All Work and No Play [Callypso]

[Harpsdesire]

Ah-HA! Success! Joel turned onto Dr. Price's street with a playful skip in his step. Once he had the correct street, he hardly needed to look at the house number to recognize the building he was looking for: it had the comfortably dilapidated appearance more commonly seen in Corvistowne, and several deliveries of what looked to be medical supplies waited on the slightly sagging porch.

It had taken him some time and effort to locate the doctor who was neither listed nor especially well known outside of strictly scientific circles, and it was not so simple as he expected to get the letter of parental consent which now waited in the satchel slung across his broad shoulder. His parents had been understandably suspicious of their eleven year old son's sudden decision to take an internship with a doctor in the city, but had relented after much pleading on Joel's part and a little research on Iaso Price's work and reputation.

Despite his boundless enthusiasm, Joel had started this expedition to Iso's home and laboratory with a little trepidation, which he told himself was just the quite normal action of adrenaline on the system, expected when one was trying something new. He had nothing to worry about, really. He had the letter in his bag and the address he needed scribbled on a scrap of parchment. He had packed a lunch and brought his own writing supplies so he would be prepared should the doctor want him to take notes. He was prepared, he was ready. He was born for this.

Surely Iso was expecting him, surely she wouldn't change her mind at the last minute and send him home. Surely he wouldn't get lost before he even found the place and end up wandering the city all day long until he finally gave up and returned home, only to be teased by his sister, who thought he was making the whole thing up to begin with...

But here he was. Joel mounted the creaking wooden steps and raised one paw to knock on the door... then stopped, suddenly intimidated. Whew, deep breath, you can do this Joel... He smoothed down his fur a final time, withdrew the letter from his parents from among the notebooks, quill pens, apples and other bric-a-brac in his bag. Good, it hadn't been smudged or wrinkled in transit. Then, gathering his courage and composing himself into what he hope was a stance of confidence and maturity, he knocked. He told himself that this was going to be amazing, the opportunity of a lifetime, and that Dr. Price might even be a tiny bit impressed that he managed to find her in the first place.

Now he just had to hope that Iso was home, and hadn't totally forgotten that she told him to come by on Monday. It was Monday now, nine in the morning sharp, and Joel was ready for his first day of work.

[Callypso]

If it had been up to Iso, she would have forgotten the entire incident at the Capital Common Auditorium and let her exchange with the young Corvie fade away into “opportunities missed” that the boy would eventually learn to accept as part of his maturation process. In her haste to escape the panel mob she had made an agreement she hadn’t really wanted. Hindsight, being as clear as ever, told her she had been foolish to make another Card an offer upon which she would later desire to renege.

Unbeknownst to Joel, his parents had immediately sent an urgent letter to the doctor inquiring if his seemingly wild tale had any merit. Iso had been surprised and disgruntled to receive the correspondence, recognizing that she was now obligated to fulfill her end of the bargain. It had occurred to her that a lesser Card might return the questions with a mistruth but if Iso was anything she was honest and would honor her promise. She didn’t like it, of course, but at least with access to the parents there wouldn’t be lecherous rumors about Dr. Price’s young assistant.

She wrinkled her nose. Assistant.

So here she sat, in her largely disused kitchenette, grumbling into her coffee and glaring at a nearby vial of circular white disks as though it were their fault she was in this predicament. She downed one or two anyway and continued a vacant stare over her caffeinated beverage. Eventually, a knock sounded at the front of the house. The Corvie glanced toward a clock on the wall. 9am sharp.

Slowly, Iso made her way to the front door, unlatched the deadbolt and pulled the door open. There on her crooked and creaking doorstep was the young boy, pack at the ready and a nervous eagerness that Iso knew only too well. Well, at least he wasn’t a complete idiot. He had found her.

During the exchange of letters between physician and guardians, Iso had specifically requested they not provide any advice to their son about her whereabouts. The boy needed to overcome the challenge on his own, and in turn, the doctor agreed to silence regarding the letters. After all, this whole exercise was about gauging the youth’s maturity and resourcefulness. His parents were simply being cautious - no need to alert Joel of the adults’ activities. Iso too, had learned an important lesson- to keep her muzzle closed lest she be the victim of her own carelessness. She sighed.

Iso stood in the doorway, carefully appraising the boy through furrowed brows. Finally, she gave a few brief nods as though begrudgingly satisfied.

Well, come in then. Dawdling achieves nothing. And mind those packages. They’re expensive.

She gestured vaguely to the parcels nestled on her doorsteps, scooping up one in her paws before stepping out of the doorway to allow the boy entrance.

[Harpsdesire]

It seemed like several minutes passed between his knock and the doctor's appearance, but in truth only seconds had passed. Joel was relieved that Iso answered the door, and even more pleased to see that she didn't seemed entirely surprised to see him. She had been expecting him! "Yes, doctor Price." He said respectfully. Joel couldn't help but smile at her 'greeting'. It might have seemed to curt to a more socially-aware card, but to the child, 'no dawdling' roughly translated into 'science sooner', so he entered with an energetic stride, neatly avoiding any packages.

"Want me to carry one of these?" He gestured at the boxes on the steps before the door shut behind him. If they truly were valuable it was not advisable to leave them outdoors any longer than necessary. Theft, as well as all manner of petty crime and vandalism was common in the outer bazaar.

"I have the letter from my parents for you here." He stated, handing her the sealed envelope as if it was very precious. The boy's face was mildly nervous and very hopeful. He could hardly believe this was happening! Although his excitement had prevented him from sleeping much the night before, he didn't feel even slightly tired. In fact, he was rather hoping that Iso would put him to work right away... maybe doing something interesting... but probably doing something boring or gross. "I'm ready to get started right away if there's anything you need done."

Joel wasn't such an absolute optimist that he expected this assistant-ship to be all fun and games. He did, however, seem to entirely miss Iaso's attitude of slight dislike and marked irritation, as evidenced by the look he gave her: wide childish eyes regarded Iso with admiration, not entirely without a sort of... well, affection.

[Callypso]

Iso stood just beyond the threshold of her house, propping the door open with a foot. The urge to roll her eyes at Joel's question was overwhelmingly strong but she managed to settle for lowering her head and pointedly peering down at the boy and then at the boxes. If this was how the rest of the week was going to go then she didn't want any part of it. She took in a deep breath reminding herself that Joel was still very young and this was most likely his first internship/job/summer-time occupation. Looking upward as if seeking guidance from something-beyond (which was silly- there was no place for otherworldly mumbo jumbo in scientific matters) then looked back at Joel.

Yes, Joel. I would like you to carry a package.

As he passed her into the corridor she accepted the envelope with her free paw and waved it down the hallway.

Yes, yes. First door to your left. Mind your step.

Gripping the envelope with her teeth to free her hand, she shut and deadbolted the door after Joel had made his way past the threshold. She watched him carefully for a potential case of injury - one had to make the 3-inch jump from the low sagging porch to enter the main floor of the house. Thankful that children were so spry, she flipped a light switch "on" and followed Joel down the stairs.

Iso let out a soft, small sound of discontent as she surveyed the laboratory. Though it was rather tidy, it was still far from satisfactory. Rows of tables filled the center and bookshelves lined every wall, save a back corner and portion of the wall. Her work desk occupied that space and there were sinks and counter space for washing her various tools. Beyond the plumbing were a few cupboards which held everything from flasks, powders, syringes and more.

She settled a package on the farthest table (closest to her desk at the back of the room) then tore open the envelope to casually peruse the letter within. It was more of a formality, really, considering she had already corresponded with the parents, but of course Joel wouldn't know that.

Eventually she placed the envelope on the table next to the package and looked back toward her assistant.

We'll start slow.

Ignoring Joel's eager tone and obvious adoration, she gestured toward the nearby sink full of various sterilizing implements.

Iso had no intention of letting the boy near anything remotely important before first supervising his handiwork of the mundane.

[Harpsdesire]

Joel nodded, oblivious to Iso's frustration, and scooped a box up in one of his large front paws. Young as he was, Joel was beginning to get past the childhood clumsiness of brought on by his mis-matched limbs, and there seemed no danger of the package escaping his easy grasp.

He entered the door the doctor indicated and deposited his package carefully beside her own. She gestured to a sink full of dirty instruments and Joel's excited smile wavered, just a little. Still, he had cleaned much, much worse messes over the course of his own experimentation, and what had he expected, really? To do the cool stuff right off the bat? Not likely.

"Okay." There was no much else to say, as it was clear what needed to be done and he knew how to do it. Now he just had to get these things cleaned quickly and well, and then hopefully Iso would find he something more exciting to do.

Joel forced himself to move deliberately and carefully as he started his work. He had to get this right, and it wouldn't do to drop anything. Joel was always one to look on the bright side, and he found himself glad that he had the practice he did with sterilizing instruments. It was nice that he didn't have to look like a fool right away, given a task that he couldn't handle or didn't understand.

All in all, the menial job really didn't seem to discourage the boy in the least.

[Callypso]

((OOC: Soooorrrryy… I’ve been working overtime and it’s been just a mess at the office. I’ve had no energy left. I was sent on a break and this is what popped out. Apologies for crappiness. Blaaaah.))

Iso surveyed, with mixed feelings, the ease with which Joel navigated (package in paws) the questionable stoop and quick descent of the rickety staircase. She had been half-hoping a hoof would catch the dilapidated wooden door paneling and send the youth sprawling down the hall, package smashing into a wall, tell-tale crunching signifying the demise of the precious instruments within. Disaster at hand, Iso would have been able to dismiss the boy on the spot raining curses upon his clumsy head and sending him on his way to never [dis]grace her doorway again.

The ferret’s nose wrinkled in displeasure. Clearly, being in the company of the ambitious Corvie for a mere few minutes could warp her sensibilities for the worse. Her momentary fantasy was much too romantic and wasted what little imagination she had for so little a reward. Really, now.

The waver in Joel’s smile at the introduction of his task did not go by unnoticed. The corners of her lips twitched in amusement at his mild dismay and she turned toward a nearby shelf to retrieve a set of notes. To Iso’s pleasure, the boy only uttered a single word to convey his understanding and he set about his chore without any further commentary. The doctor made herself comfortable at the corner of a table in the middle of the room, which allowed her to supervise Joel’s activities as well as provide ample distance between the two of them.

Joel was surprisingly gentle and precise as he cleansed each utensil and after several minutes of eyeballing his work, she returned to the notes before her.

She found her mind wandering and caught herself looking up to watch the boy’s progress rather than review her research. Finally, she decided that he was too much a distraction for the moment and busied herself with tearing into the parcels they had carried in earlier. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she gently removed the contents: a small, latched box filled with slides of various muscle tissues and cells. Iso quickly and quietly set up a microscope for her viewing pleasure, but again found herself distracted by the youth at the sink. She paused again, muzzle in paw, and puzzled over her dilemma.

After the incident with Aber– no, she didn’t really want to think about it. Her cheeks flushed momentarily as her brows furrowed in anger. The point was, she had been feeling… lonely… since then. She hadn’t quite admitted it to herself yet (and probably never would), but the Corvie felt a consistent, metaphorical tug around her cardiovascular region and decided that it was an appropriate time for a lesson. She cleared her throat and addressed Joel.

I want you to look at this. It wasn’t a question. The doctor slipped a slide into place that displayed two separate clusters of cells. One was a sample of healthy ligaments and the other of an advanced case of arthritis.

Tell me what you see.

[Harpsdesire]

Joel was cleaning with a level of care and concentration that was a credit to one his age, and he was slightly startled when Iso spoke to him. He had been expecting to be cleaning for a while more, but the interruption was welcome-- his paw pads had begun to get a little pruney from the water.

He smiled when he saw the microscope offered, set down the instrument he had just finished washing, dried his paws, and trotted over to Iso. This must mean he had been doing a good job! There was a pleased grin on his young face; he was clearly excited to be asked to look at the slide, even though he had no way of knowing what it contained. He peered into the microscope carefully. "It's... ligaments." Joel pronounced after a moment of staring into the eyepiece. "The one on the right looks normal, but the other one, there's something wrong with it..." He had seen the healthy sort before, although not on as clear and well prepared a slide, but the second sample was unfamiliar. Joel had always used young, healthy lab animals in his experiments. Although he was not above using using live creatures in his crazy schemes, he at least had the compassion to put failed experiments and aging specimens out of their misery.

He looked up, glancing at Iso just a touch nervously. Joel knew she expected him to identify what was wrong with the damaged ligament, and he was dreading her disapproval. He looked again. "Some kind of... inflammation?" He ventured, raising his head to smile sheepishly.

[Callypso]

Iso kept a stern eye on Joel as the young Corvie finished cleaning the utensil he’d been working on and watched him walk halfway across the lab to meet her at one of her many work tables. The boy had his usual enthusiastic grin plastered on his face, which the doctor found a little annoying, but so far he’d done what he’d been told and hadn’t made any objections despite being interrupted at his task. If she couldn’t have intelligence or foresight at least she could have obedience. Well, she wasn’t quite sure if she liked that, either. She didn’t want the silly creature blindly following orders in case she’d made an error – which never happened – but one needed a dependable, insightful assistant regardless.

As with most of her decisions that she’d made while in her new home, her own actions and thought-processes were unclear to her. But she didn’t like to dwell on that. It irritated her that she questioning herself again. She had made a decision, and whether or not she could recall what had driven her to do so, it must have been for a good reason. And that was that. Still, there was that lingering melancholy – no. She was just tired and ill-tempered because she had to babysit this child and she was wasting time supervising him as he did menial tasks, all so she could determine what level of uselessness he would be. Ugh.

She watched with her usual impassive air as the boy peered into the eyepiece to survey the slide and waited for some sort of declaration. Iso wasn’t sure what she was expecting. He was young and might not be this far into his own studies, but if there was a chance he was then perhaps this madness might all be worth something.

After a moment’s hesitation Joel finally uttered a reply. Iso gave a slight nod. Well, at least he could recognize a basic muscle tissue group, and he wasn’t so stupid as to have missed that one of the cell groups wasn’t healthy. Well, then. She waited as he puzzled over what could be wrong with the tissue and offered an embarrassed smile. Her eyebrows raised ever so slightly as she considered his guess. Hmm. Perhaps with proper training he might amount to something. Very well, she would have to test him further.

Correct. One of the samples has inflammation, but what type? What are probably causes of inflammation and their possible effects on the body? Are there remedies?

Any other Card might consider this line of questioning a little advanced or unnecessary for a first day, but Iso was not about to baby the boy just because if it was his first day. She needed to know what he knew, what his thought processes were, and she wanted to see (most of all) if he would be worth the trouble.

[Harpsdesire]

Joel wracked his brain for the answers to her questions, his smile diminishing to be replaced by a thoughtful look. The cells had a particular look of damaged illness about them, it looked familiar somehow... "It could be autoimmune problems... lupus or rheumatoid arthritis? Or it could be a result of joint infection or aging." The young corvie wished his words had come out in a tone of greater certainty. Any of these things or more could cause joint inflammation, but it would take more expertise than he had to recognize the exact cause without patient history or tests.

At least he felt he had a better grasp of the results of such a disease, if not it's precise identity. "Results in pain, stiffness, elevated levels of inflammatory markers in the blood... and there's no cure. Usually light exercise and painkillers or anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed." Joel tried not to look either too proud of himself for remembering all that or too nervous about getting it wrong. The result was a slightly uncomfortable expression that was at least more serious than his usual smile.

It was rather exciting that the doctor was so quickly willing to move forward with his education, and Joel felt that bothering Iso until she agreed to teach him was one of the best ideas he'd had in a long time. This was hopefully going to be the start of a beautiful working relationship. Optimistic Joel never dreamed that Iaso was actually just screening him for level of uselessness.

[Callypso]

Iso found herself blinking slowly in surprise. The boy wasn’t a complete dolt. She again found herself at an odd intersection between satisfied and irritated. Surprised, because the boy evidently took his studies seriously. He was a young chap, to be sure, but he was eager to please and was clearly thinking logically about the study before him. Irritated because she wanted to have an excuse to throw him out for being a useless cad. She did not like having her options narrowed without her consent.

Your answer is satisfactory, though I am surprised you would mention aging. Cellular degeneration is a different process entirely, though this sort of inflammation is likelier to appear in aged cells. This is an advanced case of arthritis – see how the amount of cells seem almost doubled compared with the other sets?

“Satisfactory” was the closest equivalent to praise Iso was going to dole out at the moment. The doctor wanted her assistant to know he was on track, but wanted to do so in a way that would wipe that goofy expression off his face. She couldn’t begin to guess what his thoughts were – that was not her concern, nor did she excel at reading faces – but it was imperative that he focus on the task at hand. Worrying about his response was not going to help him arrive at the answer.

Just as her irritation began to take the lead on her pleasant surprise, another thought took hold and swam around her head like a gnat. Why this particular thought had eluded her until now, she could not say, but now it was earnest to make itself known. In all likelihood, it was unimportant, but in her current mood she seemed unable to focus on anything for long.

Joel. Why did you want to become my assistant? Your interests are not leading you down the path of muscle regeneration, correct? What do you hope to achieve by working for me?