A week after your incident, the rain is finally starting to stop and you are baking some cookies during a quiet, work-free afternoon.
Cooking is not your favorite hobby, but at a time like this; peaceful and with nothing better to do, any activity is welcome in your humble home. In addition, have cookies has never hurted, and they usually are pretty useful to encourage you if you have a bad day or to give to someone who has had one. Cooking also generally calms you down.
Carefully, you separate the cookie dough in small portions and make balls with them using your fingers, taking your time to feel the soft dough under the palms of your hands, before putting them back on the tray.
Mass dough is delicate and a little sticky, and it feels strangely relaxing when you squeeze it between your hands. The smell is also a delight, if it is polite that you praise your own cooking.
The area of pediatrics of the hospital seems to be returning to normal since 'the accident'. Luckily, it seems that the whole affair has remained as just a simple anecdote, with some rumors among the usual patients. You don't really care if this ends in your file (you don't really care about almost anything that has to do with your file), but it would be a shame if people stopped bringing their sick kids to the hospital just for a little confusion like this.
Outside, it's still cold. Soon the little rain that persists to this day will cease, and the only precipitations will be the occasional winter snowfall, very appreciated by the young children. The air will remain cold and fresh, and all the grass in the parks will be covered by a thin layer of snow.
You stop your task for a moment and look absently through a window; yep, everything is still as silent and cold as before
You move away from the window and you are about to put the tray with the cookies in the oven, when suddenly the sound of your mobile phone from the living room makes you leave your own head.
"Shit!" You mutter under your breath, closing the oven and adjusting the temperature as fast as you can. "Hold on a minute!"
'As if the phone could hear you...'
You run to the bathroom and turn on the water, quickly washing your (s/c) hands, at the moment covered with sticky cookie dough, sugar and flour (of course all this also has to be spilled on the apron you're wearing).
When you finally return to the room (running and still drying your wet hands on your clothes) you almost trip over your own feet in an effort to grab your mobile as fast as possible, which luckily is still ringing.
Quickly recovering from your trip, you have just enough time to take a quick look at the screen (unknown number) before picking up.
"Hello?" You greet, still unsure of who you are talking to.
"..." there is a short silence on the other side of the telephone line.
'Is this a joke or something? '
"uh, hi..." Suddenly a vaguely familiar voice reaches your ears, in a rather confused tone.
The memories flow to your mind at record speed.
"Oh, it's just you" you say, just before suddenly realizing how disinterested that phrase may have sounded. "Is something wrong? Aradia is not improving?" You try to fix the situation, although the name of the little grub sounds strange said by you: a human.
The troll's voice before sounded so uncomfortable, so out of place…
You really did not expect her to call you, and you could almost bet she did not expect to do it either.
There is another long silence (something tells you that she must not be very used to phone calls) and finally her voice makes an appearance again "... no, she better".
You smile a little: you almost forgot how her English sounded like.
"What good news" you pause, not knowing whether to continue "Is there any reason why you called me? … do you need something?"
"i..." you hear as she mumbles, probably trying to put the words together through that strong accent of her. "i wanted know if she is going be okay," she says.
You raise an eyebrow and your freshly washed hands caress your phone's case nervously.
'Is she talking seriously?'
… you already knew that the public medical system in Alternia was a bit... well, non-existent. But you definitely did not expect this. Does she really not know what to do? Is she really so worried about her to call you?
'YOU? A human?'
Wow, that's... deep. And flattering, in a way.
You sigh slowly, trying to think of a way to respond to the female clearly, but at the same time without causing the alien ancestor's panic.
"Does she still have a fever?" you ask.
"no" she responds, still visibly hesitant about speaking on the human device "no now".
"Has she been vomiting or not eating lately?"
Another pause.
"no", her voice is a little more firm and secure this time.
"Then she'll be fine" you respond with a small smile, although it's impossible for her to notice that over the phone. "It should also be fine for her to stop taking the medicine, if she has not already done so, now that her fever lowered", you add in a kind tone.
"understand" . She is still short of words, as you think almost seems to be a characteristic feature in the adult troll.
You smile again. "I'm glad she's better now" your voice is genuinely kind and warm, enough to help relieve the little tension that is still in the situation.
There is another prolonged silence, and then your ears take a few seconds to fully understand the next sentence.
"... どうもありがとうございました (... thank you very much)".
"Uh... I'm sorry?" You murmur, more confused than before. Was that Alternian? No, that sounded... more strange.
The laughter of the troll sounds soft and sweet through the telephonic line, just as innocent and carefree like that of a little girl. Your chest tickles a bit.
"thank you", she says, and maybe it's your imagination, but she sounds... happier.. "that means."
"Oh" you say, and some shame seeps into your voice and and blush your cheeks. "I'm sorry" you laugh softly, accompanying the joy of the troll.
"no problem" the alien, really sounding much more relaxed than at the beginning of the call "another thing... i... have something to ask".
You feel slightly confused.
"... of course, what do you need?" you ask, still a little distrustful about what this complete unknown alien with whom you are talking on the phone-
'and who you've only seen once in person'
-and who you've only seen once in person, may ask you.
"need human doctor, again," she explains. Is she hurt? Or sick? Does she knows someone who is?
The troll continues with her wobbly explanation.
"more sick grubs here...", she makes longer pauses as her words become more complicated human vocabulary. "have fiend... uh, 'friend'... he needs help too... with… w-with his".
Of the scarce information that you can get out of that phrase, most of it seems quite worrying, and a small part makes you wonder about the quality of life that she, Aradia and her other grub have..
It's really hard to make your voice not to sound very concerned the next time you speak, but your natural medical instinct helps in the task. "So... you want me to check him and try to fix him?" you ask.
"yes" the troll's phrase is short, but still determined. "you will do?"
It takes you about 30 seconds to think about the idea, its pros and cons, and the possible dangers that you are getting into by responding affirmatively, before (no less hesitant than before) talking to the troll of Asian features again.
"Ok... I think... I think I can try to do a quick free medical check-up... and perhaps prescribe him something to help", you murmur, hoping that that will please the female's request (and praying that whatever the grub needs, you can get it without having to steal medical supplies from the hospital). "Uh... maybe I can see you and him at my house after my shift is over next week?"
This, indeed, seems to please the troll. "perfect", she replies. "on... 'tueday'?"
Her pronunciation is quite irregular and, frankly, maybe even a bit disastrous when she says the day of the week, but you think it's better do not correct her at the moment.
"Sure", your voice seems momentarily confident again. "Wait, I'll give you my address..." you murmur, but suddenly you're interrupted by her.
"not necessary" , she explains " know where human doctor lives". She really tells it like it's natural for her to know where you live.
"Wh-What?"
Well, NOW you are clearly confused. "H-How did you...?" You start but are interrupted again by the rust-blood alien.
"have contacts" she simply responds, once more with that strange naturalness that makes her voice confident but mysterious at the same time. "see on Tuesday, afternoon. goodbye."
The farewell is so extremely fast that you stay with your own surprised 'goodbye' stuck in your mouth while the sound of the hanging call echoes in your ears.
Suddenly the pronunciation of the word 'Tuesday' does not seem so important…
What the hell have you just got into?