Hawker's Reach perched on the edge of a well-worn route which meant they always had plenty of travellers mingling with the three hundred or so townsfolk across its two saloons. Most of those strangers probably never heard of Dr. Wagner, but the townsfolk all knew him well.
If he'd been living in a city, which with his skills he probably could, he'd have been hailed as a genius healer. He could pretty much right any ailment, malady, or disease you could name, and many others you couldn't. In fact, the old timers in Hawker's Reach will tell you that no one in that town has passed from anything but old age since the day Dr. Wagner showed up.
Always courteous, always polite, the Doc always asks to be let inside on his nightly rounds. He's gentle in his movements and exact in his practice. He carefully considers the patient's words and gives comforting but firm advice on their care after he's done treating them.
And when he's not working, you can always visit him in his house up on the hill. It's dressed like an old European home, which I guess the Doc did to remind him of his homeland, and it's packed full of old curiosities and ancient books. Dr. Wagner is always excited to share what he knows about his vast collection of odds and ends. He's a well-travelled man from what I can tell, and when he talks about history, he tells it in such great detail, it's like he was there.
The only quirk that gets a few grumbles out of the travellers he treats is the blood he extracts. Says it's all part of the process, but it doesn't half leave you feeling dizzy after he's got a few pints out of you. Still, you can't deny the results are spectacular, and he doesn't charge a single dime for none of it neither.
Funny thing is, my old Grandpa insists that Dr. Wagner came to town when he was a little lad. Can't be true, cause the Doc is barely pushing thirty. Must be that the old man's mind is going. I guess he's due a trip to the Doc.
Paddy Dobson
2nd May 2022