• Long Listed for the 2018 Wattys
• A Wattpad Featured Story
• Top 30 in the first ever Historical Awards
[ A "GREAT EXPECTATIONS" RETELLING ]
GENRE: historical fiction
London, 1884
"Sometimes, even messiahs can't bring back the dead."
Instead of ea...
A caw echoes; a knock on the door resounds: this time it is not followed by a query for entrance-- rather it barges in.
"Ah Matthew, my boy! How are you today?" Dr Hopkins greets me with a smile accompanied by a set of weary irises on top of round spectacles.
My person was already leaning against the front of my desk, and it straightens itself at seeing my mentor and friend. The chairs for patients have already been moved to the side. "Thriving as usual, Sir. I hope you have been in good health."
How strange to ask of health in a hospital...
Dr Hopkins is our family doctor. He has always been the one to encourage my practice, especially after he saw me taking an interest in his medical books more than ten years ago.
Nodding with his chin nearly reaching his chest-- he spirals over to the window on the left. "Do you remember me showing you this office this exact day? And you didn't believe me when I told you that this can be yours... provided you add in the right amount of honey, of course."
Oh yes, today is the fifteenth of February...
"You know, one day I want to see you sitting in this office and attending to your patients without my guidance."
"You have too high of hopes for me, Sir," I laugh-- but not too raucously.
Dr Hopkins takes out a smoke pipe from his coat and clutters his hands around the vessel to ignite it.
After pressing his hands on it, he releases a endless spiral of smoke floating into the bristled sun rays of the room. "Perhaps. But luck and hard work have always been such a suitable pair, have they not?" He smiles into his pipe.
Not always.
Padding on cobblestone. A blue cloak swishing.
"Matthew?" The doctor's voice separates me from the memories crowding on top of my head.
Jolting my head, I smile. My fingers near my ear-- showcasing the clutter.
Another caw greets the two of us.
Even when my eyes stand straight, Doctor Hopkins has the same pipe from about two years ago.
A young doctor like me getting an office like this even in a standard hospital is a blessing. And I am grateful for it.
The raven outside skips over to the nearest tree near the window. It has a single silver feather.
"Lad, as much as I wish, I can't keep checking on you as much as I want. I'm retiring in a few years..." he coughs-- the pipe shaking. I put a hand on his shoulder-- tapping it a bit. "Perhaps, I should do myself and my family a favour by throwing this out of the window... but old habits die hard as they say."
My hand rubs his shoulder for a few more moments, till it collapses to my side. "But you must know sir that my gratitude shall never cease, whether or not you are able to chase me like a worried mother," I jest.
He smiles at that. But makes no comment.
The crow from outside sends another siren at our direction-- making even a few leaves fall from its home tree and the doctor's pipe shake again. "These sort of birds always get on my nerves. Seem like the devil's lads to me."
My blue irises stare at the beady-eyed raven. It rocks his head to and fro, as if it were told an amusing joke and couldn't resist the overwhelming chuckles.
Shaking my head, I fold my hands behind my back and move away from the window. The paramount reason being that my person will most likely not be entertained by its head being broken like a promise.
"Have you had any intriguing visitors in the present?" Even the doctor removes himself from the glazed window.
Returning to my previous position, my hands glide on the wooden table-- back still towards it. "Only a mother and daughter who seemed rather reluctant at the visit."
"The fairer sex has always their own intricacies." He smiles and I allow myself one as well. "What was their case about?" He taps his pipe again.
"Numbness. Impaired vision." The doctor nods at the symptoms. "And rashes on the mother's person for her history."
The doctor stops nodding at the hearing rashes. "Rashes, you say?" he asks.
My head slowly but surely nods. "Yes," I cough. "I then advised them some medications and arrive again if the symptoms recur."
Doctor Hopkins takes a step ahead. "Hm, and what sort of women were they? Did they seem..." He allows me to understand the rest.
My hands stop gliding on the table. "I can assure you, Sir, that they seemed quite decent to me."
Another ring of smoke erupts. "Good. Good. But you must remember that even our." He removes the pipe from his mouth. "Services can only extend to a certain limit. Do you understand, lad?"
Certain limit...
"Weren't you the one who said: 'Doctors are the closest thing we have to messiahs, these day,'" I say with half of the left eye screwed shut and a tilted smile.
The doctor only grins.
Silence retains in between us till the window screams.
The crow crashes against it-- falling down, but not before making the doctor drop the pipe.
"What is the matter with this bird!" I shout-- arms frolicking about.
"Must be dead by now by such a blow. Seems to have lost its senses." The doctor frowns.
Taking a few steps forward, I look through the window and into the leaf-- adorned grounds with a single tree in the midst. A maid-- the ground cleaner-- is still there with her broom. Gathering all the leaves and stray snow about.
"Excuse me sir but I think our visit can only be so long." Without further ado, my feet stomp on the hardwood and fling the door open.
"Matthew!"
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I told you guys we'd get a chapter earlier than usual and here it is! I hope you like it <3
Though, this crow really seems to like trolling lol.
ALSO, THANK YOU FOR 100 READS OMG THIS WAS WAY QUICKER THAN I EXPECTED ❤️❤️❤️
This chapter is dedicated to the lovely vkbloodgood for being such an amazing person and reader. ❤️
