[EXAM] Nurse Cricket (Group 1)

[demon_pachabel]

There are no notes the days before, no forewarning with Cricket. The morning of the first exam there is a note on several students doors which seem to glow ever so slightly from her having touched them.

The Note

Come to my office immediately. Be prepared to deal with an ill minipet.

An ill minipet? What did that have to do with anything the nurse had talked about? None the less, it would seem that when the group arrived her office was a actually presentable, many of her bugs having been cleared out. Left out on a cot is a ball of something that looks like it has mange. It hacks and wheezes and when it looks up at the group, it appears to be rotting away through one eye socket and it looks very malnourished.

Why hasn't Cricket taken care of this problem? Well...

Chances are it had shown up promptly around the time she had written the notes and she had made this decision on a whim.

She looks at each student as they enter in turn, smoothing a book over in her lap. A very old and dusty book.

 

[demon_pachabel]

The creature coughs pathetically, which seems to earn even the barest sympathies of the nurse, though why, in the state it is, it does could baffle anybody who knew of the nurse's 'sympathies'. Her ever so strange sympathies.

She watches the students as they assemble passively, as though waiting to see how they will react.

OOC

• Feel free to interact with each other, or the creature. However, be careful how you approach it!
  
• Cricket seems to be looking for a specific reaction from her chosen examinees, but also may be inclined to answer questions before she puts them to work.
  
• Cricket won't expect the students to work without some sort of tool or guide to consult with.
  
• Further instructions will occur when she is sure the students have exhausted their first response to what is going on to allow everybody time to come in and respond to the situation.

 

[demon_pachabel]

THE FOLLOWING HAVE BEEN CALLED:

Sosiqui

Malodore

Grey Dragon

Jove

Beejoux

Hadiyya

Lucifer Force

Kasumi

 

[Sosiqui]

Malodore was nervous - possibly the most nervous it had been since it had decided to leave the Casa Cirurgien. This was it... this was what, in a way, validated everything it had done all year, including that decision. It had, after all, come here to learn, even though it had gained so much more than that.

But this was the real test.

The plague doctor adjusted its hat and cleared its throat before entering the room. "Buon giorno, Infermiera Cricket," it said, bowing to her before a cough drew its attention.

...... What was that? It tilted its head to one side and frowned, the expression more internal than external given the limitations of its beak. "It is ill? Can I be of assistance?" it inquired, its voice only a little shaky with nervousness.

Another ghoul was in here too, it realized - also being tested. Hadiyya? It thought that was her name. Not one it had talked to before, not at length. Sharra's ghoul, yes? It remembered the nergal boil talking about her on that jack-damned island. Hm.  

[Lucifer Force]

"Oh dear, oh dear, an emergency..."

The note Kasumi had found on her door made her spine go rigid (if she had a spine, that is, it would definitely be doing that). An intense frown covered her features and the ghost knew something had to be done. Some poor minipet was ill, and no doubt Miss Cricket needed assistance! A whir or hair and ectoplasm disappeared into the depths of her room only to reappear with her ever-present clipboard and skelepen, prepared to take notes on the creature's condition. The onryo then skittered off in the direction of the nurse's office as fast as her legs would allow.

The wall of Cricket's office gave way to the ghost, who buzzed in from some awkward direction. "Oh, Mr. Malodore! Are you here to help too? Where is the patient?" Kasumi admired Miss Cricket more than she could ever put to words, and set about trying to assist in the best way she could. It was for the good of all minipets! And whatnot. The onryo found her way to the bedside of the ailing little thing and clicked the skeletal head of her pen to start taking notes on its condition. She tried desperately not to coo at it, as much as she wanted to, or pick it up and cuddle it. It appeared to have a stinger of sorts (not that it meant much to something with only a passing solidity).

Scribble, scribble scribble... "Let's see... cough, yes... seems to be lethargic too..."

Kasumi also took care to bow politely to Hadiyya, who she'd seen in passing. The ghost looked up from her clipboard with a flustered glance. "Oh! Hello, Miss! Apologies."  

[Grey Dragon]

Jove was surprised to find the note on his door that morning. An ill minipet? But he surely couldn't be of any use, he hadn't even started FEARhealing classes with the nurse yet. Unless... this was a first class!

It didn't even occur to the pup that it might have been his first year final exam, so he trotted to the classroom with more enthusiasm than warranted. Seeing Malodore and Yaya there only improved his mood, but it looked like those two along with a third ghoul he had never met were the only ones who had arrived. Were more students coming?

His attention was caught by the strange creature when it gave another hacking cough. That must have been the sick minipet. Although, how did it get in such a state? For the wisp who was almost a minipet himself, and took assiduous care of his own creatures, this was terrible! A worried look came over his face, and still believing it to be a class, he looked to the nurse for instructions on what they were going to do to help the critter.

And then he looked down at the book she was holding in her lap. Was that their textbook? The pup's ears perked, and he made an inquisitive head tilt as he tried to read words on the cover or spine. Finally he looked up at Cricket as though silently asking "Is the book for us?"  

[demon_pachabel]

Cricket seemed to approve of the timeliness of her first group of examinees, nodding at each as they entered, before looking to the minipet on the cot. It seemed to make a few strange clicking noises at the group, but did little to stir from it's place. She seemed to grin just a tiny bit. Almost as though there was a sadistic joy she was hiding in everything about to happen.

She looked at the students before her.

"You all get points for being prompt and not lollygagging. Excellent traits in someone who needs to care for others."

This was a hilarious statement from Cricket who seemed to never arrive anywhere before she precisely meant to and actually spent more time figuring out how to not care for the student's health than actually doing her job.

None the less, she smooth her hand over the book in her hands.

"Before I hand you this book, I want each of you to follow the lead of the young Miss Kasumi." There was a hint of praise in her voice as Cricket offered each student a note pad and a pen, in case they themselves lacked one on their person. "And by that, I mean make note of each thing about the creature you think is an anomaly."

There was something suspicious about her use of that word.


The creature itself wheezed again, before coughing and making another clicking noise, pincers gnashing together before it curled into a tighter ball. Cricket ran a hand across it's gnarled and slowly mange-ing coat and the creature shuddered away from her touch, hacked again, and then was still. It just breathed pathetically.

"I would also take special care to note things that it's body shouldn't be doing because of where we are." she added.

OOC

Between the first post of the creature, and the second, there should be about five things of notice that is wrong with the minipet! One of them is particularly strange, however. . . .

Cricket will entertain two questions about the specimen from each student to help them along.

"Once you have done that, then I will allow you four to look over this book in my possession," she looked to Jove with an added, "Yes, it is for your use. I do not expect anybody to be completely versed in types of illness and FEARinfection."  

[Grey Dragon]

Jove frowned, they couldn't have the textbook until they pinpointed the real problem... His gaze turned towards his fellow students, and then the creature hacking and coughing piteously on the couch. Surely they could figure it out, and then help the poor thing. He took the pen and paper, but didn't make any notes immediately. Instead he took a step closer to stand next to Yaya, and although he didn't fear the thing lashing out at him with the way it was cringing and curling up, he didn't want to get too close right away.

Although there were many things contributing to the sickly appearance of the critter, the pup's biggest concern was the mange. Just the thought of little mites burrowing through the skin made him shudder. But... they were related to insects, right? Couldn't Cricket make them go away and leave the thing alone?

He shook his head as if to clear it, and noted the other symptoms as well. The decomposition was disturbing, but there were so many things that decomposed naturally... One ear swivelled to hear Yaya's question, and gave a short and concise tail wag. That would rule out that symptom!

Onto the next... He was distracted again thinking about mites and mange. The poor thing, it must be so itchy...

The pup shook his head again. Why did the creature look so starved? Sure many things ate real food, but shouldn't they also be able to gather FEAR from around them? Maybe it was the mang-

"Mites?" He blurted out, in a worried tone with a very clear British accent. Judging by the way he looked pleadingly at Cricket, he was really asking if she had any control over the arthropods that surely infested the creature in front of them. Leave it to the puppy to be most concerned about mange.  

[Sosiqui]

... Book.

Book.

Malodore could have broken down crying in gratitude right there. That book was one of the most beautiful tomes it had ever seen and oh, it wanted it and the knowledge it contained. All nervousness vanished under a wave of anticipation and excitement.

"Va bene," the plague doctor murmured, pulling back its sleeves and crouching to examine the 'patient', reading the notepad and pen.

...

"It's... is that FEAR peeling off of it, Infermiera?" The plague doctor spoke slowly, carefully. "Do not things which die on campus appear here, whole once more? Why, then, is it so compromised...?"

Oh, it hoped it was right. It did turn its head to smile at Kasumi - it hadn't seen her in a very long time! - before returning its focus to the pet before them. Carefully, it wrote down the symptoms:

- FEAR damage/dissipation (?)
- Respiratory difficulties (if it breathes at all, likely not undead)
- Decay/physical structural damage, evidently painful and sensitive to the touch - possibly related to FEAR damage? (See above re: likely not undead)
- Extreme lethargy
- Lack of appetite/ability to ingest/keep food down/consume at all? Possible early starvation signs evident.
 

[demon_pachabel]

"It is not of the undead variety." Cricket answered carefully. She did not seem in a rush to continue the exam waiting instead on Kasumi. Her attention turned to Jove's inquiry. "I would not call what it has on it mites." she again answered, before looking to Malodore; "Clarify what you believe to be FEAR peeling off of it for me, then I will answer if it is or not."  

[Sosiqui]

"The erosion and decay of the form?" Malodore said, carefully, leaning in a little bit to squint at the creature more closely. "It seems as though bits may be coming off of it, though that could be conjecture on my part..."  

[Lucifer Force]

(( *was so stupidly busy yesterday argh* ))

Kasumi was so engrossed in her study of the pour minipet's form that she hardly heard Miss Nurse Cricket's praise. She squeaked and looked up from her extensive diagram with a pale blush on her face. "Oh! Umm... I am only trying my best, you see." she tittered, brows furrowing. The ghoul bowed politely to Jove, the new and fluffy-looking boil she'd never seen before. But introductions could wait, as there was a minipet emergency! Taking a look at her notes, she tapped her skelepen against the clipboard. Not only did she make a (bad) drawing of the minipet, she'd labeled all of the symptoms she seemed to notice from it.

• Respiratory distress, including cough and labored breathing
  
• Skin/form sensitivity (withdraws from touch, possible pain)
  
• Lethargy/lack of energy
  
• Coat deterioration, possibly due to parasites
  
• Evident malnutrition

If it was breathing, it certainly shouldn't be decomposing, if indeed it was. Kasumi couldn't detect an odor coming from it that normal undead creatures produced, which made her wonder - is that what the body shouldn't be doing? She tapped her pen against her chin. The mites certainly could have been causing the pain and other illnesses, and according to Miss Cricket's answer, the creature wasn't undead. Scribbling down more notes, Kasumi nodded a few times. Miss Cricket said she wouldn't call what the creature had as 'mites', but there certainly was something wrong with the skin.

"A parasite... maybe. Hmm." That book would do some good, that was for sure. If Mr. Malodore could drool over it, there'd be a puddle at his feet right now!  

[Grey Dragon]

Jove frowned. So it wasn't mites causing the skin problems, and it wasn't undead... But... Something about Cricket's comment regarding the mites was just as suspicious as her instructions. The little pup took a couple steps closer to the thing, and gave it a good look.

The creature didn't seem to be itching, which further put Jove at ease about the whole mange situation. Maybe that was just it's normal state. And it didn't seem to be bothered about it's eye either... Immediately Jove realized he hadn't gotten any unusual rotting flesh scents off the creature. All he could smell was old wood, Cricket, the pet itself, and the other students. The poor pup was just baffled.

- lethargic
- cough
- malnourished
- not rot
- not mites

He jotted down some things on the clipboard in a childish scrawl, and then looked at the poor minipet again. Unless it wasn't as sick as it looked, would Cricket use it as a demonstration for the class? It did look miserable though.

The pup hummed a little bit of something that could have been a lullaby, as he had heard Ren do on occasion. It always seemed to make him feel better whether he wanted to or not, so maybe it would help the thing on the couch relax so they could better figure out what was wrong with it.