HOME | DD

Description

first | prev | next

Blight: Moontouched

Blight Source

1137 words

14/574 Acorns

Acorn Tracker

cw: emetophobia, blood, medical procedures

~~~

Everyone had a different reaction to ether, especially the first time. It had a weird, metallic taste, like battery acid, that coated the mouth. Grey had done xeir best to choke the cup of it down, but xe hadn’t been able to manage it. Every time xe took another sup xeir body rejected it, fighting kicking and screaming against the idea of consuming something that once belonged to another folk. After several minutes of gagging and dry heaving, Dr. Hemingway had come by and told xem to stop.
“Every folk has a different reaction to ether. Oral consumption is optimal for most folk with a blight, however it isn’t the only way to receive an intake. If we can avoid you vomiting in my ward, then that is preferable.”
Dr. Hemingway cleared their throat and tapped their clipboard. “That is to say, we can try an ether IV if you cannot drink it.” Their gaze passed over Grey like a chilled wind, the kind that sent a shiver up xeir spine.
Somewhere in the core of xeir chest, a tightness took over and held xeir breathing hostage. The room was too cold. Dr. Hemingway’s golden eyes were too invasive. Xeir limbs stiffened up as xeir body yelled at xem to get up and run.
    Instead, Grey forced xemself to breathe. At first, air came in short quick bursts, but xe was able to worm xeir way into deeper, more even breaths. Xe nodded and met Dr. Hemingway’s gaze.
    “Let’s try that then,” xe said. Xe tried to ignore the way their voice shook, xe hated how weak it made xem sound. But then again, maybe xe was weak anyway.
    Dr. Hemingway gave a curt nod and took the cup of ether from where Grey had left it discarded. They tucked their clipboard underneath their arm and exited the blight ward without another word.
    Grey pulled xeir legs up to xeir chest and buried xeir snout in the cavity that formed. Something was there, lurking in the shadows of xeir mind. It was a thread that was just always out of reach. Trying to think about it was no easier than trying to grab water with your hands; the moment xe thought xe got a firm grasp, it slipped through xeir fingers. It was that same shadowy corner that was lashing out now. It was the same thing that sent tremors up xeir arms and into xeir shaky hands. It was the same thing that, even now, screamed that xe wasn’t safe and that xe needed to run as far away as possible.
    It was a pre-grove memory, there was no other option.
    Grey had been trying to unpack the glimpses in therapy. Xe had tried talking about it and mindfulness and journaling and all the suggestions xe got but none of it worked. Every time xe shined a light to xeir inner psyche, the things xe wanted to know about sunk further into the darkness. It was getting exhausting to keep chasing it, but it kept affecting xem, like an odorless poison gas.
    “Hey.”
    Xe cracked one eye open to stare at the source of the sound.
    The only other folk in the ward, Fergus, was peeking out from behind the separator curtain to stare at Grey. “You doing alright?” he asked. His tone sounded friendly, but it still set xem on edge.
    “Fine.” Grey mumbled in response, lifting their head to rest on top of xeir knees.
    “Just checking in,” Fergus replied. He glanced towards the door to the ward then back to Grey. “You know, these blights are doing a number on the grove. Lots of people are getting infected, you know?”
    Grey didn’t respond; xe just kept staring.
    Fergus rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I’m just saying,” he continued, “there’s a lot more of us out there than you think. You aren’t alone, yeah? The grove works hard to protect each other.”
    “Thanks…”
    The door to the ward swung open as Dr. Hemingway wheeled in a long metal pole on wheels with a bag and tube hanging from the top. Fergus ducked back behind the curtain.
    Dr. Hemingway wheeled the device up next to Grey’s hospital bed. “This should do the trick," they said. “I’ll need you to lay your arm on the side of the bed here. Do you have a history of fainting when getting ether drawn?”
    Grey scooted over to rest xeir arm on the rail on the side of the bed. Dr. Hemingway grabbed it and turned it over so xeir palm was facing the ceiling.
    “No, not that I know of,” Grey said, “but I’ve never gotten ether drawn before.”
    “It should be fine. Let me know if you start seeing spots of feel faint,” Dr. Hemingway replied. They poked and prodded just below Grey’s elbow before tying a long elastic band above the site. They pulled a packet out of their coat pocket and ripped it open, revealing a wet wipe that they used to wipe down Grey’s arm.
    “You’re going to feel a poke,” they said, grabbing the tube off the metal pole.
    Grey looked away, out towards the window on the outer wall. It was a sunny day outside. It seems unfair that the weather could be so nice on a day that had gone so poorly for xem.
    Xe felt a painful tugging in xeir arm. Xe could hear xeir heart pounding in xeir ears. Xe chose to look closer at the scene outside the window.
    A crowd of folk were making their way over towards the Adventurer’s Guild headquarters. The lot of them shoved each other and goofed around as they disappeared behind the window frame. A deep pang rose in Grey’s chest that xe did xeir best to shove down.
    “Done.”
    Grey turned back to Dr. Hemingway. They were messing with the bag hanging from the metal pole. “Again, let me know if you feel faint or if anything seems to be wrong.” They turned to face Grey and gave a tight-lipped smile before walking away again.
    Xe looked down at xeir arm. There was a tube stuck in xeir arm with tape, with black liquid coursing through and into xeir veins. Xe recognized it as traveler's ether, the very same that flowed through xeir own blood. The very same that xeir body was now consuming at an alarming rate. The very same that xe would be reliant on until the grove found a cure.
    Xe looked back up towards where Fergus was and let out a sigh.
    It didn’t matter how many folk in the grove had a blight or how many of them relied on ether to get by. At the end of the day, Grey would be the same as xe had always been: completely and entirely alone.

Description

first | prev | next

Blight: Moontouched

Blight Source

1137 words

14/574 Acorns

Acorn Tracker

cw: emetophobia, blood, medical procedures

~~~

Everyone had a different reaction to ether, especially the first time. It had a weird, metallic taste, like battery acid, that coated the mouth. Grey had done xeir best to choke the cup of it down, but xe hadn’t been able to manage it. Every time xe took another sup xeir body rejected it, fighting kicking and screaming against the idea of consuming something that once belonged to another folk. After several minutes of gagging and dry heaving, Dr. Hemingway had come by and told xem to stop.
“Every folk has a different reaction to ether. Oral consumption is optimal for most folk with a blight, however it isn’t the only way to receive an intake. If we can avoid you vomiting in my ward, then that is preferable.”
Dr. Hemingway cleared their throat and tapped their clipboard. “That is to say, we can try an ether IV if you cannot drink it.” Their gaze passed over Grey like a chilled wind, the kind that sent a shiver up xeir spine.
Somewhere in the core of xeir chest, a tightness took over and held xeir breathing hostage. The room was too cold. Dr. Hemingway’s golden eyes were too invasive. Xeir limbs stiffened up as xeir body yelled at xem to get up and run.
    Instead, Grey forced xemself to breathe. At first, air came in short quick bursts, but xe was able to worm xeir way into deeper, more even breaths. Xe nodded and met Dr. Hemingway’s gaze.
    “Let’s try that then,” xe said. Xe tried to ignore the way their voice shook, xe hated how weak it made xem sound. But then again, maybe xe was weak anyway.
    Dr. Hemingway gave a curt nod and took the cup of ether from where Grey had left it discarded. They tucked their clipboard underneath their arm and exited the blight ward without another word.
    Grey pulled xeir legs up to xeir chest and buried xeir snout in the cavity that formed. Something was there, lurking in the shadows of xeir mind. It was a thread that was just always out of reach. Trying to think about it was no easier than trying to grab water with your hands; the moment xe thought xe got a firm grasp, it slipped through xeir fingers. It was that same shadowy corner that was lashing out now. It was the same thing that sent tremors up xeir arms and into xeir shaky hands. It was the same thing that, even now, screamed that xe wasn’t safe and that xe needed to run as far away as possible.
    It was a pre-grove memory, there was no other option.
    Grey had been trying to unpack the glimpses in therapy. Xe had tried talking about it and mindfulness and journaling and all the suggestions xe got but none of it worked. Every time xe shined a light to xeir inner psyche, the things xe wanted to know about sunk further into the darkness. It was getting exhausting to keep chasing it, but it kept affecting xem, like an odorless poison gas.
    “Hey.”
    Xe cracked one eye open to stare at the source of the sound.
    The only other folk in the ward, Fergus, was peeking out from behind the separator curtain to stare at Grey. “You doing alright?” he asked. His tone sounded friendly, but it still set xem on edge.
    “Fine.” Grey mumbled in response, lifting their head to rest on top of xeir knees.
    “Just checking in,” Fergus replied. He glanced towards the door to the ward then back to Grey. “You know, these blights are doing a number on the grove. Lots of people are getting infected, you know?”
    Grey didn’t respond; xe just kept staring.
    Fergus rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I’m just saying,” he continued, “there’s a lot more of us out there than you think. You aren’t alone, yeah? The grove works hard to protect each other.”
    “Thanks…”
    The door to the ward swung open as Dr. Hemingway wheeled in a long metal pole on wheels with a bag and tube hanging from the top. Fergus ducked back behind the curtain.
    Dr. Hemingway wheeled the device up next to Grey’s hospital bed. “This should do the trick," they said. “I’ll need you to lay your arm on the side of the bed here. Do you have a history of fainting when getting ether drawn?”
    Grey scooted over to rest xeir arm on the rail on the side of the bed. Dr. Hemingway grabbed it and turned it over so xeir palm was facing the ceiling.
    “No, not that I know of,” Grey said, “but I’ve never gotten ether drawn before.”
    “It should be fine. Let me know if you start seeing spots of feel faint,” Dr. Hemingway replied. They poked and prodded just below Grey’s elbow before tying a long elastic band above the site. They pulled a packet out of their coat pocket and ripped it open, revealing a wet wipe that they used to wipe down Grey’s arm.
    “You’re going to feel a poke,” they said, grabbing the tube off the metal pole.
    Grey looked away, out towards the window on the outer wall. It was a sunny day outside. It seems unfair that the weather could be so nice on a day that had gone so poorly for xem.
    Xe felt a painful tugging in xeir arm. Xe could hear xeir heart pounding in xeir ears. Xe chose to look closer at the scene outside the window.
    A crowd of folk were making their way over towards the Adventurer’s Guild headquarters. The lot of them shoved each other and goofed around as they disappeared behind the window frame. A deep pang rose in Grey’s chest that xe did xeir best to shove down.
    “Done.”
    Grey turned back to Dr. Hemingway. They were messing with the bag hanging from the metal pole. “Again, let me know if you feel faint or if anything seems to be wrong.” They turned to face Grey and gave a tight-lipped smile before walking away again.
    Xe looked down at xeir arm. There was a tube stuck in xeir arm with tape, with black liquid coursing through and into xeir veins. Xe recognized it as traveler's ether, the very same that flowed through xeir own blood. The very same that xeir body was now consuming at an alarming rate. The very same that xe would be reliant on until the grove found a cure.
    Xe looked back up towards where Fergus was and let out a sigh.
    It didn’t matter how many folk in the grove had a blight or how many of them relied on ether to get by. At the end of the day, Grey would be the same as xe had always been: completely and entirely alone.