Goldfishdepressions 4
Putting the irritation away, she said: “Well... I... am in the water, and talked t-”
“Hmmmhm, so now I can see you tail. And it looks really nice. All smooth and shiny. And the markings, they fit to your eyes really well, too... so beautiful,” his eyes were somewhat half-lidded and he smiled. Not lecherous or anything, but... urgh.
“Mermaid to Raphael... listen: I spoke to Ace. He's got a headache. Atmospheric pressure. Storm is brewing at the coast. Gives me trouble, too”
He lit up like a torch: “So he'll be fine? He's not depressed or something?,” then his face fell and turned somewhat sad: “I don't... mistreat him... or... do things wrong... no?”
… aaand he was a sad puppy again. IT was like he could not contain any emotions but the one he currently had and that one, he showed. Hrm.
“Ace is fine. Just like me. We are going to live with a headache for a while and everything will be fine. He looks like he's eating enough, he's just... annoyed. Very annoyed. Because he has a headache. Really, I can relate,” if certain puppies had not brought her out here, she would be in bed and nursing this headache... even though it admittedly lessened somewhat, the meds seemed to work.
“So... he's fine,” he looked a bit vacant at this.
“Yes, he is,” and as vacant as he was, he still sat at the side of the lake and she couldn't very well get out of the water like that. So she stared at him, eye twitching.
“That's great,” aaand he was smiling serenely again.
A bit too serenely, to be honest. She frowned and said in a deadpan voice: “... is that the moment where you dissipate into thin air because you're a ghost and give me the mansion since I fulfilled your last wish?”
He looked somewhat aghast. And stared at her. Seconds ticking by... would he dissi-
“AHAHAHAHAHA!,” he rubbed his eyes, laughing.
She went under water to be safe from all the noise. Well FINE, maybe it had been a stupid thing to ask. Maybe. It was late, okay?! She had a headache, too. What the hell, seriously!
Through the surface she saw that he was still laughing, but slowly calmed down, just sometimes bursting out a tiny giggle, still moving his hands in front of his face.
Then he had found his composure again – not that he had much in the first place – and then looked at her and-
Started laughing again.
…
You know what? Enough was enough.
She grabbed his ankle and pulled.
The whole puppy slipped directly into the lake, shocked expression included.
He dripped as soon as he was firmly seated on the floor and had come out for air again.
At least he looked a lot less white like that. In addition to dumbfounded.
After he had looked around – seen her smirk – and taken a deep breath, he leaned back and rested his head on the shore: “Good one, deserved that,” he looked very complacent at the moment.
“Damn sure you did,” she huffed. At least he was just as wet and unable to sleep as her now.
“But a ghost... really? Damn... last days were worse than I thought,” and then he just looked tired. Happy, but tired. With a few Kois swimming over to him, too. Carefully, true, but they are a little bit on the puppy-side as well. Family of puppies, then.
… couldn't really kick those, could you?
“... you were really white, you know?,” she grumbled. It was true.
“Heh. Well, came from my shift. Was still in clinic attire. Sorry, by the way... it must be like... nine already. Didn't mean to be that late, s just... so many double shifts... tomorrow would have been like... midnight for the shift end and... you... uh... you don't look very happy...?”
Actually the headache had gotten the tiniest bit worse, but... it was almost laughable, really. The way he now still touched one of the Kois while looking at her with great concern.
“Dude. It's dark. It's 2 am in the morning! How can you mess up that bad?!,” there was a tiny giggle hidden, though.
He looked dumbstruck. Once again.
“Oh”
“Yeah, oh”
“I am so terribly sorry! I didn't have time, but Ace was so unhappy and... really? 2 am? Really?! I am SO sorry!,” forgiveness was somewhat easy if it came from a giant muddy puppy who looked genuinely shocked and apologetic.
“Dude, it's okay. Kinda, ask your doctor to give you a different shift, you need sleep, seriously”
“Uh...,” there he was looking sheepish again.
Her eyes squinted at him: “...what?”
“Eh... I... manage my own shifts,” he laughed. There was a moment where only the Koi's bubbling and the water dripping from his hair could be heard.
“... I found proof of life after brain death,” she stared in the lake. The hell.
“Noooooo~ see, the little girl, Sam, she... she's sick, I can't... she,” he huffed, then chuckled and shoved his hair away, “I'm no use like that, though, am I?”
With a long-suffering sigh, he stood up and shed the doctor's overall, threw it over a stone.
“So... I can carry you in and let you dry off in the warmth and let you have the guest room... or I'll bring you a towel and leave you alone and drive you home. Either way, I owe you. You can name a price. Now... what shall it be?”
The cold bath seemed to have helped to clear his head a little. His smile was almost charming. Stupid paediatrician. He held out a hand to take... or dismiss with another huff. Huffing didn't seem to be on the table that much anymore, though.
… maybe she was just tired. Her head felt better...
