Haha this chapter is a little longer, to make up for the slightly short ones :P Well, it's just because it ended in that place, but it should make up for the shorter ones :D
"Take a seat," the Healer said, gesturing to some seats in front of his desk and settling into his own chair opposite them. "My name is Taedhlin. So, what are you here for?" he asked, looking expectantly at them.
"I…fainted, this morning," Cadvan said. "And somebody -" he glared at Maerad - "made me come here."
Maerad glared right back at him. "Well pardon me for being worried about you," she muttered.
"Hey, no arguments here!" Taedhlin joked. "You did the right thing," he added, looking at Maerad. "Often, fainting can be a sign of other illnesses. Have you felt different lately?"
"Well, I have been feeling tired. And a few days ago I fell asleep halfway through changing."
"Okay, well, I'm just going to listen to your heart," Taedhlin said, getting a stethoscope out of his drawer. He stood up, putting the listening ends into his ears, and placed the other end over Cadvan's heart. "Hmm…It's a little slow. Have you had any palpitations?"
"Erm…Well…I had a few this morning."
"Was it this morning you fainted?"
"Yes, a few minutes after."
"Could you put your head back for me a moment?"
Cadvan did so. Maerad noticed that he had a lump in his throat, just below his Adam's Apple.
"It looks like you have Nishometa's Disease," Taedhlin told him gravely.
"But there's…There's nothing wrong with me. I'm just tired."
"You had palpitations?"
"Yes."
"Intolerance to cold?"
He had been shivering a lot lately… "Yes."
"Depression?"
"Erm…yes."
"Forgetfullness?"
Cadvan thought of his two shirts that morning. "Yes."
"Dizziness?"
"Yes."
"Difficulty swallowing?"
"Yes."
"You've got Nishometa's Disease."
"What is Nisho…meta's Disease?" Maerad asked before Cadvan could protest again. Anxiety was clawing at her belly. A disease sounded serious.
"Nishometa's Disease is a condition carried by certain flies. Usually it doesn't come to much, but in some cases, such as a weakened immune system or stress, it can be very serious. It causes, well, all of the symptoms you have. If left untreated, it can cause a heart attack."
Maerad looked quickly at Cadvan and gripped his hand. Cadvan squeezed back appreciatively.
"Fortunately, we have caught it early, and a week or two of medicine should sort you out," Taedhlin explained with a reassuring smile. He started writing on a piece of paper. "Take this out…" he started, still writing, "to the receptionist…and she will…" He tore the paper off of the pad and smiled up at them, holding it out, "find the medicine for you."
Cadvan took the paper from him. "Thank you," he said with a smile. "Goodbye, then." As they left the room, Cadvan muttered; "Don't even say anything, Maerad."
Maerad laughed; "I won't. Though it is down to me that you won't have a heart attack," she added cheekily.
Cadvan flicked her nose gently. "True."
They had reached the desk. "Hello," Cadvan said to the receptionist, before handing her the paper from the Healer.
The receptionist nodded. "I'll be back in just a moment," she promised, and disappeared through a door next to her desk.
Cadvan turned to Maerad. "Seriously, my friend," he began sincerely. "Thank you. I didn't want to come, but it's good that I did." He kissed her on the cheek.
Maerad smiled up at him. "Well, there's nothing wrong with being careful," she replied.
"There's no need to sound quite so smug," he said, and kissed her other cheek. "Sorry, I…didn't mean to kiss you twice there."
Maerad laughed softly. "That's alright."
The receptionist came back at that moment and handed Cadvan a small bottle of pills. "Take two a day for a week, at least four hours apart."
"Thank you," Cadvan said, taking the pills.
"I'm sure your wife will remind you if you forget," the receptionist said with a smile.
"Oh, I'm not -"
"She's not -"
"Oh, I'm sorry! Well, anyway, goodbye."
"Goodbye," Maerad and Cadvan said, and together they left the Healing House.
"Guess what Lara did this morning," Maerad said with a smile as they walked along the street towards Silvia's house. Cadvan was shivering a little.
"What?" he asked, smiling back.
"We went out for a walk and we saw a man kicking his dog because it tried to eat his sandwich. I was just about to go over to him myself when Lara marched over and started yelling at him! When I came up behind her the man tried to get me to tell her off, but I said that I totally agreed with everything she said and if a one-year-old child knew what he was doing was wrong then how stupid must he be?"
Cadvan gave a deep laugh, which lifted Maerad's spirits. A smile took over her face and she surrendered to it willingly, as Cadvan took her hand.
"You should have one of those tablets now," Maerad suggested.
Showing uncharacteristic obedience, Cadvan took one of the tablets and swallowed it down, tipping his head back to help it on its way down his throat. He grimaced. "Next time, I'm using water," he told her, replacing the tablets into his pocket. "Those taste awful."
The two of them continued down the street, sometimes talking but mostly in silence. Maerad felt a little guilty for not realising that there was something wrong with Cadvan earlier, but at least now he was getting some help. Cadvan still felt depressed because of the effects of his illness, but was a little more optimistic.
When they arrived back, they went to find Lara, discovering that she was with Silvia, out in the garden. Maerad ran over to Lara, delighted to see that Lara ran to her. "Hello my little darling!" Maerad cried, picking her up. "Have you been having fun with Silvia?"
"Sili!" Lara yelled, clapping her hands. She had a gigantic grin on her face. Looking over at Silvia, Maerad saw that Cadvan was telling her, in a low voice, what had occurred at the Healing House. Perhaps she and Cadvan could still cook tonight. It was only early, and Cadvan already looked more cheerful. Perhaps she could cook and he could guide her?
Lara interrupted her musings by insisting; "Down!" Maerad placed the girl on the ground, and she gripped Maerad's hand. "Show Mae-a," Lara said in a hushed, confidential tone. Maerad allowed Lara to drag her across the grass towards a large pond. She halted a step or two away from the edge - Maerad got the feeling that Silvia had banned her from coming any closer for her own safety - and pointed with one short finger. "Fishies," Lara whispered.
Now she had said it, Maerad could make out the telltale silvery flashes of fishes swimming in the pond.
"There are!" she replied, with fake wonderment, sitting on the bench next to the pond and pulling Lara onto her lap. She ooh-ed and ahh-ed along with Lara, and after a moment she felt a hand on her shoulder. As Maerad looked up, she saw Cadvan looking down at her, and smiled.
"I told Silvia we would cook tonight after all," he said, as they both looked back at the pond. "Is that alright?"
"I was just going to suggest that we did," Maerad replied.
Please R+R!
