|
|
Post by Callypso on Jul 6, 2011 15:48:26 GMT -5
((Sooo… If no one minds, I’d like to chop this thread into little time-warp segments… A couple pre-War, then a couple post-War - maybe with Kendra added in?- , then we can finally get to the BIRTHINGS! <3))  Polina had discovered a physician. Idle gossip with market patrons and light-eavesdropping at the edges of the Outer Bazaar had led her to the name of one Dr. Zenon. Wary of any Corvie whom she hadn’t met directly (though the name seemed vaguely familiar), Iso gave the name and address to Aberforth to determine if there was any criminal record. While Polina had later uncovered rumors of unsavory experiments, there had never been formal charges with the Police. Some inquiries through her mother’s network concluded that though Dr. Zenon might be a little off (what Corvie wasn’t?), she was brilliantly skilled at her work and would be a marvelous choice for her prenatal needs. It was uncomfortable for Dr. Iso Price to entrust her well-being to another. Tending to her own healthcare had always been an afterthought, an unconscious habit like cracking one’s knuckles or curling a slip of hair around one’s finger. In-between experiments or switching out flasks, she would check her pulse or monitor her heart-rate, but unless anything was drastically different she rarely made note of it. While she had been heavily using, however, she had been negligent in nearly all aspects of her life, hence why she hadn’t noticed when she first began to show signs of pregnancy. The Spade was now training herself to record vital signs twice daily – once in the morning, once at night. Neglect had cost her much already. Now that she was literally saddled with an unexpected burden, she was going to ensure the safety and health of her unborn litter. Aberforth would be joining her for this initial consultation (as well as any following), both because Iso was mildly terrified of news of malnutrition or mutations and because Aberforth wouldn’t let a stranger touch her with a ten-foot pole without his supervision. They made the short journey through town and the OuterBazaar, each using the other Card as a mask for their own insecurities, and found themselves at the door to Dr. Zenon’s laboratory. Iso stood at the threshold for a brief moment before finally knocking on the door. |
|
|
|
Post by Lucca on Jul 9, 2011 13:35:26 GMT -5
 Much as Aberforth distrusted Corvies, doctors, and all others who knew more than him and presumed to put that knowledge to use, even he could see the necessity of getting a check-up for their unborn children. Though at first the thought of being a father was startling and frightening and undesirable, he felt the desire to protect this child (or children, which seemed a bit more likely at this point, much as the thought was mind-numbing) with everything in him. It was a stronger, more passionate feeling than he'd felt since he was a child, and it worried him a bit with its intensity. It had an ability to break through his walls faster than anything else, and he still wasn't sure he liked it. Just last week, a drunk had nearly stumbled into Iaso with the sort of innate clumsiness that Cards who lost themselves in drink always carried about them, and Aberforth had raged at the man and made threats he would never even have thought of, before. No matter. This was here and now, and he'd be testing this Doctor Zenon just as much as she was testing Iaso and her health. He nodded to the Ferret in her pause, eyes a slight bit softer than they normally might be, and waited for the door to be answered. |
|
|
|
Post by carcinoGeneticist on Jul 10, 2011 15:09:03 GMT -5
It was always a strange thing, when a patient requested an at-home consultation over the anonymity that was provided using the clinic as a meeting place, but Zenon was used to dealing with a wide variety of individuals with an equally-wide variety of issues, both personal and psychological. So she had spent the day straightening the place up, making it look as pleasant as she possibly could. Granted, that didn't exactly put the good doctor in the best of moods. Cleaning very rarely did, and neither did bowing to the whims of others. Pregnancy was another irritant. Lately, her life had been filled with babies. She didn't used to think of herself as a specialist, but now she was beginning to think that maybe that wasn't the case. After all, she had dealt with so many of them lately, all her inexperience had been replaced with an ease and comfort. Not a like, though. She certainly wouldn't go so far as to call it a like. Besides, this patient was a Corvie. That made the situation at least a little bit more comfortable for her. There were lines you couldn't cross with others, but Corvies could deal with a little blunt honesty. Just the way Zenon liked it. She was just stuffing a last few sets of lab equipment into a cabinet when a knock alerted her to the presence of her newest patient. She trotted over to answer, leaning back on her haunches as she opened the door. Outside was the expected face of the mother-to-be, and the ghostly form of a Tulgey goat. She looked him over briefly. The father? It seemed possible. " You must be Dr. Price. Please, come in and have a seat." As soon as the pair entered, they would find the hall lead directly to a patient room, with a bed and several chairs settled inside. |
|
|
|
Post by Callypso on Jul 21, 2011 16:35:09 GMT -5
Iso was pleased that Dr. Zenon had acquiesced to their request of being seen at her own laboratory. Pleased wasn’t quite the right word – after all, if the good doctor had denied them Iso would have insisted on continuing the search for the appropriate physician. Suffice it to say that she was relieved that the search had ended. It was painstaking to do the amount of research necessary for the couple – Iso demanded a specific caliber of prestige and professionalism, whereas Aberforth was adamant on determining the likelihood of someone murdering them in their sleep. On the whole, the process was rather tiring. Iso had lacked enough reasons to reject seeing Dr. Zenon, though it was mostly out of fear of being told her drug use had horrible mutated the children inside of her, rather than lack of accreditation on the doctor’s part.
Zenon had survived the scrutiny of both ferret and goat, so here they were, being admitted into this stranger’s combination home and laboratory. Iso’s eyebrows rose in spite of herself – the woman before her had a striking resemblance to the legendary gryphon. Odd.
Dr. Zenon, was the affirmative response.
As they padded through the hallway, Iso noted with no small level of dismay that the laboratory had been “sterilized”, and not simply for hygienic purposes. It was too tidy – experiments had been put away, equipment missing. The best way to see how another Corvie’s mind worked was to examine their workspace in it’s natural state. A pity. Though perhaps there was something to glean from this – after all, Zenon might be carefully guarding her secrets against unknown competition. She didn’t know if the other woman had bothered to look her up or not. Interesting.
They were lead into a small room that had been set up for this specific visit. Iso had to admit to being slightly impressed. She didn’t have a separate space in her laboratory for patients – then again, she rarely took patients. The last person she had seen was Aberforth, and the result of that had been less than anticipated.
Thank you for making preparations for us, the ferret said, as she laboriously made her way upon the examination table, It is an unusual request, but I find that I always work better when in familiar surroundings. I'm sure you can understand.
|
|
|
|
Post by Lucca on Jul 28, 2011 8:27:01 GMT -5
The slightly soft expression in Aberforth's eyes vanished the moment the door opened, and it was his usual cold visage that he presented to the strange creature who poked her beak out the door. His expression betraying nothing of his thoughts, the Goat looked Zenon over, ears just slightly perked forward. He couldn't care less about whether she resembled a mythical creature or not, but she had a calculating air about her, like most Corvies did, that set him slightly on edge.
He followed the two ladies inside, making sure that Zenon shut and locked the door behind them. One could never be too careful, after all. As usual, Aberforth's hooves echoed oddly on the floor as they walked, though since it was tile, that might not seem so very strange in this case. He immediately assessed the room they entered for anywhere suspicious Cards could be hiding, as well as any other entrances or exits in case of emergency. Even a cabinet was suspicious, and, after helping his sometime-mate get up onto the table, the Tulgey made sure to find a spot in the room from which he could both observe the cabinets and watch what Zenon was doing.
He gave her a polite nod. "Aberforth. The father," he thought to introduce himself, finally.
|
|
|
|
Post by carcinoGeneticist on Aug 9, 2011 1:44:51 GMT -5
"A pleasure to meet the both of you," Zenon replied easily, Diamond charm ever so lightly strung between her words, like decorative holiday lighting. The father seemed like an up-tight bastard; the mother, by all appearances, wasn't much better. That was fine. She could handle that much more easily than she could the weepy-clingy sorts of people, the ones who only went to a doctor because they assumed it was the Right Thing To Do, with no understanding of why that could possibly be the case.
Yes, this was much better. These people had some form of higher intelligence.
Once Iso had gotten herself settled on the examination table, Zenon would pull her small bag of much-used equipment over as well, rummaging inside to pull out a stethoscope. "I do. Generally I just don't do a lot of proper medical work here - my work and home life very rarely interact like this, but you aren't the first patient to make a request to visit here rather than elsewhere." She spoke plainly, with no evidence of irritation in her tone. It was just a factual statement. Gently, she began to listen to the Ferret's chest, looking thoughtful. "Is there anything I should know - from either of you? Family history of disease, potential magical interference...?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Callypso on Aug 31, 2011 17:53:27 GMT -5
I understand. I don’t see very many patients at my home laboratory, either.
The last time she had admitted a patient into her home, she had found herself pregnant. Of course, the two weren’t entirely related. There had been some unfortunate factors contributing to her current condition, but she had now developed an aversion so seeing the rare patient in her home. She preferred using the open (for a small fee) clinic in the Capital, though the occasions were few and far between. Aberforth had been an exception, in more ways than one.
A slight smile had hovered around her lips as Dr. Zenon dove straight into her work. It was refreshing. No idle, uncomfortable, unnecessary jokes or remarks about the weather, or how the “family” was. As if any of those physicians cared or remembered each of their many patients in turn. This was direct, uncomplicated, perfect. Until the woman asked the question that she absolutely had to. The small smile slipped away as Iso began to fret over how best to relay the information to the good doctor. Aberforth had never had to confront her about her past usage – the ferret had been sure to kick her habit before relaying news of her pregnancy to him. Despite sharing quarters and becoming more at ease in each other’s company, she had purposefully neglected to tell him about her mild addiction. Well, it hadn’t been so mild when she met him, but that was neither here nor there.
She rubbed her forehead with a paw and took a deep breath. Too many moments had already passed for her to be able to wave the question away now. Surely Aberforth was already wary of her hesitation. Better to out with it, then. Iso looked directly into the other Corvie’s eyes, as much to signal that this was news to the father as much as it was to avoid having to see his face when she admitted her faults.
I’m afraid so. Over the last several years I had been habitually using painkillers. Unfortunately, the mild addiction became rather serious. I continued indulging myself before realizing I was with child, which was only seven weeks ago or so. I ceased use when I confirmed my condition. My Great-Aunt assisted while I underwent detox.
Taking a deep breath and blinking rapidly, the Spade gathered her wits and finally issued the concern that had been eating away at her for weeks:
I… I don’t know whether or not the unborn have been affected...
|
|
|
|
Post by Lucca on Sept 1, 2011 8:23:07 GMT -5
The doctor got right to business, which set Aberforth just the slightest bit at ease. At least this meant he didn't have to engage in any uncomfortably polite attempts at conversation. His eyes narrowed a bit at the question, or rather at the thought of any sort of magical interference happening to his child. He didn't want to think on it. Luckily, he knew Iaso wasn't the sort of Corvie to experiment on her unborn children and see if she could make them come out with extra heads or some sort of nonsense. For his own part, the Goat wasn't worried. Despite being Tulgey, his family had only ever had magic common to their Suits.
Of course, when there was a long pause from the Ferret, he felt a strange, niggling suspicion gnaw at his gut. Had he misjudged Dr. Price so seriously? His head whipped around, and found her carefully not looking at him. He felt the quickening of his pulse as horrible thoughts raced through his head at her first words. She was about to admit something. Which meant she'd been hiding things from him. His ears lowered and he backed up a pace of two, hooves for once fairly quiet on the floor.
She'd had an addiction. He should have seen it, seen the signs, or so the paranoid part of his brain insisted. He mainly just felt shocked, and a bit betrayed, but mostly cold. He visibly withdrew even more from the situation, standing motionless and inscrutable as a statue. His emotionless gaze flicked to Zenon, and he was even more unsure than usual what to feel...no matter what answer she gave.
|
|
