Description
A Greater Society - Chapter 22: More Than You Know
by Ratte
Story
Morissey visited the next morning while I worked at the front desk, flipping through whatever assignments I had that day. He so far seemed pleased with my work and expedience, picking up what I finished the previous day and stowing it in a hefty folder. Occasionally he would look over to Riv who was shyly hiding behind his books and trying to stay out of sight as much as a book could offer.
His wariness around the little boy was strange to me, though I remembered well just how conflicted and cautious I had been but a few months ago. Even so, both Riv and I made significant progress being comfortable around each other, so perhaps he would be the same way if allowed. Morissey did not seem angry or disgusted by the child, but certainly cautious…and maybe even a bit sad. I didn't know him well enough to fathom why and I didn't think I should ask.
To my left the day workers came and went, carrying groceries and laundry. When they walked by Morissey their pace visibly slowed, looking from him to the boy at his table, and then back to him. They looked confused and nervous but said nothing. Morissey simply looked to them and gave them a sure nod just before they scurried away. From behind my desk I raised my eyebrow, unsure what all that meant.
"One of the staffmembers delivered your form to me yesterday evening," he said, turning back to me. "You say you have already found a nurse?"
"Yes, somehow," I said through an unsure smile. "I-I guess I got lucky. I honestly wasn't counting on hearing back for quite a while."
"One willing to care for all members of the house?" he asked.
"Yes," I affirmed. "I made it very clear that the work was for the general care of all members, present and future. He understood the terms and was more than happy to agree."
"…Even for…him?" he said quietly, eyes easing over to Riv.
"All members of the house," I repeated. "He may also be here very soon if you would like to meet him."
"Oh?"
"I…I figured it would be a short while before the infirmary was built, so…I had him choose one of the staff rooms to utilize as a temporary station until construction was finished. This way there is on-site care right away should it be needed."
"Hm, you really do think of everything," Morissey smiled, looking down to me. "I appreciate your willingness and dedication, especially so soon after your joining."
"…W-Well, I…do put a lot into my work, whatever the work is," I said. "This opportunity means a lot to me, my child by extension. I-I'm not sure what I would have done otherwise."
Morissey's usually stern expression softened upon my words. I couldn't quite interpret what he was thinking or feeling and he so far didn't seem the type to indulge anyone.
Before long the front door swung open, Daniel trudging through with a few canvas bags.
"Ah, that is him if you're interested," I said to Morissey.
Morissey looked over to the large man with his supplies, taken aback by Daniel's appearance similar to how I'd been. He looked back to me with his ears cocked back and a hint of surprise. I just gave him a nervous smile and a shrug since, well, there wasn't much else I could do about it.
"…Hello, sir," Morissey started as Daniel headed toward the hall. "You are the…nurse?"
"Sorry if I ain't pretty enough for ya, but yeah, that's me," Daniel said, moving one hand's bags to the other. "Assuming you saw the form I signed already if you're asking. I'm Daniel, and you must be Reverend's higher up."
"Y…Yes," he replied, "I'm the home's financier. You are willing to work with all members of this house, correct?"
"Think I've lost count how many times I've been asked that by now," Daniel snickered, offering his hand. "I assure you I'm not one for bias, for better or for worse."
Morissey looked to Daniel's hand for a moment before accepting the offer to shake.
"Apologies if it's a tired question," he said. "…I have had issues with those things in the past. It means…a great deal to me."
"Ah, I see," Daniel nodded. "Well, 'm sorry to hear that, but I'm not about to repeat that history. Just gimme a shot here, will ya?"
"…Of course," Morissey said, looking back toward me as I continued my work. "As written on the form, you are not my employee, but you are his. Should you prefer a more direct line of employment, that can be arranged."
"Nah, I like this setup just fine," Daniel shrugged. "I'll be heading upstairs to throw together some semblance of a station."
"Oh, uh, do let me know if there is anything you need," I called from behind the desk. "I will get it figured into today's work if possible."
"Sure, there'll be a few things I know I'll need but I'll get back to ya on that," he said, redividing his bags and waving to Riv before going on his way.
"…Well, that was…certainly something," Morissey said quietly.
"I'm sure he'll be fine here," I assured. "From what I understand he's been in this field for a while now and he's good with children. Seems ideal for this position, at least to me."
"…I will trust your judgment, Reverend," he said, putting his hands behind his back. "I hope, then, that everything else has been good for you here."
I thought about the strange looks and stares from his staff, especially toward my boy, but didn't think it was worth mentioning. I was far too new to this and had a lot to lose should something come against me.
"…Everything has so far been fine," I said. "Thank you for this opportunity."
"I am glad to hear it," he said, stepping away from the desk. "Do let me know if your nurse requires any supplies in the meantime and I will see to placing the necessary orders."
"Ah, y-yes, thank you," I stuttered. "Um, have you heard back at all about new residents? I know it has only been a short time, but I don't know how long those things take."
"The survey is still being processed, but from what I've heard it is likely you will receive a couple new residents very soon," he said, turning his head back toward me. "Something to do with a housefire in a rural home a short time ago."
"Oh, well, um…I don't want to say that's good news, but--"
"I understand your sentiment," he said in a low tone. "Unfortunately these things are the nature of this work, but it is our duty to rebuild what has been damaged…whether it be homes or people."
"…Right."
"I will be taking my leave," he said, grabbing the doorknob. "You will receive your first payment tomorrow, delivered directly by myself."
"Th-Thank you."
"…And do remember, Reverend," he said, just before closing the door behind him. "If you are unsatisfied with the compensation you receive, you can always work more."
---
Riv and I took a break around noon to get something small to eat. I was thankful Kuri had offered to share his groceries with us, at least until I could bring in a steady income. Cutting up some pears and some of the bread I assembled a simple lunch of ham sandwiches with a side of fruit, complete with a glass of milk each. I really could not be more fortunate that Riv was so easily satisfied when it came to food despite how thin he was. In a time like this it was a bigger help than one might realize.
"I'm sorry I can't do much more than this until tomorrow," I told the boy.
"What do you mean?" he asked, mouth full from a bite of a sandwich.
"Just…as far as food and such are concerned," I said, taking my own bite. "You're a growing boy and need better than this, so hopefully starting tomorrow I'll be able to make that happen."
"Growing?" he asked, head tilted.
"Mhm, you saw how your old clothes were starting to fit. You're going to get much bigger as you get older."
"As big as you?" he said, eyes wide.
"Certainly much bigger than me," I chuckled. "I'm a…rather small man and you're already nearly up to my chest. You might even end up bigger than Daniel at this rate."
"…Whoa."
I laughed and continued my lunch, Riv daydreaming about how big he'd be when he grew up. It was quite precious.
It didn't take long for either of us to finish our lunches, my quickly washing the dishes after we were done. Taking Riv's hand we both went upstairs to check on Daniel's progress, passing by a couple daytime staff. I tried to ignore their gawking as we continued.
When we arrived to his staff room we found him sitting on the sofa and sorting out some papers on the short table just in front. From here it looked like a checklist.
"Ah, there y'are," he said, giving us a quick glance before turning back to his work. "Just trying to see what I need versus what I got so I know what to order. For now I just sorta have my supplies piled over there on your bookshelf, but I'll move it later when I'm done with this. Needed everything out so I could count it."
In an organized set of piles were boxes of gloves, several first aid boxes, a few sets of sheets, a shallow pillow, and a few boxes with various things written on them in black marker. They presumably housed a set of ear scopes, a stethoscope, and a blood pressure monitor if the writing was to be believed. Down just below all of that lay a simple adjustable crutch next to a box of bandages, suture needles, and a small set of instruments like pliers and forceps.
"That's…a lot of stuff," I observed. "It didn't look like this much when you got here."
"I did go out to get a few more things while you both were eating," he said, looking between the supplies and his checklist. "I had a lot of my own supplies, fortunately, but might be a bit cramped in here if I get much more."
"What more could you need?" I asked, looking at his list from afar. "It looks like you have enough for your own clinic."
"Mostly medicines and disinfectants at this point. Pain medications, cough syrups, allergy meds, antibiotics, saline, peroxide, alcohol, you know the drill. Once I have a bit more than just this room here I'll also be putting in an order for local anesthetics, collection needles, and sample containers."
"You really have thought of everything, haven't you?" I nervously snickered.
"Reverend, I'm keenly aware of how I look, act, and sound, but I promise you I take my field very seriously. I'm not a doctor so I can't, yanno, perform surgery or whatever, but I can absolutely provide basic clinical care."
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to--"
"It's not really you," he said, putting down his pen. "I get a lot of funny looks for what I am and what I do. More than a few people have a hard time believing or trusting me, so I hope this goes to show that yes, I'm quite serious about my line of work and the quality of care I can provide."
My ears drooped and I looked away as Riv slowly stepped into the room to look at the boxes full of stuff.
"In any event, doesn't look like I'll need to go out of my way to order anything real soon," he said, finalizing his checklist. "I'd rather wait to get the medications and such until after I have a safer place to put them, one where six year olds ain't likely to get to."
Riv's ears raked back and he turned his head toward Daniel, frozen in place. Daniel returned the boy's nervous look with a raised eyebrow and a sly smile.
"Gonna assume the infirmary will have things like cabinets and lockboxes, which will make all of this a lot easier," he said, getting off the sofa and re-sorting the boxes laid out. "I doubt any of ya will get sick terribly soon so I don't mind waiting if you don't."
"…Um…alright," I said quietly.
"Further," he continued, "while I might not be a tried-and-true licensed psychiatrist I can also help with therapy. Given your mannerisms I've no doubt you've been through some rough times, likely long before coming here."
He turned around to face me as I continued looking to the floor, gripping the doorway.
"S'what I thought," he said, his own ears reclining. "Reverend, I've no issue providing this for you just as I would anyone else. Like I said yesterday: I tell no secrets. Anything you tell me during those sessions is entirely confidential."
"…Maybe someday," I said, trying to pick up my gaze. "I need to get back to work. There is something I would like to ask you, but it can wait until I'm done."
"Sure," he said. "I'll be here for quite a while yet. Riv can help me sort some boxes while he's up here, maybe learn a few new words."
I uttered a soft chuckle, looking back to them once before heading back downstairs. I hoped Daniel wasn't too upset with me given my initial doubts, though given his genial demeanor he seemed the type to not let things bother him too much. While I had quickly grown used to the ramiotrans, being cared for like this by another faraden was…unusual.
I retreated back to my desk to finish the day's work, sinking a few more hours into my assignments.
---
A while later Ulimi showed up with a small stack of papers and a bag of groceries as payment.
"I figured you'd probably hop on that the moment you got it, so I put together a bunch of groceries for you tonight," he said, handing me the bag. "Even made you an order of cornbread since you liked the last batch so much."
"O-Oh, thank you very much!" I exclaimed, eagerly looking through the food. "I really did enjoy it. This means a lot to me."
"It's not a problem," he laughed. "I can't stay since I still have more shit to sort through in the shop, but after that's done I'll be able to come around again."
"That's no problem, you are always welcome here," I said, waving as he left.
I put down his paperwork and walked back to the lounge with the bag of groceries to put everything away. The night staff soon arrived and headed toward their usual stations, but not without giving me weird looks as Daniel and Riv entered the lounge. Daniel seemed to take notice, slowing his steps and looking back toward them as they sped up. The tall man rolled his eyes and continued onward to take a seat on the bench, plopping Riv on his lap.
"Well, I got the place as sorted out as I can manage while having everything still accessible, within reason," he said. "Not a pretty sight, but it'll all be gone once everything is built, surely."
"It's alright, I wasn't worried about it," I said, sorting out the icebox. "…Sorry about earlier, also."
"Hm?"
"I didn't mean to offend you when we were upstairs," I recalled.
"I'm pretty hard to offend, Reverend. I mostly want to make a point that I know what I'm doing and saying, despite how I come across. You're a nervous person so I figured I'd try to quell that bit of anxiety and give ya one less thing to worry about."
"…Oh, um…"
"Don't worry about me," he assured. "If something's up, I'll tell you-- I don't play games. Please relax a little; you're in good hands."
He bounced his knee, making Riv giggle from atop.
"There was that…one thing I wanted to ask," I remembered, tugging my hair.
"Go for it," he said.
"Would you be, uh, willing to take Riv outside to the back yard this weekend if the weather is nice?"
"Hah, is that all?" he laughed. "Sure. I don't have anything to do at home so I was already kinda hoping you'd be fine with my being here until I needed to sleep."
"Oh, no, I don't mind that at all," I said, head cocked. "You're free to be here as much as you'd like. I can't, um, pay you any more than--"
"I'm not looking for a pay hike," he shook his head. "This is a nice place and I like the two'a ya. I did say I don't mind doing chores or running errands or whatever. It's not like y'all're dropping and I'll get paid the same either way."
"Well, yes, I just…just want to be upfront about it," I stammered. "I would take him outside myself, but…I don't want to risk those things happening again."
"Nah, I don't mind," he reassured. "There some reason you didn't ask the staff, though?"
My ears raked back and my face tensed just thinking about it.
"Ah."
"…Would you be…bothered if I came with?" I asked, anxiously scratching the back of my neck.
"If you weren't gonna ask I was gonna suggest it," he said, messing with Riv's hair. "Let's make a day of it."
I smiled nervously upon hearing his confirmation, Riv and I finally having a little something to look forward to.
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Tarov
MemberDaniel and Riv's dynamic seems almost too good to be true. The little boy really took to Daniel quickly. I love it, it's so cute, but unfortunately, I know it won't last forever.
Also, this is a great example of a finely crafted background. A lot of people just draw a flat background and slap a character into it, but this looks like an actual scene, that Daniel is actually in. Certainly this is aided by the table being in front of his legs and the way that the boxes/crutch interact with light, but those aren't the only reasons.
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