Caduceus Staff

Tucked away in the tiny port town of Cobh a new wooden sign sways back in forth in sea’s breeze. Compared most signs that were practical and clearly explained what shop it was like the blacksmith hammer for the armor shop, or the painfully obvious fish for a fishmonger; this one was a tad...unusual. The odd sign had a staff with ball and a pair of wings on top with two snakes wrapping around it. Naturally, it confused those who were from more backwater areas of Erinn, so another sign was hanging from the door’s window.

“Caduceus Staff: Quality Medical Care for Tuatha de Dananns, Milletians, and Fomors”

Another sign was under it.

“The Doctor is IN”

The waiting room in the office was furnished much like any other waiting room you may see in the world. Several wooden chairs dotted the room with a few books sitting in a book shelf. Some of the books were meant for younger children, while others for the adults. Naturally, in the room was a desk for those to check in for appointments, or in urgent need to see the doctor.

Tending to the desk was doctor’s assistant (not nurse). He was a human of average build, around 5’ 6”. Dressed in a black and white layered alchemy suit with the sleeves rolled above his elbows, he would flash a charming smile as he reached up to fix the same color-schemed Goggle Cap that sat proudly on his head. You could see a pair of brown and black-toed Karis Wizard Shoes with white shoestrings peeking out from under the wooden desk from time to time. Along with being tall, he appeared fairly young, around 19. Various papers surrounded him; most likely the doctor gave him some paper work to do on a recent patient who had come under the doctor’s care. Every once in a while he would look over at the black cat that napped behind the desk.

The door past the waiting room was the examining room. At one end of the room, two beds and chairs sat side by side each other and placed closest to the fireplace for those who had to stay at the office for extended treatment. The other end housed a fancy writing desk with small drawers to store the doctor’s pen and paper in case the doctor had to give orders. Sitting beside the desk were cubby-hole shelves with documents on those who were under her care. In between the desks and beds were shelves—many, many shelves. Each one was neat, orderly, and labeled. Everything the doctor would need could be found in the shelves. It was nearly dizzying to look at everything.

Moving back and forth in the room taking stock of the many shelves was the doctor who surprisingly enough was a woman, a pretty one! Looking roughly around her early 20’s, her height was around 5’5 with long black hair that she let down for the day, and deep red eyes. Her serious expression never changed at all. Even when the assistant came in to tell something funny to her, she barely even cracked a smile; resulting in him leaving the room with a defeated sigh. The doctor’s clothing was very simple: a gray and blue Xiao-Lung Juen's Formal Suit with a pair of Cute Metal Stud Shoes that followed the same color scheme of gray and blue. As much the doctor loved her dress, it had the unfortunate effect of showing off her, well…ample bust. The doctor really disliked it, but slowly learned to live with it. She paused for a second to look at the window in thought.

Maybe today something a little more interesting would happen today? Not for her sake, but for her assistant who may or may not be dying from boredom.

It was not too long into midday when the solemn quiet heralding any form of medical area would be very quickly and decisively shattered by a strange turn of events. The events, like the door into the tidy office at the very least. A chorus of angry men and women from the pub nearby begins to approach the door; voices muffled by the insulation that it provided. The knob would briefly turn and the entire door would swing open slamming inwards as a large, well built black haired giant tossed a much younger gentleman into the building upon the floor. This man, after a few solid twitches of long ears easily identifying himself to be an elf collapsed entirely flat in his slumped position; having skid several feet on his face before coming at rest. A mandolin was thrown in not too shortly afterwards, in two pieces...Both of which ricocheted off of his head. Nodding in politely after this feat, the giant reaches in and closes the door to a chorus of cheering and jeers that shortly proceeded to die away.

Face down, the stranger let out a quiet little sigh that dissolved into pained laughter and a groan before he again fell silent. His long, golden blonde hair rested in a mop on the floor about his head. He was dressed in what appeared to be a nobleman's attire; A Paris outfit with vampire boots and white elven gloves. Nothing could quite be identified as to his facial features yet, though even his laugh was laced with the makings of a strong, Gaelic accent. This elf was none other than Ainmire Wynford, and as of the moment he seemed to be making himself quite the sudden liability for the staff.

The little black cat who was dreaming peacefully of hunting a strange combination of a bird and fish in a beautiful green field stirred in his sleep after hearing the angry mob of people heading toward the office. Much like any normal cat, he would just brush it off by flipping on to his back and stretched out his paws.

Bang!

The door swung open by the sheer force of the angry giant causing the cat to be positively spooked, or have a mini kitty heart attack. His tail would fluff up as he jumped up on all fours to dart to the exam office to the safety of under the doctor’s writing desk. With a pathetic mew the cat was almost trying to tell the doctor that someone was here.


Watching the office cat bolt in to the room in fear she turned her view toward the angry mob tossing the body through the doorway. Setting the clip board down on the desk the doctor walked in to the doorway leading to the exam room to watch as the rest of the event unfolded in her office.

Bang!

The door slammed shut and the sounds of celebration was heard. Lo and behold, an elf was in her waiting room laying face first on the floor. At first her mind started to wonder on how someone would end up in this state. She could only rule out a few things on what have lead to the misfortune of the elf.

1. He had sex with some one's sister (or brother)--possibly the giant's which caused him to be angry, and called up his friends to help him take down the elf.

She ruled out number one very quickly considering how it’s nearly impossible for an elf and giant to be intimate without hurting each other in the process. It was just a theory she had due to all of the anatomy books she had read over the years. Unless this was really the case, then for once, the doctor would be surprised.

2. He swindled the crowd.

This looked to be the possible answer by the way he was dressed in fine clothing. It’s easy for someone to sell snake oil as long as you look nice and convince people that whatever you had was indeed some rare and mythical item that was worth as much coin one person could hold. Cobh was a port town as well, so many strange and rare things could be easily found. There was one thing though: why would someone who swindles own a mandolin? The pieces of the puzzle clicked together on what many have possibly happen.

3. He’s a Bard.

Does one really need to explain this? Bards are very much like the music they play on their lute; or in this case, the mandolin. At times a gentle tune can be more than welcomed to a weary group of adventures after an long day of having adventures, or a total and utter pest for those at the Cobh pub trying to enjoy their drink.

“Rufus.” She finally spoke in her monotone and dry voice directing it toward the assistant, “Can you please get the elf to one of the beds please?” Turning away from the doorway she moved towards the exam office and placed her hair up in a bun with a black ribbon.

..Voices. You're still alive, someone's talking to you. Listen.

It wasn't customary of Wynford to listen to his conscious; but there's very little else to do when you've all but lost it. Eyes clenching further shut, the elf gritted his teeth gently and mustered the willpower to regain hold of his facilities. Sounds and sensations were muffled and unresponsive; colors, and shapes blurry and lights...GODS, the lights! They were too bright still in the whining hum of what he would have guessed at this point was a concussion of some shape or form. He's had them before ranging from mild to outright fatal. This would rank as one of the many lesser ones eventually if he had to imagine.

“Man… Tough crowd, huh?”

...What did he say? Ainmire strained to sharpen his senses. His ears began to perk up at last with little pops. They could not be heard so much as -felt,- inducing the full wrath of the migraine he could have blissfully avoided if he just stayed unconscious. He rolls his head over to the side of the pillow slowly wincing, and directs his glance upwards at the blob of mismatched light he would assume to be the owner of the fragmentary voice. He simply raises his hand to this individual and beckons twice with his fingers. There was a look of solemn and tired confusion across his brow. He's been through this routine many times already, even if he couldn't remember many of them now.

"Tough by definition would mean they would be strong or durable when the bard's music started to play." The doctor's eyes would scan the broken mandolin. "This is normal behavior is more ideal for the bard's situation. After all this office is located in a sea port, much like Alberta in our old world. Surprisingly enough sailors here act very similar to the ones in our original world. Therefore.... "She would kept on droning on as she fills out a medical chart to her new patient. Thankfully by the mercy of the gods the theorizing was ended by the groan of the bard. Looking up from the sheet she would watch the elf motion her assistant.

"Go on." The doctor said to Rufus before returning to her paper work at her desk. "I'll be over after I fill out these forms for him."

Meanwhile the spooked black cat finally came out of the safety of its hiding place. With its bright yellow eyes it would lazily walk up to the bed where the elf was lying. He mewed softly before hopping up on the bed and curling up next to the injured elf's feet.

"Dainn, off." He ignored her and went back to sleep.