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[doc_holi]

I should have done this a while ago...

[Oh, look. There's Holiday again, this time with her normal clothes (orange shirt, black skirt, knee high boots, and a lab coat because why not) on and walking around the garden.]

Well, first off, I should introduce myself more properly, I guess. My name is Doctor Rebecca Holiday and I thought I should offer my services to the Garden. I am a doctor of theory, but I also practice medicine, so if there's something that the snakes can't or won't help you with, I'll be happy to help you out in any way I can.

Also... while the cat's were accommodating, I think... I should start looking for a more permanent place to stay. Trying to find a way out was, as everyone's told me, useless.

Anyone have any selections of places to live?

Comments

[doc_holi]

[... She tries to calm down and think on this rationally, but it's just... crazy. Though, she can understand the pain she's putting herself through if it's a cause she believes in that no one else will fight for.]

[Been there.]

Alright...

Do you mind me looking you over a bit? I want to make sure that they won't kill you and what kind of pain reliever I should try to get for you.

[tosaveyou]

[There was no one else who'd been willing to try to save Sakura. It's worse for Sakura, having to go through something like this. She's only a child.]

I don't mind.

[Kariya regards her trustingly. She's a doctor, after all. It should be fine.]

I'm only supposed to live a few more weeks. [She feels strange, detached, as she says it.] Maybe longer, here, because there's no war. I need more prana to fight, but the Crest Worms won't stop, no matter what.

[Not once they've started. People can live for years with the worms, but only if they don't awaken. They haven't been dormant since she's taken them on, not with the War to worry about. She doesn't bother explaining Berserker and the Grail War; that's too complicated.]

[doc_holi]

[No one was willing to save Beverly, either. She had to sign herself away to a company that was killing the same things that her sister had turned into, but it was to save her... That was a long time ago, though.]

I'm going to try everything I can to make sure you'll last a lot longer than just a few more weeks.

[Holiday moves closer to examine the girl's eye first, but without proper equipment she's knows that she won't be able to do much about that.]

Can I look at your spine? We can go somewhere more private, if you prefer.

[tosaveyou]

It's not so bad here, since I'll come back to life. Not that I want that...

[She trails off. She doesn't want to die, even here.] It would be better not to.

[She sits still as Doctor Holiday examines her more closely. Kariya's pupil is responsive, but barely, her left iris unusually pale.]

They were both the same color a year ago. My eyes.

Yes, we could go to one of the rooms. I don't think anyone's here, but there might be someone I don't know about.

[She rises again.] The one I'm staying in isn't far.

[doc_holi]

Alright. [Holiday stands with her.] Do you need help?

[Yes, she's asking this time, but that's only because she realizes the seriousness of this situation. Though, she won't push it unless necessary.]

[tosaveyou]

No, thank you. I'm fine.

[It isn't true. It hurts, but she's used to moving on her own, without help, so she doesn't accept it. She stands, then makes her way through the entrance hall. The room where she's staying is on the first floor, as she hadn't wanted to have to climb stairs.]

Here.

[Kariya has no possessions with her that don't fit in her pockets, so the room might as well not be occupied, although it's clear the bed was slept in.]

Should I lie down?

[doc_holi]

You don't have to, unless that would be more comfortable for you.

[She doesn't want her to lay down only to be able to have trouble getting back up.]

Just take off your shirt, please.

[tosaveyou]

No, that's all right. I'll sit up.

[She unzips her hoodie and pulls it off carefully before working on the turtleneck underneath. It takes her some time to get out of it, her movements painstaking but steady.

It's embarrassing. Parts of her body are eaten away beneath the skin, and one can discern the solid forms of the worms here and there. There is a greater concentration of them at her left side and on her back. Mostly they are still for now, although sometimes they twitch.]

[doc_holi]

[Believe it or not, she has seen worse... Or well... she's seen things on par with this. She does grimace, but it's not from disgust. She hates that someone is being put through something like this and refuses to give it up. This is terrible.]

Just hold still. I won't touch you unless I say so before hand, alright?

[Holiday looks over Kariya's left side for a minute or so, but she moves over to the back quickly enough. Both areas are a big problem. Kariya's spine and vital organs are in serious danger from this.]

Do they always hurt? Is there nothing that you've relieves the pain even fractionally for a few minutes? A warm bath? Stretching? Anything?

[tosaveyou]

It's all right. I'll be fine for now. [Or as well as she can be.]

They hurt all the time, but it changes. If I get upset, or if they come out, it's worse.

I think about things. If I think about something nice, it feels better for a little while.

[doc_holi]

They have a psychological effect, then... [She's mumbling to herself now as she looks her over.]

Alright. I'm going to check out your spine for a second. [Even though she said that she's fine, Holiday warns her anyway in case the familiars have a reaction to Kariya being touched, but Holiday examines the girl's spine as gentle as possible.]

[tosaveyou]

They're affected by emotions. If I get upset, they start moving and it gets worse. And they feed on--desire, so if I'm thinking of something nice, they like that.

Okay. [She sits still. Things would never have gotten so bad, so fast, if she hadn't had to fight in the Grail War, especially as Berserker's Master. He used up so much energy.]

[doc_holi]

[Nice thoughts. Alright. She can help with that.]

[Holiday's fingers gently touch up and down her spine, slowly. She's quiet for a minute, feeling through the entire thing.]

... Do you happen to know what these do to you on a physical level, other than just being there? [Her voice is quiet as she speaks. If Kariya doesn't know about that, there are ways to find out.]

[tosaveyou]

[She remains still, trying to remain calm, hoping they won't react. They've been rather quiet since her arrival here, but they're not always easy to predict.]

Yes, they eat my flesh.

[She says it slowly, with some reluctance, because it's an uncomfortable subject.]

They feed on organic matter. As well as energy.

[doc_holi]

[That's exactly what she was afraid of.]

Right... Maybe I can give you something to relax them... Make them docile until you need them or... something...

[tosaveyou]

Maybe. I worry. Because they're magic, they might be immune. Or they might not like it.

[As if inspired by this thought, she coughs suddenly.]

[doc_holi]

[Holiday rubs Kariya's back gently.]

If they're immune, then it wouldn't hurt to try. If they don't like it, however, I can give you a very small dosage to start out with. If they react against it, it won't be bad and we can stop it immediately before figuring out something else.

[tosaveyou]

[She coughs again, a few specks of blood bright on her lips.]

You're right, immunity isn't the problem. But they can be dangerous, like I said. I worry that if they don't like it, they'll retaliate.

It should be all right, if we start small.

[doc_holi]

It'll be a very small dosage.... Of course, we'll only do this if you're willing to try it.