werewolves and lesbians and magic potions (o/o)

(I mean two gaydies raising a kid together isn't the worst that could happen? Plus, Bi Hamlet Rights.)

Anna saw it, and felt some suspicion, but she said nothing. From the Danish accent to the very obvious signet ring, she felt like there was something more to the situation, but she wouldn't push it. It wasn't her place to know everything about her patients, it was her job to take care of them. And she planned on doing that, to the best of her ability, until she couldn't do it ever again. The wound hadn't been that deep, right? She hoped it hadn't been. She changed the sheets quickly enough and helped El to lie back down, concerned for her health.

(kdjhgsbdkjh right but also like. Idk lmao. But yes, Hamlet is 100% Bi/Pan and I stand by that)

El was careful not to spill the tea as she lay down on the bed again, wincing as the movements jarred the wound. She shifted a little when her leg landed on the scabbard for the sword, and she carefully moved her leg off of it, not wanting the edge of the scabbard to be digging into her the entire time.

(Honestly you have time to decide. Don't think too much about it, just let the plot take you places.)

Anna draped a heavy quilt over El and allowed her to rest for a while, studying at her desk and resting her head on the cool wood every so often, other times making sure there was enough coal burning in the woodstove, and staring at the large washbasin on the wall from where she sat, wondering if she'd be able to clean herself off at any point in time. Probably not at this point, but she didn't need it, she'd just throw these old bloodied clothes away and dress in something less dirty that she'd hastily shoved in a drawer. She was tired, more so than ever these days, but she'd find a way to manage.

(yeah I know)

El kept sipping at her tea, her eyelids starting to droop with tiredness. She had been awake and stressed for so long that now, in the warmth, in a bed, with her wound taken care of…all the exhaustion was creeping up on her and starting to drag her back down to sleep.

Anna eventually fell asleep at her desk, snoozing softly as she dreamed about finally getting enough sleep. Yes, that was what she dreamed about, literally, and she had no idea as to why. She woke up when the sun was just rising, yawning and stretching, and preparing for work. She grabbed her bag with her tools, and retrieved a shriveled fruit, taking a bite out of it and swallowing the near-fermented thing with some difficulty. She'd have someone at her place before El knew it, and would be able to take care of her work with no problems, definitely.

El was asleep on the bed, still stretched out on the bed beneath the blanket. She stirred slightly, rolling onto her side and then wincing before rolling onto her back again. It hurt too much to lay on her side or, god forbid, her front. She didn't awaken when Anna started moving around, either.

Anna finished gathering herself, and posted a note on the door that she'd be sending someone along to watch over El whilst she was gone and not to worry, but send for her if the stitches broke. She then left, allowing El her rest, and started her day in full. She passed through the busy streets, where vendors were shouting out for people to buy their goods, more posh shops were just opening up, and an overwhelming amount of noise began to fill the area. Once she reached the hospital, she gave a note she'd prepared the night before for a friend to go visit her newest patient, to ask no questions and expect no answers, and to be kind. That covered all the bases for that particular friend, and she felt secure in the knowledge that El would be well taken care of. She checked in and began her rounds, making sure everything in her admittedly small section was secure and safe for the patients.

El continued sleeping for a good long while, and when she eventually did wake up, she took off her cloak, wrapping the sword in the cloak and setting the bag on top, putting them all in a corner of the room so that they wouldn't be stepped on and the swordblade wouldn't shatter. She read the note, and then sat back down on the bed, wincing and pressing a hand to the stitches. They were sore as hell, but she supposed she should be grateful to be alive.

Eventually, someone knocked on the door. It was a soft knocking, barely there, but insistent, very obvious if you knew the right way to hear things. The woman let herself in, sitting down on the edge of the bed wordlessly. After a few minutes, she appeared to remember how conversation worked, and startled a bit before saying "Hello! Uh, I'm your new caretaker. I'll be handling everything Anna usually does while she's away, you'll be perfectly fine with me here." she flustered. "Ahem. Well, you're an interesting little thing, aren't you? Came in bleeding out half your body weight so I've heard, with no story behind the whole thing. I won't push you for your story, but wow. What an entrance."

El's mouth pulled in a faint, sideways smile. "Yeah. I know how to make a dramatic entrance, that's for sure." she laughed faintly, then winced again, frowning and shaking her head a little. "So. What's your name? I'm El, if Anna didn't tell you that already."

"You are indeed. And I am… well, it depends on who you are and how you think of me, or more specifically my work, but friends call me Boston. After the city, see, in the Americas. I don't remember if I've even been called different." she shrugged. "So, El, what do you say I get some meat into you? Anna doesn't keep any in the house, she says it goes bad too quickly, but the butcher's just down the street and I could make us a lovely sandwich. Yeah, I think getting some food into you would be good, you look quite starved if I do say so myself." she considered.

El blinked, unused to this rapid outpouring of English, and it took her a long moment to translate it in her head. "A sandwich would be…herlig…no…delicious, that is word I was looking for." she gave an embarrassed smile, looking over at Boston.

"Oh, you're so cute. I'll be just a minute, don't get up for even a second until I'm back to make sure you don't fall and crack open your thinker, alright?" she said, rushing out the door and leaving El in silence. Soon, however, she was back with a thick slab of beef and a smile on her face, looking very satisfied with herself. "I'm back! Did you get lonely without me? I bet you did, I'm a lovely person to be around if I do say so myself. Oh, I'm not actually that centered of the self, don't worry. I managed to haggle my way to getting one of the best cuts they had, I'm just that charming. I'll cook it up while you rest."

(why didn't I find this sooner? XD stalking)

El stared at the woman when she returned, still a little confused by how fast she was talking. "Please slow down in your speech." she said slowly, hoping that this was the polite way to say what she meant, and that was wasn't being inordinately offensive. "English is not min native language, and translation gives a headache."

"Oh, sorry honey, I'll be a bit more slow." she said, at a far more regular pace than her usual fast-talking. "How do you like your meat cooked?" she asked, stoking the fire and getting out a heavy metal pan.

"Oh– any way is fine." she replied. "Thank you for slowing." she gave a small smile, shifting to sit up on the bed, leaning back against the wall.

"Alright, hon. And it's no problem to me, sorry if I have too quick of a tongue for you." she smiled. The meat began to sizzle in the pan, the smell wafting throughout the small flat and permeating all of your senses. It was something you could taste even if it wasn't yet in your mouth.

El licked her lips faintly as the smell of the meat wound its way through the apartment, closing her eyes contentedly and ready to eat.

When the meat was finished, Boston put it together into a sandwich, layering on meat and a few vegetables and calling it even, despite the amount of meat there probably not being the healthiest. "Here ya go, nice and warm for you. It'll taste alright, I hope. Never was the best at cookin', meaning that I don't generally make things unless I'm starving."

El took the sandwich gratefully. "Thank you. So long as it is not going to give food poisoning, I think it'll be fine." She took a small bite, closing her eyes as she swallowed her first bite of food in days.

"Oh hon, I'm not that bad at cooking." Boston laughed, and sat down beside El. "So, what brings you all the way here? You look like you're running from something." she said, dark eyes soft and kind, filled with a gentle care in them that could easily melt even the iciest of hearts.

El hesitated for a long moment. "Yes, I suppose that is so." She said, taking another bite of the sandwich. On the run from murder, on the run from an arranged marriage, on the run from one of her oldest friends.

"Well, can't argue with that. I'll let you get some rest while I snoop through Anna's no-sleep journal to make sure she's gettin' rest. If the journal's been empty for the last three days, I'll allow it. If it's not, I'll kick her ass for not takin' good care of herself." Boston punched her hand into her fist to make her point.

El blinked, but nodded slightly. "I see." she replied, taking another bite of the sandwich and wondering how long it would take Horatio to track her down. Last time she had been on her way to England, of course, had been with Rosencratz and Guildenstern. She wondered if the king had executed them yet. Then the ship had been waylaid by pirates, who she had paid off to take her back to Denmark. She had been very lucky indeed that none of them had tried to lay a hand on her. Really, she had half-expected to see them again this trip, but she hadn't.

Boston puttered about the apartment, snooping through Anna's papers and rearranging her things, which would likely irritate her to no end, and Boston knew it. That was partially why she did it, in the first place.

Horatio was smart; he would figure it out sooner or later. It had been three days since she had run from everything that had happened with her mother and Claudius and Laertes. Likely Horatio had already finished searching the city near the palace and had realized she was further away than he had thought she would go. She probably still had a few more days before he turned his gaze towards England, and sent spies after her to bring her back. Horatio was her friend, but she doubted he would understand why she had done what she did.

A few hours passed, with the occasional idle chatter and rearranging of things. Sometimes Boston forgot herself, and chatted a bit too much, but always slowed down. It was late when Anna returned, and she had returned with a friend. "El? I've brought you someone to keep you company. Meet Boris." she held out the kitten, who sprang from her arms and onto the bed. "He'll keep you company when Boston can't, I just thought you could use a friend to watch over you and Boris has always been a good friend. He doesn't even have any fleas!" she said sheepishly.

El's eyes widened a little, and picked up the kitten, looking from him to Anna. "Oh– thank you so much." she said quietly. "He is adorable." she ran a hand over Boris's fur, scratching between his ears gently. She had never had a cat before, only dogs, and so she wasn't quite sure how best to hold or pet him.