Beyond the Soul- Chapter One: Bodily Malfunction
I was slowly but surely becoming more and more accustomed to this body. It wasn't like Melanie's. I already knew that, but lately I had been missing hers more. Per hadn't been used to hard work like Melanie, which was unfortunately required here. I did have Ian to help me, but sometimes we had separate duties to attend to. Besides in the mess hall and makeshift bedrooms, one here was usually kept on their feet.
It had been a few weeks now since my insertion. Maybe a month, or two even. I no longer lived on a day-to-day basis. I didn't care what day of the week it was. I slept when it was dark and worked when it was light. It was becoming a regular part of my life now.
The work was starting to wear on me. I was glad to be a help, but it was difficult. I helped till, water, and harvest the fields. I helped cook and even cleaned the mirrors in the main garden room. I didn't complain, verbally anyways. My body's testimony was screaming in my single-minded head, however.
"Ian," I sighed as he gently pressed a hand on my shoulder. I let my shovel sink into the ground, leaning on it.
"How are you holding up?" he asked sweetly. It made me smile. This was such a stark contrast to the first time I met him; I could still remember the feeling of his constricting hands around my throat. He seemed so harmless now.
"Tired, but I'm hanging on." I still wasn't used to hearing my words in Pet's pealing voice. "Thanks for checking up on me."
"I figured I'd come help you out. You seem really exhausted lately." He attempted to pry the shovel from my hands resting on top of it. I refused to give it to him.
"You're really too kind. I'll be just fine." I forced a smile.
"Wanda, please. Maybe you should go see Doc. Maybe this body wasn't fit for a second soul." The concern in his perfectly sculpted eyes above the unbroken, masterpiece nose was so deep that it scathed my soul—pun not intended.
Shaking my head, I placed a hand on his forearm. "It doesn't work that way. Unless severely damaged, which Pet was not, if a host is fit for one soul, it will be fit for another. That is... if the body isn't close to death..."
His mouth opened in surprise, and with these too natural, human emotions, I wanted to kiss them. That changed when I saw the sudden anger in his face.
"Why didn't you tell me this before?! Pet could have a life-threatening disease!"
"I'm... not sure. Our Healers have cures for those. And even still, hosts are screened and tested first. The damaged ones are... disposed of." I knew Ian wouldn't be hurt by what I had said. Or at least wouldn't show it. He knew it wasn't me who had chosen the life of souls to be as such. Just like humans couldn't control what emotions they did and didn't have. Still, I was careful of my word choice.
"Well what if they missed something? Or what if Doc messed up the insertion? We need to go see him. Now." This time, he tore the shovel from my hands violently. He grabbed me by the arm and tugged me towards the exit. He dropped the shovel at the opening, not caring as the clang drew the attention of other workers.
I knew it would be useless to object, so when he stopped and scooped me up, I kept my mouth shut.
When I was finally sitting and settled on an empty cot, Doc looked up from a few documents on his desk. "What, ah..." The thin man saw Ian's excessively-worried expression and my skeptical one. "...brings you two here? Please don't tell me that you two have already created demon spawn." He chuckled.
I knew he was joking. Face flushing red, I denied the claim. "N-no. Not at all."
Doc stood. "I didn't think so. So what does bring you here?" He interlaced his fingers and stretched them, palms outward.
"We think something's wrong with Wanda's body. Or, Pet's, rather." Ian sat beside me, a long arm automatically ensnaring my shoulders.
"Ian thinks there's something wrong with this body." I rolled my eyes. "He's overreacting. Pet just never had to do any brutal, physical work."
"Brutal?" Doc laughed. "You didn't complain when you were in Melanie's body." He brushed a strand of hair out of my face, shining a flashlight in my left eye.
I squinted. "Yeah, well, I'm not anymore. Nor do I have any desire to be." I glanced at Ian and Doc scoffed, snapping.
"Eyes forward," he said, gleaming the light in my other eye.
After checking my eyes, he checked my reflexes, and then my breathing and heart with his stethoscope.
"...Oh my," he stated when finished.