Why? she asked, and Aslan corrected his initial analysis of her.

Gorgeous.

As quickly as he acknowledged it, he was back on task. Dr. Witaker urged them to drink and steel themselves, so drink and steel himself he did. He waited for Miss Griffin to answer before following up with his own inquiry.

“What do you plan for us to work on first, Dr. Witaker?”

Evelyn didn't seem to notice them paying her any mind as she sipped her tea silently and only spoke in reply to his question. "Ah, I believe, Doctor.. that I wrote to you that I worked under my previous doctor for a little time in lieu of an official education. I have had to change home made bandages fetid from rot, and too many farming and carriage accidents to count. There are things that I found more troubling than blood. I will be fine, I assure you." She tried to offer a small smile to assure him that she was confident in her ability, but it still came off as a little nervous and uncertain.

He nodded, then he looked to the both of them in satisfaction, "Well, we treat all of the employees, that includes any of the guards, cooks, bartenders, bar maids, and of course, the courtesans and madame themselves. Right now there is no immediate need to treat any of them, but we will be talking to a few. See that girl over there? The maid? She is the exception as she is mute and does not know how to write in order to communicate back to us. Unless we can find someone who knows how to read sign. Oh, and Sonia, the owner, she is my responsibility." He paused and sipped at his tea.

"Let me make this clear before I take you to the first woman... You will not treat the courtesans with contempt. Is that understood? They are human too. They deserve compassion just as much as the next." That and he felt it his duty to do his best by these people. After all, they suffered in the same manner as he. "Many of these people are on edge as is after what happened with the younger Magnus Carrington."

She had previous experience. She was … probably around Aslan’s age, give or take. The doctor liked that Aslan could deal with corpses, at least. He sipped his tea.

When Dr. Witaker mentioned the girl was mute rather than just quiet, Aslan looked back to her. He signed ‘hello’ with a smile to her … then realized the facial aspects were probably unnecessary because she was mute, not deaf. He went back to his tea.

He nodded in agreement to Dr. Witaker’s words. Couldn’t think of any way to say ‘I know plenty of prostitutes’ without sounding like he had some sort of other problem, and so he kept his mouth shut.

Evelyn listened to the doctor and wondered why he told her so much information. They were his hopeful assistant and nurse. She couldn't imagine either of them stepping out of line and treating someone without his knowledge. If anyone needed help beyond the already accepted steps or minor things she knew how to treat, they'd certainly go to him. Especially when it came to the head of the place. But she didn't say it. Instead she merely answered his question.

In the same soft and uncertain voice, she spoke rather bluntly. "I may be somewhat intimidated by those here who can dress far more glamorous than I could ever dare. But that is nothing I'd ever hold against anyone here, and I treat every patient with the utmost respect and seriousness, I give you my word."

He nodded in satisfaction. He'd told as much information as he did because he knew how the courtesans were treated by society. It was funny when thought of, but how men and women both skulked in the middle of the night, spending money on warm bodies and companionship... But then on top of that, they would go home and talk shit about the warm bodies. There was a lot more risk than reward, too, in a line of business like that.

"Tell me about what you know about syphilis," he said to both.

‘I’ve been checking for it among other types of bumps ever since I fucked some priest,’ Aslan didn’t say.

Instead, he described the thoughts he went through most baths since:

“A coppery rash across the shoulders,” which he would check for when he first stripped and passed the mirror. “Sores in the mouth,” which made him anxious every time he found he’d bitten his cheek again in the night. “Genital ulcers, pustules, certain strong odors that do a man passed of it no favors. Cranial deterioration.”

He glanced to Miss Griffin and refrained from apology. She had mentioned fetid smells, which could refer to anything.

“I imagine if you’ve seen it, Miss Griffin, it was among the still-living.”

Evelyn listened politely and stopped drinking her tea at that point. She listened to both of then and her head seemed to subconsciously nod in agreement to some of the examples the hopeful assistant said. When it was her turn she stared like a confused doe for a moment before slowly speaking.

"Ah..as he had said. The... rashes, lesions, ulcers, um.." she tapped her nose as she thought. "Sometimes developes into saddle nose. And there is the headaches, personality changes, and late stage could be dementia." The woman looked down then back at the doctor. "I could be slightly wrong. It is what I was told and experienced with my doctor." She crinkled her nose as she seemed to stress momentarily. "The patients, I mean. " she quickly clarified without feeling any embarrassment or shame at the possible misunderstanding.

"Alright then, let's be done with the tea and move along."

He then set his tea down and gestured toward the mute girl, who signed "hello" back to Mister Koch. His greeting had not gone unnoticed.

Then he looked to his possible nurse. "If you were to work for me, I would make sure you were equipped with the things you need, both of you. I would make a bag up for each of you to use."

Had she fucked the doctor? Would anything surprise him at this point? He glanced at her, expression blank but nonetheless a little too intently (especially at the nose) before taking another sip of tea.

He finished his tea and set it down. Followed Dr. Witaker’s gesture to the mute woman with his gaze, and smiled slightly back at her. At least he’d gotten that right.

Stood to follow, and offered Miss Griffin his hand up.

“That is very generous of you, Dr. Witaker. Are they to be borrowed and returned once we are able to furnish our own, or will they be deducted from our wages?”