[PRP] primum non nocere (temperance & jeremiah)

[azuredreams]

In the aftermath of All-Seeing, it turned out that there were a handful of people that he needed to talk to. Though most statements had been taken, Jeremiah was taking a few himself (especially when it came to those that were magical) mostly because they were also the same people who were involved in other ashdown.

What he had not expected, out of that fight, was that he was going to run into a fetch. ... or that Temperance herself would have been going through the process that saw one become a noble. Still- it had been the fetch that had been there to help, not the young woman herself. Perhaps that meant that it was not, necessarily, meaning to do things as some of the other fetches had done (even his own).

He was waiting at the hospital commissary for Temperance, at the hospital, a hand lifted in greeting when he saw her. Jeremiah stood up from where he was sitting, his tea set down. "I appreciate you taking time from your schedule to speak with me, Miss Clark."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Hello Chief Mercer. And it's no problem; I'm on light duty anyway." Temperance smiled wryly, indicating her sling. Six to eight weeks for a broken collarbone to heal. Luckily, for her, it would be less and she'd be able to ditch the sling soon. Ribs took six weeks, too, for normal people, but those at least didn't restrict her limbs, even if it hurt like a b***h.

Setting down her heavily sugared and creamed coffee, she pulled out the chair and sat. "What can I help you with?" She was a little nervous talking to him, but she always was nervous around the police, wasn't she. Temperance turned her styrofoam cup around and took a sip.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Jeremiah wondered how he could tell. How it was just there in his mind. The sling however reminded him of the other reason why he was here and was another focus.

"I need to get a brief statement from you about what happened at the farmer's market but then I also need to talk to you about that sling."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Temperance frowned. "While I can certainly give you a statement, my injury wasn't a result of the, uh, thing in the farmer's market." Chief Mercer was Zac's father, she remembered, and wondered if Zac had told him about it. Although that didn't account for him wanting to know anything further. She shrugged.

"You could call it an occupational hazard."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"I am well aware of where the injury comes from," he replied with a raise of an eyebrow. "... and your name isn't listed among the injured from that incident." Not at the farmer's market.

"It's about as occupational hazard as ot gets, I suppose, if we take this occupation out and put other things on the table." A breath was exhaled. "Especially considering water was involved."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

A puzzled expression crossed her face. "If you know how it occurred, then I'm not sure why you're here asking me about it. It's not within the scope of the police, anyway." She had no idea why he even cared that Alexis had whacked her with some water. Obviously, the occupational hazard bit had been a lie, but it usually deterred people from asking further.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Technically it is within the scope of the law, Miss Clark, especially given that Alexis Tucker is being monitored. It isn't as if magic isn't a known quantity, that people aren't aware of it. You were attacked by magic, even if it was an emotional response and well within rights to file a complaint."

Because, in all honesty, he was not entirely sure why she had not. If she was trying to prove that they were a danger, the case had been made and could have been rectified.

Jeremiah did not enjoy lies.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Temperance almost shrugged, stopping herself as she remembered how it would fee. "I know that they are being monitored, but this all applies in the range of Ashdown, not... other places. After that ball, I am well aware of the differences." Her mouth twisted wryly. Not that she would have reported it anyway, without careful consideration.

Her voice dropped. "Unless you're telling me you now have jurisdiction in other Ashdown, too?"

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"In this? Yes, but only due to certain circumstances." Jeremiah's head tilted and Temperance was regarded with a look, his eyes not at all human looking for a moment. Mostly because she was not, in his book, at all someone playing by the same rules.

Not yet.

There was a noticeable shift in his posture, however, for as relaxed as he was this was a man carefully composed.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

For a long moment, Temperance looked at him. "Are you asking me if I'd like to press charges?"

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"In all honesty, I am asking why you haven't approached anyone about it." His head tilts and Jeremiah studying her closely.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Who would care? I already told one person; the one who matters - so it's either they or Alexis that told you." She paused to take a drink. "Most others wouldn't understand about a magical Silent Hill-ish world, and a person who threw water at me." She resisted the urge to crack her knuckles for a moment, then gave it. Doing it one=handed was hard, but new habits die hard.

"I didn't see the point in telling anyone else."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Given your position," Jeremiah said slowly, "I would assume that you'd be incredibly careful about talking about it at all." An eyebrow is raised again, something about the knuckle cracking odd (but then this Temperance was not Temperance, so perhaps it was not odd).

"... but I suppose given everything else, you're not likely to share at all." A moment later, he was pulling out his notebook and a pen to go along with it.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

She smiled slightly. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Everyone is very wary of magic." The last bit was said softly. They weren't surrounded by people, but they were still at the hospital. "I only told the one person because he could be directly affecting by it." Temperance debating telling Mercer that Zac and Alexis were friends. She wondered if he cared.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Wary is a bit of an understatement," Jeremiah replied, his tone quiet. "Coming from someone who people know has and is capable of magic." Temperance's name was written down in his notebook, a fresh page, and he glanced back up to her.

"I assume you told my son, then?" Jeremiah stopped his pen, setting it down once more. "They'll have to face him eventually and what that means."

The Semblance of Unity