Day Four-Twenty-Seven: The doctor is in(sane)

Though I still have reservations about the guy, I took Eve to see the doc today. Doc. I guess I'll just call him Doc. Makes sense, doesn't it, diary?

…

There's something wrong about calling you 'diary'. It… doesn't feel right. Guess I'll pretend I'm talking to myself. Kinda… sad, that…

Doc's tent has been set up here for the better part of a week. He showed up with a weird little band of rag-covered assistants and raised a camp on the outskirts, not far from the edge of the forest on the opposite side of the Potos (as in, away from the rough road leading to the mountains). The tent resembles its occupants: clad in plain beige, yet set up and angled in such a way as to look bizarre. There are tent poles sticking out in every direction. I don't know how it stays up.

When I brought Eve in, Doc's giant desert elephant was sitting outside, as usual. It… nodded… to me, then seemed to check itself and make a braying noise. More like a donkey than an elephant. They make pachyderms weird in the desert, lemme tell ya - though at least it's calm. The normal variety is way too violent for my tastes. And this fella certainly is BIG enough to be an elephant.

Fella? Lady. That's what I mean. He called it a she a few times. Think Doc said its name is Titan Blue. Not veeeeery feminine… though with all those bandages I'd be hard pressed to see the femininity anyway. Yeesh.

Same goes for the rest. Doc's trio of silent assistants was waiting for me when I entered the tent, and the biggest of them ushered me into Doc's private room. I swear the lot of 'em flinched away from Eve as she passed. Guess they've heard stories about her. Still. Strange bunch, very strange.

Also? The skinny one? I can't help but feel intensely annoyed whenever I see him. It's like an instinct. Maybe it's the head - the two little lumps he's got under the bandages kinda look like my old guard helmet. Man, I miss that helmet. The floppy hat just doesn't fill its place.

Doc more than makes up for the locked mouths of his subordinates. Guy won't shut up. He damn near freaked when he saw Eve walk into his room under her own power.

"Oh my sweet blessed god! Gods! Sorry, many gods, many!" He leaped off his chair and skittered around us, his many swaddled legs dancing a fascinated jig with each frenzied circle. I dunno WHAT he is under all that cloth, but he's too short and too leggy to be human. "She's awake! When did she awake? Was it today? Just now? Am I the first person to see her? Oh, bless you, Mr. Mayor, bless you, sir! You have visited a boon -"

"She woke up yesterday," I said bluntly. "Was too busy to bring her in. Surprised you didn't hear anything."

Doc shrank back as though struck by an arrow. "Yesterday? And you said NOTHING?! But this is such a fascinating case, yes, yes, FASCINATING! My oh my, yes, please, come, sit, I must examine the patient, I must, I must seeeeeee, please, oh please, this time may I have a small sample to analyze, just a lock of her hair will do -"

I helped Eve up on his battered examination table. She looked frightened, but I plied her with loving words. "Don't worry, Eve, he won't touch you like that. So, no, Doc, y'can't take bits of her hair. Don't be so weird. Check her over, make sure she's okay."

Doc snarled something incomprehensible at that, though moments later he was sunshine and rainbows again, leaping onto the table and dancing up to Eve for a closer look. With some coaxing I managed to lead her through a short examination, and Doc confirmed her good health. Couldn't explain WHY she was suddenly awake, nor why she wouldn't say anything, but her body is, at least, fine.

"But I can determine these things!" He cried as I helped Eve off the table. "Determination! For example, I can help you discover why such an obviously advanced teenager is so short! Yes, answers, answers through experimentation -"

"She's one," I commented dryly. "Maybe one-and-a-half. She's big for her age."

"ALL THE MORE REASON! Please, sir, I beg you, leave her here for a thorough check-up, I promise there will be no discomfort whatsoever, please please pleeeeeease -"

I waved him aside. "Thanks, Doc, but I'm good. I'll bring her back in a couple days for another check-up, once we're… back. From our trip. Then I'll pay you 'n you can tend to your other patients."

"No other patients," Doc grumbled, "none yet. Wait, what, why, travel? You say travel? Where do you travel, where do you go? Travel, ah, you see, that is bad for coma patients, especially those freshly AWOKEN from a coma -"

"We'll take our chances." I edged Eve out of his room, anxious to get away from the trio of silent stalkers who were creeping up behind Doc unbidden. "A couple days. We'll be back."

"Ohhh," he cried as we left. "Ohhhh! Very well! Do not damage the child, the precious child! I will be waiting! And please, recommend me to your constituents, they do not seem to trust me! Not trust me at all!"

I can't confirm this, but I swear, I SWEAR the elephant said "Wise of them" as Eve and I passed. When I looked back at it, though, it brayed loudly and picked at the grass at its feet. Strange creatures in the desert.

So, yeah. Trip. We're going on a trip tomorrow.

To see… you-know-who.

Ugh. It's not going to be fun.

But… Eva was right. Libby should know about her daughter. This way, at least, we can determine… if… there's anything left to salvage.

… or if I need to look elsewhere for a mother.

Gods, how can I even say something like that?

Sincerely,

Dragomir the Father