13. That's that girl that stopped the gunman before, you know?

[Corwin]

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[15:18] <Erin> Buses are infrequent at this time of night, but some quick googling and some tense minutes checking the clock give Ivy and Ted the perfect time to make a dash outside. As they board the dingy bus and see it swerve around by her street, she notices the cab is still there.
[15:21] <Ivy> Her problem might merely be delayed, but for now, it should be enough. "I really need to learn how to drive a car," Ivy murmurs to Ted quietly, from their seats right by the exit. "A crash course, pun unintended."
[15:23] <Erin> "I could teach you, if I had a car," replies Ted, whilst peering fretfully out the window.
[15:24] * Ivy pauses in contemplation. "I could arrange to get one. Lisa would be frazzled, but the life of a secretary is fraught with that."
[15:27] <Erin> "I- you can? You have a secretary?"
[15:28] <Ivy> "She's not my secretary, but I'm sure she'll help all the same."
[15:29] <Erin> "It's not hard, just.. well, learning during winter would be a real struggle. The roads, you know."
[15:30] * Ivy shrugs. "What things in life come without a struggle? It seems like it'd be worth it, since the alternative leads to a fairly bad end."
[15:35] <Erin> "To be totally honest? I was hoping to just coast through," replies Ted. "Nice job, enough cash for a few gimmicks, no crazy monsters in my peripheral..."
[15:40] <Ivy> And normally, he would have succeeded in that. But that thrice-cursed Mountain King started something that may well doom them all, and looking away in the face of that is nothing short of suicidal. "It really is a nice job, isn't it?" she muses, twirling a lock of her hair. "Working with flowers, watching them grow from the care you give them... I hope we can return to that life soon."
[15:41] <Erin> "It's not bad," he replies, glancing briefly at Ivy before his gaze suddenly darts away. The bus trip seems to take an awfully long time- all this *stopping*- before it pulls up outside the city hospital.
[15:42] * Ivy disembarks, and naturally gravitates towards a quiet place. She looks for any sign of others like her Lisa might have sent over with the fruits, not wishing to trouble her with a call if she can handle this on her own.
[15:44] <Erin> A changeling soon emerges from the reception area; her hair is long and silvery, and the starry patterns on her dark-blue dress seem to move of their own accord. She carries a small wicker basket with a neat cloth lying on top.
[15:45] * Ivy moves to meet her half-way.
[15:55] <Erin> She hands the basket to Ivy, who can practically smell tension on the woman. "Good luck," she offers, curtseying deeply.
[15:56] <Ivy> "Thank you," Ivy says upon receiving it, returning the bow. "Do you know which room he is in?"
[16:00] <Erin> "I'm afraid not. Visiting hours are actually over, so..." She looks a bit uncomfortable. "Do you have a way in?"
[16:01] <Ivy> "Not particularly, but that's never stopped me before. Can you help me in any other way, or are you returning to Lisa now?"
[16:02] <Erin> She looks a bit nervous. "I better get going. It's a busy time," she replies. "There's enough fruit in there to put a dead man on his feet, I'd say."
[16:04] <Ivy> "What's wrong?" Ivy asks as directly as she can. "Are you afraid of me for some reason?"
[16:05] <Erin> "Oh, um, well, a bit, actually," she replies, glancing around. "Not you! But what might be after you."
[16:07] * Ivy sighs. "No might about it, I suppose," she says. "Alright, I understand. Pass on to Lisa for me that from what I could find Gareth tried to alert the police to the Mountain King's scheme, and was found out. I'm not clear on the details, but it shouldn't be too difficult to infer what must have happened."
[16:10] <Erin> "Right. I guess the rest of the Winterwatch really has gone mad," she notes, shaking her head. "Hope I can see you again when it's a better time." She bows, and starts to sashay out.
[16:19] <Ivy> Visiting hours might be over, but that's not the same as not being allowed to enter the hospital itself. Her first step is to rejoin Ted and whisper, "Ready to play the part of a patient? A strong, piercing headache that comes and goes, say, and we came here to make sure it's nothing serious?"
[16:24] <Erin> "Should've got some ice cream beforehand, could've made it real," he replies, but he obliging puts a hand to his head.
[16:26] * Ivy leads him inside, heading straight towards reception. The admittance process should be easy enough, and even in the unlikely chance they are refused, she might be able to notice where the police has its men stationed. Those spots would be the likely destination for her.
[16:28] <Ivy> roll 5d10
[16:28] * Hatbot --> "Ivy rolls 5d10 and gets 26." [5d10=4, 2, 8, 4, 8]
[16:33] <Erin> Ivy finds it very easy to get the receptionist helping her out- a couple of policemen walking out tip their hats to her as she enters, and she overhears one- "That's that girl that stopped the gunman before, you know?" Finding the room of Gareth in it is relatively trivial after that, though there is a policeman sitting outside it, listening to a small radio on a nearby table. (More)
[16:34] <Erin> It appears to be the news; apparently, there was a short gunfight at the police comissioners home, with one casualty, apparently the same fellow who robbed a gun store not that long ago, though his identity has not yet been released.
[16:43] * Ivy shakes her head. On top of all her troubles, she has to help Phi as well. But how, when he is the one in a position of power and refuses her help? "Hello," she says, stopping before the cop guarding the room. Despite her apparent calmness, Ivy allows a tremor to pass through her body, projecting suppressed anxiety. "This is where Doctor Gareth is, am I right?"
[16:44] <Erin> "He's a doctor?" The cop shrugs. "News to me. But if you mean the guy who got found at the library, this is him."
[16:46] <Ivy> "Yes!" Ivy exclaims, before seeming to regain her senses. "He has a private practice. I am very much indebted to him for his care, and even had the pleasure of assisting him once before. To hear that something so terrible had happened to him--!" She turns her head away, looking down at the floor.
[16:47] <Erin> OOC: Make a manipulation+persuasion check?
[16:47] <Ivy> roll 6d10
[16:47] * Hatbot --> "Ivy rolls 6d10 and gets 43." [6d10=7, 2, 8, 9, 10, 7]
[16:47] <Ivy> roll 2d10
[16:48] * Hatbot --> "Ivy rolls 2d10 and gets 3." [2d10=1, 2]
[16:52] <Erin> "Oh, sure. You're Ivy Morgan, right? Hey, not gonna get between a hero and her prefered GP," he replies, waving Ivy inside.
[16:53] * Ivy gives him a genuinely grateful smile and bows, before all but hurrying into the room. Her eagerness to see Gareth and try to help him needs not to be faked.
[16:54] <Erin> The darkling, to Ivy's eyes, looks like a shadowy blur on the ward's bed. He's attached to an IV drip, and a heartrate monitor has been set up nearby as well; the constant beeping is almost soothing. Tight bandages have been made about his waist, concealing what wound he did take. He is presently asleep.
[16:54] * Ivy checks her wicker basket, mentally chiding herself for not looking ahead of time what she has to work with.
[16:56] <Erin> The fruits inside look like little purple pears, except that the stems appears to move of their own accord, curling up and engaging in little fencing contests with one another.
[16:58] <Ivy> With a glance at the door, Ivy tries to gently pry Gareth's mouth open and crush one of the fruits over it, letting the juice trickle down his throat. She knows enough to massage his throat afterwards just right to get him to swallow it.
[17:01] <Erin> Ted seems to be waiting outside while Ivy pushes the fruit down his throat. He coughs a little on reflex as the juice is dribbled down; feeding him will be a slow process, since the whole fruit needs to be consumed...
[17:01] <Erin> OOC: Make a.. medicine+dex check?
[17:02] <Ivy> roll 3d10
[17:02] * Hatbot --> "Ivy rolls 3d10 and gets 20." [3d10=8, 4, 8]
[17:04] <Erin> Eventually, Ivy does manage to put enough fruit into Gareth that he's healthy enough to awaken; bleary yellow orbs shine out from his darkling skull. The wound, by now, must have mostly vanished, and his pulse grows slightly stronger.
[17:05] <Ivy> "Shh," Ivy whispers, placing her finger at his lips and showing him the remainder of the fruit. "I'm here to help you. Can you eat the rest on your own?"
[17:06] <Erin> One of his arms twitches, and rises slowly to his lap. "Yeah... you're with the watch.. ugh.."
[17:08] <Ivy> "I was," Ivy responds quietly, leaving another piece in his mouth. Gareth should be able to chew through well enough, now. "I quit when I disagreed with the direction it was taking, and ended up on the run since. It seems that you are in the same boat?"
[17:09] <Erin> "It's insane," he replies, shaking his head. "Supposed to protect people. Not going to discriminate on who, personally," he replies, chewing through another mouthful of fruit. "Stirring up war is about the farthest thing from that."
[17:12] <Ivy> "I know. And Spring agrees with me, even if they can't speak up right now. I'm doing my best to stop him before I'm erased. Did he remove your protection as well?"
[17:12] <Erin> "Not sure... didn't speak with the King myself. Talked with Handspan and Phi." He pauses. "I knew the King was something special, but I thought spanners had more sense than to go along with this."
[17:15] <Ivy> "Then Handspan is also lost to this? I hoped otherwise, but Charlie warned against this." Ivy grimaces. "I tried talking Phi out of it, but it didn't go well, I'm afraid."
[17:16] <Erin> "That kid shot me. Planned to go out and kill someone, too," he replies, shaking his head. "He's as lost as it gets, I think."
[17:18] * Ivy looks down somberly. "We both know what this means," she says quietly. "Winter needs a new king. I can try to stop their war as much as humanly possible, but that only delays the inevitable."
[17:24] <Erin> "I was hoping they'd all get arrested. At least they can't hide in the library, which means they get the same risks the rest of us do. Not much, but..." replies Gareth, shaking his head. "The Mountain King's planning something. Something that'll throw the city into chaos."
[17:26] <Ivy> "Do you think that Lady of the Lake really is a fae?" Ivy asks, offering him another piece of fruit.
[17:29] <Erin> "It's either that, or some fever-dream," replies Gareth, pushing himself up. "I don't trust anything from the Hedge." He pauses. "Except the fruit. Sometimes."
[17:30] * Ivy snorts. "I can't say I trust it that much myself, but we had no choice. You were critical, from all accords."
[17:32] <Erin> "I don't like it. Feels like the wounds might just open up again by themselves, anytime. Just another trick," he replies. "Handspan. Handspan's got to know something. I would've forced it out of him if Phi hadn't shown up... ugh."
[17:33] <Ivy> "I can try to look him up. Do you know where he'd be, now that the library is out?"
[17:34] <Erin> "He probably ran into the Hedge before the cops showed up. But you know him, he's a tinker. He's got a lot of tokens and things, and I bet he won't want to just write them all off. So I figure he'll go back to get them, and if they aren't there, well, the cops took it, and it'll be evidence somewhere."
[17:37] <Ivy> "Makes sense." Ivy glances at the door once more, before leaning closer to Gareth. "I don't have much time, and with you stable I should leave. First, I heard that the Hedge has been unstable lately, paths not leading the same way they used to. Be careful if it comes to that. Second, do you know how to contact Spring? Is there anything you'd like me to pass on to Amanda?"
[17:39] <Erin> "If it's up to me, well. I'd... I guess I'd stop the Mountain King, whatever it takes," he replies, pained. "Heh. Like I can do that. Can't even stop a kid shooting me. Look, tell her thanks. I'm Winter, myself. I guess I'm pretty respected, but I'm not coup material. There's a few who'd be pretty mad, though, if they knew I got shot. At least, they really should be, for all I do for them."
[17:40] * Ivy nods. "We're looking at options, but we're not Winter. You are. Who do you think would make the best candidate to save us all from this disaster?"
[17:42] <Erin> "I need to think for a second," he replies, pressing a hand against his temple. "Look, I know a guy who could pull the coup without flinching. If he had the backing, but he'd make a pretty shitty leader, if you ask me. Trouble is, the more balanced folks probably aren't hard enough to make it happen..."
[17:43] <Ivy> "Who is it? I'll pass it on and have other weigh the options. Even if it's a bad idea, we should at least consider it properly."
[17:43] <Ivy> *others
[17:45] <Erin> "Harriet Silverbrough, she's... something else. Real cold customer, no pun intended," he replies. "Rumour reckons she's part of the Scarecrow Ministry."
[17:46] * Ivy raises an eyebrow.
[17:49] <Erin> "I don't know much, save that they seem to enjoy scaring mortals for fun. You know how there are urban legends? Haunted houses? That sort of thing? If you believe the gossip, they do that stuff for kicks. Write threatening messages on frosted windows, act like poltergeists.."
[17:50] <Ivy> "Idiots," Ivy mutters with disdain. "Still, like I said, I'll pass it on. Where could we find her?"
[17:53] <Erin> "She's had me do a house call, once. I got her address. She'll probably try and scare you when you head over there, though," he replies, giving Ivy the address of a penthouse suite in a rather fancy apartment complex.
[17:56] <Ivy> "I'm not so easily scared," Ivy responds. "I should go before they realize something is up. I told the cop at the door that I met you from your private practice and helped you once. We often keep our private lives separate, so I don't know how accurate that is. At least it shouldn't trip us up if I was too far off the mark." She covers the remaining fruit in the basket, giving him an encouraging smile. "I'll try to do something about all of this, Gareth. Just hang in there, alright? And if something comes up, call me."
[17:57] <Erin> "I'll try and get out of here tomorrow, I'll let you know. Can't lie around at a time like this," he replies, with a mirthless laugh.
[17:58] <Ivy> Still smiling, Ivy waves at him before turning towards the door. A somber expression fighting with determination replaces it, and she heads back out into the corridor.

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