Simon's office wasn't the most oppressive in St. Mungos - that honor was reserved for the offices adjoining the morgue - but despite his rigorous attempts to keep everything filed and neat the office always gave people the impression it was teetering on the edge of complete chaos. It was as if they opened the wrong drawer, the whole place would unhinge and they'd be swept from the office in a tidal wave of paperwork, potions supplies and books. Even Simon worried about it sometimes, and he knew where everything was (or so he claimed). The few plants he kept around the place helped distract, thankfully. As well as the tiny fountain he kept on his desk.

Even so, his desk was mostly clear. He had his usual stack of reports in front of him, though the file sitting on top of  them wasn't normal, exactly - Thorpe's report on Daniel Pratt. Pratt was an ongoing annoyance for Simon, in some ways. He wished the poor man the best, but at the same time, he was a nightmare for the younger healers to deal with more often than not. Someone with a rather nastiest sense of humor might have commented that the name was a perfect fit. Thankfully, Simon was not one of those people.

Still, Pratt wasn't the reason he had the file open today. Given the description, he was pretty sure he knew exactly why the man had been hit with a Stunning charm, but it was still something he wanted to confirm with Thorpe.

And waiting over a month to do so might seem odd, but seeing how well she recalled the incident, he felt, would give him more information than talking to her the day after...

"Ah, Miss Thorpe," He said with a smile as the younger witch entered, leaning forward earnestly.  "I trust your day has been a good one, so far?" His hands were cupped before him, his elbows on his desk subtly covering the file in front of him.

Vivienne was leaving the Janus Thickey ward when one of the mediwizards spotted her in the corridor: "Do you have time for a consult, Healer Thorpe?" He asked, looking a little anxious in the way most new members of staff did on this floor. Normally she would have gladly obliged, on-shift or not, but today she was supposed to meet with the Healer-in-Charge after rounds.

"Sorry," Viv smiled apologetically: "Appointment. Try one of the Healers inside, they'll be able to help."  The fellow ducked into the ward without another word and Vivienne continued down the corridor to Healer Greenburg's office. Punctuality was an important factor in any hospital-- but on her way, she stopped once to look in a mirror and check if her robes were in order. Not that it mattered to anyone; she doubted that Greenburg cared. Still, he hadn't ever requested a meeting before, apart from their initial contact when she transferred to the fourth floor. Had she done something wrong? It was like being sent to a teacher. Viv wasn't sure if she liked the man but one didn't really have to like a figure of authority.

The office was busy, in terms of content,  Unsurprising... she suspected that most Healers-in-Charge lived at St.Mungo's. "Ah, Miss Thorpe." Healer Greenberg smiled and she instinctively returned it. "I trust your day has been a good one, so far?"

There was no telling how long this meeting was going to take, so Viv walked over and casually dropped herself into the seat opposite the desk. "As good as they get around here, Healer Greenburg. The long term patients are doing well at the moment." Nobody yelling or throwing things about. She looked calmly at the wizard opposite and crossed her legs gracefully: "How can I help you today?

"Good! Good," he said, and got to business. The tilt of his shoulders changed slightly, his eyes narrowed, his lips pressed into a line, and suddenly he was much graver in appearance. He raised his cupped hands up to sit upright, with his fingers steepled. This, evidently, wasn't going to be the most friendly of meetings; though there was a hint to his manner that suggested he wasn't angry so much as... disappointed.

"I've received a rather distressing report, Healer Thorpe, though it's also a rather late one," he said, looking at his papers again before his blue eyes met hers again, his gaze maintaining her eye contact, unwavering. "I understand you're somewhat new to this floor, and that some times things can get out of hand, but." The 'but' fell into place like a brick. "Hexing patients is an absolute last resort, I think you'll agree."

His hands lowered slightly; like he was opening himself up a bit, allowing her input. "I'd like to know what happened with Daniel Pratt. Please - Justify your actions."

"Please - Justify your actions."

Vivienne's smile faded quickly once she had realized what their meeting was about but she held Healer Greenburg's gaze steadily, feeling like an apprehended delinquent now more than ever. And here she thought that, just maybe, they had overlooked the Pratt incident. Should have known better than that; she still recalled it vividly, so why shouldn't he?

Only she wasn't sure if there was anything one could say to justify that hex. "I do agree that... hexing patient Pratt was an unusual reaction. It was unorthodox and my reasons were irrational." Viv broke off their eye contact abruptly and directed her gaze at the fountain on the desk, which rather soothed her.

"I was a little scared. Of what he had done to his last Healer, I mean. As a result, I was prepared to go through extreme measures in order to prevent Daniel from hurting or maiming anyone else." At the time, it had been the patient's brother who caused her to reflect on her actions that day-- his anger was exaggerated but of course he had been jarred by the hex; people didn't really expect a healer to do such a thing.

Vivienne glanced back up at Greenburg, her grey eyes somber and faintly contrite: "Pratt was none the worse for it, at least not physically. But I must admit that I don't completely regret the incident."

Simon's hands came up to meet his chin as she spoke. His posture was thoughtful and controlled, letting out almost no hints of his thought process.

The Pratts had something of a history; the only one that really hadn't been an issue was Quincy Pratt, who was by all accounts a reasonable and capable Healer. Daniel's papers had a rather distressing list of incidents, ranging from minor to, well, the reason he'd gotten a new healer in the form of Thorpe. His brother Edward had a history with them, too, but mostly just via injuries. And having a rather amazing mouth on him. (This usually being noted in a hurried scrawl in the corner of reports)

Still, she was admitting what was most likely her real thought process at the time, and for that he was grateful. In the past, he'd had Healers create some quite elaborate stories; it was usually the fault of the patient, or their fault but not really their fault because of outside factors. It was a good thing, in Thorpe's case, that she didn't do that.

"I see," he said, carefully. "Wold you prefer we find another healer for Mister Pratt?"

Vivienne didn't like that she could never quite tell what Simon Greenburg was thinking. It annoyed her because that was how she dealt with all her patients and colleagues-- their body language was enough for her to know how to react, whether she should be firm or soothing, whether they were angry or nervous. The only thing that she could derive from Greenburg was that he was, more or less, thinking something.

The offer to pass Pratt along caught her completely off guard though, and that much showed in her expression. "Not at all!" Viv  exclaimed in an appalled tone before shutting her mouth hastily. More calm-and-caring... less emotional-and-controlling, she told herself as her cheeks went red. She smiled a little awkwardly.

"No, is what I mean, Healer Greenburg. It takes a long time for healers to get to know their patients and I have had a month with Daniel. It's enough to want to continue working with him." Viv looked at her superior candidly as she uncrossed her legs, sitting more forwardly: "Regardless of the odd act of aggression."

Simon's eyebrows rose gently, moving up his forehead in such a delicately dignified manner that he almost wanted to slap himself for it. He barely moved at her outburst, but Vivinne would have been able to see a sudden tension, a widening of his eyes in surprise. He hadn't expected such a quick reaction, at least not from Thorpe.

He cleared his throat, when she'd calmed down. "Yes, well," he said, and smiled, suddenly; his smile quick, quiet and professional. "That's good to hear; you've out lasted some of his other healers..."

Simon shuffled the papers in front of him, thoughtfully. "What do you make of our dear mister Pratt?" He asked, with a hint of a smirk; clearly, her opinion was more than a casual question to him. But he was all ears, his posture brimming with attentiveness.

Greenburg seemed... vaguely astonished by Vivienne's reaction. She was glad for it. It wouldn't do for anyone to think that she was the kind of Healer who did her job complacently and without feeling. The hospital was her life, after all. Viv needed to be here just as much as her patients depended on her aid.

"That's good to hear; you've out lasted some of his other healers..." The Healer-in-Charge trailed off and although his smile wasn't even remotely humorous, she felt as if though a dark chuckle ought to have followed. Better not say so. "What do you make of our dear mister Pratt?" he asked.

Vivienne sighed and looked across the desk with a thoughtful expression: "When he isn't being aggressive, which is really the more prevalent of behaviours, Daniel isn't difficult. Quiet and passive," she thought of the afternoons when she would check on the wizard and find him staring bleakly at the walls of his room each time. Pratt shifted between a state of awareness and unawareness. Viv smiled a little and met Greenburg's gaze: "He likes socks. Argyle." It was such a trivial fact but it made Daniel Pratt sound less like a patient and more like a functioning being.

Simon let himself smile genuinely, visibly relaxing. She'd satisfied him she was taking Pratt's case seriously and wasn't likely to hex Pratt - at least, not for awhile anyway. Simon wasn't the sort to let people slack off; it might wig out the trainees when he looked over their shoulders a lot, but he felt it helped in the long run. Thorpe...he hadn't full made up his mind on her, yet.

Simon leaned forward on his desk, his demeanor less serious but certainly not casual; he'd gone from stony countenance to academic interest seemingly like a switch had been flipped.

"Argyle?" He repeated curiously, flipping through Pratt's file. When he didn't find what he was looking for, he picked up his quill and jotted down a note. "Has he shown any signs of improvement or any changes in his symptoms that you've observed?" he asked.

Simon Greenburg looked through the file on his desk, picking up a quill. Vivienne sat back in her chair and watched him carefully. He did not look so intent as at the beginning of this interview but those were contemplative eyes. "Has he shown any signs of improvements or any changes in his symptoms that you've observed?"

Like many of the patients in the Janus Thickey ward, there was little she could say to such a question. Viv folded her arms and frowned, grey eyes clouding over with thought: "Not significant ones. He keeps a diary, which gives him a better sense of where he is in time but his condition is essentially persistent in its symptoms." The Healer paused to consider how to explain her work with the patient... she sifted through memories of the last month, to no avail for the time being.

"I've been working on brewing a kind of sedative in this last week, keeping Daniel in mind. Something he won't realize he has taken," Viv informed the wizard opposite her as she withdrew from her rumination, "But I am otherwise hesitant about beginning other treatments on him. His reactions can be erratic."

Simon had hoped to hear otherwise, but the news of no improvement wasn't exactly unusual with patients like Daniel. He sat back a bit, rubbing the back of his neck. "Unfortunately, leaving him as is..." He trailed off. He didn't really say it, but the words that's not what we're here for were definitely hinted in the feeling of unsatisfaction that radiated from every pore of Simon's body.

"This sedative - I'd like to see it and have it tested, if possible. Before you use it on Mister Pratt," he said. "If it works well on him, we might be able to apply it more widely - but if he already has erratic reactions..." A slight smile found his features for a moment. "I could also review your notes. But, since he has such volatile reactions, I'd feel better for everyone involved if we're a confident in the serum in general..."

He looked to the small fountain on his desk, drumming his fingers on the papers in front of him for a few moments. "What have you been trying on him? He's stable enough - for him, at least - so, once you're comfortable doing so, I'd like you to push for improvement."

Vivienne recalled, in brief, her meeting with Una earlier in the week as Healer Greenburg expressed his concern for its testing. She was still brewing various intensities of the sedative and had - probably inadvisably - tried some of the milder concoctions on herself. That had been fruitless, she was hardly in an aggressive mood at any of those times. Viv nodded in agreement: "Oui.I won't give him anything that hasn't been thoroughly tested."

"What have you been trying on him? He's stable enough - for him, at least - so, once you're comfortable doing so, I'd like you to push for improvement."

The colour reached Vivienne's cheeks-- what has she been trying on Daniel Pratt? That was a bit embarrassing, considering the futility of her endeavors. "Let's see..." she paused and then smiled, diffidently: "When I was first assigned to Pratt, I attempted various environmental adjustments. Mostly based on studies suggesting that such patients may subliminally absorb calmer surroundings. My attempts went unnoticed, to be honest. I've sat down with him to have conversations, hence the socks."

Viv sighed and glanced from the fountain on Greenburg's desk to his face, suspecting a very impassioned healer behind his generally unreadable expressions. "I have been getting to know Daniel Pratt and I would like to, as you say, push for improvement. Do you have any advice or suggestions on the matter, Healer Greenburg?" Her own ideas receded from the front of her mind for a while, eager to make way for a fresh opinion.

"Hm." Again, he didn't say it directly, but That's not enough might as well have been a neon sign over his forehead. Thankfully, she asked his advice, which gave him a good and productive outlet for the flash of concern.

He flipped through Pratt's papers, looking quickly at the papers of notes left by former healers. The man didn't seem to display any allergic reactions, thankfully. His former healers had tried an array of things on him, most of which had had only a temporary effect...largely due to the Healer themselves fleeing before the treatment's full effect could be measured.

"Hrm," he said again. "Let's see your sedative in action, first. If we can keep him calm - willing to talk, ideally, and keep him from throwing his violent fits - his next issue is his memory, which from a lot of these notes seems to be fueling his tantrums..."

He drummed his fingers again. "My instinct would be Schisandra and Bacopin," he said. "See if you can't get him to start having some calming potions in his food, too. I'd need to really have a look at him myself, though, and I haven't had a chance to really see him in some time..." His smile was wry for just a second. "I seem to see him the most when I have to ask why his Healer's quit, unfortunately."

Vivienne knew, or at least she thought, that Greenburg was relatively underwhelmed by her progress with Daniel Pratt. It didn't bother her as much as she thought it would because it meant that there was something there to push her when she wasn't feeling up to pushing the patient towards treatment. Not that she wasn't dedicated to poor Daniel but there were times when she feared his reaction to being analyzed or tested; nobody liked that feeling. Unfortunately, it was the only way to make headway with cases like his.

Schisandra, she could deal with. It was a multiple-purpose component and she used it herself to deal with a bout of insomnia, once. Viv was less accustomed to using Bacopin, naturally, having prescribed very different drugs when she worked on magical bugs. She nodded her head, frowning thoughtfully. Greenburg's instinct would be better than hers, at any rate. Redecorating... what had she been thinking?

At the mention of food, her mind went back to her potions but she tried not to linger there and listened on to the Healer dutifully. "I seem to see him the most when I have to ask why his Healer's quit, unfortunately." That flicker of a grimmer sense of humour. Vivienne sighed and pressed her lips together.

"Oui. I hope you do not have the displeasure of meeting with him under such circumstances in regards to me, Healer Greenburg. I have no intention of quitting..." She was determined not to drop any of her assigned patients at the ward: "Though should you have the time, maybe I can arrange an appointment if you wish to examine him."

A smile pulled at the corner of her lips-- Viv thought that it would be good for Daniel to meet more Healers in his calmer moods. A sense of community. She cleared her throat softly and added: "The sedative I am brewing should be able to mix with his food without him noting the change. I'll let you know when we begin to use it in meals."

"That's good to hear, Miss Thorpe," he said, smiling. "And - do let me know if you have any trouble or concerns with Mister Pratt. I would certainly like the chance to examine him -" he indicated the papers before him with a tilt of his left hand before letting them fold in front of him again. "We can see if he's making progress compared to his original state, at the very least - or of he's regressing with all these changes in Healers."

He eyed Vivienne for a moment, then settled back in his chair, looking openly thoughtful. Thorpe was an odd one for their floor; not new to Healing, but new to Spell Damage and therefore likely new to the hectic and rather gory turns that the 4th floor had as a manner of course. And there were the rather unfriendly patients, of course. Mister Rosier was a delightful example.

"How are you finding Spell Damage overall?" He asked, flashing her a quick smile. "Having to patch up the Aurors at all hours of the night isn't for everyone..."