23 Jan 1998: Chiri treats Francisco for a head injury
(Chiri) (Darkside) (Francisco) (Kira) (Rephidim) (X)
---

After that little disaster in the Bazaar, it is fortunate for a five-tailed Kitsune that a fast-thinking Khatta warrioress lifted the sign off of him, and dragged him to the nearest physician she knew of … a Skreek by the name of "Chiri" who has a tent "clinic" in Darkside.

The tent is fairly clean as far as buildings in Darkside go, although you wouldn't guess it from its outside appearance. The outer wall of the tent is ragged and greasy; it even looks like someone threw a bushel or two of fruit at it just to add a bit of color.

The setting sun paints the sky in hues of gold and red, making long shadows that stretch across the street. Here and there a less-than-savory citizen watches the five-tailed vulpine and the one-tailed feline as they pass.

The five-tailed vulpine meanwhile tries to assure the Khatta. "Look, I appreciate the sentiment and all that, but I'm fine. Really. Is this really necessary?"

Kira nods. "Yes it is, you won't be able to open your booth if you're hurt."

Francisco thinks about this for a moment. Chances are that he's not going to get any sick pay from this venture.

A rat exits the tent with a bucket in her arms. She dumps fowl contents of the bucket into a ditch beside the road and then disappears behind the flap of the tent. She's a bit tall for a Skreek, and her stance is oddly plantigrade.

At last, the Khatta and Kitsune reach the tent. At least it wasn't terribly far out of the way, as this part of town goes. And they DID get here before dark … but then, there is the return trip…

Kira pushes aside the tent's flap, and ushers Francisco inside.

The Kitsune heads in, still trying a little to point out that he doesn't think it's necessary.

"Can I help you?" the rat asks absently as the two enter. She's busy scribbling labels on a bunch of brightly colored jars, the bulk of which rest in the arms of a large Savanite standing next to her.

The large Savanite, who seems to function fairly well as a piece of furniture, is dressed in ragged cloths, including a cowl which only partially obscures his face, doing little to conceal the pronounced scars that form an 'X' across his face.

Not moving from his position, the large Savanite watches the newcomers.

Kira points to Francisco, "Yes, possibly. A sign fell on him."

Chiri blows the ink dry on the label, then after admiring her handiwork she adds the jar to the pile in the cheetah's arms, tucking it right under his chin. "A sign? Shouldn't that be something you need to take up with a priest?" She smirks and sets the jars down. "But seriously, where was he wounded?"

X politely smiles at the joke, despite the jar tucked under his chin.

"It's nothing, really," Francisco says. "I'm sure it's just a bruise or something. We probably shouldn't be wasting your time."

The Skreek's smirk grows into a slightly unpleasant-looking grin. "I remember someone who said that once… stone dead two days later. Head injuries are tricky little things." She makes a gesture at X, indicating a box for him to put the little jars away. "Just lemme have a look at your noggin, it's never a waste of time if it pa-… er… I mean, it's never a waste of time to make extra careful."

The large Savanite slowly and very, very carefully makes his way over to the box with his unwieldy stack of jars.

"See, you can't be too careful about these things," says Kira.

The Kitsune blinks a little at the story. "Well… maybe so. But I don't think I'm in that much danger of going that way."

"That's what 'ol Toothrot said too… poor guy. He was singing a song out on the street with his friends and then just keeled over, blood pouring out his nose." Chiri makes a twittering 'tsk tsk tsk' noise and then hustles the kitsune over to a cloth covered table. "Have a seat," she squeaks, patting the table with her hand.

X cringes ever so slightly at the tales, and, in a daring balancing act, ever-so-slowly puts the jars into the box, one at a time.

Francisco sighs, and reluctantly hops up and sits on the table.

Chiri grabs the fox's head rather roughly and tilts it downwards, her fingers poking at his ears, his head, and his muzzle. "So, have you had any dizzy spells since you were hit? Ringing in the ears? Blurry vision? Maybe grew another tail upon impact… I hear that Nobakhim sometimes mutate more if you hit them hard enough."

Kira says, "He has the same number of tails that he had when I met him."

The fox tries to shake his head out of Chiri's hands. "MMf! Hey – not so rough, would you?? And no – I'm fine, really."

A garter Naga head pokes into the tent, through the flap. In a small, hissing voice, he squeaks, "Madame Chiri? Please if you will a moment of your time?" He waves his hand. There is a momentary glint of light off of whatever it is he's holding.

The rat's hands grip Francisco's head tighter. "I'm just doing my job… don't be such a ba-… " She pauses when she sees the snake and nods her head. "Just a moment, I have a quick bit of business to attend to." She flashes a handsign at X and vanishes outside after the snake.

The kitsune rubs his muzzle where the rat was holding him. "Ow – great. Yet more bruises," he grumbles.

X keeps putting away the jars, not showing any response to Chiri's sign.

Kira pokes a finger at Francisco's head, "Well you'll feel better in the long run."

Francisco winces a little. "I feel fine now."

Kira grimaces. "You're saying that now, but if you start bleeding all over people in the Bazaar, no one would come near your booth."

X finishes putting the jars away, and then just stands, watching the Khatta and Kitsune quietly.

Kira swivels her ears twords the tent flap, bearly hearing a whispered conversation.

Francisco sighs again. "Maybe so, but I still doubt that would happen." He notices Kira's ears swivel, and angles his own to try and hear.

X's ears flick under his cowl, but otherwise he does nothing but stand in place, despite the healer's absence.

Chiri comes back in from outside, patting her pocket and smiling. "All right then… now let's get back to looking at your fuzzy little cranium."

Kira takes a step closer to the tent flap, hoping to hear better.

It would seem that there's nothing to hear outside save for the usual noises of Darkside, especially since the healer has returned into the tent now.

Those noises would largely be silence, except for the occasional curse, shout, and, more rarely, maybe a scream in the distance, intermixed with bawdy music and drunken slurs from the various places of ill repute and favorite centers of alcoholic intoxication.

Whistling, Chiri marches back over to Francisco and resumes her rough treatment on his head, making quiet little 'ohh!' and 'oh no!' whispers while she goes about her business.

Kira hovers over Chiri, trying to see what the Skreek is doing.

The kitsune is meanwhile getting rather fed up of being poked and prodded, and notes this several times.

Looking worried, Kira asks, "Is he alright?"

Chiri begins rubbing at one spot on Francisco's head. "Hmm… this might be a problem later. Oh… It'd be really messy if that thing popped, good thing you came to me when you did,"

Blinking, Francisco asks, "If what thing popped?"

The rat rubs the spot on Francisco's head again. "This… right here. Can't you feel it?"

Francisco shakes his head gently, "No… no I can't."

"Ew… that's not a good sign right there. Very bad… " Chiri steps back from the table and begins pacing back and forth.

Kira looks at the spot, "Um, what's wrong with him?"

"What??" the Kitsune asks, trying to feel around for whatever it is, but not finding it.

X breaks his still demeanor to give Francisco a concerned, worried look.

Chiri pauses in her pacing to tap a section of her own head. "Artery… it's just waiting to blow. There's two things I can do for you to stop it… "

Francisco looks at the rat in a kind of dumbstruck manner.

Chiri goes digging through one of her cabinets. She pulls out a bowl, a razor, and a very wicked looking needle… as well as a greenish bottle full of pills.

The multi-tailed fox swallows hard, and moves to get off the table.

"Hokay… I can either lop off the fur on the spot and drain that nasty little bugger before your head pops like a ripe kyootecumber in the summertime," the rat then holds up the bottle of pills. "Or you can take these for a week, they should take care of the problem as well, although the side effects are a tad uncomfortable."

Francisco pauses on the edge of the table, and looks at the rat with narrowed eyes. "Such as what side-effects?"

Kira looks from the razor and needle to the pills, "I think you should go for the pills."

Francisco thinks he should too, but he'd still like to know what those side-effects are.

Chiri squeaks, "Oh… mostly some tummy rumbles, a few stomach aches. Maybe a bit of gas. Nothing painful, I assure you."

"I can live with that – fine, the pills then," Francisco says.

Kira sighs in relief, "Oh I thought they'd make him go into convulsions, or something."

"Okie doke," Chiri says, handling the bottle over to the Kitsune. "Just take one of these three times a day until the bottle's empty. I'm sure it won't give you any kind of problem… I hear you Nobakhim have hardy little stomachs."

Francisco takes the bottle, and nods. He doesn't really hear that the rat called him a Nobakhim since hearing it a fair number of times, he's got bored with correcting. Especially since being poked and prodded.

"That'll be fifteen shekels, if'n you please," Chiri squeaks. "Normally I'd charge twenty five but business has been good today."

"Fifteen? Urgh… okay." Francisco fumbles about in the pouch containing his money and counts out the amount.

Kira pulls out some shekels from a pocket.

Chiri holds out her hand, smiling. Her tailtip twitches back and forth, "and if you change your mind and want me to drain that little bugger, just stop back in and I'll have your head shaved and lanced in no time flat."

Francisco hands over the money. "Uh-huh. I'm sure you would, yeah."

Kira grimaces.

The rat brushes her hands off. "That's that then. You're free to go, have a plesant evening."

The kitsune swings himself off the table, and brushes his shirt back into place. "Thanks. I'll try," he says, and looks to Kira to leave.

Kira nods to the Skreek, and looks at Francisco. "How 'bout I treat you to dinner."

Smiling, Francisco nods. "Sure, why not. I just hope these pills are okay to take with food."

---

GMed by Greywolf

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