The seasons were changing. Outside the one room space that Felicity had been renting the leaves were beginning to turn, the cold crept underneath the doorframe in the evenings and on market day she could hear the chestnut cart rattling down the street – the vendor touting his wares with a voice that sounded like a deep toad’s croak. Felicity herself had not left the house much since moving from the south for her treatment. Initially she had been too ill – bedbound and exhausted by any physical effort. But now that she was mostly recovered her confinement was predominantly self-inflicted.
Claudia had warned her that the herbs used to heal her had been sourced from Jin-Ho’s garden and the thought of accidentally meeting her once close acquaintance who had so terribly suffered due to her actions made her gut twist in terror and her head woozy. No. It was far safer to remain inside… The doctor still had not finished her course of medicine yet. There was a final visit arranged for today – he would be arriving soon no doubt. It was best to remain tucked up in bed, out of trouble, away from stress. She coughed weakly – forcing herself to do it in an attempt to validate her decision.
The flower meanwhile had taken to exploring more of the city without Felicity. Quite often she would accompany the doctor on his rounds. Initially the human had been nervous about the Plague’s company… But finding that the flower displayed boldly on his shoulder gave him an aura of respectability – assumed immunity from disease – and had increased his clientele significantly. Claudia didn’t make it easy for him, she was as demanding as was with Felicity and he disliked the perverse interest that she took in the Black Death. However the benefits of her company seemed to outweigh her diva-ish demands. Yet despite this occasional explorative freedom she always had to return to her Grimm’s hovel and sometimes spent days seated miserably at the window – snapping at any of the stunted who dared to approach her.
The doctor was supposed to be arriving soon. Claudia would ask to go with him – maybe this time she could convince him to let her enter a plagued house. He was so skittish around the infected. Said that it wasn’t his job to treat them – they were the damned. His human fear repulsed her. The plague was beautiful – a marvel of destruction. People tried to shut it away by boarding up doors and expelling those who had been touched by Obscuvos’ will, but it was pointless. It’d consume them all in the end… She could not wait to be able to contribute to His great plan. It was just a matter of time.
Claudia had warned her that the herbs used to heal her had been sourced from Jin-Ho’s garden and the thought of accidentally meeting her once close acquaintance who had so terribly suffered due to her actions made her gut twist in terror and her head woozy. No. It was far safer to remain inside… The doctor still had not finished her course of medicine yet. There was a final visit arranged for today – he would be arriving soon no doubt. It was best to remain tucked up in bed, out of trouble, away from stress. She coughed weakly – forcing herself to do it in an attempt to validate her decision.
The flower meanwhile had taken to exploring more of the city without Felicity. Quite often she would accompany the doctor on his rounds. Initially the human had been nervous about the Plague’s company… But finding that the flower displayed boldly on his shoulder gave him an aura of respectability – assumed immunity from disease – and had increased his clientele significantly. Claudia didn’t make it easy for him, she was as demanding as was with Felicity and he disliked the perverse interest that she took in the Black Death. However the benefits of her company seemed to outweigh her diva-ish demands. Yet despite this occasional explorative freedom she always had to return to her Grimm’s hovel and sometimes spent days seated miserably at the window – snapping at any of the stunted who dared to approach her.
The doctor was supposed to be arriving soon. Claudia would ask to go with him – maybe this time she could convince him to let her enter a plagued house. He was so skittish around the infected. Said that it wasn’t his job to treat them – they were the damned. His human fear repulsed her. The plague was beautiful – a marvel of destruction. People tried to shut it away by boarding up doors and expelling those who had been touched by Obscuvos’ will, but it was pointless. It’d consume them all in the end… She could not wait to be able to contribute to His great plan. It was just a matter of time.
