Mrs. Dawkins (The Artful Dodger) [TBS]

Part 30

I smiled as he led me all the way to the Port Victory Royal Hospital, where he slipped off his jacket and hat as soon as he arrived, he pushed up his sleeves exposing his veiny forearms as he cleaned his hands ready for work, I couldn't look away gripping the strap of my bag with my gloves as I watched and as he dried off his hands I glanced to Miss Hardcastle who gave me a suspicious side-eye. But I just smiled. 

"Shall we then darling?" He offered his arm,

"Yes!" I giggled happily taking his arm, 

He leads me through the hospital on his arm showing me the stock rooms, his ward, the prep room and everywhere else important in the hospital all while he did his work, 

"And Finally The theatre, where we do all our surgery. Now normally we don't let ladies in here just nurses. But... I'll make a very special exception for you" he winked as he pushed open the doors dramatically walking backwards with his hands behind his back with a playful girn,

"This is really the theatre?" I giggled stepping inside, 

"Really the theatre." He smiled, "For surgery, saving lives and I admit thinking of my darling," He said taking my hands to tug me deeper into the theatre room, 

"Awww that's sweet," I cooed, 

"Now I have got a surgery this afternoon if you would like to stay and watch?"

"I can?"

"Of course, you can," he smiled holding my hands to give me a sweet spin in the open surgery space, "We're courting, we're going to be engaged in six months. You'll be my wife sooner rather than later." he smirked, "You should get used to my work, my workplace, and everyone should get used to seeing you, as I'm sure I'd be delighted to have my lovely Mrs Dawkins come to visit me while I'm working," 

"Aww I'd love to visit while you're working," I giggled, "I'd come to check on you after long days, and bring you cookies, and give you nice lucky kisses before surgery,"

"That. Sounds. Adorable! My lovely wife brings me cookies and kisses while I work, I can't imagine anything more heavenly, than finishing my rounds and seeing my beautiful girl in the forge waiting for me with a box of cookies and some cute little kisses for me." He smiled, "I can't think of anything more perfect my darling." he cooed as our spins and playful dances ended with him holding my waist to dip me close to the table leaving me a giggling mess, 

"I can't either," I smiled stroking his hair, I knew as his eyes met my lips he wanted to kiss me and I wanted to kiss him too but Miss Hardcastle who of course had been chaperoning us stood at the door with a scowl so we quickly stood and separated, "Yes uhh it's very lovely Doctor Dawkins," I smiled,

"Good, Glad you like it Miss Everset," he smiled fixing his hair nervously trying to hide his blush, 

"It does uhh smell of blood a little?"

"Yeah, you get used to it." he chuckled, "Now, I need to do a little refresher for the surgery this afternoon, I have a body prepped in the morgue if my lovely darling has the stomach for it? you don't have to if you don't want to,"

"No, I'd love to. Give me a chance to do some new kinds of anatomy drawings," 

"shall I lead you down to the morgue then my darling?"

"You may Doctgor," I giggled as I took his arm again, letting him lead me down to the morgue a grimy grey room under the hospital where a body already laid, and Jack went to get himself prepared while I got my book and pencils sitting on a chair close to the body, 

"if you wish to leave at any point Miss Hardcastle it's alright, I am going to be cutting open this body," Jack told her, 

"Thank you but I am to chaperone."

"Yes of course but no one will blame you if you needed to go," He reassured her before he came over to the table and the body with his tools, "The same to you y/n. You can go I won't think any less of you if you get a little queasy?" 

"Thank you, I will remember," I smiled, as I removed my gloves and sharpened my pencil,

Jack unfurled this leather roll of tools and got out a scalpel which he then turned in his hand and offered to me,

"Ohh no I uhh... I can't-" I blushed setting my drawing items down on the table, 

"I need a straight line down his sternum, I'm sure you can draw a straight line." He chuckled,

"I- uhh I- I've never cut a man before."

"Well, you can't hurt him any further." He said, "Come on," He encouraged handing me the scalpel and holding my hand in his, the callus of his fingers and the warmth of his hand against my own smooth skin, he guided me but not forcefully, I knew I had the strength and the room to move away if I wanted to, but I was giddy with excitement as he guided my hand to cut down the chest of this man from his throat to his stomach seeing the strange internals of the dead man, it wasn't what I expected then again I don't know what I expected but it was very interesting, "You alright?"

"Fascinating..."

"F-Facinating? Really?"

"Ummm... somewhere in here... is... how we think, how we imagine, how we create, how we feel, heartbreak, and anxious tummy aches, and giddy excitement, and... love, so utterly."

"and die." He nodded, 

 "it's all here somewhere, somehow." I smiled, "it's... it's so much more than just anatomy."