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Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 9:46 pm
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There was a long time, or perhaps it only felt long, as Cricket seemed to look over the results she had been given, each with the same impassive look on her face as she had before. Was she pleased? Displeased?
She tapped the arm of her chair before sighing a breathless sigh, simply the rising and falling of her shoulders;
"I will start by saying that only one of you asked anything about what type of patient we were treating. In a real world situation, that is the first thing you want to assess. Ever." She reached out to pet the creature on the cot again and it shied away from her.
Cricket retracted her hand.
"It did this for one reason alone; an unquestioned gesture when it did not respond to any other hands; this creature and I are FEAR compatible, meaning that we are capable of infecting each other. You children would require much more time with it to be infected."
She set the folded papers on her desk before turning back to the group, crossing her legs and holding out one hand, the markings in the palm moving before shoving something out through the surface of her body. A pair of emblems.
"Jove. Malodore." She said their names calmly.
"You both assessed the initial ailment successfully. For that, you both have passed. However. Malodore." She looked at the plague doctor. "You took it one step further and assessed each symptom, the possibility of more than one ailment, as well as recommended a proper course of treatment as well."
Her lips tightened.
"I will tell you all that it is wise to not share with any unexamined students what your answers were, as this exam will repeat for a few other students today."
With that, she waved them off.
"All of you Knobs will be needing to think more abstractly in the coming school year. Make note of how you failed here. You shouldn't be infected from touching your 'patient', but I would still go wash my hands if I were you."
Never once did she actually smile. Cricket seemed to dismiss them with the two students who had been awarded her emblem for actually passing on their tail.
She'd have to make it harder next time.
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Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 11:08 pm
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The time Cricket spent examining the emblems felt like a small eternity; if Malodore breathed, or had a beating heart, it would have counted every single breath or beat available to it. As it was, it tried to time itself by the minipet's sad wheezes.
And then Cricket was speaking, and Malodore snapped to full attention, every muscle tense... and then its heart leapt as she spoke its name. It had passed! Passed, and one of Cricket's emblems being held out to it like a gift. It was like a beautiful nightmare come true.
After the nurse had finished speaking, Malodore bowed to her before reaching out one claw tentatively for one of the emblems. "Molto grazie, Infermiera - though, if I may inquire... what does ail the creature, and what would be the correct mode of treatment? I am most interested to know... though, ah. Yes. Other students will need your time..." The plague doctor hesitated.
"But might I inquire at a later time, when there is no fear of other students learning the answer?"
It felt like it was floating, inside. What an odd - and pleasant - feeling.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 9:10 am
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 1:37 pm
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