“A new apprentice!” The shock of the word startled Valentina for a moment. She felt her eyes widen with surprise and involuntarily shuffled back with her feet. The purple skinned man stepped around from behind the counter and held his hands high. “Wonderful, wonderful! This is simply wonderful!” Val kept her eyes pinned on the man as she finally spoke.
“What is so wonderful?” she asked sharply, her voice thick and shrilly. The man had taken her by such surprise.
“You are a new resident right?”
“Indeed.”
“Well then, it is simply lovely to have made your acquaintance.” The akalak man said, “you are Valenta? I am Jansen, it really is lovely to meet you.”
“Valentina” she corrected him. Taking a step into the rather rudimentary treatment center the doctor held up his hand.
“Wait wait wait.” He said, shaking his head and pointed to her sword. “We are doctors here, not soldiers, your weapons remain by the hearth.” He said, gesturing towards the firepit out front of the building. Val nodded, turning and removing her sword and sheath. Stabbing it into the sand till it stuck. Turning around the man began speaking again. “Medical tools are of course always allowed in, but lets try to keep the whole place pleasant and keep our weapons stowed.”
“I had heard there is another doctor, Kami?” Val asked. She stepped into the Panacea, taking a look around she tried to familiarize herself with it as best she could.
“Correct! You will meet her eventually.” Jansen said stepping up towards her. He extended his arm out towards the structure. “This is, The Panacea.” He said its name proudly, Val had heard that Jansen and his other half had been the ones to build it. She wanted to ask more about that other half but thought better of it. The only other time it had been brought up before her caravan drew close to Riverfall was in a biology class. Almost all the students in Ravok were confused and the instructor eventually had to relent that he did not in fact know enough to explain anymore.
“Its smaller than I thought it would be?” Val said, looking around. Jansen let out a laugh.
“Indeed, but it’s perfect for what we need.” He walked away from Val, stepping into the center of the open air room and glanced at the few beds laying about. “Treatment is done here and any antibodies, salves or whatever you need, are constructed in that little lab,” He gestured towards a small room, “And that door leads to our connected bungalow where I sleep.” Val smiled, enjoying the tour.
“Seems compact. Simple.” She hoped to be working here so it was good of her to enjoy the space.
“It is. But what isn't simple, Valentina.”
“Just call me Val.”
“Val,” he said before continuing his thought, “Is the question I ask all prospective apprentices and I hope one day when you take on an apprentice you will ask it as well. Why do you want to practice medicine?” Val was taken back by this. Why? She could do it, why should her wants have anything to do with it.
“I’m sorry.” She said pausing, “I don't understand. I felt I was pretty clear to James that I already possessed enough qualification to assist you in wha-” he cut her off.
“This isn't an interrogation. Relax Val.” The man sat down on one of the empty bed. “I want to know who I will be working with. I can't help you be better if I don't know why you are even here. So again,” He paused, “Why do you want to practice medicine.”
A silence filled the room as the hot summer breeze itself seemed to wait for her answer.
“What is so wonderful?” she asked sharply, her voice thick and shrilly. The man had taken her by such surprise.
“You are a new resident right?”
“Indeed.”
“Well then, it is simply lovely to have made your acquaintance.” The akalak man said, “you are Valenta? I am Jansen, it really is lovely to meet you.”
“Valentina” she corrected him. Taking a step into the rather rudimentary treatment center the doctor held up his hand.
“Wait wait wait.” He said, shaking his head and pointed to her sword. “We are doctors here, not soldiers, your weapons remain by the hearth.” He said, gesturing towards the firepit out front of the building. Val nodded, turning and removing her sword and sheath. Stabbing it into the sand till it stuck. Turning around the man began speaking again. “Medical tools are of course always allowed in, but lets try to keep the whole place pleasant and keep our weapons stowed.”
“I had heard there is another doctor, Kami?” Val asked. She stepped into the Panacea, taking a look around she tried to familiarize herself with it as best she could.
“Correct! You will meet her eventually.” Jansen said stepping up towards her. He extended his arm out towards the structure. “This is, The Panacea.” He said its name proudly, Val had heard that Jansen and his other half had been the ones to build it. She wanted to ask more about that other half but thought better of it. The only other time it had been brought up before her caravan drew close to Riverfall was in a biology class. Almost all the students in Ravok were confused and the instructor eventually had to relent that he did not in fact know enough to explain anymore.
“Its smaller than I thought it would be?” Val said, looking around. Jansen let out a laugh.
“Indeed, but it’s perfect for what we need.” He walked away from Val, stepping into the center of the open air room and glanced at the few beds laying about. “Treatment is done here and any antibodies, salves or whatever you need, are constructed in that little lab,” He gestured towards a small room, “And that door leads to our connected bungalow where I sleep.” Val smiled, enjoying the tour.
“Seems compact. Simple.” She hoped to be working here so it was good of her to enjoy the space.
“It is. But what isn't simple, Valentina.”
“Just call me Val.”
“Val,” he said before continuing his thought, “Is the question I ask all prospective apprentices and I hope one day when you take on an apprentice you will ask it as well. Why do you want to practice medicine?” Val was taken back by this. Why? She could do it, why should her wants have anything to do with it.
“I’m sorry.” She said pausing, “I don't understand. I felt I was pretty clear to James that I already possessed enough qualification to assist you in wha-” he cut her off.
“This isn't an interrogation. Relax Val.” The man sat down on one of the empty bed. “I want to know who I will be working with. I can't help you be better if I don't know why you are even here. So again,” He paused, “Why do you want to practice medicine.”
A silence filled the room as the hot summer breeze itself seemed to wait for her answer.
