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Dean and the Chemist from Beyond Chapter 3: Pineapples

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Im so sorry for not updating, I started playing stardew valley and got distracted lol. Also, I've somehow never gotten Dean in my clinic my entire playthrough of potperm… whyyyyyy……..

Chapters: 1 2

Every day, the Chemist would come by to make some small talk. They would appear out of nowhere, usually from behind, greet him, the two would make a bit of conversation, and they'd run off to do only the goddess knows what. He never knew when it would happen or where they would come from, most of the time. But it was a welcome interruption of his routines. Though he saw them going around and greeting everyone, so it wasn't all that special, he supposed. Despite his initial observations and the sudden appearances, he couldn't see much else too different about them compared to the average resident.

It was getting irritating. Knowing there's something wrong, but not being able to prove it. Especially when personal friendship started to muddy the waters of the investigation. He glanced at the bag of moon cloves on his desk. Those were the first they had given out, apparently. They got it from healing Russo, apparently, and they heard it was tradition to give moon cloves as a sign of friendship. He didn't tell them it was a bit taboo to admit you were regifting moon cloves, but he felt they were better off without him making them disappointed.

"Hey, Dean! Get over here!" He heard Derrek call him from outside his room. "One sec!" He called back. Thank god for Saturday, no need to do much work. He stepped out into the kitchen, seeing a box on the kitchen table and his very smiley-looking twin. "Good morning." He offered as a greeting. "What's with the box?" Derrek seemed to smile even more at the mention of it, scooping it up as if he'd won a prize. "You know how I said I wanted to get some more food from the south?"

"Oh, you got tomatoes?" Dean asked, sitting down at the table. "Better." Derrek smiles, letting the box thump back down in front of his brother for dramatic effect. "I got an exotic fruit from the tropics. Something that used to be so hard to get, nobles in the capital would rent them for profit!" He explained, excitement gleaming in his eyes. "Now, cause its the modern era, or whatever, we can get them a lot easier. And I got a great deal on one." He undoes the string around the box, opening it up to reveal a large, yellow, and spiny fruit with thick green leaves on the top.

Dean's eyebrow raised. "Is…is that a pineapple?" He asked tentatively, squinting a bit in confusion. "Aren't those like, a couple thousand gold? How on earth did you get the money for one?" Please don't say our utilities. Please don't say the inheritance. And PLEASE don't say you got it at full price. "Relax, man. I only had to pay 900. Been using my overtime to save up." Derrek explained. Oh, thank the goddess, he saved for it- wait, 900 gold?!

"Derreeek…" Dean groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What are we going to do with a 900 gold fruit?" He asked, exasperated. There was so much that could be done with that money… "Duh, eat it," Derrek said plainly. "Doyee." Dean huffed. "For that price, it better be the greatest thing I've ever tasted," he grumbled. But… exotic fruit, he may not get the chance to taste something like that again… "Fine. I'll take some. How do we get it open?"

"That depends. Can I use your cleaver?" Derrek asked, looking through the knife rack. "I mean, sure." Dean nodded, but did cringe at the idea of using it like Derrek probably would. Derrek snatched up the knife and the cutting board, placing the pineapple down on its side. "If I remember correctly, I think they…" He slammed the knife down near the leaf end of the fruit with a mighty thwack, taking another few cuts to fully get through. The inside was a very bright, almost artificial-looking yellow, and the juice began to leak onto the cutting board. Derrek moved to cut it in half, then in half again, then into quarters. "Think you eat 'em like cantaloupes or something like that."

He put some of the thick slices onto a plate, placing them in front of Dean. "Bone apple teeth. I'm gonna wash my hands, but ya can start eating." He said as he walked toward the bathroom. Dean, in the meantime, did his best to bite into it. The juices made his hands tingle, and the first bites on the middle corner were hard and a bit tasteless. But the bulk of it was actually quite tasty! Juicy, sweet, with a strange heat he hasn't felt in many fruits. It was spicy!

Okay, wow. A bit too spicy. Was all the food down closer to the equator this hot? His throat burned at the taste. Hell, his entire mouth and even his lips were starting to burn. His face was hot and itchy all of a sudden, and he felt like his heart was pounding in his chest. He tried to inhale, tried to get past the breath he found his body trying to hold, but he couldn't. His throat was starting to feel tight. He couldn't breathe. He felt his skin turning hot, and itchy spots sprouted up like weeds in an instant.

"Deh-" He tried to say, wheezing. "dehrekk…" He saw his brother coming out of the bathroom, scratching at red hands. "Hey, De-OHGODS." Derrek froze in place when he saw him, eyes filling with horror. "Doctor- doctor, get me-" Dean panted out, world around him beginning to spin. Black spots swirled in his vision, and he felt someone holding him. Light, then shadows, the wind, all blurring together as dark spots danced in his eyes.

He was moving, but he couldn't tell where. Not that it matters, since every neuron in his mind was screaming at him that he was dying. He was scratching at his throat, clawing at it as if it would let some breath in through the raw skin. His chest was tight, his body itched, his stomach ached, his limbs felt numb, and his face felt like it was on fire. He felt like he was going to die. And it would be such an embarrassing way to go, wouldn't it? Overexpensive tropical fruit.

He felt like he was being placed on something soft, and some words were said that he didn't understand. His clothes were being loosened, a welcome reprieve for his lungs. Suddenly, something sharp was stuck into his leg. He yelped the best he could at the sudden pain, but a hand pushed him back down onto the soft surface. But, as if a curse was lifted, he could suddenly breathe again. The heat on his skin began to die, and the fire in his mouth subsided. His eyes slowly unblurred, and the colors that were sitting in front of him began to turn into full shapes, then forms, then people.

"Hey, Dean. :(" The Chemist's voice was soft. They smiled, but their voice sounded sad. No nicknames. They were wiping a warm towel on his cheek, and it felt so nice. "You feeling better? ono" They asked, brushing some of his hair out of their face. It took a moment before his throat felt less raw, and he was able to speak. "I- uh…" He coughed a bit as his body slowly adjusted to whatever was put inside it. "Y-yeah, a bit?" His mind was fogged, even if conscious. He felt awful, but much better than before.

"Oh, Dean, thank the goddess, you're okay." Derrek seemed to let out a deep sigh. "But seriously, the hell is happening?!" He growled, still scratching at hands covered in angry, red splotches. The Chemist quickly moved back towards Derrek, grabbing his hands to examine them. "I said, don't scratch 'em! >:( You said you were eating pineapple right before this started, right? :O" They asked. "Y-yeah? What was the pineapple laced or something?!" He demanded, gritting his teeth. "I swear to god, if that two-timing mail-order salesman tricked me-"

"No, no! o-o;" The Chemist said quickly. "Don't blame the salesman! :( It's allergies! Allergies!! @-@" Derrek blinked. "Allergies?" He repeated. "… That's it? Allergies?" He sounded suprisingly disappointed. "Yep! Based on your reactions and the effects you described, it seems like you're both allergic to pineapple. ^_^ It seems like it's really severe, too… 0-0' Thank goodness you got here fast, or else Dean might've died!! :((" Died?! Derrek spent 900 gold on a fruit that almost killed him?? "Speaking of which, I gotta get you guys something for those hives, they seem itchy! ^o^ I'll be back! :3"

The Chemist skittered off, leaving the other two in the Clinic. Silence hung in the air for a moment. Then, Derrek turned on his heel. "I'm gonna go see Matheo." He says curtly. "Huh?" Dean's eyes widened. "I'll be back, don't worry. I.." Derrek's expression hardened a bit. "I don't trust them." Dean blinked. "Then… why did you bring me here?" He asked, brows furrowing. "I only brought you here cause it was an emergency." He said quickly. "You weren't breathing well, and… this was closer." He looked down at the floor for a moment. "You coming?" Dean considered it for a moment, but right now, the idea of even raising his head from his pillow felt daunting. He shook his head. "I'll be back, and if he gives me anything, I'll bring it back." And then, Derrek ran off.

Dean was alone for a while. His arms still itched, but he did his best to keep from scratching. But soon, the door creaked open once more. Quick footsteps moved towards his side. ".. Where'd Derrek go? ',:/" The Chemist asked, eyes scanning the clinic. "Oh, uh… he left," Dean explained, voice a bit weak. "He… said he was gonna go see Matheo." The Chemist's expression soured, and the cold air of the clinic slowly seemed to heat. "Ugh, course… Now I gotta sell the rest… >:[" They grumbled, sitting down at the chair next to him. "He shouldn't have left you alone, either, but that's my fault for not telling him. :/"

They took off their gloves, revealing rough-looking hands. The black nails at the end of each finger looked sharp but well-trimmed, the skin around them darkened to almost black. A side effect of potion making..? "Huh? Wait, why shouldn't I be alone?" Dean asked as they were dipping their fingers into an unknown container. "Even if I treated you for the first reaction, it's possible you could have another reaction later, basically. >>" They explained, rubbing an herbal-smelling balm onto his hands. Wait, when did they take his gloves off? "But, ah… I think you got most of the pineapple out of your system. ^^'"

That'd explain the acrid taste in his mouth. "Ah." A lot of questions ran through Dean's mind. What was put in him? What was going to happen? Did he have to stay here long? (Honestly, he wasn't opposed to the idea. Let him stay close to see if he can notice anything long…) But instead, he said, "You seem… very serious when you work." The Chemist paused at that. Their hands slowed, thumbs pressing more deliberately into the balm as their eyes darted away. For a moment, they didn’t answer. The clinic was quiet except for the soft drag of their chair against the floor as they adjusted their posture.

“Mmm… I kinda have to be. >->” They said eventually. “Potions don’t forgive mistakes, even the small ones. :|” Their fingers were cold, frigid to the touch, and the herbal scent grew stronger as they worked it into his skin, easing the itch little by little. “And, especially, the body is so resilient, but really fragile! :( If I mess up the ratios, or use the wrong formulas, I might just make things worse… T-T" They sighed. "It'll just… prove everyone right, you know? u-u" Their voice was tight as they said it, heat replaced by cold and humidity. So, not just heat responded to their emotions, but humidity as well.

"I mean, I've heard good stuff about your clinic. They've said… you're fast in your potions and treat people well, so… I'd say you're doing good proving them wrong, right?" He suggested. They hummed. "Guess so… -_-; It just feels like everyone's watching me, waiting for me to mess up or betray the town or whatever, comparin' me to stupid Matheo… >:|" They grumbled, fingers digging into the balm. Their eyes suddenly went wide, seeming to catch themselves in something. "I'm sorry, you probably don't want to hear about this. :( I'm supposed to just be treating you, not dumping all of this… @_@" They 'sputtered' out. Dean had to keep reminding himself that they weren't speaking in a human tongue.

He had no way of knowing it wasn't some sort of trick, a lie to get him emotionally invested. But… this was something he wanted to talk about for a while. "I feel the same. Er- sometimes." He admitted. "Whattt?! You seem so cool, tho! :O" They exclaimed, somehow seeming shocked by the concept. "You think I'm-" He shook his head quickly. "Well, yeah. I'm… not that great at being a police officer, especially compared to my brother, so… you know, I get… worried that people expect me not to do well in my job, you know?" He explained, trying to hop around his words a bit so he didn't sound as pathetic as he felt. He still felt pretty pathetic, but that's besides the point.

There was silence for a moment. "So… how do you deal with it? :[" They asked, looking at him expectantly. "Huh?" He blinked. "Like… you said sometimes, so… how do you, well.. stop thinking about it? :<" They asked. His mouth was left open for a moment, and then he closed it. He didn't have an answer. He just went silent, looking away. He didn't move. The Chemist didn't move. "… okay." They said quietly. He couldn't sense any specific emotion behind it. They went back to putting balm on his arms, cold hands quietly running over the itchy hives all over his hands.

Their hands moved up, and his heart rate spiked a bit. Their hand lingered around his wrist a second longer than necessary before pulling away and continuing to move up to where his sleeve had been rolled up. “Anyway,” The Chemist continued, rolling their shoulders as if shaking off the seriousness, “I’ll keep an eye on you a bit longer, cutie! :3" Something about the return of casual conversation made him feel relieved. "If anything feels weird, dizzy, floaty, itchy in places that shouldn’t itch, tell me right away. >:|” They said quickly. "Oh, and no more pineapple. :p"

Oh, right. Somehow, he'd forgotten about the whole allergy thing. "Oh, uh, you said I need to stay, cause of… another reaction?" He asked. "Oh! Yaya! :0" They exclaimed. "After Epira, the thing I injected into your thigh, is used on someone, they need to be monitored because of how anaphylaxis works. Sometimes, randomly, the body will let symptoms go away, and then… poof! They're back! ^_^ We don't really know why, but if it starts up again, you need to be watched." The humidity suddenly dissolved as they started talking about medicine again. Seemed like he had to keep them happy if he didn't want the sudden temperature changes to make him even more sick. "So… even if I feel better, I can get worse again?" He asked nervously. They nodded. "That's why I want you to stay overnight. unu If you notice how you felt earlier, call me so I can stop it before it gets really bad! :)"

"I… see. Okay. And, what do we do about the pineapple in our house?" He asked. "Mm.. I'd suggest you give it to someone who wants it! ^^ But I'd say don't touch it, this reaction was REAL bad, especially considering how Derrek reacted to the juices. >_>;" They explained. "But… you know, what if it's different for me?" He asked, tilting his head a bit. "I mean, I know identical twins aren't totally identical…?" He said tentatively, looking at them for confirmation. "Well, true! :) Your genes can be changed by things outside of the genes of your parents, but… You guys are close enough genetically, I'd say you should keep in mind both of your reactions if you try to eat that fruit again. >:(" That sounded like a very obvious warning, so he relented. "I got it, I got it!" He exclaimed, trying to get them off his case. "So… no eating pineapple, no touching pineapple, and… anything else you think I need to do?"

They hummed. "Well, I do have something for helping prevent allergies, but… technically, I'm not supposed to be using stuff from outside Moonbury… :/" They admitted, giving a nervous smile. "But! ^_^ If you don't say anything, I can give you some of the potion I use for my allergies! :D They help prevent allergic reactions before they start, or at least make them less bad, in case you're worried you might be exposed when you're out and about. Plus some extra Epiras if you want. :)" They offered. He nodded, but.. "What… are you allergic to?" He asked, a bit tentatively. Maybe more perspective on the whole… not human thing.

"Oh, pollen. :3" They said plainly. "Pollen?!" That was so… normal. "I thought you were outside cutting flowers all day?" He asked. They nodded quickly. "Thats what the potions for, silly! :P If I know I'm gonna be exposed to something, I drink a tablespoon of anti-allergy potion in the morning! :D" They explained enthusiastically. "Though my allergies just makes me real sneezy and itchy, honestly. :/ I don't know how effective it'll be for you, but better safe than sorry! ^_^"

He blinked at them, trying to go over the image in his head. Mysterious, not-entirely-human apothecary who's main weakness was, apparently, flowers. "…That’s it?" he asked slowly. They puffed their cheeks a little. "Hey! >:T Itchy eyes are really very inconvenient, and sneezing while holding a sickle is a workplace hazard! >:((" They huffed, then softened with a sheepish grin. "Honestly, pineapples and flowers are both kinda silly-sounding allergies. -w-" He relaxed despite himself, tension easing from his shoulders. “Okay,” He said at last, a small smile tugging at his mouth. “I’ll take the potion. And the Epiras. Better safe than sorry." He repeated. They beamed at that. "Exactly! ^_^ See? You’re getting the hang of this allergy thing already! :D"

For the first time in a little while, he let himself grin, and he could feel how they beamed when they felt satisfied with their work. Their work! "Uh… I'm not keeping you from anything… important, am I?" He asked, cringing at how long he's probably been here. "No! :O You're my patient, this is my work! :]" They exclaimed. "And, honestly… I haven't had a good conversation like this in a long while… ;^^" They admitted, looking away. Dean looked at his hands, at the balm on them. Well, no use to stop here if they've been talking long enough.

"So… what is a histamine?" He asked, and he could see how much they brightened when he asked.

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