ahappylie | 046 [Written]

I'd be more than happy to help.

Would you prefer if I met you in person somewhere?

I'd like to talk to you first.
My friend has been sick for awhile.
Can you cure sickness?

Most sicknesses, yes. I'm afraid even in my time, there were still some that were incurable, but that doesn't mean I can't try.

What symptoms does your friend have?

My friend has trouble breathing and sometimes they cough blood.
Does it sound like something you can cure?

It depends on the cause of the cough, but yes, the chances are quite good. There are several very effective treatments available.

I would need a chance to examine your friend, of course, before I could prescribe any treatment.

He doesn't want anyone to know.
If it can't be cured, it will only make things difficult for you. And for everyone else.

[She's starting to get an inkling of an idea, but she'll play along.]

If there's even the slightest chance of finding a cure, it's worth every moment of trying. Most "incurable" diseases are only a matter of needing to find the cure. I'm sure with all the medical knowledge available here that we can cure it.

Doctors are strong people, aren't they.
Alright.
Where should my friend meet you?

We try our best.

If your friend has any preference, we could meet either at the village clinic or at my home. The latter may be a little more private, at least.

Where is your home?

House 48. I'll be home all evening.

[Never mind replying, he simply packs his things up and heads out to House 48. It isn't so far away from his own place, really. Just on the other side of the town square and so he arrives in about ten minutes.

He's here because he made a promise, but that doesn't stop him from hesitating as he lifts a hand to knock on the door. This is going to reveal everything... Everything he's wanted to keep silent. He stands there for another few minutes and then, with a sigh, he finally knocks.]

[It doesn't take Litchi very long to answer. Once she does, she pauses for just a beat, realization flickering across her expression. How oddly appropriate... the same person who helped her by bringing medicine when she was suffering her own cough, now coming to her for much of the same.

Her smile is empathetic as she steps back to allow him inside. No sense making a big deal of it. He's here for help and so he'll get just that.]

Please come in, Mr. Okita.

[This is going to harder than he thought. He smiles for her regardless, fixing a well practiced expression in place.]

Hello, Litchi-san.

[He bows and steps in, keeping his eyes from her smile. The sort of thing that has empathy, pity, any number of emotions he doesn't want to see.]

I hope I can expect your discretion in this, yes?

Of course. I promise, I won't tell a soul about any of this if you don't want me to.

[And for once, she's managed to keep the others out of the house for a while so that he has some privacy. It probably hasn't ever been so quiet around here.]

How long have you been having these symptoms?

Over two years now. Since before I came to Luceti. I was told it slowed since coming here, but it is still progressing.

[He moves further in and stops.]

I suppose in your world they don't have this sickness?

[She shakes her head.] There's been a very effective vaccination available for a couple centuries where I came from. The sickness still exists, but it's very rare.

That being said, I do know of a few treatments that we could try to see if they may be able to get rid of it. I have to admit, it's a little tricky once the disease is active, but it isn't impossible.

[After finding a cure for seithr poisoning, she hopes, treating this should definitely be manageable.]

[Ah, a way to prevent a disease from ever being caught? Oh, if only. He looks at his right hand, curling into a fist. His disease has been active for over two years. At least one year longer than he should have lived with it. He's been coughing blood more and more and if it wasn't for that incident with Toph, he would have kept doing it in secret until he couldn't hide it anymore. He supposes this is the last chance he has before it's too late so he best take it.]

Whatever you think will work.

[He raises his head and looks at her, smiling faintly.]

I'm sorry. To come to you so late, I've put you in a difficult position.

There's nothing to apologize for. This is my job, after all.

[Her tone, even though it's slightly teasing, is still gentle. She meets his gaze and smiles. She's here to help, Okita. It won't be easy, but she's in this with him. It's the least she can do, especially considering how she knows how hard it is to cope with symptoms like these (and trying to hide them).]

I have several herbal treatments that should help alleviate the symptoms, and we'll need to try a combination of antibiotics to get rid of the illness itself. We'll start out the treatment with lower doses to ease you into it, though; I'm afraid combining antibiotics can be a little rough sometimes.

[He nods faintly and turns to look around the front room.]

I'll do whatever it takes as long as the others don't notice.

[Because that is the worst thing. Living with it where others can see and hear. He wants to ensure that they won't see or realize or even begin to fear. He knows it's impossible, but as long as he can keep the shadow of this menace off them...

He coughs into his hand and looks back at Litchi.]

How do we start?

[Litchi motions towards the couch and various chairs in the living room in a vague gesture to sit wherever he'd like, then gathers up several small packets that she has on the coffee table.]

I'll have you start out on some simple antibiotics. They do need to be taken twice a day, so if you don't want others to notice, you'll need somewhere to keep the medicine where you can get to it easily without their noticing. [This is definitely a bit of an awkward consultation, but hey. She'd be a hypocrite to tell him that he needs to tell everyone else. She was denying the blood-stained handkerchief herself right up until Noel found it.] Once you run out of one antibiotic, let me know and I'll get you a different one; it will lessen the odds of the disease growing resistant to any one treatment.

As for symptom relief... [And here she'll hold out a packet towards him.] These teas will relieve a lot of the coughing and strain. I doubt anyone would notice anything odd about them... most people I've ever met just mistake them for regular tea.

[He moves forward and sits on a chair across from the table, reaching out to take the packets as they are handed to him. Keeping things hidden is easy enough. His room is off limits to everyone but Ayumu and there are places where even she won't look.]

...Thank you.

[He remembers, Litchi. He remembers bringing her a tea quite similar to this. He takes that package and slips it into his kimono top.]

Has yours gotten any better?

You're very welcome.

[A faint smile dances across her lips at the question.]

For the first time in nearly three years, yes. Every once in a while, it acts up again, but it's mostly cured. Although, mine was my own fault... it wasn't an illness so much as it was my body breaking down. But I had honestly become to think it was incurable, so it's certainly a huge relief to have come this far.

[She'd been expecting to be dead by the time so many months had passed back in Kagutsuchi.]

[So there is hope then. Even if it was...whatever it meant to have your body breaking down, there is hope of fixing this. Mostly he's just glad she's doing better and apparently isn't dying anymore.]

I'm glad to hear that. Perhaps one day soon you won't be plagued by it at all, hm?

[She gives him a warm smile, all confidence. That illness is as good as gone. She'll make sure of it.]

I could say the same to you, hm~?

[You've got relatively distinct handwriting, Okita. But, hey, Giles knows to play along now. Even if he might not be sure what he's playing along with.]

Leonard McCoy - housemate to Buffy Summers. From a point in Earth's far future, very familiar with a wide variety of diseases and injuries

Raine Sage - chiefly magical healing, but one of the better practitioners of such in the village

Mizuno Ami - currently kidnapped, a decent grounding of doctoring knowledge if not as much practice as McCoy

Litchi Faye-Ling - never encountered in person, but have heard multiple times communicating with the other medical professionals of the village.

Does that help?

[That would be why he disguised his handwriting, Giles.]

Yes.
Thank you.

[Then it wouldn't be the first time he's replied to a random stranger who hasn't signed his name - Kennedy in particular knows that.]

You're welcome.

Hope things work out.

[Sorry, Giles. He still doesn't want to talk about it with people.]

I hope so, too.

[If he ever figures out who this is? He'll probably understand.]

Let me know if you need any more assistance.

I will, if my friend doesn't get better.

Good. My name is Giles, if you need to ask for me. Apart from the last few days, I'm generally good about keeping an eye on the journals.

Thank you, Mr. Giles.
I will ask the doctors and see what they can do.

We have very good doctors, then. I'm sure they'll be able to come up with something.

Still. Hoping I won't have to speak with you again any time soon.

I hope so.
Same here.
May we never have to speak on this again.

[And Giles will leave it at that. It's not often that he leaves a villager with such a sentiment, but here it seems appropriate.

Whatever is wrong with you or your friend, Okita, he's praying for you.]

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