A/N: Well my schedule got blown to pieces. I try to keep myself paced, but I found writing multiple stories fries my brain. I start mixing ideas together, then things get weird. Either way this is the next chapter! Some complications occur, answers that should be simple are not, and Sherry has some unexpected guests!
Gotta Love Sis
Sherry sat down in the chair next to the couch as Doc grumbled and continued to go over the medical notes he had taken since last night.
"So explain to me again how you found Mr. uh, for now lets call him Mr. Bull"
"He was in the mud half submerged in the river, so I took him out and brought him back here"
"hmm, I see. At that time he had no aura?"
"When I found him, he honestly looked dead. I thought he was until he groaned out in pain. I don't think he had any aura"
"That means he probably came down the river."
"Doc, I already figured that part-"
"oh, and how do you know?"
"I, uh, found him in the river"
Doc scowled a little, mulling over the notes he had before looking back at Sherry. "When did he loose his memory?"
"H-He was like that when he woke up the day I called you. I don't know if he knew who he was before then since he was unconscious."
"Yet you didn't tell me that on the phone?"
"I was a little..." Thinking back at what she remembered as 'The Soup Incident' that caused more problems then solutions, "...distracted and panicky"
"Good to note. That brings us to one of the two major topics I have" Curious, Sherry watched the doctor. He was obviously not feeling well after a night of hard work. Sherry knew how hard it was to take care of a patient. They needed so many things. While she may have gone overboard, she must have done something right as the doctor praised he for her help. She even had a dream that she might win an award. "What the hell were you thinking!?"
And the dream dies. "What? I helped! You said so yourself!"
"Ever heard of sarcasm dear? I spent most of the night trying to undo what you caused!"
"But his aura was gone, and he has no memories! He's clearly sick! So I helped"
"Chicken soup burns, multiple concussions, bruising, anemia due to blood loss, and multiple holes due to poor acupuncture. Need I go on?" He quoted off meticulously, emphasizing all of them to the point Sherry was just staring at the ground. She felt like she was being scolded by a teacher, or father if she ever had one. "What were you trying to treat?"
"Some of those were accidents. The acupuncture I looked up on the internet. I heard it could help release stress, unwinding the body. I thought that maybe it would help him remember something."
Doc set the notes on the table and rubbed his temples, giving off an 'I'm too old for this crap' vibe. "You are lucky. The only reason his aura hasn't come back was it was keeping him alive through your treatments. If this had gone on any longer, you may well have killed him"
Sherry was shocked. Her head shot up at that, staring at the doctor with a look of horror, wanting confirmation. Doc just nodded his head, staring back at her. Sherry in return put her head back down, this time tears freely flowing from her eyes."I am truly sorry. I was just trying to help. I never really was good at anything besides cooking. I I am sorry!"
Doc was old fashioned. He knew that people were crazy. He'd seen it all in his years, but the one thing he could not stand was to see a woman cry. It brought back the worst memories, the sexual victims, the mothers of lost children, the war. Things never changed. Someone was always sad, but for him what hit him hardest was the tears afterwards. They always came.
He got up, ignoring the cane that helped him get places, shuffled over to Sherry and gave her the biggest hug he could muster. He felt her crying into his chest, so he stayed there until she was done. "Sherry, I knew your mother. She would be so proud of you for helping this man. You just have to be careful, especially with your treatments. Leave the doctoring to me."
He felt her wrap her arms around him. "Thanks Doc. I, I feel better now."
"No problem, it's the least I can do. There's something else I need to tell you, about Mr. Bull." Sherry looked up again, having red eyes and puffy cheeks after the crying session. Pure innocent eyes.
"What is it?"
He sighed, "Nothing, forget about it. I'll take care of it".
They heard a crash outside, and a scream, more like a 'whah!' before the door crashed open, someone falling onto the floor with a groan.
A girl came in after, pointing a spear at the person on the floor. She was dressed in hardened leather shirt and pants, perfect for stealth and protection. Stepping in, you could see weapons strap across her front connecting to a holder on her back. Lowering her hood, she had shoulder length blond hair with a headband keeping it from her face. She was taller than Sherry, but not by much. Either way her eyes and body showed a strength that was formed through years of rigorous training. Sherry's face lit up instantly. "Big sister Asti!"
"Sis! I found this guy outside the door, just standing there like a creep watching you through the window. How many times do I have to tell you, remember to watch your surroundings!" She put the tip of her spear under the man's chin. "Now talk! Who are you, and what do you want with my sister!"
Doc grabbed his cane and walked over to the two with a neutral look on his face. He stopped and looked up at the clock, then back down at the man. "You're late." He then looked up at Asti, who had a confused look on her face. "Asti"
"Hello Doc, do you know who this is?"
"Asti, meet my son, also the second in charge of my clinic, Dr. Bronze"
Asti, realizing that she had made a mistake took her spear away from his throat. She heard a shuffle from the hallway before she saw a man shuffling down the hallway covered in bandages, hunched over using the wall as support.
"Sherry? What's going on? I heard a crash, louder than normal"
Asti then realized that he was only in short shorts, her sister's old pair. Asti looked over the man before looking at her sister, a merciless glare in her eyes. "Sister, explain. Now!"
Sherry looked terrified, only because the Asti she remembered was never this serious. "uhm". Yea, this is gonna take a while.
"-And that's what happened sis! There was really nothing going on!"
Asti was now sitting on the couch, listening to Sherry tell her account of the state of affairs they had found themselves in. Young Dr. Bronze had, by order of his father, taken Mr. Bull back to the bedroom, where the man was running his own diagnosis on him. Doc sat next to Asti, occasionally giving input into what he knew about the situation, as well as his son being here.
Asti gave Sherry the benefit of the doubt. Sherry never was one to lie. Heck, even when she did, she lied poorly. Seeing Dr. Bronze coming down the hallway, she still had doubts. "It still doesn't explain why he was being a creeper"
Hearing this, Dr. Bronze sat on the other chair on the right side of the couch, across from Sherry. "It looked like Sherry and my father were having an emotional moment. I heard crying, like something bad had happened. The last thing you want to do in that situation is to walk inside like nothing is happening. Especially since this is her house." He looked at Asti accusingly, "Some subtlety is required" He made sure the word 'subtlety' was stressed.
"I may have gone overboard, but no one messes with my sis. Okay? I will be asking later why she was crying, and if you have anything to do with it, you will find yourself back on the floor. This doesn't help my paranoia, especially with the assignments I've been on lately"
Sherry looked interested at the topic. Anything to get away from the drama of the man in the back room. "Sis, no one has been able to get a hold of you. You've been out of touch for months. Even your husband thinks you're dead"
"I shouldn't be telling you this, but I've been fighting the White Fang and their contacts as part of my job. They've been stepping up attacks since Beacon fell. Some of our best have died trying to stop them. So far we've minimized the damage, rescued civies. It's just hard sometimes."
Old Doc seemed to stiffen at the mention of the White Fang. Dr. Bronze noticed but chose not to comment on it. He knew his father, if it was important, he would tell him.
"Now it's even harder since the bandit clans in the south seem riled up, no telling what with them" Asti said.
The room went silent. Only the ticking of the old clock on the wall was heard throughout the house. Asti saw her sister look at the hallway, a clear look of concern on her face. Only then did Asti remember the strange man in his sister's shorts.
Asti got a wicked grin, "So sis, who was that man in your pants?"
Both doctors looked confused, then looked at both sisters, drawing there own conclusions. Sherry looked like she had turned into a tomato. Her face was bright red and she put her head down to cover her face.
"What?" the young doctor said.
Asti looked at the young doctor, then the old man. "You two, go away. Sis and I need to talk...privately about some girl issues"
The old man grabbed his cane, pulling himself up using it he started walking towards the main door, now bending at a slight angle, but still fitting in the doorway. He stopped and came back when he realized his son was still sitting in the chair, a confused look on his face. He grabbed his notes from the table and tapped his son with his cane. "Come on, we'll compare notes outside. Need to make sure we were thorough"
Doc looked at Asti, "If you need us, we'll be right outside". Asti nodded and turned back to Sherry, who was just starting to settle her nerves.
The two Doctors walked outside, closing the door behind them. You couldn't hear them, but you could see them talking to each other through the window, occasionally pointing at something on the pages they were holding.
"So", Asti said, "Who is he?"
"I don't know! I already told you the story. You know even he doesn't know"
"Yet you let him in the house? What were you thinking! He could have been a murderer, a theif, or some kind of rapist!"
"He's not sis"
"You don't know that! He could be playing you for a fool!"
"Sis, I've only had a couple conversations with him, but in all of them he has been polite and kind. He's scared, what would you have me do? Kick him out?"
"No, just be careful! I know you like to help people, but you need to use some common sense. People just don't end up floating down the river half-dead. Something or someone did that to him, and as much as I would like to blame the grimm, we have no way to know for sure. You could be the next victim!"
"Sis, I'm sorry. You are right I was careless. Especially the first night, but I am fine. If I can help him, be of use for once in my life without screwing up, I want to take it."
Asti looked at Sherry. She didn't have her blush on anymore. Instead a look of pure determination set her small face. "You remind me so much of mom." She saw Sherry look down, caught off-guard. "How was her funeral?"
Sherry thought for a little bit, and when she spoke, she spoke softly. "It was great. Small, but everyone that was there truly knew mom. There was no half-baked people. Everyone that was there was there for her. Doc himself gave the eulogy. It was….special"
"I'm glad, mom always did prefer strong ties to people over just loose acquaintances" She looked around the house, reliving old memories. "Its only fitting that you own this place, what with I already having a home and big sis going off to Atlas."
"Big sis", Sherry said, staring at Asti.
"Haaaa! Enough of this! Lets get down to brass tax!" Asti pulled Sherry out of the chair onto the couch, getting extremely close. "So, you are using protection right?"
There was silence...
Sherry once again turned tomato as what Asti said processed, "Wha! Sis! No!"
"No? That's not good, you need proper-"
"NO! I mean it isn't happening! I haven't done that kind of thing!"
Asti had another wicked grin, and brought her hand up to cover it."Oh? You're almost twenty-three, I would have though you would by now. I know I had~"
"Sis! I don't need to know about your love life! Please leave mine alone!"
"Still dating whats-his-name...Carl?"Asti said this with a heavy dose of sarcasm, thick enough that Sherry swore the words coming out of Asti's mouth were visable.
"No, he was nice, but it didn't work out. He was too dedicated to his job, never had time for me. Like I was an afterthought" Sherry said stringing along excuses of the made up relationship, hoping her sis would not ask specifics.
Her sister got a glare in her eyes, "I might have to hunt him down and….have words with him"
"Really sis, its fine" Please drop it
"Sad, so if not 'Carl' then maybe someone else has caught your fancy?"
Oh thank the brothers! "Not yet, sis. Not yet"
"A shame. Anyway, I was just stopping by to make sure you were okay after the funeral and the 'taking over the house and farm' deal. I'm glad you seem settled, even if there is a half-dead guy in mom's old room. That means its time for me to leave again". She got off the couch and headed for the door. "Any last minute advice for me?"
Sherry looked at her sis, once again showing determination, but also sad at the short appearance, "Call your husband, let him know you're safe at least. He's been a wreak, which has not been easy on your daughter"
Asti looked sad, "You're right. It's not fair for me to do that. I just wanted to keep them out of danger, guess it comes with drawbacks". Asti got a wicked grin again, "Oh, and you should remember to wash your shorts after you get them back". Sherry got embarrassed for the third time. And the straw broke the camels back. "You may be lonely, but you shouldn't be that lonely." She slipped out the door as she heard something hit it.
"ASTI!" Sherry Screamed, embarrassed.
Meanwhile
The old man grabbed his cane, pulling himself up using it he started walking towards the main door, now bending at a slight angle, but still fitting in the doorway. He stopped and came back when he realized his son was still sitting in the chair, a confused look on his face. He grabbed his notes from the table and tapped his son with his cane. "Come on, we'll compare notes outside. Need to make sure we were thorough"
Doc looked at Asti, "If you need us, we'll be right outside". Asti nodded and turned back to Sherry, who was just starting to settle her nerves.
The two Doctors walked outside, closing the door behind them.
"What?" Dr. Bronze said looking at his father.
Doc shrugged his shoulders before walking away from the house a ways, motioning for his son to follow. "Women, they talk crazy, they talk weird. Never straightforward with them. In all my years I can say I have found out so much about how the human body works. Women though? I don't think they know what they think half the time."
The young doctor took his father's words in. True he never understood them, but he was young compared to his father. He thought over time it would get easier, but I guess not.
His father spoke up, "Did you send that letter I gave you?"
"Yes I did, convincing the guards to take it was why I was late. What was it anyway?"
"Oh nothing you need to concern yourself with right now, eehhehehe"
His father had that look in his eyes like all the rest of the world didn't matter. Dr. Bronze didn't know what that look meant. Oh how he wished he did, to at least know he wasn't going to be executed on sight when they went back. Looking back at the papers in his hands, he went back to what he knew. "So you said we would compare notes?"
"Yea I did. Here, take mine and read them. I will do the same to yours and we'll discuss any discrepancies"
"Okay"
The two exchanges notes, carefully reading over each others notes quietly, only stopping here or there for minor questions. In the end both came to the same conclusions.
"This is bad, isn't it?" The young doctor said. "If his aura is having this much trouble around those two wounds, he might never be the same again. That's discounting the amnesia." He looked at his father, hoping they had overlooked something.
"You know as well as I do that his concussions were minor, his amnesia temporary. He will recover them in time."
"We're not going to tell her then?"
"Tell who what" his father said, feigning innocence.
"You know exactly who and exactly what father. Sherry! She needs to know that those two wounds were caused by a blade. A blade that someone had aura pushed into. We may not be huntsman but I have studied enough aura manipulation to be able to sense others! He has foreign aura still reminiscent in those wounds, you know what that means."
"A huntsman's blade, or at least someone who can manipulate their aura into a blade. I know"
"Then why pretend like you don't! We should warn her, someone may be after him! He may be a criminal!"
"That's no concern of ours right now. I will look after him, for he is my patient. For now we need to figure out how to get a hold of an aura machine reader so we can make sure our diagnosis is correct!"
"You're ignoring safety measures that you've never had before. You know we need to warn her! Especially since we don't know who he is!" His father looked at him with an odd stare. It sent shivers through him, he knew what his father was saying. "You know who he is." It wasn't a question, but a statement.
"I do, I've treated him before. A….long time ago"
His father got that stare that he did when he remembered much of his past. He knew his father did not have a good past.
"How much of a threat is he?"
"In the end, once he knows who we are" His father looked up at his face with a saddened look, "we may all die"
It chilled him.
He was about to ask another question when he heard a loud thump followed by snickering and Sherry screaming 'ASTI!' He turned around and saw Asti heading there way. For a second he thought about telling her the trouble. His father grabbed arm. He looked down at his father, who shook his head no while looking at him.
"Sup, Doc, er, docs? I never got to thank you guys for helping Sherry through this. She's stronger than she looks, but she is still clumsy and easily fooled"
"No problem", the young doctor said. "We live to help people. As doctors it's what we do"
"I guess I owe you an apology. Sorry for thinking you were a creeper after my sister" She stuck out her hand for a handshake, which the young doctor took. "Bygones? Dr.-"
Shaking her hand,"Bronze, Dr. Carl Bronze"
He suddenly felt like he put his hand in a vice grip. His swore he could hear his hand imploding in on itself, all the bones cracking. He looked at the girl who's eyes now spoke of torture and pain. His father, who had not said a word looked up at him as if saying 'women' with a dejected tone
"Dr. Carl Bronze was it? I may need to 'speak' to you, preferably with no witnesses"
The doctor in question looked down to his father, who had seemed to have disappeared, using all the energy he had left to 'get out of dodge'. He looked back at the girl with pleading eyes. She in turn used her other hand to pull her collapsed spear off her back.
"Now if you would just step into my office", she said while pulling him towards the bushes and trees behind the house, "We can have a few….words"
He'd never felt so afraid
And that's a wrap. What was in that mysterious letter? How bad is Mr. Bull's injuries? Does Doc really know who he is? Lastly, will Dr. Bronze survive Asti's rage?
Find out next time!