[FIN] And All is Mended [Callypso]

[Lucca]

There was, sure enough, a bit of pain during the procedure, but Aberforth bore it stoically, only flinching a couple of times. It was, after all, better than the alternative. Infection was never fun and could put someone in bed for a month...or worse. Too much time to think and reflect on life when you were sick, and the Tulgey was in no hurry to do any more of that fruitless exercise. You could only discover all the ways in which life is meaningless so many times before it would start to slowly rot your brain.

The Goat relaxed minutely when she was done, feeling a sense of finality wash over him. She'd done her work, just like she should. Iso's reputation would be kept up, her guilt assuaged, yadda yadda. Aberforth was just glad he wouldn't have to worry about the cut on his neck any longer. He coldly noted the odd look in the Ferret's eyes, and he wondered if perhaps she had been inhaling too many chemicals...when he realized it was merely satisfaction.

The Goat could...-almost- understand that feeling. He -almost- felt satisfied when he caught a criminal or made something out of iron. Almost. He nodded absently to her words, standing up and arching his back slightly to stretch his stiff muscles. Her next words, though, gave him pause, and he turned to blink blank pink eyes at her.

A compliment? He...wasn't sure how to respond to that, and so for a moment he didn't. But no, he wasn't going to get silly or sentimental or anything like that, and he didn't think the doctor would either. It was simply one of the enigmas of Card interaction, a little deceit that allowed one person to pretend they honestly cared for another.

Clearing his throat, the Goat responded gruffly, "I had excellent care instructions, and the wound was first treated adequately."

For Aberforth, that was practically gushing.

[Callypso]

After what seemed like an inordinate amount of time, though only several seconds had passed, Iso managed to procure the ointment she had been searching for. She turned once again to her patient who hadn’t yet responded to her compliment. While placing the ointment in a suitable bag to ease the goat’s travels, she began to question why she had bothered to offer such a commendation at all. Proclivity toward such social concerns simply was not the modus operandi for the young doctor, yet for some unexplained reason, she had felt the need to share her delight in her patient’s recovery. Again, the discomfort she had been feeling surged and gave cause for an inquiry into her own natural inclinations.

Were they natural, though?

Icy fear crept its way along her spine at her own question. This was exactly the sort of thought process she had been avoiding. She had very specific reasons for her behavior, didn’t she? Didn’t she?

Abeforth’s voice shook her from her own personal terror. His response had been more than adequate and Iso nodded briefly and gave a short, quiet Thank you[/b]. Though perhaps it might have eluded the Tulgey’s notice, her appreciation extended beyond mere acknowledgment of her work- he had played this awkward social game with her, and more importantly, saved her from her own introspection.

Iso handed the pouch with the ointment to Aberforth and gestured for him to lead the way back up the stairs toward the front door. After another brief nod acknowledging the end of their exchange, she closed the door behind him and waited until she could no longer hear his unearthly hooves echoing down the street before twisting the deadbolt.

Slowly and deliberately she made her way back down to the lab. Opening the drawer she had forbidden herself earlier, she removed a small vial. Her paws trembled dangerously as she attempted to extract the contents and quickly downed whatever had managed to come out. Curling up around herself to calm the nervous quakes that wracked her tired body, she waited for the pills to take effect.

((OOC: And "Fin"?? XD))