we are in England, Sweetheart, you may as well yell fire in a theater," Said Lorelai as Tom furrowed his eyebrows as he tried not to sway, the feeling of weakness washing over him, "Come on, two more flights,"
"I know," Said Tom,
"I'm talking to myself, tall guy, I'm the one doing the heavy lifting," Said Lorelai, as they finally reached the final landing, and she got the key out of her pocket, and unlocked her door, "Come on, the couch is right there,"
Tom lay down on the blue couch and she locked the door behind them,
"There is a stick in your pocket, right?" She asked, as she poured him a glass of water,
"Yes," He said,
"Thank you for not being a pervert," She said, as she then picked up a bucket from under her sink, "For the vomit. I don't have any orange juice but I could ask the neighbours,"
"You don't have to," Said Tom as he accepted the water from her, "I won't vomit,"
"Okay. Then it's there for the leaky pipes in the ceiling," Said Lorelai, as she stood in front of him, "Do you have a headache?"
"Yes," He said,
"Have you been drinking?" Asked Lorelai as her hands travelled over his arms and his legs, he looked at her with his eyebrows raised, "If I ask if you are hurt, you will lie."
"I haven't been drinking." Said Tom as her arms were on his torso, and he flinched when she touched the side of his torso,
"Take your shirt off." She said, "If it's internal bleeding you would need more help than only I could give you,"
"Fine." Said Tom as she helped him sit up and he undid his shirt, she pulled it off his shoulders, and Tom saw the bruise he almost winced at it,
"You are such a baby, that's not even internal bleeding, It'll just turn a funky colour," She said, and then she left him and went to her fridge, pulling out frozen peas,
"I didn't even fli-"
"But you wanted to," Said Lorelai, pressing the peas to his bruise, then she looked at his forearms,
"I don't do drugs," He said,
"You are old enough to have been a soldier," She said, "I wouldn't blame you, bad stuff happened during the war. So are you ready to tell me what happened in that alleyway?"
"Nothing happened," Said Tom and she nodded, rolling her eyes,
"Ah yes, because when nothing happens to me I wake up in an alleyway with a pretty gnarly bruise," Said Lorelai, "Also you are so weak right now that you can barely walk, have you been eating?"
"Not as much as I should be," Said Tom, "Maybe that's why I fainted,"
"That doesn't explain the red eyes," Said Lorelai, "But it might be a part of it, I'll get you food,"
"You don't have to,"
"Karma, sweetheart, it'll all come back to me," She said, as she tried to figure out what to feed him, "I don't eat much here myself, no time you know, twelve hour shifts and shit, I mean that literally sometimes I have to change bedpans. Gross right?" Lorelai opened the cabinet and looked for food, "I have biscuits,"
"Excellent," Said Tom sarcastically,
"My cooking may have been what retroactively caused the plague," Said Lorelai, "Did I use that word right?" She handed him a biscuit, "Because the meaning behind it is that my cooking is so back that it reverberated through the space time continuum and poisoned the fleas who poisoned the rats who poisoned the people,"
"I'm not sure that's how it works," Said Tom and she pulled the cookie out of his hand, "Hey,"
"I am the one with medical training, okay? Don't give me a hard time about science," She said,
"Sorry," Said Tom, and she gave him the cookie back,
"Good, although a lot of my job is dealing with assholes." She said,
"What kind?" He asked, and she laughed, clapping her hands together,
"I like that," She said, "All of the above if you must know,"
"Disgusting, why are you even a nurse?" Asked Tom, pressing the bag of peas into his side,
"Helping people, sense of fulfillment, going from getting hit on by soldier boys to doctors really working on my tolerance, and if I see someone hurt on the street like I don't know you, I can help them," Said Lorelai,
"You went to war?" He asked,
"Yeah, big tour of Europe," Said Lorelai, reaching to the table behind him, and she came back with a photo, "See, here are my brother and I giving the finger to a swastika flag,"
"You had the uniform and everything," Said Tom, looking at the photo,
"Oh yeah," Said Lorelai, "Tights and all, my uniform now is a little more tolerable. More pockets."
"Pockets?" Asked Tom,
"For carrying stuff you are familiar with pockets aren't you or did you hit your head harder than I thought?" Asked Lorelai, and he rolled his eyes as she set down the photo, "Tom you're sweating, you literally having the sweats, did you take something?"
"No, I didn't." He said,
"Can I take you to the hospital?" Asked Lorelai, "If you didn't take anything you might be sick,"
"I'm fine," Said Tom and she bit her lip for a moment,
"Do you have a history of strokes or that thing that prince Alexei of Russia had, uhm Hemophelia," She asked,
"Why is this important?" Asked Tom,
"I'm going to get you an aspirin, and I don't want to risk anything," Said Lorelai, as she got up and walked into her washroom,
"I'm not having a stroke," Said Tom,
"I realize I was just wondering," Said Lorelai, as she reemerged with a bottle of aspirin, she opened it and handed him one before closing it,
"Why did you take a stranger to your flat? That is very irresponsible," Said Tom,
"Would you prefer I have left you in that alley?" She asked,
"Well no,"
"You don't pose a threat to me physically in the state that you're in," She said, "It was the right thing to do. But unfortunately you do have to leave at at least ten because yours truly has taken Val's night shift. Again. And I am not comfortable leaving a stranger in my flat."
"I respect that," Said Tom he felt so tired and so comfortable, "Why take a shift that isn't yours?"
"Helping out a friend, money, fantasy patient, it's like fantasy football in America but it's the personal lives of our patients. Carry is winning because the young man visiting an elderly patient wasn't her grandson," Lorelai arched her eyebrows suggestively,
"Gross," Said Tom, who was too tired for his own prejudices,
"Yeah but I think I have a couple on the line of discovering that the woman had an affair," Said Lorelai,
"Is that ethical?" Asked Tom,
"With what nurses have to deal with?" She asked, "Bet your job isn't looking so bad right now,"
"Collecting and selling rare artifacts is still customer service," Said Tom,
"Customer service is the worst," Said Lorelai, "Rare artifacts. Like what?"
"Anything old, and of historical value," Said Tom,
"How delightfully vague." Said Lorelai, "So like tiaras? Or jewelry, or cups. or oh how about swords,"
"Sometimes," Said Tom,
"You should have so said that you sell swords, so cool," Said Lorelai, "Tell me more,"
"Well some objects have deep histories," Said Tom as he felt as he had the first time he had made a Horcrux. Absolutely awful, but the talking was helpful, eased the pain of his torn soul trying to find it's other half,
"Like archaeology?" Asked Lorelai,
"Sort of, only I rarely have to deal with dirt," He said,
"That's good although it might give you some character," Said Lorelai,
"I have plenty of character," Said Tom, and she hummed noncommitally, "What?"
"I don't know, Oxford shirt, slacks, perfect hair, clean cut appearance, I honestly can't tell if you are a model citizen who took a wrong turn or a serial killer whose guilt crushed him," Said Lorelai,
"And yet you helped me," Said Tom,
"I can take you down physically," Said Lorelai,
"You could not," Said Tom, exhausted and his vision blurring,
"Tom, you are literally falling asleep right now, and I know weak points in the human body," Said Lorelai, "I need you to stay awake though,"
"But I'm tired," Said Tom, and then her hand was on his face and it felt good, really good it warmed him, but as quickly as it was set on his face it was removed,
"You're cold," She said, "Really cold,"
"You took my shirt," He said, and she huffed, and got a throw blanket from the bedroom,
"Here, keep the peas though, you need to stop the bruising so you know you can actually prevent a lot of pain," Said Lorelai, she threw the blanket over him, she did a terrible job,
"Excellent nursing skills," He mumbled,
"They didn't covering blanket throwing at school, wasn't a top priority." Said Lorelai sarcastically, as he used his free hand to pull the blanket up,
"You are too trusting." Said Tom,
"You are the one who was taken to a secondary location by a stranger," Said Lorelai,
"Good Samaritan, you reek of good intentions,"
"I think that was a compliment." Said Lorelai, "It doesn't matter. I'll take it as one,"
"Karma isn't real," He said,
"You can believe what you want and I will believe what I want to." Said Lorelai, "I am going to get you orange juice. You are too pale, and orange juice is the best I can do,"
"You don't have to," Said Tom, trying to get up but his vision darkened and there was a sharp pain in his side, then her hand was on his shoulder and her touch warmed him, it was strange, he felt it deep in his chest and it moved to the surface of his skin, then her touch was gone,
"Don't steal my stuff," Said Lorelai,
She was gone for five minutes Tom took the liberty of looking at the photos on her end table, and then she was back, with a glass of orange juice, she shut the door,
"Drink this," She said, "I am watering Mrs Rhosyn's plants for a week."
Tom accepted the orange juice and drank it,
"Who are they?" Asked Tom, nodding to a picture on the table beside the couch,
"My niece and nephew," Said Lorelai, "We're close. Do you have any family, anyone I can call to come and get you?"
"No one in the city," Said Tom,
"Friends?" She asked,
"I got pulled out of an alley unconscious," Said Tom,
"Hmm you could lie." Said Lorelai, "Or do you want me to take you home? I don't have a car but I do have strength of character,"
"I can see that," Said Tom,
"You could say you got drunk if your friends come and get you," Said Lorelai,
Tom thought about how much his reputation would suffer if any of them saw him like this. He didn't have the energy to apparate, so what would he do,
"Cabs," She said, "We can split a cab, I get to make sure you don't collapse, and you get to see me in my nurse's uniform,"
"I look forward to it,"
--
"So this is your place," Said Lorelai as she helped him get to his bed, "I honestly don't know what I was expecting."
Tom's flat was not decorated, but it was neat. Only piles of research notes,
"What was your best theory?" Asked Tom as she opened the door to his bathroom, cursed herself and then course corrected,
"I don't know, the most interesting one had to be some form of castle interior, and I did think I would find at least one rare artifact." Said Lorelai as she opened the door to his bedroom, and helped him into bed,
"There is a locket in the living room, with a snake on it," Said Tom, and her eyes lit up,
"Cool," Lorelai said, "I'm going to get you water because hydrate or diedrate is a very real thing,"
Tom waited for her to come back, it was like he could feel her presence in the next room over. It was a strange sensation,
"Can I touch the Locket?" She asked, "I mean it's on the floor but I don't really understand artifact storage but I have to assume,"
"Just put it on a table or something," Said Tom,
"It's beautiful," She called, he heard the locket be placed delicately on the table, then she was back in the room, she put the glass of water next to him, "So, hope to never see you semiconscious in an alley again,"
"Hope to never be semiconscious in an alley again," Said Tom, and she smiled,
"It was oddly pleasant meeting you, Tom, I'm going to leave my number in case you literally might die," Said Lorelai,
"I'll be fine, Lorelai." Said Tom,
"Oh, a bucket for the vomit," Said Lorelai, and he caught her wrist, and the same warm sensation flooded him,
"I won't vomit, and I don't have leaky ceilings," Said Tom, running his thumb over her wrist,
"Fine, but if you ruin your flooring don't blame me," Said Lorelai, who barely registered the touch to her wrist, she was sleep deprived, and tired from lugging Tom across the city,
"I won't." Said Tom,
"I need to go, feel better Tom," Said Lorelai, pulling her hand away, Tom found himself of a very awkward feeling of wanting to demand that she stay, when she backed away his soul gave a lurch towards her,
"Thank you," Said Tom,
"Well I have been told that I reek of good intentions," Said Lorelai, smiling as she set the piece of paper with her number on the table,
"What is that?" He asked tiredly,
"A mix of Chanel number one, and vanilla, I would guess," Said Lorelai, and he found a smile tug at his lips, "So, goodbye, Tom, wish me luck dealing with the jackass head doctor,"
"Good luck,"
"Thanks,"
She nodded before she left, and he heard the door shut behind her. Tom honestly did not understand why he met her. But he did know that he wanted to see her again.
--
"Could I have a cup of coffee please? As much caffeine in there as possible," Said a familiar voice, Tom looked over his shoulder away from his book to see Lorelai at the counter,
"Of course, for here or to go?" Asked the server,
"For here," Said Lorelai, "Force me to sit down for more than five minutes,"
"What do have coming up today, Lorelai?" Asked the server,
"Long ass shift and then my brother needs me to babysit his kids. He's lucky I love those little shits," Said Lorelai, "Do you think I could just inject caffeine directly into my veins?"
"Is your brother Fred still with what's her face?" Asked the man making Lorelai's coffee,
"Oh, no," Said Lorelai, "I would tell you more but then you would think I were living in a soap opera,"
"There is a line," Said a woman behind Lorelai,
"Miss, this woman has spent more on coffee than she does on her rent probably, she keeps this shop afloat." Said the server as he handed her a cup of coffee and she handed him money,
"You make me sound so irresponsible, Frank," Said Lorelai, "It's all budgeted in,"
"Right, okay, now get out of the way so I can serve the next person," Said Frank and Lorelai rolled her eyes and walked away,
"Tom?" She asked, as she sat down across from him, "So you really are just that pale,"
"It's good to see you too," Said Tom sarcastically, and she rolled her eyes,
"You feel better?" Asked Lorelai,
"Much."
"How have you been?" She asked, and Tom shrugged,
"Fine."
"How many monosyllabic answers can you give?" Asked Lorelai,
"Three,"
His insides felt strange when he heard her laugh. Whenever he split his soul he would feel a tremendous loss, but around her, the pain seemed to ease.
"Glad to see you still have your wits about you," Said Lorelai, "What are you reading?"
"A book for work," Said Tom,
"Oh?" She said, as he put the book away, because if she saw the title he may actually get arrested, "What's the object now?"
"A lost diadem," Said Tom, and her eyes lit up, they did that a lot,
"Like a tiara or something?" She asked,
"Yes," Said Tom,
"Where is it? Or it's lost so where do you think it is?" Asked Lorelai, drinking her coffee and looking at him expectantly,
"Albania," Said Tom, "There is a story about it that would put it somewhere around there,"
"What story?" asked Lorelai, Tom thought for a moment about how much of the actual story he could tell her, but in the interest of keeping her around he went with some minor edits,
"There was a monarch and she had a daughter. The monarch was so intelligent, but her daughter in comparison to her was merely average. She had a crown which was said to induce intelligence, so the daughter stole it and fled to Albania, but she was followed by a man who loved her,"
"Intrigue,"
"When he found her and she didn't reciprocate his feelings, he killed her, and seeing what he'd done he killed himself," Said Tom, "And the diadem hasn't been seen since,"
"Holy shit, how is that not a movie?" She asked, her coffee almost finished,
"How did you," He said looking over the top,
"I work fast, so how are you going to find it?" She asked,
"Begin at one end of the forest and look until I reach the other," Said Tom, and she looked floored,
"That's some perseverance right there," Said Lorelai, "Is it really that important?"
"It's a piece of history, or of legend I suppose," Said Tom and she nodded,
"A piece of legend would totally be the name of the movie," Said Lorelai, "No that's too tacky, maybe just the lost diadem,"
"You speak quickly," Said Tom,
"It's the coffee," Said Lorelai, "So are you seriously going to go into Albania, into a forest and just look for a diadem that no one else has been able to find for, decades? Centuries? what are we working with?"
"Centuries," Said Tom, a smile tugging at his lips, at what her reaction would be,
"Centuries? Are you shitting me?" She asked, "And you think you can find it?"
"I have been known to be quite resourceful," Said Tom,
"Do you have a strategy?" Asked Lorelai,
"Starting at one end and finishing at the other, not clear enough for you?" Asked Tom, and she smiled, shaking her head,
"You'll waste your life," Said Lorelai, "Where was the daughter coming from anyways?"
"Scotland." Said Tom,
"That's quite a trek," Said Lorelai, "Did she take a boat?"
"I suppose," Said Tom,
"I am dreadful at finding things," Said Lorelai, "I wish you the best of luck though,"
"The number you gave me," Began Tom, "Is it your home phone or your work phone?"
She looked a little shocked but smiled nonetheless, "It's actually a hotline for cheese enthusiasts," She said, "Of course it's my home number."
Tom rolled his eyes, "How are you?" He asked feeling they'd spent sufficient time on him,
"I'm good, though a window in my flat is broken, making it cold as balls, and when it rains uninhabitable, I'm staying with my brother for now," Said Lorelai,
"I'm sorry to hear that," Said Tom,
"You live and you learn that birds don't always see windows," Said Lorelai, "The bird of course is fine though don't worry. Friend of mine is a veterinarian,"
"Yes, because I was worried about the bird," Said Tom sarcastically,
"I can see that about you, very caring soul," She said, mimicking his tone, "Capricorn?"
"Do you seriously partake in horoscopes? I thought higher of you. And yes. Capricorn." Said Tom, who only knew his sign from divination,
"Well sue me if I try to learn about what my patients were into so they don't feel alone in the horrible place that is the hospital," Said Lorelai, "I was right though? Total shot in the dark too, I'm a little proud of myself now,"
"Impressive," Said Tom,
"Thank you for the validation," Said Lorelai, as she checked her watch, and sighed "Unfortunately our time is being cut short,"
"Oh?"
"Yeah, I must head back into the Hospital and you know, make a living," Said Lorelai, "Do you know anything about Macbeth? Like the play all I know is to be or not to be and that Macbeth got sneak attacked by an army pretending to be trees."
"So you know the important bits then," Said Tom, and she nodded smiling and then as she stood up, he spoke again, "I'll tell you more about it some other time,"
"Yeah, some other time," Said Lorelai, "Bye,"
"Goodbye," He said, and she walked away,
--
It was ten pm two nights later, and Tom heard a knock at his door, he was going to pretend not to hear it but then-
"Tom?" Said Lorelai, and he looked up from his research and walked to the door,
"Lorelai?" He responded as he opened the door to see her, with two kids they had to be her niece and nephew, Tom took note of their faces, the younger girl was being carried and had her head buried in the crook of Lorelai's neck seemingly asleep, and the boy clung to her hand, then he saw her face and immediately concern washed over him, it was unfamiliar,
"I'm really sorry to ask this of you, we've met like three times, but you live closest to my brother and have no roommates and I know it's irresponsible but I trust you. It's not safe in my brother's flat right now. Can we please spend the night here?" She asked, and he stepped aside to allow them into the flat, "Thank you so much,"
"Consider it your karma," He said, shutting the door behind them and looking at her only to see he had made her smile,
"Can I go to sleep now?" Asked the boy,
"Go on over to the couch," Said Lorelai softly, and he released her hand and lay down, she set the small girl down on the other side, she was already asleep,
"I have an extra blanket," Said Tom, he wouldn't ordinarily help someone but he owed her, he might have wound up in some hospital, or Saint Mungo's, but instead he healed rather quickly and met a rather remarkable person,
"Thank you," Said Lorelai, as he left the room,
"Auntie Lora? Why was daddy acting like that?" Asked the boy, and Tom paused,
"Your daddy is a brave man who fought in the second world war, against the evil army," Said Lorelai, "But he got hurt. So when he came back the doctor's gave him medication for the pain, but they gave him bad medication. He is sick, but he will get better,"
"You went to war didn't you?" Asked the boy in a tired voice,
"I did." Said Lorelai, "I was a nurse, and that's why I know your father will get better,"
"I want to be a superhero one day so I can help daddy," Said the boy, and Tom walked back into the room holding a blanket, handing it to Lorelai,
She did a much better job making it go over both children this time,
"Even superheroes need their sleep," She said,
"Goodnight," Sighed the boy,
"Goodnight," She said, and then as his eyes closed, she turned and gave Tom a hug. A really big tight hug, "Thank you."
The usual warmth flooded Tom, like his soul was complete again, as he hugged her back before letting her go,
"You can sleep in my bed," He said, "It's big enough for two,"
She was too tired to argue and she followed him into his bedroom, he shut the door behind them, Lorelai took off her shoes and jacket,
"What happened?" Asked Tom, as he sat down on the bed, getting under the covers, he lifted them as though to signal for her to join him, and she slid into bed next to him,
"My brother, had a relapse, and he took something he shouldn't have, and it wasn't safe for the kids in his flat," Said Lorelai, "Our mum is taking care of him there,"
"Why not take him to a hospital?" Asked Tom,
"They'll take the kids." Said Lorelai, looking down, "Bet I'm making your family seem like a dream,"
"Lorelai, my mother drugged my father, conceived me and then died in labour I am in no place to judge your family," Said Tom, looking at the young nurse, and she took his hand and squeezed it.
"I'm sorry but all I can focus on right now is that there is a ridiculously fancy cup on the nightstand with a badger on it," She said, and if the skin to skin contact weren't enough to make him smile, he was smiling now, "Of all the animals in the world, I mean sure honey badgers are vicious and all but-"
"Vicious?" Asked Tom, "A honey badger?"
"Did I stutter? Also which one of us works in the ER sometimes when we are understaffed?" She asked, "I've seen some things,"
"What's the strangest thing you've seen?" He asked as she released his hand but got comfortable, facing him, she didn't look out of place, like she was always meant to be in his bed, he got comfortable next to her,
It was a strange sort of intimacy. Probably the greatest amount of intimacy Tom had ever experienced. With someone he'd met about three weeks ago.
"I don't know," said Lorelai, "Maybe this one guy collapsed in an alley refusing to tell me how he got there,"
"That happened twice?" Said Tom as though shocked and he was rewarded with soft laughter, "I thought I was special,"
"You are special," she said, her eyes heavy, "To me at least,"
Then she was asleep. Tom touched her face delicately, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, the warmth growing in his chest at the contact, at her presence,
Tom settled in next to her and closed his eyes, and breathed her in. He felt whole.
-
Tom was researching Horcruxes. Why he might have apparated, and trying to figure out if it would happen again.
His heart almost stopped when he read the next paragraph,
Wizards who have created Horcruxes have experienced sudden bursts of magic. Apparitions to the nearest and largest piece of the soul is common. However this does not necessarily mean a Horcrux. If a soul bounder is nearby, then magic will try to put the creator of the Horcrux into their soulbounder's path because in many cases, the soul bounder is the only thing, person, object, spell, or otherwise, who can ease the loss of a torn soul. For more information on soul bounders go to page 349.
Tom flipped the pages eagerly, to the section of the book he'd never read before because he thought it useless,
Soul bounders, or soulmates, are in a sense your other half. If you are lucky enough to meet yours, there are many signs that would indicate that they are your soulmate. There is no exact science to it. Conversation will flow easily, and you will want to keep it going forever. A soulmate is someone you would do anything for. You may find yourself doing them favours that you thought you'd never do for anybody.
You will be unable to stand to see the other in pain. You will help each other, and love each other. Soulmates are each other's other half and they should balance each other out.
Tom paused and stared at the book. Was Lorelai his soulmate?