Kathleen gets dating advice from…wait for it: Bell.
File created: 2009-09-08 00:44
It's late evening, in the nurses' tent behind the aid station. There aren't that many of them, so they all share, and poor Bell got lumped in as well since it's not like they're going to put her in the doctors' tent with all the guys. Kathleen has just finished hanging up her uniform to dry after scrubbing it clean. With her hair down and dressing gown on, she looks younger - more her age than in her nursely persona.
Even if Bell is remarkable neutral about being male or female somedays. But she is in with the Sisters. She can't complain. For once, she's out of her white jacket. Although, poor Bell is rather pink and red. Sunburn city! She has tremendously long hair once it's down, resembling a thick, straight curtain. Right out of a Japanese horror movie. Has she climbed out of a well before? She taps the tent's flap carefully. "Coming in," She announces herself. If no one objects, she will enter.
There's no objections. There's one other Sister in the tent is asleep, and the others are either on duty or occupying themselves elsewhere. Kathleen looks over at the call, watching Bell enter. "G'day, doctor. You look like you got right well toasted. Too long on the night shift, eh?" Kathleen sits on her cot and starts brushing out her hair. Ack, tangles!
"Aye, I feel it. I had a bit of day work to do," She blushes. "There were some promotions and I couldn't not watch," Bell replies. Ee, tangles! Bell looks sympathetic, although she's about to experience the joys of sunburn. "Guess I'm well done at least," She comments wryly. "How about you?" Meant more in a general 'how are you' sort of sense.
"Och, I've been working out in the sun my whole life. Got a bit burned when I first arrived, but not much any more. Hope it doesn't sting too badly for you," Kathleen replies with equal sympathy. "I'm all right, though. Bit tired." Or a lot tired, judging from her bearing. "Who got promoted?"
"It's alright. I used to mostly spend my time indoors, in a graveyard helping the keeper, or at night. I've always gotten sunburned easily," Bell waves a hand. Just a cross to bear. "I can imagine," She replies. Hard work being a Sister out here. She taps her chin, "I know Kwatra did. Good fellow. Colson's up for a medal or an award… I think there was another, but I wasn't there for it," She frowns. "Sometimes I wish the gossip train were better."
"Oh, good on them," Kathleen says with a pleased, if subdued, smile. "Good blokes, the pair of them." Something Bell said registers a bit belatedly and she tilts her head curiously. "You worked in a graveyard?" Explains so much, and yet still surprises her.
Bell smiles at that, and she nods. "Aye. I'm glad for them," She pauses. "Yes. It was quiet, and people didn't really want to. But there were a lot of stories, and it suited me. I'm very strange I suppose," Bell finally admits with a wry grin. She shrugs at that and winces. Oops. Sunburn. "That, and I could work at night. No idea why I'm so bad under the sun."
Bell does pause, "What did you do before here? It seems rude… to always talk about myself."
"That sounds like an interesting job." To the sunburn remark… " Well you're very fair." Kathleen's good with the understatements, and pointing out the obvious. "So I imagine there's not much you can do about the sun. Me? Oh, I was a nurse in Melbourne. Before that I helped out with my family's farm."
"It was," Bell replies, "At least if you don't mind things being a bit slow at times," She considers. And indeed, Bell is quite fair. She smiles at that. "Not really, no. And ah?" She tilts her head. "Interesting. Did you have… um, cattle or more crops?" Bell's clearly not a farm type or the most socially ept, but she tries at least.
"Cattle, mostly. Some crops," Kathleen replies with a fond smile of memory. "Farming can be a bit slow at times as well, but I liked it." Her brush catches on a tangle, eliciting a wince, but she gets it out. She lowers her brush, regarding Bell for a moment before venturing hesitantly, "Doctor Raine, can I ask you a personal question?"
"I see," Bell replies again, smiling as she listens. Although she winces sympathetically at the tangle, even if her hair is that classic heavy, thick and straight right out of a horror movie. She blinks a few times and peers owlishly. "Sure. And please, call me Bell here." She's cautious, but curious.
Kathleen smiles a bit at the offer to call her Bell. "Aye, thanks." She looks up to the doctor, so the formal form of address comes naturally. "Umm.." she almost reconsiders wanting to ask the question, cheeks coloring slightly, but manages to go through with it anyway. "Have you ever been in love?"
Well, that's /one/ way to surprise Bell. That, sun and braining over her with a frying pan. The woman blushes a little and blinks. "Ah… me? Sort of. I thought Joseph here liked me, but he sort of turned as soon as he found I wouldn't let him stay in the aid station. But for the most part, I've kept away from people," Talk about a closet case. Pause. "Why do you ask? I can at least, listen."
Kathleen looks sheepish at Bell's reaction. "Och, I'm sorry - I shouldn't have pried. Joe, though, really?" Kathleen seems surprised by this. "He's a nice enough bloke." If a bit yellow, in Kathy's assessment. Then it's her turn to blush, though, when Bell asks why. She gives an awkward headshake. "I was just wondering how you'd know if you loved a fellow, instead of just - you know, fancying him."
"… I know. He was very kind to me, then I realized he-" Wasn't … very brave … Bell looks a bit sheepish now too. She shrugs, "Maybe I am over-reacting, but I dislike when he was angry I would not give him special priviledges." She sticks to the rules. Then there's a pause. "Well, as for that. I don't think there's any specific metric. I imagine if it lasts through time and frustration, that's a good way to tell." A faint smile at that.
Kathleen seems to catch Bell's drift, and says in Joe's defense. "He's afraid of getting killed. Can't rightly blame him, but he does get put out when we send him back. Nearly got me in trouble with the matron once when I…" She hesitates. Should she say? Well, she trusts Bell enough to talk about her love life, why not this? "I said he was too hurt to go back out, but then he did anyway." A vaguely guilty shrug there, but then she gets back onto her original question, nodding to Bell's response. "Frustration would be a good word. I just… I don't know what to make of Christy sometimes."
A sigh at that. "I know. I sign the papers to send them back," Bell replies quietly. "I know I could be signing a death warrant. And it's not your fault if he went anyway. That's on him," She wrinkles her nose. Then a shrug and a smile, "Listen to me going on like a spurned lover." She shakes her head. "Perhaps he's not sure if he'll come on too strong or too weak. It's hard out here. Schedules don't match up, people can die at any moment. Sometimes you get afraid to get too close, because you could lose them. I wonder if he worries about that too… but I feel kind of bad, people aren't my strong point."
"Well, no, it was my fault that he wasn't really that hurt," Kathleen admits, when Bell seems to misunderstand. She quirks a little smile at Bell's 'spurned' remark. Listening to the other advice, Kathy nods, expression growing more somber. "Aye, maybe you're right. I know… I know it scares me, thinking of him out there. Never knowing." She stops, then, a tight lump in her throat, and switches gears before she gets too upset. "Sometimes the way he looks at me, or smiles at me, and I think he must feel the same. Then there's other times where he's just so distant… thanking me, like he would any other Sister. Then I think I must be mad, acting foolish over a silly crush."
A shrug, "Well… don't fret overmuch. If the Matron has concerns, I will speak in your defense." She shakes her head. "And I'm sorry, that's a hard thought to endure," She too, changes tracks then. Bell takes a deep breath, "I think he may feel the same and be shy. A lot of people feel it improper to be romantic in public too. Or he really does want to thank you. People aren't like algebra equations," She considers. "There's rarely a simple yes or no. And besides, many poets compare love to madness, if not consider the same state with a different result." Grin. "So I can assure you, that feeling can be pretty normal." Pause. "But that's probably not much in the way of advice. I suppose… you could bring it up," Bell looks uncertain.
"Thanks. It was a while ago, though." Kathleen says, not seeming concerned about the matron any longer. She listens to the advice, nodding in places and even quirking a small smile in response to Bell's grin. "Aye, it's hard… I won't see him for weeks, and then there's always other people about." Looking at it that way makes Kathleen wonder what she's really expecting. The last suggestion causes her to look agahst. "Bring it up to him you mean? Och, I couldn't possibly. He'd think I was too forward, or… or he might laugh or something."
Then it hits Bell. "Oh well, if I see you two … I'll go find something to do," She smiles wryly. "I understand though. Perhaps you could exchange notes sometimes. That might make it easier," She considers. Then Bell shrugs, "I didn't mean anything like throwing yourself at him. I just feel bad seeing you worry and wonder this way. Maybe he will be more open in time, if you don't feel comfortable asking or mentioning it. I sincerely doubt he would laugh at you, considering what I've seen. I wish I knew more, but my only romantic experience - weeell…"
Kathleen gives an embarrassed smile to Bell. "Och, well, that's awfully nice of you, Doc… Bell… but there's always so many people about you needn't trouble yourself." She nods slightly, pondering the doctor's advice. "You don't think he'd think less if I just… said something?" In spite of the other woman's protestations of lack of experience, Kathleen seems to have latched onto the older woman as a pinnacle of dating advice.
And it sort of makes Bell worry. What if something went wrong? She smiles back at Kathleen, "Not really. Don't worry about it. You can use the back of the tent for shade if you like," A shrug. She just smiles weakly, "Well. I don't think so. Not as long as you were gentle and honest. But … I'm offering the warning that i'm not the most experienced and everyone reacts differently. If you aren't sure, then I wouldn't rush it." She looks worried. "I wish I could be of more use. It's all so relative."
Kathleen hmms as if she never thought of that before. She and the good doctor are in the nurses' tent, talking away in the late evening. "Well I appreciate the advice anyway. I don't really… I don't have any experience," she admits, Bell apparently having at least a leg up on her, in her mind.
Bell shrugs and smiles a little. "Just … take it as advice, and nothing more. I'm no sage. You'll know more about it, I think. Since it is your heart. Even if your heart leads you astray, it is something to learn from. But now I'll worry about you too," She laughs softly and frets faintly. "Aah. I guess this is why I'll live in a house at night with a dozen cats." She looks over to Kathleen. "I don't think either of us does really. So we'll learn as we go I suppose. I just feel sort of bad about it."
"Och, don't feel badly, please. I didn't mean for that to happen," Kathleen says kindly to the doctor. "And it's kind of you to listen." The mention of all those cats earns a smile. "Right fond of cats, are you?"
"Hm, oh no. I'll just worry that I've steered you wrong, because I really do hope it works out. I am a bit sad I was a free pass into the aid station it seems," Bell smiles at the woman. "I am touched you confided in me, and not a word will leave my lips," She promises. "And aye," Grin. "They're very soft." She leans back a little.
"I hope so too," Kathleen says, with a bit of a dopey grin. Of course, she also hopes he doesn't go and get his head shot off for real next time, but that's a minor technicality. "And please don't worry, aye. Advice is just advice, it's still up to the person hearing it." The grin lingers at the mention of kittens. "My favorite cat was named Marbles. We had a few. And dogs of course."
Aw. Bell looks touched. She hopes not too. She takes a deep breath, "I know. But I'll cheer for you." A shrug at that. And kittnes! "Marbles? Sounds precious," She smiles. "Cats are lovely. Dogs are nice enough, but I think they like to chew on me a bit too much for my liking." Poor Bell. She has a flavor. "But… you get some rest, alright? I might go find some lotion. Or hope no one has marinade around." Grin. She's well done.
Kathleen nods to Bell, seeming decidedly more at ease than she did earlier in the day. "Aye, I will. Take good care of that sunburn. And thank you, Doctor Bell." Apparently it's a compromise between Doctor Raine and just plain Bell. Kathleen tucks herself into her cot.
"Will do," Bell smiles back over. "Rest well. Good night." She hunts a bit for something to help hopefully. Or else she may just have to grin and bear with looking like she should be on a vine with the other tomatoes.
