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[mansuetus]

[ She has not slept. Shutting her eyes brought figures out of the darkness: a cardinal with eyes as crimson as his robes, her brother bleeding out of his own portrait and another figure who often visited her in her nightmares, a dead prince reaching out to her without being able to voice a word. She wept and screamed until she began to fear she might be going mad with grief.

Her mother once said that half of Lucrezia's illnesses come from her heart, not her body. Now, her heart is broken and she is certain she is ill. She reaches for her firefly; the second time she addresses the network could not have been more different than the first. ]

If one dreams of another who has died and he

in the dream, the one who died tries to speak and is unable, he is mute even though he spoke words as pretty as poetry when he lived

does that mean he passed without having said something he wished to?

does it come to imply that she who dreams of him has not listened well enough when he lived? that she had not been sweet enough of a friend?

was it her fault

Will he remain thus forever? desperate and mute in her dreams?

I do not think I can bear it, I

is there a physician abroad this ship? I fear I have fallen quite ill.

Comments

[mansuetus]

Then enter, my dear Simon. I will hear of these things. This....unfortunate illness has made me quite tired and I will be glad when it will become no more than a mere memory.

[doc_pompous]

Why don't you sit on the bed--I don't want you to overexert yourself.

[He sets his red medkit on the desk, opening it and setting a few things down. Before the Tranquility, Simon hadn't been one to believe in something like this--people from other times or worlds assembled in one place, but Lucrezia's speech and reference to doctors as physicians lets him know to tread carefully. He doesn't want to frighten her with medical instruments she might not have seen before.]

I'm just going to take your temperature.

[mansuetus]

[ she sits down as she's told, tilting her head at his words. ]

Take my - how?

[ not nervous; just curious. ]

[doc_pompous]

Your temperature, uh--

[That sort of seals it for him, and he immediately starts to rework his approach. He pulls out an electronic thermometer.]

When you have a fever, your body gets too warm. I'm just going to find out how warm, and I do with this--it goes in your ear. It's quick, and it won't hurt at all.

[mansuetus]

In my ear?

[ she blinks in surprise and then makes a face, something between playfulness and mischievousness. ]

And I have your word that it shall not hurt?

[doc_pompous]

I'll tell you before I do something that's going to hurt.

[But he says it with a smile, picking up on the fact that she's joking, at least a little as he shows her how to tilt her head so that he can insert the thermometer.]

What are doctors like, where you're from?

[Simon has to admit he's just a little bit curious.]

[mansuetus]

Rather dull, I find.

[ she grins at him before continuing. ]

I loathe the bleeding. My younger brother nearly lost his senses when they had to bleed him for his illness once. I try and behave more bravely.

[doc_pompous]

[There's a moment where he looks completely taken aback that she's from a place where they still do that kind of thing.]

You'll be, uh. You'll be happy to know that we don't do that any more.

[mansuetus]

At all?

[ it is a comfort ad a joy, certainly. But she frowns in confusion anyway. Since if they do not bleed people then - ]

How do you heal the people, then?

[doc_pompous]

[He checks the thermometer at that, turning from her to rummage around in his bag. A fever is easy enough to take care of, even if Simon's not sure how long the psychological effects might last.]

With medicine. I'm going to give you some to take, and it should make you feel better.

[mansuetus]

And no bleeding? I might name you a wizard, Simon.

[ a small grin as she leans in her seat. This is quite like magic to her, indeed. What would Rome's physicians say? ]

[doc_pompous]

[That gets a laugh out of him, but it's more to himself than anything.]

Not a wizard, I promise. No magic involved. [He presents her with a small bottle of white pills--generic fever reducers.] I just need you to swallow one of these with water twice a day, and call me if you don't feel better.

[mansuetus]

[ She gazes into the bottle, curiosity written over her features ]

Swallow them?

[ well that is the oddest request, Simon, truly. ]

I will do as you ask, then.

[doc_pompous]

Swallow, not chew. And only one at a time.

[He pauses to show her his tattoo, so she can commit it to memory.]

My number is zero-one-zero-one-three-zero, if you need me. I can write it down, if you like.

[mansuetus]

I shall not forget. Zero-one-zero, one-three-zero, Simon.

[ a tiny smile. ]

It would be unkind to forget friends.