Days, Middles & Shapes
Title: Comforts
Fandom: The Painted Veil (2006)
Characters: Dr Walter Fane, Kitty Fane, Waddington
Prompt: #007 - Days
Word Count: 178
Rating: PG
Summary: Kitty and Walter have arrived in Mei-ton Fu
“10 days,” Kitty said wearily. She glanced at Walter. He didn’t look at her - well, that was nothing new, was it?
Waddington’s face showed great surprise. “What did you do - swim?” He too, looked at Walter, but the Doctor’s face gave away nothing.
Walter walked to the window and looked out. “Went the long way. Wanted to see a bit of the countryside, didn’t we, darling?”
Kitty tried to keep her gaze neutral as she nodded slowly. She didn’t look at Waddington. What must the other man think? She hoped that he silently condemned Walter for making her suffer such a journey. After all, this was no place for a woman, and that applied even more significantly to a woman like her. Kitty was used to having her comforts around her.
But then, since when had her comforts been of any concern to Walter?
As she excused herself, she thought, they had been his every concern. Until you chose Charlie over him.
Title: Reflex
Fandom: The Painted Veil (2006)
Characters: Dr Walter Fane, Kitty Fane
Prompt: #002 - Middles
Word Count: 134
Rating: PG
Summary: Walter is in the infirmary.
The old school the nuns had holed up in was right in the middle of town. Walter frowned as he approached it. That made it an easy place to get to, all right, but anyone wanting to get there had to go through every single disease-ridden street in town. He kept the cloth he carried with him over his face until he reached the door.
Once inside the makeshift infirmary, the smell of bodily fluids and retching hit him. He had come here four days in a row now, but the smell never failed to stagger him. He had to stand still and breath through his mouth for a few agonising moments before he felt he had his gagging reflex under control.
He was glad Kitty wasn’t here. She would never be able to cope with something like this, spoiled little socialite that she was.
Maybe it would have been better if I’d left her behind. Let her divorce me.
But it was too late for all that now.
Title: Ajar
Fandom: The Painted Veil (2006)
Characters: Dr Walter Fane, Kitty Fane
Prompt: #041 - Shapes
Word Count: 158
Rating: PG
Summary: Walter watches Kitty dress.
Walter watched Kitty’s shadow on the wall as she dressed in the morning. Her door was always slightly ajar and sometimes as he passed he caught himself quickly peeking inside, looking at her, looking at what he’d have seen if he was in the room too, with his wife.
She had a lovely body. Sleek and slim, her skin pale except for the rosy colour that usually bloomed in her cheeks. He watched her shrug on the silk chemise she always wore. When he was alone at night he often fantasized about taking it off. About having her sigh his name.
He turned away. Why do you want her still? After all that’s happened?
No, he didn’t want her, he told himself. What man would want Charlie Townsend’s leftovers? The man was such a cad. He had probably promised Kitty the moon and the stars.
What could Walter have promised? He'd promised to make her happy. And you failed at that, didn't you? A voice inside him chided. He ignored it and went to the bathroom to shave.