It was a dark and stormy night, and Medicine Melancholy was all alone.
Not that she cared. Medicine preferred solitude to bad company, of which the world had plenty.
She sat in her cottage on Nameless Hill, reading by candlelight about her favorite topic, poisonous plants. "Convallaria majalis, a sweet-scented blossom commonly used in folk remedies, when ingested can cause nausea or vomiting or even..."
The door rattled. Just the wind?
Medicine heard voices outside. She shut the book and peered out the window.
A plushy lump prodded her in the small of the back. "Visitors?" A doll floated and flitted around Medicine, its stitched mouth grinning. "Oh, goodie. Can we kill them? Please?"
"Shush, Su-san." Medicine squinted out the window, but the pouring rain blurred her view. Lightning flashed—two figures stood at the foot of her hill. One figure wore a pointy hat.
"You stay here," Medicine murmured. "I'm going out to take a look."
"Without me?" Su-san wailed. She bumped into a hatstand. "Hey! Are you gonna be all right? What're you taking with you? Poison gas, poison darts, poison—"
"Su-san. I believe I can handle two trespassers."
Medicine donned her cloak and went outside.
Rain thudded into the flowery hill. Water spilled from flooded gutters, gushed from the rooftop and plopped into flowerpots, or oozed downhill to make a muddy river out of the gully.
Medicine ventured into this storm, wind whipping at her cape and muck sucking at her shoes. She spotted the visitors lingering at the edge of the swollen gully. "Who goes there?" she called. They waved back. As they approached, she debated how she would kill them. Gas?—no, the fog would dilute the dissipation process. Darts?—too dark, she'd be too likely to miss. Then what? Her doll limbs jangled. The answer came to her. The poison blades hidden in her hollow arms. Yes. Medicine had not fought hand-to-hand in quite a while.
"Who's there?" Medicine repeated. She moved toward the visitors. Though her plastic body felt no cold, she suffered in other ways. Rain seeped into her joints, which would stick if she didn't attend to them soon.
The figure with the pointy hat called out. "Hey, you! Hate to bother you at this ungody hour, but we're horribly lost. Any chance you could let us spend the night?"
"No chance," Medicine said. "Go away."
The waving hand fell slowly. The one with the pointy hat hugged the shivering mass beside her. "Don't worry, Alice, I've got you." She turned back to Medicine. "Now look what you've done. You made her cry. I won't forgive—"
Medicine sprang. Her hands detached—two blades shot out—and she thrust through the pointy hat. It was empty.
Medicine whirled around in bewilderment. The girl stood behind her, hatless, holding her companion. She panted. Rain streaked her blonde hair and soaked her black dress. The girl raised a hand. "Sister, you pissed off the wrong witch."
The night exploded with light.
Medicine dodged the first volley of spells, cartwheeling on her blades. The witch followed the first with a burst of bright yellow bubbles. They exploded in proximity to Medicine, showering her with mud and soot. Medicine circled away. The witch was good.
Nor was she done. The witch released a flock of homing bullets—flitting in from two directions, the chittering shots forced Medicine to squeeze into a point directly in line with her opponent.
The witch grinned. "Master Spark!"
The energy beam blasted Medicine's left arm off at the shoulder. It dropped with a plop in the mud. Without flinching, Medicine charged the witch in a zigzag pattern, scowling and yowling.
Medicine's persistent thrusts drove back the witch. Cursing, the witch grabbed the remaining arm and twisted it. The arm popped off at the elbow—another poison blade gleamed on the stump. Medicine stabbed.
The witch slammed into her and shoved her to the ground.
They splashed in the mud and muck, drenching their clothes, splattering their skin. The witch rolled over top of Medicine. She straddled Medicine, wrenching off her other arm.
"Now this is more my style," said the witch with a smile. She held up the knobby length of Medicine's right arm. "A doll, huh? I know someone who'd love to take you apart. No, that's not a threat. That's a fact. I want to know what makes that nasty body move..."
Medicine struggled under the witch in vain. Her mind raced. The witch's fat bottom pinned nearly everything below the waist. In cold desperation, Medicine jerked to reverse her knee joint. Blades sprang from the front of her feet—Medicine kicked. But the witch caught her by the ankles, ripped off Medicine's legs. She tossed the useless limbs aside.
"You're good," she said. "But I'm better."
As they lay in the rain, moisture seeped into Medicine's abdominal cavity, reducing the poison powder inside to slurry. Medicine gritted her teeth.
The witch never budged. She called to her companion, "It's safe, Alice! I got her!"
"What is she?" The other girl approached cautiously, trembling in trepidation.
The witch cackled. "I thought you might be able to tell me. She's a doll, but not like any I've ever seen." She stroked Medicine's short gold hair. Medicine shrank from her touch. "Such pretty eyes," the witch murmured, "like blue silver." She looked toward the cottage. "Let's get you inside, Alice. The storm's getting—"
Jagged lightning cracked the sky. Medicine lunged—she sank her teeth into the witch's hand. As deadly poison seared her nerves, the witch let loose a scream. The other girl, Alice, shrieked, "Marisa!" and came running. With a satisfied smirk, Medicine lay back.
The witch hunched over, heaving and gasping and grasping her hand. Enraged with pain, she struck Medicine in the face with her good hand. And again. And again. And—
"Stop!"
Alice took the witch's hand. She let the witch lean on her shoulder. "You're hurt. We need to get you warm and dry." She half-walked, half-dragged Marisa to the cottage. The whole way, the witch howled and moaned. Her bitten hand had already swollen and blackened.
Rain pelted Medicine's fallen form. Her dress was ruined, her body demolished. She could not last much longer. In her current state, she could not put herself back together again. But Medicine found no small comfort knowing the witch would die screaming in agony.
The rain stopped. Medicine opened her eyes. Had the storm passed?
Alice stood over her, still carrying the witch. She had come back. "You," she said. "What have you done to Marisa?"
Medicine shook with bleak laughter. "Exactly what it looks like. I poisoned your bitch of a witch. Osculum mortem, from the spiny sea sponge. She'll die within the hour. Slowly. And very, very painfully." Medicine relished the sheer fear in Alice's eyes.
To her surprise, the fear vanished, replaced with burning determination. Alice shifted Marisa on her shoulder and grabbed Medicine. "You're coming with me." Hauling the doll by her hair, Alice dragged Medicine through the rain toward the cottage, faltering step by faltering step.
Alice threw open the door.
"EEAAAHHH!"
Letting loose a fierce battle shriek, Su-san swooped and flung a flowerpot at Alice. Missing, it smashed on the floor. After Alice swatted the doll out of the air and stuffed her in a birdcage, she dragged Medicine and Marisa inside. Exhausted and sopping wet, the little girl collapsed in a chair.
Sprawled carelessly on her back, Medicine could see the scene well enough. She frowned. "That's my best chair you're ruining."
Alice scowled in return. "Well, sorry for ruining your best chair." Having had her rest, she sat up the witch in the chair, poisoned hand in her lap. The hand wound throbbed dark and bulbous. Alice could hardly look at it.
The girl's hands lifted Medicine's body. Alice pushed Medicine's nose into the witch's wound until Medicine could smell the very flesh rotting.
"Talk," Alice hissed, but her voice quavered. "What have you done to her?"
Medicine smiled weakly. "I already told you. Osculum mortem. Deadly poison, acts almost immediately. Shall I tell you what it does? First it deadens the motor neurons, so that the body cannot move. But it leaves the pain receptors—those stay to the bitter end. Once injected under the skin, the venom kills the cells by spreading an enzyme that causes rapid aging. The cells decompose prematurely, the process accelerated by the poison. I must say, it raises an awful reek. The tropical natives call this blemish the 'stink spot.'"
"Then what?"
"From the skin cells, the poison spreads to the bloodstream, where it dissolves the walls of the veins and arteries. Massive internal bleeding. It slows the process through the body, but not for long. Once the infection reaches the heart, lungs, or brain, the victim is done. Like I said, most last less than an hour." Medicine grinned. "But long before then, the victims succumb to hallucinations or even severe memory loss. Best say goodbye to your witch, while she still remembers who you are."
Alice didn't move. She dropped Medicine, who fell to the floor with a thunk.
"No." The sobs started. Alice buried her face in Marisa's muddy skirts. Her small fists pounded the ground. "No! No! No!"
Medicine savored the sight. She lived for moments like these. To top it off, she finished, "There's no known cure."
"That's not true!"
Alice's attention snapped to the birdcage by the fireplace. Su-san rattled the thin wire bars. "There is one, there is one! You were just telling me about it! I remember, because Medicine, you are so mad when you found out about it—the white moon lilies, I mean—you stomped around the house for hours and shouted at the walls and then you yelled at me, which I'm still a little mad about, so when you were destroying all those flowers I snuck one away and tucked it in the back of the greenhouse where..."
Su-san clapped a plush hand over her mouth flap. "Oh. I said too much again, didn't I? Sorry, Medicine."
Medicine shot the doll a murderous stare.
Alice's tears disappeared. With new hope, she dashed to the greenhouse, which she found behind the kitchen. But she returned in despair. "There's hundreds of white flowers!"
"Keep looking!" Su-san encouraged. "White, moon, lily. Remember that!"
Medicine growled. "Su-san. The moment I can hold a needle again, I'm stitching that fat mouth shut."
"I'm stuck up here, and you're stuck down there, and there's nothing either of us can do about it, so nyeh!" Su-san stuck out her fuzzy felt tongue. Medicine seethed.
Alice returned with more white flowers, but Su-san shook her head—not the right one. Not that one either. Nope. Nope. Try again. Nope. Nuh-uh. Doesn't that look more pale yellow than white?
"I'm trying!" Alice cried, throwing down the latest flowerpot. It shattered—Medicine cringed, not from the noise, but at the prospect of replacing her albino alpine daffodils.
The witch stirred. She opened her eyes, and Alice rushed to her side. Blinking blearily, the witch smiled. With her good hand, she stroked Alice's cheek. Alice fought back tears.
"Is that you," the witch mumbled, "master?"
The shock on Alice's face made Medicine want to burst into laughter.
"Master, it's been so long since I've seen you," the witch whispered, her face blissful. "I've been with a few others since then...oh, all right, many others. But I never loved any so much as you..."
Gently, Alice pried the witch's hand away from her cheek. "Try not to talk," she choked. Alice sniffled and wiped her nose on her sleeve.
The witch's eyes narrowed. "You're not Master..."
"Yes," Alice whispered. "Yes, I'm Alice. Remember me? Alice?"
"Elis? No, that can't be, you're dead. Mumu? Patchy? Yu—"
Alice pressed a finger to the witch's lips. Clearly the girl couldn't bear to hear any more. She dried her eyes and tromped back to the greenhouse.
Medicine watched in solemn silence.
Quiet strength. She had heard the words, but never seen them acted out. The witch was like a soldier, brash and blunt and always leading the charge. Alice was like a nurse. She carried a private burden, relied on the soldier for protection, and seemed weak and timid by comparison. But when the soldier was wounded, the nurse showed her strength. She stayed by the soldier's side, never leaving, never sleeping. She shared the pain, and shared the joy when her soldier became strong enough to fight for her again.
Alice returned from the greenhouse carrying a small white flower with shiny petals streaked with silver.
"Yes, yes, that's the one!" Su-san cried, bouncing up and down, shaking her cage. "That's the—whoa!" The cage tipped over and fell with a clang. Su-san sat up, dizzy. "All right, now to apply the salve. I'll show—"
Su-san's snagged on a ragged point of the wire cage. The doll ripped open, spilling out fluffy stuffing. She squeaked and squealed. "Ow. That really hurt. It shouldn't have, but that really hurt!"
Alice put down the plant and went to help the doll. She gingerly unsnarled Su-san from the wire and laid her across her knee. Alice dug around in her pockets.
"W...what are you gonna do to me?" Su-san sobbed, squirming.
"Fix you. So lie still." Alice took out a needle and thread. She looked to the witch. "I can't do this alone. I need your help."
"But your friend doesn't have much—eep!" Su-san winced as the needle pierced her.
Alice grimaced. "You first. I have no choice."
As she watched, Medicine's eyes widened. The way Alice threaded the needle, the way the tip looped and plunged and pulled tight the separate flaps. The distant glow in her eyes, of a master craftsman at her art...
"You." Medicine nodded to Alice. "What's your trade?"
Alice regarded Medicine unblinking. "I'm a dollmaker."
Of course. Dollmakers would always carry a needle and thread. A thought stirred in the back of Medicine's mind. Maybe she knew...
"I need a mortar and pestle."
Alice blinked at Medicine. "What?"
"Mortar and pestle," Medicine snapped. She wriggled on her belly toward the chair where the witch lay dying. "There's not much time. Any longer, and the antidote won't have any effect."
Su-san turned. "Medicine, what are you—"
"Mortar and pestle!"
Silence hung in the air.
Medicine sighed. "Bowl and mashy thing."
Alice fetched one from the shelf. Following Medicine's instruction, Alice put it on the floor in front of her.
"Good," said Medicine. She clenched the pestle in her teeth. "Now put in the lilies. Just the flowers, none of the stem! Good, very good. Hold on a minute." With a lot of nodding, Medicine ground the flowers into gray mush.
Sweat beaded on the witch's forehead. Her breaths came in short, sharp gasps.
"Tie off her arm so the poison doesn't spread. You have a tourniquet?"
Alice had stockings. They sufficed.
Soon Medicine finished making the remedy. "Now take off her dress."
Alice flushed. "How dare you—"
"Do it!"
Embarrassed, Alice slipped off the witch's wet clothes. A sarashi and a loincloth covered the parts humans considered shameful.
Dark red blotches ran up the witch's arm. The wound stank like a dank crypt.
"Not good," Medicine muttered. She glared at Su-san. "Get me some sewing scissors. Sharp ones." As the doll scampered off, Medicine turned to Alice. "You're going to have to cut her open."
Alice splutteed. "How can you even say that?"
"If you know a better way to drain subcutaneous inflammation, speak up."
Scissors poked into Medicine's side. "Got 'em, boss," Su-san said.
"Give them to her. She'll have to do it."
Medicine stared into Alice's eyes, read the hesitation. "You want to save her life? Do as I say."
Alice did.
While Medicine guided her, Alice slid the blade of the scissors into the wound. "This violates every health and safety code ever devised," Medicine muttered. "Continue."
Alice snipped through the diseased skin up to the tourniquet. She was alarmed how easy it was, the skin thin and flimsy like moist rice paper. The witch hardly stirred.
"She feels the pain, I assure you," Medicine said. "She just can't respond to it. Now apply the paste..."
White moon lilies. A panacea, a parting gift from the moon's most brilliant chemist. Medicine watched the last one in the world save a witch's life.
Alice dabbed the last of the lilies onto the incision. Black goo oozed out and dripped on the floor. That'll stain, Medicine thought.
When they ran out of paste, all they could do was wait. Rain drummed on the roof to mark the time.
Alice cradled the witch under her chin. "Master," the witch mumbled, eyes shut, "everyone...it's so great to see you...but I have to be getting back. Alice needs me. I love her more than anything in the world..."
Gradually, miraculously, the witch's skin turned pale and pink while they watched.
The witch's eyes fluttered open. "Alice?"
Alice screamed for joy and embraced her, laughing. The witch laughed too, somewhat more nervously.
Medicine sighed. She stretched on the floor, minus arms and legs, only a head attached to a waterlogged trunk.
Su-san patted Medicine on the head. "You did the right thing."
"I know," Medicine muttered. "I can't stand it."