Patients Welcome!

Malowney organized the potions in her healing cupboard, ready for a new day of work. She placed her wand neatly propped upon a small counter. She would make sure that in dire emergencies she would know where her wand was. She looked down to her gloves. They'd been washed specially for today. Her outfit....well, the stains had magically been removed - more magic by Malowney! She felt the bed to make sure that it was comfy enough for the customers. She looked up, her eyes shining. No customers were there yet. This was her one and only chance to have free-time.

Malowney hurried around the room, preparing all her healing equipment and tearing off expired posters. Being a healer didn't mean you just healed people, you also needed to make sure that you took care of the room. She wanted it clean and tidy to set a good example to the lazy men and women who couldn't be bothered to tidy up. The job of a healer could sometimes be tough, other times it was just plain easy. Today must have to be easy, as Malowney hadn't got a lot of sleep last night, and wasn't prepared for toughness.

She walked around the room, half-asleep. She wondered what those bizarre nightmares stood for - and those strange symbols stuck in her mind. Something was wrong, and Mal knew it. She bent down to brush up and tidy the floor. She fetched her sweep, and swept the dust away from the rusty floor. The brand new carpet hadn't arrived yet - in return, the wooden floor was creaky, damp and dusty. Malowney hoped the carpet would arrive soon to attract customers.

She started preparing the new lay-out of the room - the old stupid thing wouldn't damn have a chance of getting more customers to visit. She hoped that if any students arrived, it would keep them in the habit of getting rooms spick and span to attract people. That was the way you earned money - making a good deal from your work. Malowney did that, and it worked perfectly - her pay was magnificent.

Malowney rubbed her hands together. Then suddenly a nurse arrived in the room.
"Miss Catt?" she asked, wrinkling her nose. "I am one of the nurses - I'm just here to help."
The nurse put down her bags on the table.
"I appreciate your help, but this is a quiet place and I do not like that huge noise," Malowney said. "Perhaps you could fix your attitude to fit mine."
The nurse sighed and popped her medical items in a plain, see-through bag. "Here's my medical equipment. Now, Miss Catt, let's discuss the state of your visitors."
"Well, I haven't received one," Malowney said, rubbing her nose. "I've been focused on tidying up this room and getting it spotless before my first customers arrive."
"Are you open?" the nurse asked.
"Yes," Mal replied.

Two hours later, when the nurse was making tea for Mal, she opened up a book and propped it on her simple book-reader thing.
The nurse returned with two teas. "Well, well! Fancy seeing that book again. It must have been - what - twenty years ago since I last saw that."
"How old are you? Twenty years ago I was only one," Mal said.
"Oh, dear! My old age," the nurse said. "I was blooming twenty then. I'm an old age of forty nowadays, lass!"
Mal looked serious. "I'm twenty-one, the best age."
The nurse laughed. "I will leave you to it," she said, and left the room.

Malowney was quietly humming a song to herself and dusting the room, when suddenly another person came in. It was no more than her cousin Fedora. "Hello, Fedora," Mal said cheerfully. "Mal - this is serious," Fedora said. "I'm in labour!" Mal gasped. "Quick, get on the bed! And where's your man?" Dave smiled and waved. "Hello," he said. Fedora had given birth half an hour later. "What a nice baby, your second cousin," Fedora laughed. "Ah, isn't she sweet? I'll name her Sierra!"
Baby Sierra smiled up at Fedora. She was a quiet baby. "Congratulations on your new baby, Fedora," Mal said. "And you, Dave. I trust you both to look after her well." And the couple were off, with a new baby in Fedora's arms.

Malowney had worked out how to look after her first customer...and that was a relief to her.