Ignorance Could Be Bliss, **Tag: Theresa!!

[Marie Meyer]

There were few and rare times in her life that Marie ever admitted to herself she was stupid. More often than not she was able to construct some sort of justification for saying or doing something stupid, but right now, she had no idea how to excuse herself. She even tried to forgive herself by reminding herself how smart she was to have all of her fake registration papers and identification cards under the name Marie Pons, so that she could enter Cavey and avoid bloodhounds if she ever had to. She was also quick to remind herself that this was the first time she had ever really had to go into Cavey, and it was a terrifying experience. She wasn't who they thought she was, and at any second someone could figure out her papers were fake and force her into registry. Marie scoffed to herself. That might not be a bad thing if she really were rabid now. It'd be a punishment well deserved for her ignorant actions.

Marie sighed quietly, trying to calm herself. She really never realized how lucky she was to have a friend "on the inside" until now. Some wolves, she heard, went months without know they had rabies before the symptoms showed. She didn't want to be one of the unknowing. Her lips pursed slightly and she began picking at her hair. At least he used protection, right? And she had only kissed him once, barely for a second before he pulled away. No, it wasn't very likely she got anything, Marie kept trying to reassure herself. She sighed again before being abruptly woken from her thoughts at the sound of someone walking in her direction. Her ears perked up slightly, and her back straighted. God, she really hoped that was Theresa. She just wanted to get this figured out and never be stupid again.

[Theresa Barton]

Theresa mumbled softly to herself as she flipped through her newest patient’s charts. Nothing to irregular and at least he was finally stable after the shit the testing lab put him through. She sighed and set his charts back in their place before walking to stand beside his bedside. The doctor gave him a physical examination, checking the inside of his mouth, eyes, everything beneath his blankets and his back. She sighed relief when she found nothing. Sometimes everything could be perfectly normal and there was just one warning sign before that wolf went through hell and back and died. Theresa was determined to start catching those warnings, so she did rounds. All day.

And he was last on this round. She had an appointment to keep. “Oh damn it, I hope she doesn’t think I forgot her.” The woman checked her wristwatch and quickly snagged a fresh set of papers, pen and took the out held clipboard from a waiting nurse. Theresa smiled and mouthed silently, “Thank you so much.” Nurses were helpful and very good at their jobs. However, since coming to Cavey, Theresa was probably the only one to appreciate their work yet. Still, she flipped through the papers, walking quickly into the assigned room, head down and saying, “So, Miss Pons…”

She looked up to see Marie with a start. Damn it that fake name always got her. She smiled, “Marie, for some reason that Pons always trips me up.” She held her smile before tugging up her chair and sitting, offering the examination table to Marie. “Alright, Darling, what’s up? Feeling woozy, achey, or something else that’s not normal?” She loved treating Marie. The girl was an absolute pleasure and breath of fresh air from all her other patients. She well versed in literature and intelligent enough that Theresa felt like she could keep up with her. It was nice. You never really get much conversation from a foaming at the mouth werewolf.

[Marie Meyer]

A light smile crossed Marie's face. "Good. If it throws you off, then I should have nothing to worry about from everyone else in this place." A pseudonym really had been a smart idea after all. Marie went ahead and climbed up onto the table, kicking her feet back and forth lightly. She hated how cold it felt, like no one else was ever there, and it was just her and only her who was dumb enough to possibly get rabies. "How are Beau and Nadine doing?" She looked at Theresa, watching her roll over on her chair and couldn't help but smile a little wider. They were lucky to have been picked up by someone like Theresa. Ok, she was stalling a little. It wasn't something she typically did, considering she liked others to be straightforward with her, she tended to be the same with everyone else.

She shook her head a little and pursed her lips. While the thought that she could now be rabid had crossed her mind a million times, it was almost impossible for her to find a way to actually say it now, "No. I feel fine. Great, actually." Her hands went to her lap and she played with her fingers, trying to keep them from going up and picking at the ends of her hair like she usually did when trying to think, "Actually...I was just wondering, because I know wolves can go for weeks, sometimes even months before symptoms of rabies show up," She took a quick breath and dropped her head, watching her hands instead of looking the woman in the face. Thank God she didn't have to tell her father. Not yet anyway, and hopefully never so long as she was still clean, "If there was anyway to find out if a wolf is rabid before they have symptoms? Like if it's possible they might have rabies, but haven't shown anything yet?" Marie's lips pursed again, and she lifted her head but kept her gaze at her hands. Lucas would kill her. It was a shame she couldn't use the "it's for a school project." excuse.

[Theresa Barton]

The doctor sorted all of her papers and the like onto her clipboard, pulling out her pen to write should she have to. Theresa smiled broadly at the mention of her children and replied humbly, “Oh, you know how it goes. Beau doesn’t hold still for no one. Thank goodness for the yard, that boy would’ve been a very cranky kid if it was any less in size. And Nadine’s doing wonderful, we’re still trying to work out the whole toilet training business, but she’ll separate the differences soon enough, I hope.” She crossed her legs, propping her clipboard up before listening to Marie explain her current state and then she noticed the loss of eye contact. She listened to the poor girl as she spoke like she was trying not to confess to a crime. The doctor flipped a page on her board and began to scribble in orders for the multiple rabies tests.

She then looked up to Marie, watching the top of her head since her eyes still rested on those fidgeting fingers. She sighed softly and then something clicked in her mind. Marie was possibly infected with rabies. Marie wasn’t an infected wolf. Someone had possibly given her rabies. And that was not something someone should do. Marie was like another adopted child to Theresa. She bit back a growl and said, “We can get you tested and the tests will only take an hour or so to process. But did someone hurt you? Did someone attack you? Because we can get you help, Marie. We can get that person on Wolfsbane and have them taken to court.”

She waited for a response, but then spoke quickly, “Oh, I’m so sorry! That’s none of my business. I didn’t mean-- I just-- I’m sorry!” She put her head in her hand and then felt her motor mouth kick in again, “Don’t mind me. I can help you, Marie. We can get all this taken care of today. We’ll find out if you’re infected and if you are, I’ll get you on the Wolfsbane tonight if you want.”

[Marie Meyer]

Toilet training. Marie's nose curled at the words. That couldn't be pleasant. Still, she forced herself to smile, despite the fact that children often made her cringe. The way she acted around kids was typically reminiscent of how most girls were with spiders or large bugs. "I don't blame him," she smirked a little at the thought of Beau trying to run around in a small yard, "We do like our runs..." Marie's head bobbed slightly in a nod, "I'm sure she will. She seems smart for her age." Then again, so was Marie. And look where she was now.

"An hour? Really?" Marie perked up quickly, finally looking Theresa in the eye. She was so glad the older woman had gotten what she was trying to say. Marie still didn't even know yet if she could get the words out herself that she was possibly rabid now, "I thought it'd at least be a week..." She sighed a little. An hour was good. She didn't have to wait. She could just know. "No!" Marie's eyes widened. The last thing she needed was for anyone to assume Albert attacked her. Though she couldn't avoid the fact that the idea of him being on that Wolfsbane did seem a little appealing. "No one attacked me, Theresa! She quickly shook her head. Though that'd would've been more excusable if she were attacked and got rabies than from sleeping with Albert, "I'm not hurt. I'm....fine. Like I said before." she sighed, and her eyebrows fell together causing a wrinkle in her forehead.

Marie frowned. She should have just told Theresa immediately what happened instead of putting all those horrible thought in her head. "Don't be sorry," she pursed her lips together. At least Theresa seemed to care. That was already more than Marie could ask for at this point. She knew there'd be no forgiveness like this from her father. "Thanks." her smile returned halfway, and she wondered for a moment how they actually tested her for rabies before she snapped back out of her thoughts, "Wolfsbane?" Again, it sounded so pleasing, but there was something about it that made Marie's stomach turn, "Do you even know if that's safe yet? Has it been tested on wolves? Does it even help?" She was honestly worried. What if she was rabid? What if the wolfsbane only made things worse? Then again, what if it made things better? "Never mind," she waved her hand dismissively, "Can we worry about that after we find out if I'm sick or not?" She was tired of waiting. If she was going to be rabid, she wanted to know now so she could prepare herself. And possibly even go kiss Albert since she wouldn't have to worry anymore.