Samrat (whathesaid) wrote in whatprice, @ 2009-04-20 14:53:00 |
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Entry tags: | !backstory, augustus pye, phillip hughes, samrat amarnath |
[Backstory] Phillip, Gus, and Sam
Who: Phillip Hughes, Augustus Pye, and Samrat Amarnath
What: The three meet at a medical conference and discuss medicine and politics.
Where: Cambridge, England
When: April 15, 1993
Rating: G, I think
Sam picked up a soggy biscuit off the table, eying it with some disdain before he dropped it back on the large serving tray. It was midmorning and he was still feeling the effects of staying out the night before - one didn't need alcohol, he thought, to have a hangover.
"Next time, we should be here a little earlier." He opened the program, running his finger down the page as he glanced at Phillip. "Regardless, there are no presentations on AIDS until - what? Tomorrow? And then it is one only. What are they thinking?"
Phillip grumbled at the program bulletin.
"They don't think it's worth their time," he said bitterly as he poured himself a glass of orange juice.
"Juice?" he asked Sam, rubbing the remnants of sleep out of his eyes.
Gus was trying to be good as he followed his father through the people. It was a good opportunity after all. Well, a good opportunity for someone who would actually be working in these circles at least. Somehow he doubted that a St. Mungo's Healer would be welcome at these sorts of things. But it was certainly nice to be away from Hogwarts for the week and not worrying about the possibility of getting attacked in the hallways. While the rumors going around were ridiculous, the fact that two muggleborns had already been petrified meant something was going on.
Restraining himself from rolling his eyes as his father stopped to greet another colleague, he brightened a bit when he saw the table with food and juice. Glancing at his father and seeing he was deeply invested in his conversation, he huffed out a sigh before heading towards the table. Grabbing a muffin, he wrinkled his noise slightly, wondering how good it was before looking at the juice selection. Seeing the orange juice being held by an older man, he tapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Excuse me? Are you finished with that pitcher?" he asked softly.
"Close enough." Samrat reached out and snatched the pitcher away from Phil, pressing it down on the table with a grin. "Here- he does not need that." He leaned against the table, then said, "I wouldn't risk the juice. Have you seen the biscuits?"
Gus smiled gratefully as he picked up the pitcher and poured himself a glass of orange juice. At what the other man said, he looked a bit warily at the juice and took a tentative sip when it didn't seem to smell off or look off. True, it wasn't pumpkin juice, but it wasn't too horrible. "I haven't seen the biscuits, although I'm not to certain about the muffins," he said as he held up the one he had grabbed from the basket. "Are they meant as food or as weapons to be used if one gets bored?"
"Perhaps we should carve one to a point." Samrat picked up a toothpick, eyeing it. Then he picked up a muffin, banging it against the edge of the table, alarmed when it didn't break. "Impressive." Glancing at the younger man, he asked, "Are you sure you are in the right building?" It wasn't spoken in mockery, just a simple question.
Gus' eyes widened in surprise when the muffin didn't break either. His face flushing slightly at the question, he shook his head as he cleared his throat. "No," he said before realizing that they might think he's a teen prodigy or something of that sort. Not that that would be a horrible description to have... Turning away from the table slightly to look around the room, he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his father talking to the same person. "I'm here with my father," he said as he gestured towards the older blond doctor. "He comes to these sorts of things often and thought it would be a good experience for me."
"Have the reason for attending these events over hols is for the free food," Phillip said before glancing over where the young boy pointed. "Doctor Pye? That's your father? Impressive. Are you planning on going into medicine as well?"
Gus nodded as he ran a hand through his hair a bit nervously. "Yes... Doctor Pye is my father," he said, not sure what to say about the impressive comment. Shifting uncomfortably at the question, he nodded very slowly after a moment's hesitation. "I'm going to apply for medical training after I finish school."
"Which field?" Samrat leaned against the table, watching the younger man. He knew how it felt to be classed as nothing more than a father's son.
Gus opened his mouth to answer before he realized he wasn't sure how to answer. He knew what realm of medical magic he'd like to aim for, being more interested in curing physical ailments he understood rather than trying to fix the damage of curses or spells gone wrong. But what was the muggle equivalent? He hadn't really thought over what stories he would have to use here. Trying to push down the feeling of isolation that he had been feeling a bit too often at Hogwarts the past year, he tapped his fingers in a rhythm against the side of his cup.
"Surgery," he supplied, hoping his father didn't overhear. "Orthopedic to be specific I suppose. Maybe looking into alternative methods and treatments as well..."
"They study alternative medicine in my country," Sam said easily, not assigning it the same sort of censure that another might have. He glanced over at Phil, then added, "Ayurveda. I am not sure whether or not it is commonly discussed here."
Phillip shook his head no.
"Not often. Traditional medicine in England is very western - science and labs. Alternative treatments are usually seen as second rate and not 'real' medicine. Not that I necessarily agree with that, but old fashioned attitudes here are hard to break," Phillip said with a tone and a disdainful glance at the conference programme in his hand. Too little. Too late.
Gus couldn't help making a little bit of a face, knowing that medical magic wasn't really second rate, but knowing that if he actually explained any of the methods to a normal muggle, they would think he's crazy and making things up. "I'm sorry, what exactly is Ayurveda?" he asked curiously, glad to have the attention off of his life plan for the moment at least.
"It is... traditional medicine, folk medicine. I must confess I do not know that much about it." Sam's mouth twisted, thinking. "There are five elements - earth, air, water, fire, and space - and they govern the human body in some way. There are practitioners in Gujarat, a whole school for it, but I did not want to follow that path. In some ways, it is so tied with religion in my father's mind that I am not sure he would have allowed it."
"It's usually not taken seriously here - no matter how much success it has in foreign countries," Phillip said with a shrug.
Gus nodded as he listened. "So... sort of like the old methods of medicine in regards to the humours?" he asked curiously before something he had watched came to his mind in regards to the elements. "Or chakras?"
"Yes, like chakras," Sam paused. "What are humours?" His English wasn't practiced enough to know the word in its archaic use.
"The four humours is what old medical practices were based on. It was a theory that the body was filled with four different substances and those four substances being out of balance is what caused people to be sick," Gus supplied. "That's why they did blood letting and other sorts of medical practices that seem harsh to us. It was simply to balance out the four humours." He frowned a bit in though as he looked down at his juice. "I think that each substance actually corresponded with an element too, but I can't remember what is what."
Phillip nodded, recalling what he had learned in a history of medicine class. "Stems from the Greek and Roman traditions. Earth, fire, water and air - earth was predominantly present in the black bile, fire in the yellow bile, water in the phlegm, and all four elements were present in the blood."
"It does not sound that different," he commented, leaning back. "I do not know, myself, what I think of all that about chakras."
Gus shrugged slightly. "Most of what I know about chakras is from the telly, so I doubt I have enough of a knowledge of them to make a proper opinion." Although now he felt he needed to look it up. It might be beneficial to learn, especially if the theory overlapped any with the theories of magical medicine.
"That is about what I know - from your telly, not ours." Sam grinned. "My father has a hard enough time stomaching the idea that I pursue medicine. If we were to throw Hinduism into the mix, it might kill him."
Gus frowned deeply as he looked at the other man as if he had grown another head. "Why would your father give you a hard time about studying medicine?" he asked, the idea so foreign to him considering how much his father wanted him and his siblings to become doctors. "Considering how difficult the schooling is and then all the wonderful things you can do afterwards, it would seem more of a thing to be proud of..."
"Because people do what their fathers did," it seemed the simplest way to explain it to such a young man. Sam picked up a biscuit and snapped off a piece. "My father is an architect. And I did not come here because he wanted it. But had I stayed at home, it would have been difficult for him to see."
"Ah," Gus said simply, yet in total understanding as he glanced over his shoulder towards where his father was. "Yeah, that can be tough. Jules, he's my older brother, I know he felt that pressure a good deal, especially when it was time to go off to uni."
"What does your father do?" Sam asked casually. "And your brother?"
"My father's a surgeon at Bupa Cromwell Hospital," Gus answered while mentally making a face considering what specialization he had said he was aiming for. It also felt weird actually talking to someone about this sort of thing rather than dodging the question. "Jules is in his second year at Cambridge in the Land Economy programme. Gonville and Caius College, although Dad had a hand in that even if he didn't get much say in the degree."
"Gonville and Caius..." the other mused. "Do we know him, Phil?"
Phillip thought for a moment.
"I don't think so. I think we stopped taking an interest in the young ones when clinical started. Not enough time to be social. Might have seen him around, but I think I'd remember being introduced to Pye. I've read some of Pye seniors work, after all."
Gus blushed at hearing that one of them had read his father's work, which was really silly if he thought about it considering the man already admitted to knowing who he was and where he was right now. Still, it always made him a bit awkward, which was one of the reasons he was glad he'd be going to learn at a hospital that would have never heard of Cornelius Pye instead of getting roped into the medicine program at Cambridge. "Er... I think Jules is trying to avoid most of the medical students when he can," he admitted haltingly.
Phillip chuckled.
"I wouldn't be surprised. We do get to be a bit grouchy. Rather like monsters from fairy tales when we've not had our coffee and sleep," Phillip admitted.
"Speak for yourself," Sam said dryly. "I am a ray of fucking sunshine."
"Oh, yes. That is obvious," Gus said with a chuckle. "The only things that need fear you are the poor muffins and biscuits. They see you coming and quiver at the blow they know you will deliver to their self esteem."
"Don't mind Sam," Phillip said, rolling his eyes slightly. "We're a bit frustrated at the fact that British Medical Society can't realize what needs to be done and what their focus should be. But other than that, he's as chipper as Tigger."
Gus frowned as he looked between the two men. "What do you mean 'can't realize what needs to be done' and all that?" he asked curiously
"He's speaking of..." Sam flipped through the program. "Take a look at the back page, buried in the program, the absolute last thing anyone wants to speak of." He thumbed a two-sentence blurb about the AIDS panel, pushing it towards Gus.
Phillip picked up a muffin and tossed it up in the air as though he was pondering getting a second one and juggling them.
"It's atrocious, is what it is. How can they claim to be working towards the human good?"
Looking at the program pushed towards him, Gus frowned slightly. He knew about the threat of AIDS, had gotten the lecture when he hit puberty about how important it was to always wear a condom, but he wasn't sure about the politics behind what topics of medicine got how much time at these things. "Maybe there were too many topics that they wanted to cover and not enough time to cover them all adequately," he offered quietly. "Or they couldn't find enough people to facilitate the panels."
"They could," Sam said darkly. "But it is not-" He paused, feeling his friend fuming at his side. "Perhaps it is best that we change the subject. Are you planning to come to university here one day?" It was feeble but still something.
Seeing that the topic wasn't the best, Gus smiled apologetically as he shrank back a bit into himself. "Sorry. I don't know much about the politics of this... All I tend to hear about from my father is the new developments in surgery," he said sheepishly before clearing his throat and shifting uncomfortably. "I'm still thinking over what universities to apply to," he lied with a shrug, knowing full well where he was planning to go after school. "Dad would like me to, but we'll see."
Phillip held up his hand.
"Don't worry. You didn't know. Nobody knows the rubbish that they're trying to pull right now," he said before smiling.
"That's good. Take your time. Nothing wrong with that."
Looking between the two men, Gus raised his eyebrows curiously. "What sort of rubbish are they doing?" he asked. "I have to admit I don't know much about the situation other than the lectures I've received about the importance of safe sex."
"A lack of funding for one," Samrat said quietly. "And the lectures that you have received are not what most people have gotten. There are still so many who remain unprotected because they will not be told what is really happening."
"The medical community has dragged their heals on the issue of HIV and AIDS. They initially didn't think it worth their time because it was simply a disease of gays, prostitutes, and drug users. Even now, when it's spreading rampantly throughout Africa, they won't give it the attention it deserves. They think it's been dealt with because it doesn't affect the Western elite. What good is it becoming a doctor if you can't help those less fortunate than yourself?" Phillip asked, looking like he was about to chuck the muffin in his hand if only he could find a suitable target.
Gus nodded slightly, knowing what they said was true. He figured he was pretty lucky having heard what he had, considering that his father had to deal with the threat of bad blood transfusions possibly making his patients worse rather than better. He wasn't even sure if people in the wizarding world knew of it. Hell, he wasn't even sure if they could be effected by it considering the massive difference in wizarding illnesses compared to muggle ones.
"What good is being a doctor if you can't help people who need it, regardless of their station in life," he said softly, mostly in agreement with the other man.
"Yes, this is true," Sam said but his heart wasn't in the words. There were doors that would close to him when he returned to India, people who would never accept his help even if their lives depended on that. It was difficult at times, to stand in a room of people and feel that they were his true kindred, knowing all the while that he would be returning to a land for which he had little love. He picked up a program and opened it, saying, "But we should consider attending at least one seminar if there is a difference we are to make." A slight grin quirked his mouth.
Phillip nodded.
"Infectious diseases or cancer research?" he said, looking at the first slot on the programme.
Gus nodded slightly, curious where the other men were going to go, the situation oddly reminding him of going to classes at Hogwarts. Moving closer to try and peek at the program, he jumped a mile and then cringed when he heard the familiar voice calling out 'Augustus'. Looking back to where his father had been talking, he noticed that the colleague was now gone and his father was looking about through the bustling crowd. He waved at his father, letting him know he was alright before turning towards the other men and smiling sheepishly. "Um... well... I have to be off then. I hope that the conference treats you well. Or as well as it can."
"It was a pleasure meeting you." Samrat extended his hand, then said, "Perhaps we will see you at infectious diseases." He grinned. "It is not often that one gets such an auspicious first meeting."