You're in good company

Tomas still couldn't believe his luck that he'd found someone that might actually be able to do something for his MS besides just treating the symptoms. It all came from a chance meeting at the University cafeteria. If he'd gone an hour later, or if Rosalie hadn't stopped to ask him what was wrong, things could be incredibly different than they'd turned out. 

As it was, Tomas had decided to inform his family in person about meeting Rosalie, the doctor and her research, feeling it was too important to put in a simple letter. He was also a little unsure how they would take it, would they trust Rosalie, would they trust Tomas's feelings on the subject, his willingness to potentially be a guinea pig. Once it was clear, it was an avenue that Tomas wished to explore; he decided to set up a meeting between Rosalie and his father. That way, his father could decide for himself about Rosalie and hear from her own lips her explanation of MS and her ideas.

Using the Eluvian network meant they didn't have to travel through the darkspawn parts of Ferelden just to get to Amaranthine, but it had been decided they would go see her there as her research and work was too important to leave. He'd only been to Ferelden once before, and that was Denerim. This would be his first time visiting Amaranthine.

Once they were in Amaranthine, Tomas turned to his father.

She should be waiting for us by the tavern. She figured it would be the easiest spot to find. He said, a bit nervous about it all. It wasn't like he needed his father's permission to be treated by Rosalie, but it would make things easier.

What do you mean a doctor?

How do you know she is not some charlatan?

Believe me, Tomas, everyone wants to find a cure knowing how much we'd pay.

Skeptical was putting lightly. He stood beside his son, a tower of austerity in an all black suit, the claw of his dagger at his hip. The only flaw in his intimidating persona was the way Jorah kept an eye on the younger man, watching out for his balance, and giving some narration for the path. 

[color=orange]"There's a step here." [/color]

Despite this care, the Talon never looked long his at son's cane.

Today, Jorah wanted to smell this doctor out for himself. However, Amaranthine was vulgar with its crowds, so the crow had prepared a map in his head.

[color=orange]"We have time, let's take the long way,"[/color] he said, guiding Tomas with a hand towards a less hectic street.  Fast or slow, the tavern was not far. In public, Jorah was as silent as a wasteland, while in the private of their home, he had pelted Tomas with questions of this doctor. How did he meet her? What did she think she would get out of this? How many had died by her hand due to error? For all doctors err, surely. The tensions that unwound from his mouth, now, unwound in the manner they walked to the tavern. Jorah would take his son's arm more than he normally would, guiding him in a pushy manner, and Tomas would feel his father's arm stiff with suspicion.

Finally, they arrived at the referred tavern, and Jorah looked about with prejudice in his eye, as if he were trying to pick this Rosalie out from memory. His brow was ready with scorn. [color=orange]"I think I know who your doctor is,"[/color] Jorah muttered to Tomas, gesturing to the figure that incurred his speculation.

note: Jorah can be right or wrong, i'll let you guys improv that!

Rosalie was waiting patiently, a stock of notes piled up in a tidy way. The blonde had spent the past month compilating all the information that was recorded about Thomas’ disease plus she has added notes of her own, obtained from her research. She was a bit nervous, despite of the fact that nothing wrong could happen today; no matter if the family agreed to her research or not she could study on her own although it was always preferable to have a close contact to check than to just theorize.

She recognized Jorah, and she assumed that the man besides of him was his father. The man was gesturing just in the opposite direction and Rosalie just waved shyly, an eyebrow raised. It was common for her to be mistaken from older people, to be precise he was pointing to a woman who was dressed in a way more opulent way than she was and that looked way older than Rosie.

“Thomas? And Mister Mesonero?? Over here!” she tried to say louder, although she had never been good at yelling in crowds

Tomas wasn't exactly having that great of a day where his MS was concerned. The further they had to walk, the more Tomas struggled, but did his best to hide it. Occasionally, his face would twist into a scrunched up lemon. It wasn't every day that he got to go on an outing with just him and his dad. In some ways, it was a pleasant change. He wasn't used to having hi8s father's help, so he had mixed feelings about it. He was torn between thanking his dad and telling him he could do it himself. 

I know, I see it. He said in response to the step comment. He tried his best not to sound like he was annoyed. His dad was just trying to help, but he felt a bit like he was being led around by a seeing-eye dog. He just hoped he'd put some of his dad's questions and concerns to rest, though he was sure his dad would still have a hundred questions for Rosalie. After all, she wasn't long out of medical school, and it wasn't like her main project was about MS, but about the Taint instead. Just somehow the two were somehow connected on some level in the brain that Tomas couldn't begin to explain himself, even after Rosalie had explained it to him. 

He knew her of course through school, though she was ahead of him, as she was graduated and working on research projects. Tomas did his best to assure his father that Rosalie wasn't in it for anything, just like she wasn't trying to get anything out of her taint project beyond fewer deaths. She took the do no harm rule seriously, the oath she made as a doctor. She just wanted to help people. 

He just hoped that Rosalie could convince his dad that she was legitimate. As soon as he saw Rosalie, he smiled and waved.

Rosalie!!! It's so good to see you, good to see you're safe, I know things aren't going well in Orlais, not that they're going that great in Ferelden either but then I don't know how much of what I hear is truth and how much is rumours! How's your family? He asked, making some polite small talk before getting to the meat of the meeting.

He was quite certain a doctor proficient enough to heal his son would be, first and foremost, experienced. Wrinkles are their own diploma.

When his son shot a beamingly polite smile towards a woman sitting on the opposite side, he took one quick glance at her and his expression devolved from proud and rude cynicism to cold and quiet fury. If this was the doctor, then his son must have been swindled.

It lasted but a moment as Tomas needed help making his way to the table, which he dutifully tended to, but every other movement en route, his dark look towards the doctor contrasted his son's warm greeting. He also took several glances at his own son to try and discern why his boy believed so much in this woman. Was he naïve or smitten?

[color=orange]"Rosalie..."[/color] he said turning finally to her reaching out a stiff handshake. [color=orange]"My son has spoken very highly of you."[/color] he continued briefly, but in a manner one might relate a short, silly story invented by a child.

Then, he kept his mouth shut, noticeably pursed watching the conversation play out.

“It’s nice to see you Thomas” she said with a kind smile “I know, that’s why I moved with my brother Cullen to Ferelden; it has slowed my research a little but thankfully the university has sent me what I do need to continue my studies. “And how are you?” she replied politely. She was a bit nervous about how his father was looking at her, not feeling very comfortable at the moment.

“Well to have good references from someone like him it’s truly a honor” said the blonde as she shook his hand. “If you want we can both sit and start with the main topic of the conversation? I think that the best way to handle this is for you two to ask the questions that you wish, and for me to reply them the best that I can” said Rosalie kindly as she gestured at the seats.

Tomas desperately hoped that Rosalie would be able to explain things better than he had, but then at the end of the day he was an adult, and didn't therefore technically need his father's permission, but as he loved his father, he wanted to involve him in the process. It was hard for him to explain everything that Rosalie had told him, it was so much science and technical things. He'd tried, about how it wasn't a cure, but still would be a better treatment than the potions he'd been using to treat the symptoms, about how it wouldn't reverse damage already done but help future damage, or something like that.

Sure she was young, but she was older than Tomas by eight years and had gone through university and medical school. He clasped his hands in front of him to try and avoid them shaking, the walk had tired him out and it showed on his face.

So maybe you could start from the top and explain it all to my dad, what you'd told me. I'm afraid I wasn't very good at relaying all the technical medical stuff.

Jorah didn't take his eyes off her, even when she glanced nervously at his son, and even when his son tried to ease the burden of awkwardness with his own little speech.

[color=orange]"The technicalities are a place to start,"[/color] he said pulling out a chair, and maintaining his unnerving, shrewd look. [color=orange]"I'd also like to know how you're certain ," [/color]he settled himself in the seat, and lean his hand into his palm, speaking softly with threat, [color=orange]"it even works."[/color]

Maybe it was obvious Jorah didn't see his son as having much of a business sense. He was young, sheltered since he'd become sick. When he was a child, his father had sifted among numerous charlatans on his behalf. He brought these memories with him to this table, served himself with them, and tasted them on his tongue. He had always done so that Tomas would not be burdened by the stress of it all and could focus on any true recovery that could be made. He waved his son to sit, not taking his eyes off the doctor, alert and wary despite his mockingly relaxed body language, all but, his very careful study of her.

“When I was researching the taint I came across as a few scrolls from Tevinter that I thought that spoke about the blight, but after having the full translation they spoke of a different disease, one provoked by the body instead of the taint” said Rosalie as she placed a few copies of her notes on the table, being very careful of not staining or damaging them. “It’s a disease in which for some unknown reason, the body does to different part of itself what the taint does but without the same effects which explains why your son has such a wide variety of symptoms” said Rosalie. “And here I thought, if I can stop the blight from attacking the body I can do the same with the body attacking itself. Of course it’s not the same agent but the mechanism of the disease is similar enough for me to have ideas about how to make the remedy the most efficient. The plant I use to cure the taint wouldn’t work for this, but components of its mixed with medicines used for inflammation would help”

She sat straight on her chair “I can’t promise this remedy will be a definitive solution at the first attempt, but that would be the ultimate goal. I can’t fix the damage done already, I am not a miracle worker but I can stop the disease from further damaging the body” said Rosalie with the confident acquired after years of exposing academic topics to peers.