Trixie/Sheehan!

[heyboss]

It's been a long fucking trek and Sheehan is more than happy to get off his ass and walk a while. The streets are full of dirt and shit, but anything's better than a saddle. And, for him, it's all part of the adventure of the place. He isn't naïve enough to think that this feeling will last forever, so he savors it while it lasts. That sort of freshly arrived excitement is a novelty in itself. He hasn't felt this way in a long time.

He meets up with Amos, unloads the supplies and medicines he brought, and gets a quick tour of the camp from his grumpy friend. While he's well aware the other man is pleased with his arrival, there was not even a smile at Sheehan's greeting. Just like old times.

The camp itself isn't much, but Sheehan can see why the doctor ended up here. It's filled with people who need help, people who wouldn't otherwise get any sort of quality care, and Sheehan already feels himself eager to get his hands dirty.

Their first stop is the Gem to check on the whores.

Comments

[wishiwasatree]

All the girls saw the new doc roll into the camp. It’s a small place, and new arrivals are always the best and most interesting gossip, especially for the whores. Trixie herself saw him pass through the thoroughfare from her place on the Gem’s balcony, watching with some interest as his boyish face greeted the haggard old doc.

She doesn’t think of him again until much later, when it’s time for the doc to do his usual rounds. She rubs at the crook of her elbow, the new scars still swollen, and lights a cigarette.

“Well, young lady, anything to report with your privates?” he asks the girl across from her.

“Burns, doc. Say, who’s your handsome friend?”

“Colleague,” he says simply, though with the kind of tone he usually reserves for the girls. He cares, even if he didn’t want anyone to think otherwise.

[heyboss]

Where Doc is all gruff business with a soft heart, Sheehan is nothing but warmth. He smiles at the question.

"My name is Doctor Sheehan. I'm gonna be helping out for a while."

He stands up, finding Trixie after a moment.

"You alright?"

[wishiwasatree]

Trixie takes another drag of her cigarette, nodding her head in greeting. "Hey, doc."

As Sheehan gets closer, Doc Cochran's hand reaches out to catch his shoulder. "That one's a little more difficult," he says, as soft as he can manage. "Had trouble treating her as of late."

[heyboss]

He gives him a nod in acknowledgment, but doesn't heed that warning. He'll figure it out for himself.

"What's your name?" he asks, holding out a hand so he can inspect her arms.

[wishiwasatree]

If the doc trusts this man, she sees no reason to turn him away. She does hesitate though, not wanting to show him her arms just yet. He can settle for a verbal report, it won't kill him.

"Trixie," she says. "Nothing to report with my privates."

[heyboss]

"Alright," he says, undeterred. "Need to check those to make sure they're healing, though."

[wishiwasatree]

"They're healing, doc," she insists, pulling her shawl a little tighter around her. "Promise. Know what it looks like when the veins go bad."

In the background she can see Doc Cochran still going about his business, but he's clearly listening to them both. Watching.

[heyboss]

Sheehan nods, but he knows better than to push. "You let him know if anything goes bad. Redness. Swelling. Heat. First sign, no matter what."

Infection is such a fear of his, especially out here.

He moves on to the woman next to her.

[wishiwasatree]

Trixie manages a smile. "Will do."

She takes another drag from her cigarette and gets up, going to at least say hello to Doc Cochran and ask about the child. He doesn't have any more news than she does, but it takes her mind off her arm. He hands her a salve and squeezes her hand before she pulls away and heads back downstairs to the other rooms.

[heyboss]

"What child?" He asks the Doc when they're done, and he explains about the little girl. Sheehan is understandably shaken by that and, the next day, he goes to check on her himself.

What a very odd camp.

It's late when he comes by the Gem for a drink.

[wishiwasatree]

Trixie doesn’t expect to see the young, new doc again for a while. Cochran usually did his drinking by himself, she just assumed his friend would be the same way.

He’s got a sweet face, now that she’s seeing him again like this. A little out of place. She watches as the girls swarm him, vying for his attention.

[heyboss]

He is entirely unprepared for the attention thrown on him. He's overwhelmed but polite, shaking his head at their offers.

"Just the drink tonight, ladies," he insists, meeting Trixie's eyes across the room.

[wishiwasatree]

Trixie has to try very hard not to outright laugh. Poor guy, she should probably think about saving him.

She waits another couple of minutes before she steps in to save him. "Alright, banshees, go find another trick to turn, this one's too green. Plus he's a doc, so you know he don't get paid much."

The girls mumble to each other and nod; Trixie's right, he's on Al's salary. He doesn't get paid much. They unceremoniously slink away, off to find new men to latch onto, and Trixie takes her place beside him.

"You're new. The shine'll will wear off."

[heyboss]

"Is that what happens to all the new folks in town?" he asks softly, relaxing when she sits. "Because I'm starting to think I'm like some sort of circus animal around here."

He smiles and it's nothing but teasing warmth.

[wishiwasatree]

"Ah, only the handsome ones." She grins a little and nods towards Dan. "Lemme buy you a drink, doc."

They didn't get to say more than three words to each other earlier, though that was mostly Trixie's doing and not this very nice man's. She can make it up to him now at least, show him there's no hard feelings.

[heyboss]

"You don't need to buy me anything," he assures her gently. "But if you want to stick around for a while, I won't object."

He knows her time is valuable. More valuable than a drink or two.

[wishiwasatree]

"Ain't actually gonna buy it," she winks. "You'll pay for it, and we'll pretend I got it for you."

She cocks her head. "Spend a lot of time around brothels?"

[heyboss]

"Oh of course," he laughs, taking coins from his pocket. "And uh, no. Not really. Too busy to enjoy myself."

[wishiwasatree]

She can tell. He looked all out of sorts as the girls swarmed him; it was adorable.

“Too busy practicing medicine and the fucking like? What do you do for fun, doc?”

[heyboss]

"If I answered that, Miss Trixie, I would be giving everything away, wouldn't I?"

He flashes her a bright smile, resting an elbow on the bar.

[wishiwasatree]

She chuckles and passes the new doctor his shot of whiskey, keeping one for herself. "True, gotta keep some things mysterious when you're new to a place. Can you at least tell me how you know our Doc Cochran?"

[heyboss]

He takes the shot and, to his credit, doesn't flinch.

Much.

"Ah, well, we were in the war together."

[wishiwasatree]

He's cute.

It's not a contest, and she isn't trying to show off, but she downs her whiskey in one shot with barely any reaction.

At the mention of the war her eyebrows go up. Doc Cochran hates talking about the war. "You would've been young," she says gently. "A surgeon, not a soldier?"

[heyboss]

"Sometimes we were both," he mutters. "The lines aren't as strong."

He shrugs. "He saved my life a couple of times."

[wishiwasatree]

She doesn't doubt it. Cochran, for all of his poor beside manners and gruff exterior, is a devoted and kind-hearted person.

"And you decided to come out here, of all places? Where you from originally?"

[heyboss]

"New York," he says with a laugh. "But Amos needed help, so I brought it. This camp is too big for him."

He places the shot glass across the bar and turns to her again. "You gonna save me like this every time?"

[wishiwasatree]

Amos, huh? Doc never likes to use his first name; that alone would be enough to tell Trixie how much he trusted this man.

“Only if you wanna be saved,” she tells him with a wink. “And don’t tell anyone else you’re from New York. They might try and play you.”

[heyboss]

"Play me? What does that mean?"

He turns with a teasing laugh. "I am completely in my element here."

[wishiwasatree]

"Oh, that baby face and sweet smile, they'll take you for a sucker. Not that you are one, 'course, doc."

She raises her hand for another round and passes Sheehan the second shot glass.

[heyboss]

He laughs a real and gentle laugh. "I'm afraid they might be right. But I trust you'll keep my secret?"

[wishiwasatree]

Oh, that's a darling little laugh. Trixie smiles and shakes her head. He doesn't need to be in a place like this, it'll destroy him.

"Of course I'll keep your secret, doc."

[heyboss]

"Good." The second drink comes and he takes it a little slower this time. "Is Al gonna come and drag me out of here for taking up too much of your time? I don't want to get you in trouble."

[wishiwasatree]

"Nah," she smiles, finishing her second shot. "So long as I eventually turn a trick by the end of the night he won't care."

And even then, he's not pushing her lately. She's been spending her nights with him, and even if they've left it unsaid, he's glad she didn't succeed in doing away with herself.

[heyboss]

"Well, you won't get that hanging around me all night," he says with a small smile. "But I'm not going to complain about it."

[wishiwasatree]

She shrugs her shoulders. “You can still pay me for the company,” she says with a wry grin. “I’m real good at listening.”

[heyboss]

He tucks a hand under his chin. "Yeah? So am I. And I'd rather enjoy your company like this."

[wishiwasatree]

Awh, hell, he’s a charmer. Trixie rolls her eyes and pulls a cigarette and box of matches from the front of her blouse.

“Not into fucking me, doc? Well, I can respect that.”

[heyboss]

He laughs. That's not at all what he said, but he's alright letting her think that.

"I'd rather talk to you," he says, reaching over to light the match for her.

[wishiwasatree]

Trixie dangles the cigarette from her lips and leans over to let him light it for her, letting him see a little bit down his blouse as a treat.

“I ain’t that interesting.”

[heyboss]

He peeks, just once, just because his eyes have to look somewhere, and then he's immediately on her face.

"I think you are. How long have you been here, Miss Trixie?"

[wishiwasatree]

Good; he’s still a man, after all.

“Ah, hard to tell,” she says with a casual shrug. “Been here since the founding of the camp. Employer was one of the first.”

She laughs a little to herself, though there’s not much mirth in it. “Operated out of a fucking tent in those days.”

[heyboss]

"A tent?"

He looks around the place, even more impressed.

"Looks like you've really filled out here."

[wishiwasatree]

“Al’s done alright.”

Not ‘we’ — this ain’t her business. She’s just a whore. This place’s success keeps food in her belly and a roof over her head, but she’s not proud of it.

“What d’you think about civilization coming to a place like this? We got a preacher. A newspaper. Heard poles stringing wires from ‘em coming next.”

[heyboss]

The subject change is noted, but he lets it happen. Al didn't do all of it, he wants to argue. But he's not going to say that sentence out loud in the man's own establishment.

"I think - well, coming from the city? I think it's good, but that means changes. A lot of changes."

[wishiwasatree]

"People like my boss don't like changes," she remarks quietly, taking a drag. "Not when it's got the potential to take them off their thrones."