(Untitled)

[lastof_five]

HELP NEEDED

Veterinary Offices have recently been built on the island and are in need of capable individuals with a love for animals and the willingness to learn. No experience is necessary, merely the desire to do well. Twelve and older, please. Contact Dr. Helen Magnus either via mail or at the (human) clinic on Mondays and Wednesdays.Helen

Comments

[worldisburning]

It's automatic; his hands come up to stead her arms. He's dropped off game in the kitchen and was on his way for a shower, his shirt sticky, smelling like he's been out in the trees all day. He steps back to save her from that.

"Don't worry about it," he tells her, flashing a smile. "I've had worse. Oldest of four kids."

[lastof_five]

"Oh, I can imagine you have then," Helen said, laughing a little both out of embarrassment and relief that she hadn't actually hurt the man by stumbling over him like a clumsy ape. "I never had any myself, so I have no idea what that'd be like."

[worldisburning]

"Noisy," says Gale, that smile staing. He doesn't smile nearly as much as he used to. "Ridiculous." He wipes his hand on his shirt before he offers it to her. "Gale Hawthorne."

His eyes stray past her to what she's just pinned to the bulletin board. "That sounds interesting."

[lastof_five]

"Dr. Helen Magnus," she offered in kind, shaking his hand before nodding back to the notice she'd put up. "And yes, I felt it was needed. We have more doctors than we know what to do with around here but nothing for the animals, so I thought I'd jump in and start something. It will be some learning for me too, but hopefully everyone benefits."

[curiously_cora]

"That's okay Miss Helen," Coraline said looking at the noticeboard before smiling eagerly. "Do you mean it? Twelve and older? That's- I could help?"

Coraline helps at the Winchester but that's not the same. Coraline wants to help people eventually but she'd help animals too.

[lastof_five]

Helen laughed a little and nodded. "Certainly, Coraline, if you have any interest in being a veterinarian. Last I heard, you were very much interested in human anatomy and not that of a dog or cat."

[curiously_cora]

"Well, I want to help. I want to help people but I'm not allowed to do that until I'm a lot older. But I like working and I like animals," Coraline explained. Coraline wanted to be a Doctor, she wanted to save lives but saving animal lives was just as important as saving human ones. "And I can learn both, can't I?"

[lastof_five]

"You certainly can," Helen said, nodding. "Besides, it may help you in future studies in human anatomy. Many things are similar, if only on a smaller scale."

[a_real_viking]

He'd picked up a few of the letters so far, but it was a bit of a challenge to read the sign post, stabbing in the dark at which letter translated to what in the Futhark. It meant a whole lot of standing around looking like an idiot...which wasn't that unusual for him anyway.

With his weight leaned mostly on his good foot, it took him a second to realized that Helen had tripped over the one he couldn't feel. "No," he replied, arms out to keep her from falling if necessary. Empty gesture of course. Unbalanced as they both were, they'd end up in a pile on the ground.

"I didn't really...ah...even...feel it?" The sentence tapered off pathetically and Hiccup rubbed the back of his head, shoulders tensed.

"So, um, what does that sign say?" That would totally distract her.

[lastof_five]

Helen nodded back toward the sign for a moment before she spoke, hating that she'd nearly tripped the boy. She liked Hiccup and had wondered if he'd settled in well since helping him on the beach that morning.

"Ah, it's an interest notice for a veterinary office. I used to work with both humans and animals, of varying sorts, and I thought it was something island needed."

[a_real_viking]

He wasn't sure he'd heard the word 'veterinary' before, but he figured if the clinic was for people and Helen was a doctor then she must have meant one for animals. "Well...I'm interested," he offered. "I know a little about animals, and dragons."

[lastof_five]

"I was hoping you'd say that," Helen said, smiling a little. "I could use your expertise when it comes to Toothless, certainly, and an extra set of hands for anything else. I suppose I can count you as interested, then?"

[island_anne]

"Oh no, it's nothing," insisted Anne. Traffic always got a little congested around the bulletin board, and a little jostling was nothing new when more than one person was trying to read it at once. "Is that you? Are you the veterinarian?"

[lastof_five]

"Well, attempting to be," Helen said, nodding a little as she turned toward the woman. "I know some, but I initially trained as a regular surgeon. I'm sort of a jack of all trades."

[island_anne]

"Oh, well that's wonderful!" said Anne. "Not that it's not wonderful to be a surgeon in general, of course, but it seems to be that we have an abundance of those for a population of this size. Our many animals need care too."

[lastof_five]

Helen nodded. "I agree wholeheartedly, actually, which is how this idea came to me. I thought even if I didn't get much traffic with the unusual animals, what I'm used to from home, there's plenty of livestock and dogs and cats who need adequate care."

[justsookie]

"Not a problem; it's my fault for wantin' to read that as soon as it went up," Sookie said, voice admittedly distracted as she took a half-step around Helen to look at what was being posted on the bulletin board. When the words sank in, she could only grin widely as she turned to look at Helen with a smile stretching across her face, and hands clasped near her chest with a soft sort of happiness.

"Oh my stars, a vet's office," she beamed. "I'd never thought of that, but you know, it really is perfect. There are so many animals here on the island that I can't believe no one's thought of it earlier, or well, been qualified to care for them."

She marveled a little; if she thought that she'd admired Helen as much as was possible before, she certainly found herself corrected now.

[lastof_five]

"Sorely needed, for both animals and doctor," Helen agreed, grinning a little when she saw it was Sookie behind her. She hated she'd nearly stepped all over the poor girl but she couldn't help but be happy to see a friend.

"Will suggested I get out and do something with myself since I was moping about with not much of a purpose and I saw a void. Besides, a boy showed up with a dragon last month. I can't wait to get my hands on it and study it."

[justsookie]

Laughing, Sookie couldn't help but feel elated upon hearing that the idea was brought about by Will; of course, she'd been one of the people most eager to see those two start a relationship, but even Sookie ha to admit that she had been worried for a time, wondering if Will's concerns were founded and things would begin to unravel. Any sign to the contrary was one she quickly ate up. (All things considered, there weren't too many of her friends back home who were in successful relationships, so maybe it was understandable that her expectations were somewhat skewed.)

"Oh, so this was Will's suggestion, huh?" Sookie grinned from ear to ear. "The two of you are so cute together, it makes my teeth ache. But wow, really? A dragon?"

She turned to stare at the paper again, as though it'd give her answers. "Like... fire-breathin' dragon?"

[lastof_five]

"No fire, as far as I'm aware," Helen said, tilting her head a little as she thought that out. "Flight, certainly, and an abundance of sharp teeth but I haven't seen any signs of fire. It would be an interesting experiment."

At the other, she blushed, because if there was one thing Helen Magnus was not used to, it was being referred to as one half of something called "cute."

"Hopefully not too much of a toothache. No dentist about and I'd hate to be responsible for that. He's very busy these days, Will. I'm glad to have something to occupy me."