"An apple a day keeps the doctor away."
That's what the boy's mother always told him and it didn't seem to work. The boy was always seen eating apples even during the doctor housecalls. He soon started to believe that it didn't matter how well you tried to live, you still got sick. It didn't matter how many times he tried to hide the bloody handkercheifs, his mother still found them and called the doctor. It didn't matter how many times the boy would tell his mother that he felt fine, because everytime he tried to speak, he would have a coughing fit and the blood would come out again. The boy was never allowed to go outside and play with the other children, he would never experience school or have friends, he would have to stay inside and eat his apples.
"Quinlan, dear! Time to take your medicine!" His mother called in a sing-song voice as he heard her footsteps on the stairs.
The ten year old Quinlan slowly rose up from his bed and covered his mouth with a handkerchief, knowing he would cough up blood soon. Just as his mother opened the creaky wooden door, he began to have a fit.
"Oh, dear. You seem to get worse and worse everyday. I wish you would get better Quinlan." His mother said, laying the tray of terrible tasting medicine on his end table. She sat by him on his bed and waited for him to stop coughing.
His mother looked so fragile, her skin seemed to be made of porcelein. She had bleached blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She often reminded him of winter snow and how delicate the blanket of snow looks on the ground and tree branches. His mother's warm embrace always changed this opinion. She held him close to her bosom for quite some time, refusing to let her child get sick again even though he was almost deathly ill already.
"Are you ready to take your medicine that the doctor prescribed?" His mother asked, releasing him from the warmth and back to the cold, despite all the quilts and furs on his bed.
Quinlan nodded, even though he wasn't. The medicine tasted horrible and left an even worse after-taste. He could taste all the herbs in it and almost identify each one by smell. He held his crooked nose as his mother opened one of the medicine bottles and poured it into a spoon.
Doc Q shoved the spoon full of medicine into a little boy's mouth.
"You're lucky you found me before things got any worse." Doc Q said as he put the medicine into his giant fur coat. He stood up and stumbled his way to the door.
It had been over thirty years since that unlucky day when his mother fell ill and died. From that day on, he pledged to become the world's greatest doctor and cure every disease.
"Excuse me, sir." The boy's father said from inside the house. Doc Q stopped and turned his head. "If it would be of any consolation, we have a horse you can have. Free of charge. It'll be your pay for helping our boy." The father said, patting his sleeping boy's head.
"It must be my lucky day." Doc Q coughed.
Through town, a sickly old man in a big fur coat rode on a sickly old horse that looked like he wouldn't last another minute.
"Just my luck to get a piece of crap horse. After all I did for that kid." Doc Q grumbled and coughed as he and the horse survived their own diseases through town. "How unlucky I am. Well, to make the best of it, what shall I name you?"
He thought of his own name, Quinlan. It meant to be strong and athletic. His status was the total opposite. Maybe he should name the horse like that? For encouragement.
"Hope...Perserverence...No, let's see...Stronger, perhaps?" He put his face close to the horse's ears. The horse gave a sick whinny in reply. "Such a simple name for a simple horse. Let's go Stronger." He gave the reins a shake and the horse didn't budge.
"Woah there old man. You can't pass through here without a toll." A voice said.
Doc Q sighed. He was always discriminated against for being old looking. "How much?"
"100 Beri." The teenager said. He had a katana at his side and three other boys walked up behind him out of the darkness.
"That's a little too much, don't you think?" Doc Q asked as he put his hand in his coat.
"Nah, just enough for us." The boy said and put his hand out.
"Seems I don't have anything on me. Sorry boys." Doc Q said. He was broke, for a fact.
The leader quickly pulled out his katana and aimed it at Doc Q's throat. "Then give me the horse."
"He's not worth a single penny." Doc Q gave a sly smile and reached to his back where a long, wrapped bundle was strapped by ropes. With a quick movement of his hand, out came a long broadsword that disarmed the leader in a swipe. The other boys dropped their weapons and ran off in fear of the old man with a sword. Doc Q cackled and then coughed. "We showed those boys." He smiled and whipped at the reins. Stronger started to walk down the road.
"Hey, mister!" A deep voice called out.
Doc Q pulled at the reins and looked back. A big man was walking down toward him. He had curly black hair tied down by a black bandana, an open white button-up shirt and green pants with a yellow-green girdle. People ran about, fleeing from the two giant men and the giant horse.
"I saw what you did there and that was awesome." The big man with curly black hair grinned. "Would you like to join my crew?"
"What kind of crew is it?" Doc Q coughed into a fist.
"My pirate crew. We pillage and raid, bring in bounties. If you come with me, you'll be rich." He said, putting out his giant hand.
"I'll join your crew. I'm not rewarded here very well anyways." Doc Q shook the big man's hand.
"My name is Marshall D. Teach, or Captain Blackbeard." He grinned.
"I am called Doc Q around here."
"You're a doctor!?" Blackbeard asked surprised. Doc Q nodded. "Well that just makes it better. A skilled swordsman that took the Hypocratic Oath." Blackbeard let out a hearty laugh and his belly jiggled like Santa Claus.