[MLP:SiM] Sick Day Ch 2 [old]

Sick Day Chapter 2
By Tumultuous

Written Thursday 25 September 2014

First Posting: http://boards.4chan.org/mlp/thread/19789936#p19897364

[Viewpoint Shift]
>Be Octavia
>Anonymous, at your suggestion, wants you to go get one of the medical staff to cast a healing spell on him.
>You'd thought he might have been feeling a bit ill, but he's the only one of his kind in the world.
>You don't know how to recognize the signs to tell if he's sick or not.

>After a bit of walking, you make your way to the medical section of the castle.
>You hadn't had to come here since the last time Anon- Lord Anonymous got... rough with his pets.
>While he showed an incredible amount of restraint, especially compared to when the Empress chooses to unwind with violence, it was still very distressing to know it was happening, see it happen, and... "help" Lord Anonymous with the proceedings.
>It was clear that his intent was to cause pain while doing relatively little damage.
>Well... it was clear after a while.
>You have to admit, you were a bit confused about the buckets full of icewater until you saw the end result.
>You confidently signal your presence to the ponies on duty and ask to see the head doctor.
>"Yes, who is it? Oh, it's you again Octavia." says a unicorn mare with a light green coat and yellow mane.
>You can tell that she isn't pleased to see you, given how she deadpans the second part of her greeting.
"Yes, it's me. Your presence is requested, so if you would just follow me, doctor. The sooner you start, the sooner you'll be finished."
>You didn't think this would go pleasantly, but you expected her to be more professional about this.
>"Oh no. The Beast didn't start doing things to his "pets" again, did he?" She asks with widening eyes and mounting worry.
"You'll know when you get there. Just grab your things and follow me."
>The professional goes to grab her tools without another word to you.
>You have to admit, you like being able to push some ponies around for the sake of following orders.
>Many of the castle staff still look down on you for being more of an indentured slave or prisoner than a real worker like them.
>Even castle serfs have a need to feel superior to somepony, apparently.
>Working directly under Anonymous has made many of them unsure of where to place you in the castle heirarchy, and therefore, how to treat you.
>You still want better food and sleeping accomodations, but this is enough of a promotion for now.

>Her things gathered, the green-coated unicorn follows you as you move away from the medical wing, moving just slightly faster than normal walking speed.
>You wouldn't want Anonymous to think that you were dawdling when something like his health was on the line, even if it's just for a minor illness.
>Choosing a pace to make your yellow-maned companion that slight bit more nervous without moving fast enough to raise questions was just an added bonus.
>You smirk inwardly.
>"So... Octavia... How was your breakfast this morning?" asks the moodkiller.
>Your smirk, inward or outward, fades quickly.
>You and her start your workday on the same shift.
>She knows /exactly/ how your breakfast was.
>"Mine was alright. Pancakes and syrup, with some fruit and milk on the side."
>You had a single plate of rough lawn clippings and a glass of tepid tap water that had spent who knows how long sitting uncovered on the counter.
>"Not the worst spread that's ever been on the buffet table, by any means, but it felt a bit incomplete somehow." described the increasingly unwelcome medical professional as she hid a quick glance towards Octavia.
>All the meals seemed to do for you anymore was stave off the hunger for just long enough for you to be ravenous by the time the next meal rolled around.
>You're beginning to feel that this trip is a bit more of a chore than you expected.
>She's too smart to overtly insult someone who might be able to force her into some kind of disciplinary action, but she's entirely willing to try to make life a bit diffucult for somepony she thinks is beneath her, or somepony she just doesn't like.
>Lucky you, you get to check BOTH those boxes.
>Still, it was your idea, and you have to carry it out.

>"Where exactly are we going anyway? His pet's rooms? Wait. He didn't go too far in the dungeons again, did he?" inquires the worried-looking unicorn.
>You let this pass without comment, not saying anything more than necessary.
>There's no reason to help her feel /too/ comfortable about being called.
>After some more tension, she seems noticeably more relaxed when it becomes clear that you aren't going down to the dungeons.
>Lord Anonymous, and especially Empress Nightmare Moon have a bit of a reputation and a few rumours floating around about what they do to the ponies in the deepest parts of the dungeon that few are allowed to see, but Anonymous is known to not cause any major physical injuries to those he considers his pets.

>You think you're close enough to your destination to let the doctor in on exactly what they're being called in for.
>The procedure should be quick, efficient, and done with minimal fuss.
>Anything else would reflect poorly on you as an attendant.

>Winding down to a slow walk in the final hallway before you get to Lord Anonymous' room, you begin talking in hushed tones to inform your companion exactly why she was called.
"Lord Anonymous is ill today. You are to cast your general healing spell on him."
>"I- What?! It's him, not his pets? I didn't even know he could /get/ sick. I didn't think extra-dimensional horrors worked like that."
>You glare at her sharply, which seems to be enough to send the message.
>But why stop there?
"You shouldn't refer to him like that. He is Lord Anonymous, first Enforcer to Empress Nightmare Moon. Any speech defaming him might count as slander against the crown to the right ears."
>This is enough to make the mare's expression transition from from being chastised to being frightened, all bravado from earlier vanished like it never existed.
>You might be enjoying this a little bit too much.
>Internal smirk: returned.

>Dissidents of any kind were NOT looked on favourably by the new justice system, which, on more than one occasion, had Empress Nightmare Moon involving herself as judge, jury and executor.
>Nightmare Moon's bad graces was a place that no one wanted to be, and given that this particular bit of information, that being that the Empress' most frightening enforcer is incapacitated for the moment, is something that the resistence movements would be VERY happy to get their hooves on, makes it worth a reminder here.
>You didn't exactly suspect any of the castle's medical staff of being violent revolutionaries, since medical cutiemarks seem to go hoof-in-hoof with a gentle "do no harm" disposition.
>At least as far as physical violence goes.
>Not everyone with a talent for medicine has a "healing" personality.
>Rebels have come from other strange places in the castle staff.
>They've even tried to recruit you once or twice, given your fairly unique position in the castle heirarchy.
>A few direct reports to Lord Anonymous when you were in private during your regular duties, however, and you'd removed both the threat of being a suspected rebel, and gained goodwill with your benefactors.
>For all the ways the world seemed screwed up from before, you knew which side buttered your bread.
>Bread. Grass Clippings. Whatever.
>The point is, you don't want to get yourself or your family killed.

>After pausing to let her stew in it for a moment, you continue your explanation as though nothing happened.
>That should help with showing her exactly who was in control of this little conversation.
"From what I could tell when I leaving his room, I think he just has a minor cold or maybe a flu. He seemed to have a hard time breathing through his nose, his eyes seemed a bit reddened and puffier than usual, and I think he has a sore throat, judging from how his voice sounded."
>The medical bag is lowered as the mare looks down and considers this for a moment.
>"Yes, I think you might be right, but I'd have to get a look to be sure."

>"Just... one thing..." She states meekly.
"Yes?" you inquire, with one eyebrow raised.
>"I've never actually seen The Beast before. Even when I was treating his pets, he had left the room by the time I got there to do other things. How different is he? I've heard him described as a hairless minotaur, but different. I've only seen ponies and griffons in my practice."
"Hmm. Yes, reading the signs will probably be difficult, but we'll talk about this part inside. It's enough for now that you know what your job is."
>"I... I-I'd really rather not do this. Couldn't you have picked a different doctor to do this? I'm sure most of the other medical staff have enough training to deal with a simple cold."
>She's ducking her head and folding her ears back.
>That's definitely fear in her eyes.
"Yes, they could, but you're the only one who can perform the procedure to get him back to one hundred percent right away, right?"
>"Well... No, I know for a fact that Doctor Tinnitus can do it."
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but he's on a different shift than you are, isn't he?"
>"Um... well..." she stutters as she tries to find a way out of this.
>This is getting fun.
>You are definitely enjoying this.
"Think of it this way: Lord Anonymous needs a service done, and you happen to be the one that fate has chosen to provide that service. It's all up to you. Don't fail."
>"I, Uh..." she weakly manages.
>Inward smile: beaming.
>Oh yes, you are definitely enjoying this too much.
>But, as much fun as it would be to have her fail and possibly become one of his "satellite" pets that he keeps in separated cells closer to the dungeon, it would be best for you if she could just do her job and be on her way.
"That said, It's best if we start now so that Lord Anonymous can get on with his day." you say as you move to open the door to his private chambers.
>"W-Wait! Hold on for a second!" She says, too late.

>You enter the room to see Anonymous sitting on the bed with his hand stroking his garments, looking at the door you just entered by.
>Now that you know he's feeling sick, you can start to pick out the signs, including that his eyes seem somewhat unfocussed and a bit glassy.
>He lets out a string of wheezing coughs, bringing his hand towards his mouth, as if to try to keep the air inside his lungs.
>It looks like you didn't get back a moment too soon.

"Lord Anonymous, I've returned, and brought with me Doctor Panacea" you announce, while waving a hoof towards the pony that had been accompanying you along the walk that felt ten times longer thanks to her presence.
>You might be acting just a little bit too formal and flamboyant, but how you act when it's just the two of you is something you feel is something best left private.
>Every bit of the flourish is worth it just to see the look on Doctor Panacea's face as she lets out a tiny squeak and freezes in fear with her hoof stuck in the air, trying to ward you off from opening the door.