[Luca Sagebrook]

For once the infirmary was not full. Luca stretched out on a cot and covered his eyes with a warm washcloth. He was stil in his healer's robes, but not in any position to care as both jobs as well as Carter's issues kept him stressed completely out.

[Caryn Weasley-Sagebrook]

"And what's happened to you?" Caryn stood over her husband, a mildly confused smirk playing softly on her lips, although her brow furrowed with a bit of worry. She lifted the rag from his face, biting at her lip a little as she scanned his features for any sign of injury.

"Just hiding away from the world, then?" she asked, her smirk growing as she playfully tossed the rag back onto his face.

[Luca Sagebrook]

"Yes." He nodded matter-of-factly. "I have a personal relationship with all of my patients, and while I love them all, and would never begrudge them an ounce help, I do believe the whole lot of them are trying to kill me. I haven't had this many calls from one person since the Hamren's were pregnant."

[Caryn Weasley-Sagebrook]

"So ignore the calls," Caryn suggested with a wide grin, rolling her eyes as though she had stated the obvious.

"Sorry---been a strange day for me, so I'm in an odd sort of mood...my workload seems light lately though, so if you want me to take on a few of your patients...I could...."

She sighed and sank into a chair next to the man, positioning herself so that she could gently massage his upper arm.

[Luca Sagebrook]

Luca sat up right. "Is there a single person within these walls that isn't a magnet for crazy...just unreasonable....blah..."

"It's all Landon'd adopted son. I love the boy....he just....everything with him is so unstable. When my dad left the picture, I lived with my mom, and went I went off to University, up until the time I bought us a house, I lived with Ethan. Carter is literally all over the place. All the time."

[Caryn Weasley-Sagebrook]

Caryn's smirk disappeared as Luca spoke. She sighed and nodded, letting her eyes drop to the side in worry as she pictured how things must be for Carter.

"He is, isn't he? And he seems to refuse stable help when offered...like with the Hamrens..." She let her voice drop a little as she couldn't be sure who was listening in. Rumors flew at Hogwarts, and the last thing Carter needed was more people talking about him.

"I suppose this is where you'd say you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink...."

[Luca Sagebrook]

"You don't have to, the boy drinks. He skipped his operation, and he's been living in his car. No food....he looks awful. Hurting his pride would be much easier than letting him waste away. I've offered he stay with us. He refused. You didn't see him today, Caryn. The boy looked half dead." Luca shrugged and shook his head.

[Caryn Weasley-Sagebrook]

"So can't anyone...just...make him? No...suppose not, he's of age now, isn't he?" Caryn said, huffing out another sigh.

"Even if he weren't, that boy is too stubborn for his own good, from what I've heard. I don't know...do you suppose he might take a job, if someone helped him to find one? Some responsibility might be good...."

[Luca Sagebrook]

"He has a job...sort of. Landon set him up as a"junior auror" before he left. They rip the boy into pieces and send him back for more and the head of that department is as crooked as they come. "

He shrugged. "The only person Carter tries to humur is Garrin."

[Caryn Weasley-Sagebrook]

"Well---what about Harry? If he's working for the Ministry, Harry ought to be able to steer him right, wouldn't he? Or perhaps he's already tried...if, as you said, the only person Carter humors is Garrin...."

Caryn gave a mild shrug. "Harry won't help anyone who doesn't ask for it. He doesn't like to be pushy---not his style."

[Luca Sagebrook]

"I just feel like something really bad is happeniong to the boy and I'm just sitting by watching it happen., you know?" He asked.

[Caryn Weasley-Sagebrook]

Caryn cocked her head to one side sympathetically, and sighed, giving a bit of a soft smile.

"Sweetheart, you know there's not much you can do, unless you plan on imperiousing the boy---and as you've no legal grounds on which to do so. I say a swift knock to the head with a frying pan might do the trick."

She broke into another quick smirk, but it faded, and she sighed again. "What do you mean, exactly...by 'something bad'?"

[Luca Sagebrook]

"I mean the sort of things that always seem to happen to the people we know." He shrugged and shook his head.

"Not many deliveries today, by the way. That keeps slowing down. I guess everyone has the same opinion that we do."

[Caryn Weasley-Sagebrook]

"Hm," Caryn said somewhat distractedly. Her eyes shifted upwards as she gazed out the windows above, looking lost in thought for a moment.

"The best I can think of is to ask Carter to look after Julie in the afternoons...if they're at the house, it would at least give him access to some food."

[Luca Sagebrook]

"If he accepts." Luca shrugged. "Caryn....your husband is getting old." He sighed.