Barrow's Boy - A Downton Abbey Fanfiction

All Is Found

I know I already warned you, but I want to give one more warning. The chapters in Part 7 of BB will have a lot of blood! Be prepared!

Dear Teddy,

     I came across this while shopping the other day and immediately thought of you. Of course, I just had to buy it and send it. I know it's not a holiday or your birthday or anything of the sort, but when did we ever care about that? I find impulsive gifts to be much more enjoyable anyway. 

     New York is filled with such a variety that you'd never get in England. Honestly, you would be amazed! I love it, of course, and I will continue to insist that you come to visit one day! Bring Abi and as many of your friends as you wish. Atticus and I are always happy to have them.

     Speaking of Atticus, he requests that I say hello on his behalf. I've read to him your accounts of what you've done with your inheritance, and he approves of your decisions. You're right to not go spending it all right away. Use what you must to get everything back into proper shape, then save it for school. You never know what might happen in the economy, and it will be good for you to have something to fall back on. Even then, I personally think some spending should be alright. It's not like there will ever be a time when doctors aren't being hired.

     I've written this to Mary, so I'd best tell you as well! Atticus and I may be back in August, perhaps even for your birthday. I wish I could make promises, but it's too early for us to tell. All I can say is that, if not for August, we may aim for the holidays. 

     I look forward to hearing back from you, Teddy! Please, never hesitate to include any detail! And say hello to everyone back home from me.

     Much love,

     Rose.

     Teddy wouldn't call his time at the hospital the highlight of his days - that was any time he spent with Abi - but it was certainly an improvement from working at the big house.

     He didn't get to do any of the truly important work, but that made sense. He didn't have his degree yet, after all. But, he was happy to just be in the room, working on organizing bandages, documenting files, or showing Clarkson how to work the X-ray machine for the millionth time. 

     Life was good. 

     He didn't dare wear his new cufflinks from Rose to work, not when their clearly expensive make could so easily be lost or ruined. No, those were tucked away in his room, awaiting a proper moment for him to wear them. It was funny, actually, how familiar those cufflinks looked. He could swear that the gold on them, and the blue gems adorning them, nearly matched Abi's bracelet perfectly. 

     Rose always did have a wicked sense of intuition about these things.

     "Ah, Theodore," Teddy looked up from the bandage he was currently wrapping back into a neat fashion as Mrs. Crawley appeared in the doorway. "Dr. Clarkson has requested your help."

     Theodore sighed, turning back to the bandage. 

     "Tell him that it will take an hour and a half for the X-ray to appear-"

     "No, it's not that." Theodore looked up from the bandage again, placing it down and immediately following the woman out of the room. He wouldn't get his hopes up, not when Dr. Clarkson had barely let him near the actual patients before now.

      It ended up being a good choice to not expect much after the doctor had simply wanted Theodore to clean up a mess of blood and bodily fluids left behind by one of the newest admitted patients. If Teddy wasn't so desperate for a good reference to go with his medical school applications, he may have cited his other jobs as a reason to get out of it. But he agreed and got down with his sponge, rags, and bucket to take care of the mess.