After the doctor departed, my gaze fixated on the closed door, aware that Grace was on the other side. Later on, I discovered that Tem had also been admitted to this very hospital. I swiftly made my way towards the front desk, my steps quick and determined, and inquired, "Has a patient been brought in recently? A child, around 5'3" with pointy ears and silver hair?"
The receptionist inquired if there was any relation between Tem and me, to which I promptly responded that I was his guardian. They then provided me with the information about his location and room. Additionally, I asked about a female patient named Claire Legalos, I described her as having long red hair, blue eyes, a height of 5'8", and wearing damaged armor. However, the receptionist informed me, "The Princess doesn't seek treatment here; the royal family has their own Health Center within the castle." Determined to find Tem, I began my search within the hospital. Surprisingly, this hospital bore similarities to the medical facilities in my previous world. Although their healing methods differed significantly and proved more effective, the overall structures, room arrangements, emergency room, and even the stretchers resembled those from my past life.
I thoroughly searched the entire hospital to find Tem. Eventually, I located him on the second floor in a solitary bedroom that overlooked the bustling streets through its window. With anticipation, I opened the door, revealing Tem sitting on the bed, his gaze fixed on the outside world. Lost in deep thought, he seemed oblivious to my presence as I entered the room. I gently knocked on the door, seeking permission, and asked, "Can I come in?"
"Don't push yourself. You've just arrived; rest," I urged gently, guiding him back down to a lying position. "So... How are you?" I inquired, concern evident in my voice.
Tem shifted his gaze towards the ceiling. "I'm fine, thanks to both of you," he replied, before turning his head back to me. His eyes locked onto mine. I settled into a nearby chair by his bedside.
"But how's Miss Grace, Sir Aaron?" Tem's eyes bore into mine, filled with concern. I paused for a moment, staring out the window, before responding, "She's fine, for now at least."
I looked back at Tem, a playful smile on my face. "And stop calling me 'Sir Aaron,' Tem," I said, with a hint of amusement.
"And how about Miss Claire?" Tem asked.
"I don't know her condition yet," I replied. "I was told she was in the castle."
"The castle?!" Tem exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Ah, yeah, she's actually the princess," I responded, a touch of realization in my voice. "Did I forget to mention that?"
"No, you didn't! And you never even introduced me to her," Tem complained, pouting as he turned his head away from me.
"Ah, my apologies... I completely overlooked that," I admitted, reaching out to gently touch Tem's head for reassurance. "Don't worry, we'll have another chance to meet her, and this time I'll make sure to introduce you properly."
Tem turned his gaze back towards me, his eyes gleaming with happiness. "Really?" he asked, seeking confirmation.
"Really," I replied, matching his excitement.
As we were engrossed in conversation, a knock came from the door, which was then opened. A nurse entered the room, with black hair cascading down her shoulders, round glasses perched on her nose, and a pair of brown eyes peering intently. "Greetings," she said in an assertive tone. "I'm here to conduct my hourly check on the patient, if you don't mind."
Her voice carried an air of determination, suggesting that she took her job quite seriously.
The moment the nurse spoke, both Tem and I fell silent, our conversation abruptly interrupted.
"Uh, yeah, sure. Go ahead," I stammered in response to her request.
Feeling the need to take action, I stood up and bid farewell to Tem. However, as I made my move, Tem tightly grabbed onto my arm, his eyes filled with worry. "But... how am I going to afford the treatment?" he asked, concern etched across his face.
Tem and I exchanged a meaningful glance, silently pondering the next course of action. In that shared gaze, a question lingered: "What do we do now?"
"Oh, wait, I completely forgot to inform you about this," the nurse exclaimed. She reached into her pocket and retrieved a piece of paper, holding it out for both of us to see. "Here's a receipt from the Royal Kingdom. It states that they will cover all expenses for the patients, including 'Tem, Grace Carson, and Aaron Stranezza.' Although I couldn't find any record of an 'Aaron Stranezza' in this Hospital."
Surprise washed over us as we took in the unexpected revelation. The weight of uncertainty lifted from our shoulders, replaced by a glimmer of hope.
I raised my hand to shoulder height, confirming the nurse's suspicion. "I'm Aaron Stranezza," I stated, my voice steady but tinged with nervousness.
As her eyes locked onto my worn and tattered clothes, a look of shock crossed her face. "What?! You're walking around in that condition?" Panic filled her voice as she stepped closer to me, her face nearly touching mine. "We need to examine you immediately!"
Feeling uneasy, I averted my gaze. "I-I assure you, miss, I'm fine," I stuttered, attempting to downplay the situation.
"Nonsense!" she exclaimed, gripping my hand tightly. Without hesitation, she called out to other nurses, urgency evident in her tone. "Bring this man to the check-up hall!" In an instant, the nurses swiftly and determinedly took hold of me, their firm grasp pulling me away.
As I was being led away, I could hear Tem's whispered plea, his hand reaching out towards me. "No, don't leave me..."
The nurse redirected her focus back to Tem, her attention fully on him. "Alright, back to you," she stated firmly.
"Yes, ma'am," Tem replied, his voice betraying a hint of apprehension.
As I was being escorted to the check-up hall, I was settled into a seat inside an office. One of the nurses commenced a thorough examination of my body, meticulously searching for any potential injuries or issues. To their surprise, nothing seemed amiss at first glance.
"I already told you, I'm fine," I insisted, attempting to stand up. However, one of them quickly intervened, firmly grasping my arm and guiding me back into the seat.
"Please, sir, stay seated. Even if we don't observe any external injuries, there may still be internal concerns," she emphasized, her voice filled with genuine concern.
The nurse proceeded to ask me to open my mouth, carefully conducting a series of thorough check-ups. She diligently examined various aspects of my health, leaving no stone unturned.
"I don't see any problems," she concluded, her assessment suggesting no immediate issues.
"I told you, I don't have any problems!" I exclaimed, frustration evident in my voice. Ignoring my protests, I defiantly stood up and started jumping around, trying to demonstrate my overall physical well-being.
However, the nurse seemed unperturbed by my actions. Lost in her own thoughts, she muttered to herself, "There is one thing I haven't done yet... How about a rectal exam?"
Perplexed, I asked, "What's that?"
Without paying much attention to my question, she casually replied, "Nothing."
To my surprise, she then instructed the other nurses to restrain me. "Hold him down," she ordered firmly.
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The two nurses promptly moved to comply, firmly grasping my arms and maneuvering me so that I was positioned with my back facing the nurse.
With a sadistic tone, she chuckled and said, "Hehehe, don't worry, this won't hurt. Although I have never done this before, there is always a first time for everything, isn't there?" After putting on gloves, her hands slowly reached for my pants.
"I panicked and shouted, "No no no! What are you doing, let go!"
But she only laughed sadistically, saying, "Hehehe, this will be quick and easy. Just the tip will be enough."
Her laughter filled the room, intensifying my apprehension and fear.
With a wicked grin on her face, she finally reached my pants and slowly pulled them down. "Down we go," she said, her eyes widening in anticipation as my behind was about to be unleashed. Her hands seemed to linger, relishing the moment, as she reveled in my discomfort and fear. I couldn't shake the feeling that she was enjoying this a little too much.
The door burst open with a loud bang. "What are you doing, Nurse Rea?" demanded the woman who stood in the doorway with an assertive voice. The two nurses immediately released my arms and ran away, leaving me alone and confused.
"Oops, that's my cue. Time to dip," said the nurse Rea, slowly turning her back towards me and walking to the door.
I turned around, fear etched on my face, to see who had saved me. To my relief, it was the nurse who had been with Tem earlier. She had a determined look on her face and I sensed that she was not someone to mess with.
Rea tried to brush it off like nothing had happened. "Come on, Jill. You never let me do any physical exams on patients. What kind of nurse am I?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant. But I could see the guilt and fear in her eyes, and it was clear that her forehead started to sweat
"The kind that follows orders. I'm the head nurse of this establishment. What I say goes," Jill said firmly.
She fixed Nurse Rea with a stern look. "If I catch you doing something idiotic like this again, you know what will happen," she warned, making it clear that there would be consequences for any further misbehavior. Nurse Rea shifted uncomfortably, her sweat now even more visible, eyes darting around not to make any eye contact.
"Get out," Jill said in a no-nonsense tone.
Nurse Rea slowly walked away, but Jill wasn't having it. "Move it!" Jill barked, her voice raising in volume and intensity.
"Yes!" Rea squeaked before running off, her fear and relief evident in her voice.
"Haaa," Jill let out a sigh while rubbing her forehead. "Why do I have to work with idiots?" she muttered.
She shifted her gaze to me, her eyes scanning me from top to bottom. "So, are you just going to stand there like that?" she said, her voice tinged with annoyance.
"Be like what?" I replied, confused by Jill's question. As I looked down, I realized that my pants had been pulled downwards and my merchandise was now on display for Claire to see.
I panicked and quickly pulled my pants up. "I'm sorry, I didn't notice," I stammered, feeling embarrassed and exposed. It was clear that the situation had gotten out of hand, and I wished that I could just disappear.
"Yea... Yeah," Jill replied hesitantly. She took a seat in front of me and introduced herself. "My name is Nurse Jill Amos. You can call me Nurse Jill or Head Nurse," she said, her tone becoming more welcoming.
There was a brief moment of silence before Jill spoke again. "You can take a seat, Mr. Aaron," she said, gesturing towards a chair. I felt a sense of relief that the tension had dissipated somewhat, and I took a seat as instructed in front of her.
"Nurse Jill inquired, "So, I assume Nurse Rea already examined your condition?"
"Yes, she said she did and didn't find anything concerning," I responded.
Jill continued her assessment, asking, "Are you experiencing any fatigue or tiredness?"
"No, not at all," I replied.
"I see," she acknowledged, crossing her arms thoughtfully.
"I asked the elf what happened," she said, her tone matter-of-fact.
"Did you mean Tem?" I asked, trying to clarify.
"Are there other elves around here?" she replied, sounding composed and serious.
To me, her question felt rude and dismissive, but I tried to focus on the matter at hand. "Ok, ok. Am I good to go or not? What is it?" I asked.
"You're good to go, but before that," she confirmed, rising from her seat. She opened a nearby cupboard and retrieved an object, placing it on the table behind me.
"I suppose you're familiar with this?" she asked, gesturing to the item.
I stood up to get a closer look. "Yes, this looks like the Guild's Power sphere, right? It measures a person's magical capacity, doesn't it?" I replied, recognizing the device.
"Look at you, so smart. But yes, this is a power sphere," she replied, her tone tinged with sarcasm.
I looked at her with annoyance, my eyebrow raised in annoyance.
"It measure how much magic someone has, thus making the orb glow, but not how much he doesn't" Jill continued
"What does that mean?" I asked in curiosity
""It measures the amount of magical power someone has, which is why the orb glows," Jill explained patiently. "But it doesn't measure how much magical power someone doesn't have."
I was curious about what she meant. "What does that mean?" I asked, hoping for a more detailed explanation.
"Try putting your hands on this Power Sphere," Jill instructed, pointing at the sphere on the table.
I hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to expect. But curiosity got the better of me and I slowly reached out to touch the sphere. As soon as my hands made contact with it, the same thing happened as with the power sphere in the guild. It didn't glow, but it cracked slightly. I pulled my hands away, feeling a little disappointed that I didn't have any magical power to speak of.
"Interesting," Jill murmured, putting her hand to her mouth in thought.
"What is it? Tell me," I asked, my curiosity piqued.
Jill seemed lost in thought for a moment. "Oh, you're still here," she said with a surprised look, as if she had forgotten I was in the room.
I looked at her with a straight face, not sure if she was joking or not.
"Just kidding," she said, a hint of amusement in her voice.
"I don't feel like you were kidding." I replied.
Jill walked towards the door and turned back to me. "Follow me," she instructed.
"Why should I? You haven't even told me what's going on," I responded, my brow furrowing with concern.
Jill let out a frustrated sigh. "Ugh, what a hassle. Just come with me, and I'll explain everything on the way," she reluctantly conceded.
Jill walks briskly away, and I run after her to catch up.
"Why are you so grumpy?" I asked, trying to break the tension.
She stops suddenly and turns to face me, her expression serious and unreadable. She stares at me with a straight face, as if trying to decide whether or not to answer my question.
"Don't ask questions you don't want answered," she replied sternly, her face serious and authoritative. It was clear that she was not in the mood for idle chatter, and that my question had struck a nerve.
I took a step back, feeling chastised and a little intimidated by her strong tone.
"Ok... Ok... I'm sorry," I replied, feeling embarrassed by my earlier question. "So, what's going on anyway?" I asked, hoping to steer the conversation back to the matter at hand. We both walked down the hallway of the hospital, with Jill leading the way.
"I have a theory," Nurse Jill said, her tone thoughtful.
"What kind of theory?" I asked.
"My theory is that the reason the sphere cracked is not because you don't have magic or low magic, but because you have something else,"
"What do you mean by 'something else'?" I asked, still trying to understand what Jill was getting at.
Jill and I arrived at the front desk, and she went over to speak to the receptionist. After a brief conversation, she told the receptionist that she was going on break and then walked back over to me.
"By 'something else', I mean a different kind of power. One that was only found in stories and legends," Jill explained, her tone serious and thoughtful.
"Stories? Legends?" I asked, feeling a sense of confusion.
We walked outside of the hospital and circled around it until we found a small, old-looking house behind it. It appeared to be abandoned, with boarded-up windows and an overgrown yard. Nurse Jill walked towards the house, and I followed her, feeling a sense of unease at the sight of the dilapidated building. As we stood by the door, Jill turned around to face me.
"Your questions will be answered here," Nurse Jill said, her tone serious and resolute. She knocked on the door of the abandoned house.
"Hey! Old man, open up, I got something for you!" she called out, her voice echoing through the empty halls.
After a few moments of silence, a voice called back from inside the house. "Yeah! Yeah!" it said, sounding gruff and irritable. Then the locks on the door began to rattle. Slowly, the door creaked open, revealing only a sliver of the person inside. I could see an eye peering out at us.
"Who goes there?" the person said, his voice old and gruff.
"It's me, old man. I've got something here that's worth your while," Nurse Jill replied, her tone confident and authoritative.
"When it's from you, nothing is worthwhile. Leave me," the person said, his voice gruff and unfriendly. He began to slowly close the door, as if dismissing us. But Nurse Jill was not deterred. She quickly stuck her foot in the opening, preventing the door from closing completely.
"I said, open up!" she said, her voice stern and commanding. She pushed the door open with force, revealing the old man standing just a few feet away from us.
My eyes widened in fear of the situation. The old man stumbled back a few steps. "Ouch! What did you do that for?" he asked, his tone gruff and irritated.
"I told you to open up! You know how I feel when someone doesn't follow my orders," Nurse Jill said, her tone demanding and stern. She then let out a deep sigh and touched her forehead, as if trying to calm herself down.
"I've got someone here that might be of interest to you," Nurse Jill said, pointing at me with her thumb while standing outside the door.
The old man turned to look at me, his eyes piercing and deep. I felt a sense of nervousness wash over me, unsure of what to expect. "Hi," I said meekly.
"Why would a man interest me? Do you think I like men?" the old man replied, his tone gruff and irritated.
Nurse Jill ground her teeth in frustration. "Listen to me first, old man!" she said, her voice rising in anger.
Suddenly, the old man knelt down in front of her, his voice suddenly high-pitched. "Yes, yes, of course, Nurse Jill. I'm sorry. Please continue," he said, his tone now meek and apologetic. I watched in amazement as the old man's demeanor shifted so quickly.
End of chapter