#malidiafenwick

We awoke late in the morning and and after our breakfasts set to work, extending the tent and transferring our equipment from the caravan into the town hall. It was a long and arduous process and by the time we actually had a functional lab established the sun was already beginning to set once again. It was pleasant for all three of us to work together once more and i’ll admit, although out working conditions are far from satisfactory, they will most certainly make do. At about midday we stopped for a break, Elizabeth went off into the city on her own, whilst myself and Professor Fenwick remained at the tent to ensure that no one would go poking their nose where it wasn’t welcome. We sat, drank tea, and for what felt like the first time in months had a normal decent conversation. We talked fondly of our memories of Manchester, of our shared educations and even such topics as mundane as the weather. It felt normal, and i revelled in the sensation as for quite some time now my life has felt far too exciting, i long for the days of diagnosing mild afflictions like the common cold, or a sprained ankle, as opposed to attempting to cure such an infection as this. 

After our conversation it seems that Malidia is finally warming to me once more. I can understand her stand offish and cold nature towards me as of late, after all i have betrayed much of the trust i had earned during our time in university. As such to further strengthen our emotional bond i told her how it had been i that had sent for the Huntsman. She seemed un-surprised and an awful lot less angry than i had anticipated. I have no doubt that at the time if i had openly admitted to such a thing she would have flayed me, but i think now even she can see that ultimately it was the right thing to do. I can only imagine how few of us would have made it to Manchester if it hadn’t been for the hunters. 

Settling down for the night was an awful lot less comfortable than nights previous. In order to accommodate such a large amount of equipment in such a small space without drawing too much attention we had to sacrifice practically all of our living space, leaving us with a very small section of the tent almost two small for our three sleeping bags to rest side by side. I drifted into sleep rather seamlessly that night but was awoken recently by Elizabeth returning from her nightly rendezvous with her newfound lover. I tried to sleep once she settled but i couldn’t help my mind from wandering. What has become of Wigan, and what are those hunter’s doing now that the infection has spread to Liverpool? Are any of them even still alive? After all Wigan was in a terrible state when we left, perhaps now we are England’s only hope, perhaps the council of huntsman have fallen? I was somewhat shocked to find myself worrying after the Hunter General, Henshaw McGrim. For a hunter he was an awfully nice fellow, it’d be a great shame for the seemingly only normal one of them to have been killed. 

This morning was off to an awkward start. It started well enough, i awoke early, bright eyed and bushy tailed. The town hall was alive with talk for the first time since arriving, it would seem as if the Wiganers are finally beginning to warm to their makeshift accommodation. I ate breakfast with them all and went outside for a breath of fresh air, and then began the feeling of malaise. Sat alone on the stairs to the town hall was Professor Fenwick. I tried to scurry past her quickly, not yet ready for confrontation, but as i reached the bottom of the stairs she called out my name. I dreaded for the worst, perhaps Elizabeth had let slip of our plans, or perhaps she suspected me of stealing the box? But the worst i encountered was your average awkward conversation. She pointed out how we had no interacted much in the past few days, of which i agreed. An awkward silence followed soon after and once a few moments had past i quickly made my excuses and scurried off into the city centre. 

I would’ve delighted to say that the days conflicted had ended there, however that would be far from the case. I stopped in an alleyway to calm my nerves and think things through when i was approached by a strange man. He was dressed in the clothes of a beggar, bound in linen wraps and with a makeshift brown leather hood. The man seemed far too over familiar for my taste, and as i tried to make my escape he quickly blocked my exit from the alley way, enquiring as to who i was. I figured there was no sense in lying to the fellow and so told him the truth, that i was a doctor and that i was currently staying with some refugees in the town hall. Upon mentioning my occupation his demeanour changed to one of legitimate friendliness, though i could scarcely take my eyes off the spool of garrote wire hanging from his makeshift belt. He insisted he give me a tour, and we spent the day marvelling at Manchester, much like i had the day previous, and talking about our lives. How i’d left my family for a life of science, and he spoke of how he had been saved at a young age by a doctor, and of all the dodgy streets a man of my standing should avoid. 

He led me to a long cobbled street crowded with merchants of all kinds, and there i accidentally let slip to him of my work with the infection, and my attempts at making a cure. For a man just learning of the sudden emergence of the great plague he seemed awfully undaunted, and i soon found out why. He led me to a street urchin, selling newspapers. The boy addressed him as Wasp and handed me a paper free of charge, the headline read “Wigan fallen, Liverpool next?”. Apparently the first signs of the infection had begun to spring up in Liverpool as well, and there were already three casualties. I thanked Wasp and the urchin for their help and ran back to the town hall where i confronted Professor Fenwick.

I took Malidia into the alley and told her that i knew everything, about the box, about the limb and about Liverpool. She seemed surprised at first and after a lengthy argument i discovered her intentions. She clarified that she was indeed working on another antidote, but that the process was slow going and she had no wanted to involve me so that i wouldn’t get in trouble. I gladly offered my services and she accepted. I informed Elizabeth and told her that we would begin setting up a makeshift lab in our tent tomorrow and that we would begin working on the antidote as soon as possible, in the hopes of preventing the infection from spreading any further. It feels good to be on Professor Fenwick’s side once again. 

I barely slept at all last night. I tossed and turned till the sun came up, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. By the time i eventually got to sleep it was already four in the morning, and as a result i slept well into the middle of the day. Thankfully Elizabeth didn’t have the gall to awaken me and so i actually got some decent sleep. I awoke in the afternoon to a relatively peaceful scene, Malidia was off with the townsfolk, just talking. I hadn’t the time to ask them what they were all talking about, but i presumed it was of the recent bereavement and of the great amount of loss they have all suffered. I have suffered, but i can only imagine what it must’ve been like for them. 

I quickly made my way outside and within the hour caught up with Elizabeth on her way back from an ‘outing’ presumably with this new suitor of hers. We crept away to the alley by the town hall, and i told her at length about the contents of the box, she seemed just as shocked as i. She asked me all the questions i was already thinking, to which i still had no answers. I told her i’d think about what to do next, and that in the mean time she should say nothing of the sort to Malidia, after all, i’m still at a loss as to her motives. 

I then decided that in order to clear my head i would go for a walk around the city, take in all the familiar sites, foods and smells. As much as Manchester is still the city i remember it to be there is something different. The streets seem dirtier, and there are far more vagrants and urchins about, to the point at which i kept a firm hand in my pocket to prevent any would be pick-pockets and thieves. I bought a meal, ate, and returned back to my tent late at night. As i arrived back at the town hall the majority of the townsfolk had already gone to sleep, including Elizabeth and Malidia. I’m still at a loss as to what i’m supposed to do, though i feel myself innately drawn to confront Malidia about it. She may be unstable as of the time being but she is certainly not insane, she has most likely kept the limb for research purposes. But i am not yet ready to confront her, perhaps later in the week. 

I woke especially early this morning with the sole intent of stealing that wretched box away from Professor Fenwick. For the past few days now we have all been sleeping in the same tent, pitched inside the town hall for privacy’s sake. I intended to persuade Elizabeth to distract the Malidia with a ‘trip’ into Manchester in order to get her to relax, whilst i went to recover the box. Only, when i turned to look at her sleeping bag it was empty, Elizabeth had vanished. 

I quickly got out of my bedroll and crept my way outside, making sure to not wake the Professor. Moments after leaving the town hall i spied Elizabeth with a young man tucked away in a nearby alley. Of course, ever being the fool, i set forward with the intent of helping Miss Crow with the ruffian. A few paces away they had still not seen me, the young man lent in, pressing her against the wall they...well...you can imagine what they did. I stopped mid-stride, baffled for a moment i watched them, unsure of how to act. Eventually i built up my confidence and cleared my throat loudly at the pair. They quickly pulled apart and after a brief goodbye the young man scurried back into the town hall. It turns out that the young Miss Crow had in-fact gained her self a secretive suitor whilst in Wigan which had attributed to her increased day dreaming and excessive worrying. Shortly after i told Elizabeth my plan, of which she agreed. 

Professor Fenwick woke up at about ten, an incredibly late start by her usual standards, and within an instant Elizabeth swooped down on her and dragged her out to town for a ‘girl’s day out’. The professor seemed hesitant but as soon as they were far enough away from the town hall i rushed to the alleyway and retrieved the box, before returning to our tent to open it in secrecy. 

The box smelt worse than ever, and as i pried open the lid i finally learnt why. All my years of tending to injuries and disease hadn’t prepared me for this. Within the box was a child’s harm, but unlike which i had ever seen before. Small grey hair’s where burrowing their way out from the child’s skin, and what pink flesh could be made out was covered in thick black veins. Worse still, the severed hand curled it’s fingers, flexing. It was somehow still alive. I quickly closed the box, but entered a panic. If i put this back in the alley anyone could find it, and possibly become infected, or accuse the Wiganers of witchcraft. But if i kept it or returned it to the professor she would know that i knew. I decided the best course of action was to hide the box away in her sleeping bag and then leave. I spent the rest of the day wandering the streets, thinking of how to approach Malidia about this issue. When i returned Professor Fenwick was already asleep, i talked with Elizabeth and all seemed well. Apparently Malidia had shown slight confusion upon finding the box, but thought nothing of it. I told Elizabeth i would inform her of the box’s contents tomorrow which she begrudgingly agreed upon, apparently she had a date with this suitor of hers.

Finally i know what is in the box, but now i am faced with an even larger conundrum, what to do now? 

It would appear that a doctor’s work is never done. I woke up late today as a result of my sleep being plagued with thoughts and conspiracies regarding Malidia’s box, and as i roused i was greeted by a bewildered Elizabeth. Apparently a small fight had broken out amongst the citizens of Manchester and Wigan, something to do with the people of Wigan not belonging in the city and taking up too much room which could’ve been used to house the citizens of the already cramped city. Several young men had been injured on both sides of the fray and one woman had been beaten unconscious with a piece of cobble pried from the street. 

Myself and Elizabeth ran to the scene of the crime, but Professor Fenwick was nowhere to be found so we alone tended to the injured. I helped to stitch up several cuts and apply healing salves to many of the wounds, but by the time we reached the woman who had been struck with the piece of cobble it was too late, we found no pulse on her and so allowed the townsfolk to mourn her passing, such a tragedy that could easily have been avoided had we had another physician to tend to the injured.