sixthiterationlogs | healing hands and meditation

Entry tags:

healing hands and meditation

WHO: Beverly Crusher
WHERE: around House #15, the hospital, wandering around town
WHEN: April 10th
OPEN TO: ALL
WARNINGS: TBD, will update as needed
STATUS: Open

Beverly has been a resident of this tiny little village for less than a month and she wouldn't be able to say that she has settled in by any stretch of the imagination. By now she has claimed an empty house and is starting to figure out a routine, the latter of which is by far the only real settling she's actually done since she got here. The last thing she wants to do is get complacent here. Not that she really thinks she can, given how much she misses the Enterprise's crew already.

So today starts out as normal. She hunts for herbs that might be around to stockpile or use. Naturally, she can't help muttering about wanting several others that don't grow here. The supply on Caldos had been much better than this one, even on Arvada III during that disaster. Still, it's better than nothing and she knows better than to complain too loudly. If Q really is involved, he might take that as a challenge.

About mid-morning sees her cleaning her new house as best she can. She might be from a very, very distant future than most of the people and equipment here, but that doesn't mean she can't get down and dirty. Every so often she takes a break outside, looking around the property for a good place to think about starting a garden.

After she's had enough cleaning, she takes to wandering the village. She pays a special visit to the hospital, to check up on which of her colleagues is around and catch up with them, as well as the fountain, too see if there's anyone who might need to get pulled out of the water.

Late in the day, closer towards evening, she can be found out by her house again practicing Mok'bara, which looks like some kind of intricate and very slow full-body dance. It's not much of a dance and if anyone tries to interrupt her physically, she may or may not slide into using the techniques she's practicing as they were intended: as martial arts.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"You're a doctor?"

Wanda's voice was curious but subdued. She knew that some didn't like talking about their pasts, their skills or anything pertaining to their time outside of their current prison. She'd met some who were more open but it was never something that she pressed.

"And a gardener."

This was more of a statement, a light smile tugging at her lips. She was a little envious. Her own skills involved killing while this woman focused on growing and healing. As far as Wanda could see, they were complete opposites.

"I plan to garden too but I don't know anything about it."

Beverly's laugh in response is soft, but amused. Seems she can't hide that part of her, even if she wanted to. "That obvious?" she asks lightly. "One of my hobbies is called ethnobotany. It's the study of plant life in relation to human life. Basically, I like to grow plants, but I also like to see how people interact with them." She's a botanist who likes to study more than just the plants.

Pushing some of her hair back, she tilts her head in consideration. There's no reason why she can't offer to help Wanda figure out how to garden and that might help Beverly herself get back into it here.

"I'd be happy to teach you what I know, if you'd like," she offers.

A light smirk tugged at her lips. "A bit." It'd been an easy guess.

Wanda raised an eyebrow at Beverly as if she couldn't understand Beverly's explination of a ethnobotanist. There were maybe a handful of ways that humans interacted with plants as they grew; unless she was talking about biological systems in which the reactions were endless.

"If you have the time. I'd listen."

She's learned to pick up what she can.

Beverly's lips twist with barely-concealed amusement at Wanda's admission, though it doesn't last too long before it turns to a considering sort of expression. There is a lot she could teach a beginner, a lot more than they might have time for in one day. They could make this more than a one-time deal, though. Beverly wouldn't mind that at all.

"I don't think I can teach it all to you in one day," she admits with a wry smile. "But I'd be happy to start now with the basics. If you'd like to come back every so often, once every other day or so, I could teach you more."

And then maybe she could get into more of the details of her hobby while they're at it.

Wanda nodded her head in a quick motion before looking at the house behind Beverly. "This is where you live? I can come back here." That town wasn't that big, it wasn't as if she was going to forget.

"When would you want to start."

The interesting part about this village was that any obligations or future plans were now nonexistent. Wanda had time and would push things around accordingly.

"So far it is," Beverly answers, glancing up at the house. "It seemed like the best place so far." The only one that really looked like she could make it work. Some of the others were nice, but... not like this one. She probably won't end up living along forever, given her tendency to adopt people and the other Starfleet personnel around -- or honorary Starfleet, in the case of Nerys.

"I don't have seeds right now, but I'll be looking around to see if I can't find a way to barter for some or find any in the wild," she admits, chewing the inside of her cheek for a second as she thinks. "But we could go over the basics now, if you'd like. Things like checking soil or figuring out what kind of plants you'd really like to grow if we had infinite supplies. Something like that."

She'll probably start them with simple things and work their way up once Wanda shows interest in more details. If she does.

Wanda nodded her head. "Alright." She didn't even have a starting point but learning about plants and the dirt seemed like a decent way to go about it.

She stepped forward, her long hair falling over her shoulders as she glanced down at the area that Beverly was inspecting.

"You said things to grow. If we wanted to feed people wouldn't potatoes be enough?" Wanda had grown up very close to Russia where potatoes were more common than other foods and were often used to fill stomachs when there wasn't enough meat.

"Not necessarily," Beverly corrects as she glances back up at Wanda. "Potatoes are a good food source, but like with everything in life, you have to be careful that you don't put all your hopes and work into one thing. It's too easy to lose everything that way."

History has shown that in more than just gardening, but with that in mind she continues. On the plus side, this example is perfect for Wanda's question since it deals exactly with potatoes.

"A long time in my universe's past, there was something called the Irish Potato Famine. Potatoes were the staple crop of Ireland at the time. And for a while it worked. The people were fed primarily on the potatoes they could farm. Until something got into the potatoes and started rotting them. It was like a disease in people. One started it and soon almost the entire year's crop was destroyed. It was inedible and the people nearly starved. We don't want that to happen here, too. Besides," she adds on with a slight smile to curl the bite to her story, "most people like to eat more than one thing and from a nutritional standpoint it's good to have variety in your diet."

Wanda listened intently, her eyes watching Beverly curiously as she spoke. The event that Beverly described sounded familiar though she decided not to comment on it. It was hard to know who was from which world without sifting through minute details. It'd take too much time.

"So how much variety should we have? There is not telling how disease might spread from one plant to another." She treated the concept much like you would the common cold. It could easily be passed to other plants.

"I know Clint is tired of potatoes." It's currently the most common food at the inn.

They will likely have plenty of time to sift through those details as time goes on. Assuming Beverly gives a whole lot of them. Certain Earth details are okay to offer. History generally falls outside the Prime Directive. But current events are usually not something she can talk about.

"As much as we can find," she admits. "Normally, there are all kinds of precautions we can take, but it'll be trickier here. And I guess those precautions and the variety we end up with will entirely depend on the supplies we have. Nutritionally, we want as many fruits, vegetables, and grains as possible."

A smile crosses Beverly's face at the new name. "A friend of yours?" she asks curiously.

Wanda nodded her head I quick, concise gesture. "A friend from home. I know a few people here." It just so happened, Wanda didn’t know many others who found themselves in the same situation as her and she considered herself lucky because of it.

She doubted she’d be doing so well if it wasn’t for Clint and Sam as well as the others she knew from the Avengers. She didn’t see Thor often and she didn’t feel a strong connection with Peggy in the same was but they were all people that Wanda wanted to protect which was more or less her definition of a friend.

"He’s tired of potatoes. I hear about it daily." It was a small gripe and Wanda didn’t really mind but it was something that reminded her that food was scarce.

Beverly's smile turns, sliding into something a little more like longing. She wouldn't wish for anyone to get dropped here on principle, but at the same time, it would be nice if she weren't entirely alone. Not that she can't manage if she needs to, but she's a people person. She does better with friendly faces. Hopefully, some people here will become that for her and Wanda is so far on the right path.

"That's lucky. It's good to have people you know around, even if the situation isn't the best." She pauses, her smile returning. "And even if they like to complain about food." Not that she can blame him for it, really. Nothing but potatoes would be rough on anyone and she's already really missing replicators.

It was good to have people she knew but it also made Wanda realize how hopeless their situation was. If Thor, the thunder god, was stuck here with them; she didn't have much hope. He routinely traveled between worlds and yet he couldn't free himself of this one.

It was a very unsettling notion.

"They're good people." She agreed softly. They were the closest thing to a family that Wanda has been able to get. "You'll meet them if you continued to help me with a garden." Assuming Wanda could drag the poor woman to her house when she finally has a small garden together.

"I'd like that," Beverly says warmly, smiling over at Wanda. "If they're friends of yours, they must be good people." She might be assuming a lot here, but it's meant in a friendly way. With luck, Wanda won't turn out to be as terrible a person as some Beverly has met. By all indications, she's decent at the very least and Beverly much prefers thinking the best of people.

"I don't see why I can't keep helping you for as long as you want me to. I'm always happy to share the knowledge I have or learn what someone else might have to teach me." Knowledge is power in many ways, but it also serves its function, a function she feels has a large role to play in the village here. There's a lot for her to teach and learn from a variety of people and no reason at all to turn it down. And when she finds herself in possession of seeds, particularly herbs she knows well, then she'll definitely continue. The higher their stash of medicinal herbs, the better.

Wanda stopped herself from rolling her eyes though her skepticism was evident. "I don’t think you should just take my word for it." She liked her friends but to blindly assume they’re good people was foolish. Wanda had already been on the wrong side of a fight and was still learning about those she’s met.

It was easier here, no one knew her for the destruction that she could cause but she didn’t trust enjoy to really getting close to people. She was nice but she didn’t think that it made her a good person.

"Then you can help us pick a spot by our home." Some small plot that she could take care of her on own; it’d be easier to learn that way.

"I'll withhold judgment until I meet them," Beverly promises, her lips twisting. She would normally, even without the suggestion. She can be a decent judge of character, but sometimes even she pulls up wrong.

"I would be happy to. Anytime that works for you. It's not like I have a busy schedule here." Sadly, her schedule is pretty open these days. "If I'm not here, try the hospital." Or the Inn, but those are her typical haunts.

Wanda remembered Beverly stating that she was a doctor. "Are you going to work in the hospital while you're here?" It would be useful to have more doctors given the state of this village and those in it.

There was a pause before Wanda shook her head. It was a dumb question considering she'd just said as much. "I think there are others, you should speak to them." Wanda didn't know all their names.

"As much as possible, yes," Beverly admits. "I've gotten to know the other staff members, so I hope to be able to help them if I'm needed." She hopes she never will be needed, not because she doesn't like her job, but because she doesn't want anyone to be hurt enough to need a doctor. She's an idealist at heart, though she also understands the reality of a situation like this. Sooner or later someone will need medical care and she's always ready to give that.

"So what do you do with your days here?"

Wanda lifted her shoulders in a dismissive shrug. "I help where I can." She didn't actually know what she did here. Some days she spent a great deal of time thinking though Clint would usually force her to stop.

"Finding materials, paroling, cooking at the inn." It varied depending on the day. She wasn't a creature of habit. Habits meant admitting that she was stuck here.

"We'll add gardening to that as soon as we can, once you're a little more comfortable with it." If Wanda doesn't have much of an idea of what to do in a day or where to make her routine, Beverly thinks it can't hurt to give her more ideas and ways to find something she does like. Then again Beverly likes having a lot to do during the day. She doesn't overwork herself, but she also doesn't let her mind run away with her.

"Though it sounds like you've got some things to keep you busy already."

Wanda tried to keep herself busy if it was possible. It was the only thing that kept her distracted. "I do." She replied in an easy tone. "I should be going." Mostly because she'd told Clint she'd be right back and she didn't want him to have to go looking for her.

"We can talk more later."

Beverly nods in response, her smile warm and easy. "Have a good day, then. I'll look forward to it." But she won't keep Wanda any longer and instead will turn back to what she was doing for now.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

healing hands and meditation

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject