Scars Don't Fade

The knight bus has been the only way, given the fact Toby couldn't apparate and Hallie wasn't keen on the idea of using the floo network to St Mungo's in case the soot managed to get into her leg somehow. The wound had healed nicely, Hallie hated to admit it but Ivanov had done a good job amputating her leg. Now, however, Ivanov was no longer here to heal her and Hallie had taken it upon herself to organise a meeting with one of the healers who would set her up with an artificial limb.

She'd done her reading, all about prosthetic limbs. They had advanced quiet a bit since the day of Mad-eye Moody who had a wooden peg leg. She wouldn't have to swing her hip round to move an immobile piece of wood, instead she could bend her knee, lift her foot and treat it like a normal leg. Or almost normal leg. For the first month or so she'd be needing a walking stick for balance and prevent her from falling, however once she was accustom to the feel of the prosthetic and able to walk almost as good as she could. It never came natural though, one witch had been quoted to say in an article Hallie had read, you always have to be consciously aware of the prosthetic, know exactly where about the foot it and try and lift it accordingly. A challenge Hallie wasn't looking forward too. She wished she could have a time turner, venture into the past and make Theodore save her sooner.

Theodore. She hadn't spoken or seen him since she'd woken after her amputation. Maybe she would write to him, tell him she was doing okay and managed to have a prosthetic fixed. Then again would he even care? Probably not. If he hadn't cared enough to stay during Hallie's bit of a temper that had brewed with shock and fear then he wouldn't care now. The past month had been refreshing, as though nothing had happened, her and Toby together enjoying each others company. The idea that she was still someone's wife was absurd. She hadn't seen her husband in a month.

Finally arriving at St Mungo's Hallie swung herself towards the welcome witch desk with her crutches and waited in line to be seen.

Steppe was fuming. A furious mix of embarrassment, shame, anger, and resentment, her mind was all a frenzy.
A small nagging voice in the back of her head named intuition was telling her maybe facing Hallie in this condition was not a good idea, but Steppe didn’t care, Steppe in no way took her time to listen to that voice. Ever.
She had walked for a considerate amount of time. Despite the fact that she hated winter, she harshly disliked taking the bus, so she would only take the bus whenever it was forcefully necessary, for the meanwhile she would just apparate or walk. She preferred walking most of the time, except right now she was specifically strutting. Her heels firmly kicking the snow with speed, her hands deep into her pockets, her posture straight and head held accordingly she was a woman on a mission. Due to her fury she couldn’t even feel the cold, her angry march continued, a determined look stiffened her face.

Out of my way morons! she glared at a few children that suddenly crowded the small sidewalk she was on. She didn’t voice her opinions but if she found any other interruption she was going to do so. Stupid people! she thought. If someone so much as cuts my path or try’s to bug me I’ll- I’ll hit him! Her eyes were drills. Yeah I’ll sock it to him in his face! No idiot should try and mess with me. The muscles in her neck and jaw were working. If anybody paid attention to her they would be able to see the by the way she was walking she was not a happy camper. Of course people were to oblivious to care, it was smack in the middle of winter and most people just wanted to stay warm at home, while most people were in a hurry to their destinations.

Steppe stopped once she got to the corner.

Hallie’s mother cottage… well it had been a while sense she read the article, then again despite the description she had no idea where to go,Where was The Lakes? she had never been anywhere near Hallie’s home before.

Steppe’s mind clicked fast back to a summer day when she saw Hallie in the street with who she assumed was her family. They looked happy. She wanted to stalk Hallie, she thought about following her home, but went back on the idea after realizing she had no way of achieving that goal without being seen. Steppe regretted not having followed her, but she was only fourteen back then, and had been a shrimp and wimpy girl. I am not who I used to be... she thought. The memory sped though her mind considerably fast, but still lingered in her brain. For a moment she had sort of forgotten she was angry.

So is Hallie still at her mother’s cottage? the gears in her head turned.
Either way she is going to end up at St. Mungo’s… especially if she had an infection. her mind analyzed. So I will wait for her at St. Mungos.

She turned left, and continued walking. St. Mungo’s was not far from there. After twenty minutes of a reduced amount of furious marching she made it to the entrance, and stopped. Her breathing panted but steady.

There was a mess of all sorts of people had filled up the lobby, and also a mess of emotions. Some waiting in line. A mother holding her crying daughter in her arms, an elderly couple, a boy with a broken arm, a man who had some sort of head injury who was already being taken in by the nurses, a particular girl with crutches who was standing there.

Well I am just going to wait right here in the entrance until she shows up. she thought firmly. A small voice spoke into her brain. What if she doesn’t show up today? Her anger boiled. So I will come back here tomorrow, and wait. I will wait! And wait until she comes up! her fury calmed some, she crossed her arms and reclined against the wall. She had to show up eventually…

Steppe continued to observe how the girl had no leg, it was odd. On the other hand Steppe envied her yellow hair.I will dye my hair blonde one day.. she thought. This girl was incredibly skinny not in an unhealthy manner but still so thin.

Steppe eyed her face.Wait a damn minute! It couldn’t be could it… Her eyes narrowed as she tried to get a good look at her. Steppe kept her distance on seeing one of the nurses approach the girl.

((OOC: I left my Steppe confused for a moment. Haha. Do you want Steppe to recognize her right now. I can always change the post. C:))

Sophia was doing her hourly rounds around the Hospital checking on her patients as she seen Hannah rushing towards her.  "What do you have for me?"Sophia asked her softly.  "Your appointment you have with Mrs. Hallie Rookwood, she's here."said Hannah handing her the paperwork. "Ah... yes, I almost forgot about that."said Sophia honestly.  Looking at Hallie's file she read over it quickly before walking towards Hallie.
 
Walking down the corridor towards Hallie, she could clearly see that she wasn't please.  "Hello Hallie, would you like to come with me to my office to get this show on the road?"Sophia asked her softly.  "The sooner we get this done, the sooner you'll be up on your feet doing what you do best!"said Sophia smiling at her.  "I know your worried Hallie, but I'm sure to assure you everything will be just fine, I can make it as if you never lost your leg!"said Sophia.  Sophia had a feeling she was going to go off on her, but Sophia was ready for it, she was used to patietns yelling at her and throwing things.
 
Sophia knew she was upset, she had every right to be upset, she lost a freaking leg for crying out loud! But Sophia was trained to remain calm and helped her patients through it.  Now if Hallie wanted her help, Sophia would give it to her, but only if she wanted it.  She knew how stubborn Hallie was, she was almost as stubborn as Ryo and Maura were, and they were regular patients to where Hallie only seen her a couple of times.  But she was Maura's best friend, to be honest Sophia could see why they were best friends, they were both stubborn and hard headed.

Noticing a women staring at Hallie Sophia looked at her for a minute before looking at Hallie. "Do you know that women, she's sure staring at you like she knows you."said Sophia. Sophia noticed that the women wasn't really staring at Hallie, it was more like glaring at her. Sophia guessed that the women and Hallie didn't get along well. It didn't take a genius to figure that out, but Sophia wasn't going to let anything happen in her Hospital while she was standing her. Feeling her wand brush aside her in the inside of her healers robe Sophia looked calmly back at Hallie.

Seeing Sophia coming towards her Hallie forced a smile. If she hadn't been depressed, angry and bitter for the past few weeks perhaps the smile would have been natural? On a plus she didn't had to keep waiting in line, at least Sophia was on the ball.

'I just want to get back to work.' Hallie replied, although Sophia could have probably guessed that considering the last time Hallie was here she had answered a distress call at the Auror office an had been eager to get going again. 

'The sooner I get this prosthetic the better.' Hallie added after a slight pause. There was no need to be cruel to Sophia, she wanted to be. She wanted to be cruel to the world, hopefully have people realise her pain but at the end of the day no matter how rude she was Hallie had still lost a leg and as her Mum kept reminding her every day in a letter from Hogwarts: optimism is the key to and faster recovery. A faster recovery is what Hallie wanted. 

Turning her attention to the girl Hallie frowned, her eyes narrowing slightly in thought. That was, no, surely not.

'Yes, I know her.' Hallie replied a her blue eyes caught the gaze of the woman who had ruined Henry Yewbeam.

How was it Steppe Seker was here the day she was having her leg fitted? The woman she hated for many reasons, the woman she had had a school rivalry with, the woman who had stolen her boyfriend then ruined him? Was she still with Henry? Was she here to ambush Hallie, capture her and finish the job Henry couldn't do?

Hallie's breathing was shaking slightly, she wanted her wand, but she didnt have it and it was hardly of any use if she was holding onto crutches. 

'She's.' Hallie paused. 

'She knows Henry Yewbeam.' For now that is all she would tell Sophia, hopefully that would be enough for the healer to realise Hallie and Steppe being in the same room wasn't a good idea. It was that cow who had led Henry into the dark arts. Had it not been for her perhaps she'd be with Henry, happily married with a leg. Steppe Seker was just as much to blame as the Ministry for her missing a limb.

'Can we go. Quickly please.' Hallie pressed, a spike of fear fluttering up through her throat. Was she as dangerous as Henry? Was she a death eater? Either way she a twisted woman whose words were laced with poison. 

Sophia's eyes turned red as Hallie mentioned Henry Yewbeam, the guy who hurt Maura. She didn't know the sorry S.OB. but anyone who hurts her friends is a enemy in her book. Sensing that the women and Hallie were like fire and gasoline, Sophia nodded. "Of course Hallie, follow me towards my office and we'll get started on the paperwork and well go iver and choose which prosthetic yiu want."said Sophia. "Once we do the paperwork we'll get you in and you'll be ready to go back to work sometimes next week!"said Sophia smiling at her.

Leading her into office, Sophia took a seat behind her desk. If you look around Sophia's office, it didn't look anything like the hospital which had white boring colored walls. No, Sophia's office was a creme blue colored with her with pictures and a yellow couch on the side with yellow curtains. Needless to say, it suited Sophia's bubbly personality. "Ok... Hallie I already gotten the paperwork all done for you, all you got to do is read and sign."said Sophia. "I figured you wanted to do this as quickly as possible, so I done all this before you came. "said Sophia.

Getting the book out that was behind het desk, Sophia opened it to the prosthetic legs. "Ah... here we are, the page that we need!"said Sophia smiling. "As you can see there's many options. "said Sophia. "May I suggest this one, said Sophia pointing to the last one on the page. "It cost a bit more then the others, but it makes it to where it looks like you nevet lost your leg, I have patients walking around like they did before they had the procedure done, and you could be the same"said Sophia smiling at her. "But it's your choice, but that's the best one we have here."said Sophia honestly.

Following Sophia Hallie realised that she had never in fact been in the fellow order members office. It wasn't how she'd pictured it, the setting was cool and tranquil, a place of escapism. Here Hallie felt far from the world outside where people stared, where nosy reporters name dropped her in daily prophet articles.

'Okay.' Hallie thought, looking at the book and reading about the prosthetic. She'd need to take it off for bed, as with all prosthetics, but it seemed like the best option. For most of the prosthetics it's longer than a week, but this, this could get her back a an Auror within a week. That's what she needed, Hallie needed her life back and if the reviews Hallie was no gazing over were anything to go by this was the limb for Hallie.

The price however... There was no way she could afford this, it'd cost all the savings she'd saved since starting work and Hallie didn't want to ask her Mum for anything. The amputation had made her fight for independence. Theodore wouldnt be able to afford it either owing to the fact he'd lost his job and been disowned. Then again where was he? Was he back with the Rookwoods? Hallie had no clue. 

But the price? She was staying at her Mums, sure the rent was cheaper but in the end the sooner she got back to work the sooner she'd make money again. It'd clear her out but she could start making it back soon, start rebuilding her life.

'I'll have that one.' Hallie told Sophia, a look of certainty on her face. The only negative with the prosthetic was that it shouldn't be worn for extensive periods at first as to not rub the healing limb and to give Hallie a chance to get used to it. Whatever. She wanted to work, become an Auror, lock up as many death eaters as possible, capture the rouge werewolves so Henry could hurry back to school.