beccababy (beccababy) wrote in 20somethings, @ 2021-12-11 13:36:00 |
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Entry tags: | c: rebecca ollerton, c: thomas longbottom, d: 2027 12, ~ complete, Ω: rp |
RP: Surprising the kids 🎄
Who: Rebecca & Thomas
What: Planning the Christmas at St Mungo's Children's' Ward
When: 12/11/27; morning
Where: St. Mungos
Warnings: None
Completion Status: Complete
Thomas, continuing his residency underneath Mandeep, had been tasked with helping plan St. Mungo’s Annual Christmas Surprise sponsored by the Fawley Foundation. Healer Ahuja sent him as a representative to meet Rebecca Ollerton in the visitor’s tearoom on the fifth floor of the building.
--
Thomas looked at his reflection in the coffee machine. “I look like I’ve been hit with a bludger.” He rubbed his eyes and finished his fourth cup of coffee. Healer Ahuja had been riding him hard, throwing questions at him rapid fire as they walked the wards during rounds. And now that it was three weeks until Christmas, he had tasked Thomas with helping plan a special holiday surprise for the children. Thomas found his favorite armchair in the tearoom. He still had some time before meeting the Foundation’s representative and decided to squeeze in thirty seconds of sleep.
--
Becca was often tasked with helping to plan the events the children would attend, and so she wasn’t particularly surprised when her boss asked her to meet with the St Mungos rep about the Christmas party for the children in the ward there. Some of them were the Foundations kids, after all.
She entered the room just in time and found a young man - maybe her age? - curled up in an armchair snoozing lightly.
She felt bad waking him, he looked absolutely wrecked, but she cleared her throat and asked, “Um, Mr. Longbottom?” He didn’t look old enough to be a Healer yet, and she wasn’t even sure the hospital would send one as opposed to an admin, so she went with the safer title just in case.
--
“Huh?” Thomas had almost drifted off when a witch about his age woke him. “Thomas, please.” He said, stretching his arms. Trying to focus he looked at her realizing she had a visitor pass in her hand. “You must be from the Foundation.” He looked around for his coffee and took a long gulp. “Would you like a cup?” He asked lifting his cup in case she didn’t understand what he was talking about.
--
Poor guy, she thought, as she watched him chug at his coffee. “I’m fine,” she replied, “thank you, though.” Becca was more of a tea drinker in general.
“And yes, I’m from Fawley’s, Rebecca Ollerton,” she introduced herself, putting out a hand in greeting. “It’s nice to meet you, Thomas.”
“Um, what did you have in mind for Christmas on the ward this year?” She asked, trying to keep her tone casual as he shook the sleep from his eyes. She took a seat in the lounge chair nearest to him.
--
This isn’t the right mindset for this. He poured himself yet another coffee. How many was that today, five or seven? He desperately needed sleep. Healer Ahuja hadn’t even prepped him on what they usually do in the ward. They were kids, it didn’t seem difficult.
“Dancing sugar plums for the newborns to one year olds. Christmas trees in every wing.” He felt like he was rambling. “Did they prep you on what we’ve done in the past? I didn’t really have anything to go off of.”
--
She smiled kindly at his confusion. “I’ve actually helped with the event the last couple of years,” she assured him, “I promise it’ll be fine.” She had the urge to reach out and pat him on the knee like one of her kids who’d set out pouting about something insignificant, but she held back, she didn’t want to patronize anyone. It was just in her nature, to comfort, even among adults, she supposed.
“Dancing Christmas trees sound great, though we’ve never done it in the seizure room, for obvious reasons. I can help with the Fawley funds to get those, of course. And Sugar Plums for the little ones are always so fun. We also have in the past done a small party - bringing the kids together, from the different living quarters in the ward, with a Santa with gifts and light music and elves. Not real ones,” she said with a light laugh.
“We do a separate little party for the immunocompromised children, of course, and we make sure to hire a Santa that has been fully checked out - all staff that attend that one get full check outs, too. For the children with infectious issues, it’s a little harder, but we’ve always worked around medical issues to make a get together possible.” She’d been told she wasn’t allowed to ask specific questions about patients or diagnoses, for confidentiality reasons, and so she held her tongue in her urge to ask if there even were any current infectious cases.
--
Thomas exhaled a sigh of relief, “That all sounds wonderful. I assume I’ll be the contact through everything, but if you need anything outside of normal hours you can reach me here.” Thomas doubted his involvement at all if the Foundation had everything under control, but knowing how events were planned on a smaller business scale, he knew the importance of an initial contact for logistics.
--
“Oh, thank you!” Becca exclaimed, taking his information and then texting him quickly her name and “Fawley Foundation” so that he’d have her number as well. “I’m easy to get a hold of, and if you’re my contact for this I’m afraid you’re stuck with me quite a bit between now and then. And after for the thank you cards and such, of course. Hope you don’t mind having your very own Helper Elf,” she said with a chuckle.
“One thing you’ll need to be responsible for is setting up the wellness checks for the staff and actors before the parties - once we have a date, I assume you can do that?” She wasn’t actually sure how scheduling ahead of time worked at the hospital.
--
“I don’t mind at all.” Thomas cracked a smile. “It’s good to have someone who's been through this a few times.” He got the impression that Rebecca prized efficiency more than anything. He was surrounded by colleagues like that including his own attending.
“I’ll speak with my attending and we will schedule that.” Thomas responded. He doubted Healer Ahuja would leave that to a first year resident. “He’s the best in the wing.” Thomas added begrudgingly.
“Seriously, thank you for your help.”