7th of Fall, 518 A.V.
40 Chimes after the 8th Bell
Even though it had a pleasant reputation, the Catholicon was generally a place one did not want to be. It was not because of the people that took employment there, but for the circumstances that generally one met to need to go. Lhavit was large and frequently had people seeking medical assistance. Today did not appear to be one of those days. It was quiet inside the reception area, except for the musical tune that Senri played on his fiddle. The man was sitting on the skyglass stairs as he stroked the string instrument with his bow. The harmonics of the reception area complimented the tune he had chosen for the evening.
A melody that wasn’t so lively as to inspire one to dance, nor one of a melancholy nature to bring the spirit down. Merely one to pleasantly fill the silence. Rasika was moving along the medicinal shelves via mobile ladder, cataloging the inventory. The Eypharian shifted along with a smile to Senri’s music. She wasn’t the only one. Alessia had settled herself in one of the lofts. Her crimson eyes peering at something unseen before her as a smile tugged at her lips. Her head swaying slowly and in rhythm with the music.
It unfortunately was to end prematurely. For a woman was ascending the exterior stairs. As she hurried down the passage leading to the reception area she began to plead loudly, not knowing that it wasn’t necessary to cry out for help in such a way. “Help me please! My son! Help my son!” A child around the age of nine was held tightly to her bosom. Senri abruptly stopped and looked down from his position at the woman as she ran forward. Rasika gave a push against the shelves to roll the ladder down towards the main entrance. Senri stood and moved to put his fiddle away, knowing that music would now be an unwelcome pastime of his talents.
Alessia sighed and made her way to the skyglass staircase to descend to Rasika’s desk. “Lay the child down on the desk,” she called out to the woman as she descended. Rasika moved the things on her desk with a well-rehearsed familiarity. The mother of the patient carefully set the child down despite being out of breath. Lovingly she brushed the boy’s hair away from his face. Small eyes were closed, and his head rolled slightly to the side as though he were merely asleep. The mixed-blood doctor stood at the desk’s side, her hands quickly checked his pulse and temperature. The mother was whimpering prayers to Rak’keli to save her son.
After a chime, Senri had joined Alessia’s side. The doctor turned to her assistant. “The boy does not need surgery. Take him to one of the other lofts. And get the new Konti… Teeryian?... and have her tend to the boy.” The assistant nodded and was about to take the boy in his arms when the doctor stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Don’t,” she whispered so that the mother wouldn’t hear, “let him succumb. And intervene when you need to.” Again he nodded and she removed her hand from him.
“Alright little man,” Senri said with a cheery tone, “I know this desk is rather comfortable, but Rasika, charges extra for using it.” The Eypharian gave him an affectionate punch in the arm with two fists. “Upstairs are some nice beds. They may not be as comfortable,” he said making his way up the spiral staircase to the lofts, “but they do have pillows and sheets.” The boy’s eyes were flickering though they never truly opened. Unsure if the boy was awake or not, Senri chose to keep talking until they were in the third loft. There he settled the boy on the bed and bid he mother have a seat beside the bed. “I will be right back after I get Teeryian. She will take good care of your boy.” He gave her a smile before exiting the loft.
Senri made his way to the place that the recently hired Konti had stowed herself in the Catholicon. There he approached and cleared his throat to get her attention. “There’s a sick boy in Three. Alessia wants you to tend to him. I’ll be standing nearby and observing.” A smile filled his face, “ready to save a life?”