Cherysa left Selise to her paperwork about an hour ago. The bells chiming six o’ clock reminded her that she should have left as well or she was going to be late. A brief revving sound came from the street out front, followed by a loud knock on the door.
Selise rose and answered it herself. “Evenin-”
A void elf stood on the stoop, carrying an unconscious man on his back. The sight threw her for a second, but she recognized the goggles on the man’s face. She stepped to the side with a frown and motioned inside. “Straight back.”
Drahs was jostled by the elf as he stepped inside. The elf offered a glance to the woman as she came over and dropped him firmly onto the nearest chair. “This is yours, right?” He grunted. He turned and left, leaving the human in the chair without another word.
Selise scowled at the question, but was looking over Drahs to gain her bearing on the situation. "What happened?" By the time she asked the question, the chimes on the front door were already ringing as the elf left. "Stuck up..." She extended her palms over Drahs, a brief glow coming to her hands, followed by an extremely troubled look. The glow intensified, focusing on the broken ribs and shallow breathing. “Drahs, can ya hear me?”
Drahs slowly regained consciousness and began hacking and wheezing; intensely and continuous. His expression changed into shock as he looked around. He clasped a hand over his mouth as pain wracked his body, both from the coughing and the broken bones.
"Cor!" she called over her shoulder and the arcane familiar appeared in a matter of seconds. At the sight of Drahs, it kept its distance. "Intravenous painkillers, cough suppressants." She fished in a pocket and held out a handkerchief to him.
He shakily took the kerchief and began hacking into it violently. The brief moment Sel could see his palm she noticed the blood staining the palm, both old and new. Sweat and tears begin pouring down Drahs' face as he did his best to regain himself.
Selise didn't comment on the sight of the blood. She stepped away briefly to grab the tray that Cor brought to the doorway. Setting it on the table, she pulled on a pair of gloves and moved to roll up the sleeve of his right arm. She made quick work of cleaning the area and drawing up the syringe followed by injecting the painkiller. “Take two of the round pills when you can, it'll help..." Said medicine was on the tray along with a small cup of water.
Drahs immediately slammed the pills into his mouth as the painkiller was injected, drinking the water greedily. The water itself seemed to help calm him as his coughing fit started to ebb away, though rather slowly. Blood began staining the kerchief as well but he still planted it over his mouth as his fit continued.
She placed a hand on his shoulder and muttered a word. An aura of calm and somewhat bolstered energy extended from the priest throughout most of the room. "One second." She stepped away again and came back a few moments later with a full pitcher of water which she set on the table.
Drahs wheezed slightly, but turned his head away. He did his best to hide the condition of the handkerchief. "Evening Graves...wasn't expecting to see you tonight." He wiped a few beads of sweat from his brow and poured another glass of water.
Another clean handkerchief was placed on the desk in front of him. Selise wheeled her chair over to take a seat. "I would say the same...a rather rude elf dropped you in here. It's Kinsolving now, but I suppose that doesn't quite roll off the tongue the same way." She offered a weak smirk. "What happened?”
He offered a weak smile as he took the new handkerchief. "Oh you tied the knot? Congratulations! I'm sorry I missed the wedding, I was probably busy with work at the time. You know how that goes." It was a poor attempt to avoid the conversation.
Selise rose a brow. "No apology necessary, we kept it between the two of us." She frowned at him. "I haven't seen you in months, I thought you were on a case but..." she looked him over again and her voice was softer as she continued. "I didn't know it had gotten this bad."
Drahs stiffened slightly. He fell into another brief coughing fit into his rag, but mostly ignores the pain. Apparently she had given him some of the really good stuff. He lowered his head as he sighed. "...I'm dying Sel."
She sat back a bit at that. A brief look of indignation crossed her features. "Who-" But then realization set in. "You've been going to Splint instead." Her posture wilted somewhat and she looked at the bloodstained cloth. "I don't - this is coming on too fast, there could be options, what happened?" Her hurried speech and expression gave away the bit of panic that set over her which was briefly blocking out the fact that she knew good and well that Splint was a more experienced medical professional than she was.
Drahs winced at her obviously hurt expression. "My..." He was hesitant to respond. "My lungs are rotting...my immune system can't handle it anymore and..." He let out another cough. "The damage has already spread too far to stop..."
Selise just stared for a moment then quickly looked at the desk, the bookshelf, the door, anything. She took in a deep breath before looking back at him. "How long?" she asked quietly.
Drahs’ grip tightened on the cup in his hands. His body tensed up even more than it had. "...Five days...at best..."
That seemed to do the trick. Her composed expression broke and she looked away again. "I'm sorry," she managed in a shaky tone as she ran a hand over her face. "W-what are doing out running around? You should at least be taking something for the pain." She regained a bit of her normal tone when speaking about something vaguely work related.
“Splint...gave me some painkillers. I've already gone through most of the batch. Look I should...I have some things I need to finish. I...was really hoping to avoid this conversation. I'm sorry.”
Her brows knit together at his statement. "You...what, you were going to..." she stared at him for a moment and then abruptly got out of her chair. She crossed to one of the cabinets that was locked and retrieved a bottle of painkillers. Sel went back to her seat, setting the bottle on the desk in front of him wordlessly.
Drahs sat there at a loss for words. His face pale and tired, deep lines running across his gaunt cheeks. He slowly turned to face the bottle. "You don't have to..."
“No, I don't, but I want to. I'm sure Splint has yelled at you enough for the both of us and...I'm not going to make you sit here and listen to someone mourn you. But we're friends, yes?”
“I'll be frank...you're one of the few and best I have left…”
Selise paused. "And I would say the same. So...you can understand my feelings on the matter if you were in my shoes."
Drahs coughed for a few moments. After his brief fit he took a deep breath. "I do..." He looked down at the blood staining the handkerchief. "...Can I confide in you Sel?"
“Of course.”
“I'm scared…”
“I know. Which part?”
Drahs leaned against the table once more. His gaze drifted to the wooden structure. "Not knowing what's going to happen when I pass. The lives I'm leaving behind. The..." He buried his head in his arms. "I...I don't know. I always figured I'd probably die but to go like this. The waiting. It's maddening.”
Selise reached out to place a hand on his arm, her grip tightened gently. "Don't wait, continue your daily routine. Take the medication. I can give you stronger if you need it, you don't have to feel pain through the process. And...if you're worried about the reactions of those you leave behind, about their feelings about it...that part can't be helped, but it will be okay. They will be okay."
Drahs gripped the cup in his hands and finally released it. He took in a deep breath, though that might've been a bad idea as it set him to coughing. "Thank you..." He sighed. "I have one last request to make."
Selise pulled her hand away with some reluctance. She nodded and did her best to continue in a normal tone. "Which is?"
“I don't want a funeral…”
“I...suppose I can understand that viewpoint. Do you want anything else done instead?”
He shook his head. "I'd say don't mourn, but I've been on the other side enough to know that'll never happen." He smiled weakly as he turned his head. "Try to celebrate my life instead of mourning my death?"
Selise forced a weak smile back, but her eyes held a different story, even if she didn't allow any tears to fall. "I will try, but you have to promise me something first."
“What's that?”
“Don't finish this alone. I know you might not feel comfortable here, but go to Splint, to another healer, to anyone. Please.”
“I...can only promise to try...I'm still a stubborn idiot after all.”
Selise shook her head. “I suppose that will have to do.”
Drahs pushed himself up with a grunt. He let out a few coughs. "Thanks for being here, Sel. I just wish I could've shown up in a more...dignified light. Never stop being kind, alright?"
Selise stood from her seat and picked the bottle up off the table. She moved around the chair to offer it out to him with a small smirk. "It is not the first time you've been dropped into my office..." She didn't want to complete the thought, but her mind did it for her anyway. "Two pills, every four hours. It's written on the bottle..." She just looked at him a moment, then moved to hug him. "Thank you for being my friend. I hope you finish what you want to."
Drahs took the bottle as she spoke. He chuckled as she made her commentary, but after the hug he finally broke fully. He squeezed her as tears rolled down his cheeks. "You as well Sel. Take care of yourself." It took more than he felt it should to finally release his grip and make his way out of the office.
Selise remained silent as her gaze drifted to the floor. She placed a hand on the back of the nearby chair to steady herself.
Written with @drahs Mentions @cherysaamberstill @laivindur
The two of them were seated close together on the large arm chair, Selise tucked into the corner, her legs draped over his.
He did not repeat the name of the location. “It wouldn’t be the first time and it may prove even more informative now.”
She squinted at the inference. "Funny how when it’s my idea it’s ‘dangerous’ and when it’s your idea it’s ‘informative’.”
“It never stopped being dangerous, but it’s beginning to seem necessary.”
She shifted in her seat.
“Sel.”
The gentle tone of voice did more to keep her next to him than the fingers that interlaced with hers.
“I-I can’t. It’s too much. Patients, the refugees, the finances, the...other legal matters. I can’t put more on Chery.”
“She seems to be handling things adeptly. What’s that doctor’s name, Fairweather? How long did you watch his patients for him?”
“Fairhurst…”
Nick rose a brow at her.
“Six weeks, but,” she continued quickly, “I don’t even know if he’s still practicing.”
“There must be a doctor you trust.”
The old man came to mind, but she didn’t know if she could face Splint. An intense anger flared up in her briefly at the thought, followed by a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“I don’t want to go anywhere.”
A moment of silence lingered between the two of them before he broke it.
“You haven’t taken a day since your friend passed. You did this when your mother passed, when we first met. Speaking as someone who was also close to wits end at that time, you should take a break.”
He wasn’t wrong. The night Drahs left her office had resulted in her shut up in one of her exam rooms with the bottle of Dalaran Red that Risri had gifted her for Winter’s Veil. Reading Drahs' letter a few days later had ripped the wound back open. Sleep hadn’t come easy. She was simply going through the motions.
“I wouldn’t call going into a void infested desert a relaxing vacation.” She muttered.
“The Tol’vir settlement is so far untouched and well defended. You could talk to them about your research.”
“While you go off alone? You might not hear the void now, but you will if we go that close. We both will. And Terah…”
"Is getting worse."
Selise winced and looked off across the apartment. Terah had been scarce and when she did come out, she was frightened and her form unstable. There was no sign of hostile magic here, but Sel had heard the gossip flying through the city streets. Hallucinations, speaking in tongues, whispers, people going missing, shadows…
Was it happening again?
"I'll go, but I need a couple days." The possibility of a repeated outbreak was all too real. She rested her head on Nick's shoulder, hearing his response, but not processing the words as her eyes closed.
Written with @skystoneseat and @drahs ; @cherysaamberstill for mentions
Only a few moments had passed since Selise left Drahs alone in the front room before there was movement in the hallway.
Cherysa came into view and headed over to her desk area, picking up her coat. “You’re right and you are the doctor. I am going to try and clear my head. I'll be back, maybe later?"
Selise wasn’t too far behind, but she had stopped next to her own desk, her hands sunk into the pockets of her jacket. She simply nodded. “Take whatever time you need.”
Chery rubbed her face a bit with a nod and headed for the door.
"Before you go." Drahs commented as she headed to the door. "The suture work you did when you worked on my hand was quite impressive. The recovery went by without a problem." He smiled, leaning on Graves’ desk.
Chery offered only a smile in response and headed out the door.
Drahs' face went from a pleasant smile to a dour frown. "Damn it," he muttered.
Selise watched the door shut, her expression not that far off from Drahs'. "Am I being paranoid or do we have a problem?"
"Both of my hands are mechanical, Graves." He grunted, crossing his arms. "What do you think?"
She scowled at him. "I'm aware...but she didn't answer you and grief makes you do crazy things."
Drahs rose a brow as he glanced to the doctor. "And what did you and Amberstill talk about when you were in the exam room?"
The doctor was surprisingly light on her feet when she wanted to be and she had done just that when she approached the room Chery was in, not speaking until she had already come a few paces inside. "Chery, when you're done in here can you bring out refills for a field first aid kit, please. This one shouldn't be too different than the one I gave you."
"Oh yes, right I can do that...." Chery looked over as if in a daydream.
Selise studied Chery curiously, then looked around the room to see what progress she had made on the daily re-stocking. Apparently it was slow going; only a few things had been touched up and she hadn’t even started the second room. A concerned expression took over Selise's features. "Are you sure you're alright? You haven't asked for the stocking list since your third week."
Chery rubbed at her face and turned to look at the Doc. "I know. Maybe I needed more of that holiday...I just couldn’t stay there."
Selise slipped her hands into the pockets of her jacket. "Is it having the same effect as it originally did?"
"My grandparents’ place?"
"No...the bigger issue."
"I don’t know what you mean."
Selise's brow furrowed slightly as she recalled the younger woman’s confession about her parents’ death and the toll it had taken on her faith. She shook her head. "Nevermind," there was a brief pause, "I don't mean to pry, but if you need someone to talk to, then I'm always here." She glanced back at the shelves. "You're welcome to stay and work, but don't force yourself if you're not feeling up to it."
Selise smiled weakly as Cherysa seemed to take her advice and headed for the door. She followed after her. From the door across the hallway, Cor's glowing eyes could be seen. Apparently he had been eavesdropping.
---
"A whole lot of nothing." Selise chewed on the inside of her cheek for a moment. "The same excuse, with no specifics..."
"Did you ask her anything specific that she would know?"
There was more of a pause than she meant there to be. "Yes...in a less direct way, but I don't think she would've missed my point. We've discussed it before...briefly." She turned away and paced behind her desk. "Regardless, at least we know where she is."
Selise pulled the com from her belt and set it on the table, activating the tracking coordinates. Hopefully Cherysa still carried her own copy. After a moment, a set of numbers appeared on the screen, the location still inside Stormwind near the park.
Drahs hovered over Selise as she worked with her com. "What do you think his game is if that isn't...y'know?"
Selise looked up at him briefly, then fixed her gaze back on the device as the coordinates started to change. "I don't know, all I know is that he must've done something to Chery...and being in her body will cause it to experience rapid degradation if he's not removed." She frowned at the mechanical device.
"We'll want to start following then." Drahs sighed, rubbing his temples. "Hopefully they don't get wise to the tracking device." He glanced over at Selise. "Keep an eye on where it's going. I'm gonna grab some supplies from my office, I should be back in a few minutes."
She glanced up again and nodded before going back to watching the tiny set of numbers come to a stop at a location not too far away.
The rolling plains stretched out as far as the eye could see with a few small hills, like the one Sel stood on, breaking the flat grass land. A soft wind rustled the caramel colored grass and her hair, which fell in long strands just past her shoulders. Small, purple flowers dotted the landscape, their sweet scent reached her on the wind and rose from her steps as her long, layered robes brushed past their petals.
Selise stooped down and reached out to pluck one of the tiny blooms from the ground. As her fingers touched the silky petal, the bloom wilted, as did all those around it. The action rippled out with the priest at its center in a domino effect. Rather than turn dry as they shrivelled up, the wilted blooms liquified into a dark black ooze that dripped into the grass and transformed it into a long, narrow cobblestone street.
The black liquid ran downhill along the cracks around the stones and Sel followed it. Dark, undulating shadows obscured her vision when she tried to see off to the sides of the stone path. A single stone bench sat off to one side of the path ahead where a young, red haired woman had her arms wrapped around herself. Her body swayed back and forth and loud sobbing echoed out from her, growing louder as Sel moved closer until she passed through her. The picture faded into a cloud of acrid smelling smoke, the sobbing replaced with screaming.
She turned, the smoke clogged her lungs, and her breathing broke into a strangled coughing fit. Her hands came away from her mouth splattered with blood and suddenly the screaming stopped. A wave of cold washed over her just as a loud crash drowned out all else.
Selise’s eyes snapped open. The quick movement next to her made her sit up in bed. Nick was already on his feet and moving away, the dagger in his grip briefly caught the light from the window as he passed.
“Mom.”
Terah was next to the bed and on the verge of tears. Selise suddenly forgot about the crash. “What’s wrong?”
Nicholas crossed the small apartment with a silent, measured stride. The sound had come from the front, close to the door. Their voices reached him, but not the words as he listened for anything out of place. As he got closer he saw a mix of potting soil and broken clay strewn across the floor, a few specks of bright green foliage visible among the mess. A brief glance went towards a large potted tree set off to the side of the window. A sunfur panda stared back at him from its leisurely position in the branches. Nick placed a hand on the door knob; it was still locked.
“I see shadows.”
Selise frowned. The large window had a tendency to throw shadows across the apartment at night, but that didn’t explain the sound. “They can’t hurt you.”
Terah shifted uncomfortably. “But they were like the first ones.”
Sel found herself at a temporary loss for how to comfort the child. She held out a palm, the soft glow of magic forming into a yellow sphere. Terah hesitated for a moment, then reached for it, forming the same spell and causing the sphere to grow larger.
Selise looked out past Terah towards Nick who simply shook his head. The apartment was empty.
Been real wrapped up in work lately. Hasn’t even been anything too dramatic going on either, just a minor case after minor case. They started piling up really badly now that I’m more or less on my own here. Jeán’s on day shifts, Vy’s missing, Antoine is busy with family affairs. I finally caught up somewhat on the paperwork and went out into the city in the early evening to take a break from the office. Got to see Dinna again, which was just wonderful- really made my night. She even introduced me to Gevudan finally, a fellow who works for the Sigil- which, turns out, Dinna does too now. I really need to get out more, it seems. Good for her, though! Always really admired them, the White Sigil, especially after their work saved half the Waterfronts and I a few years back during a nasty city plague pandemic, not to mention all the other disasters they lended aid to.
We didn’t visit long, which was too bad. I’ll try and track her down later, see if we can find time to catch up on things. After Dinna I dropped by Drahs’ office to see how his line of work was going. He was wrapped up in a new investigation when I got there. No surprise that there was another serial mutilator out in Westfall, and he had some photo evidence of one of the victims. Whoever was doing this was flaying their prey’s limbs open and scrimshawing their bones in some sort of intricate signature in demon runes. The picture was horrifying, but even so I offered to come with his next investigation to Westfall so I could make an official report on the incident to the city.
We headed down to Westfall with a small handful of agents and mercenaries, most working for the unit Drahs lead. When we got to where the first victim was found, we found the beach a mess of dead murlocs and a deep gouge in the sand from a ship running ashore. We never really found out why they had been massacred like that, but we did find out who had done it. I made a lucky find with a soggy old journal on the shore bearing some sort of demonskull sigil on the front. It didn’t have much information in it besides some snippets and short entries on some sort of nasty pirate crew, but one of the last entries mentioned targeting a Bloodsail camp after the murlocs. Out of the group that came with us, only one SI:7 woman and Drahs and I continued down the coast towards Stranglethorn. It took awhile, but luckily the beach wasn’t terribly far, since we were already on the southern edge of Westfall.
We heard the cannonfire before we reached the camp. A ship bearing the same demonskull sigil flag as the journal was anchored in the shallows and the Bloodsail camp was being attacked by another crew of pirates wearing black sashes and demonskull bandanas. Now I’ve seen a lot of strange things, but cultist pirates was new. The Bloodsail weren’t having anything to do with us showing up in the middle of the attack and sent a few men after us too. It was easy enough to fend them off, but when the Bloodsail captain had his head taken clean off by the demonskull captain, they surrendered.
Before we got the hell out of there, not wanting anything to do with scrimshawed bones, we caught the name of the demonskull crew captain- rather, a nickname. The Seawater Scourge. I’ve been trying to find files on the name back in the city, bu nothing is coming up. Drahs took a few days off to recover from the fight, but I hope to have at least something to share when he’s back on duty.
I was also relieved to not see Allan down at the Bloodsail camp, on the off chance he was there at all. Now’s the trouble of trying to track him down again before the Seawater Scourge starts going after ships.
