Be Me
Be 1600's Plague Doctor
Narrowly avoid the inquisition by talking out my ass and coming up with a name like Von Hellsing
Still laying on the floor weighing my options
They may have left but that doesn't mean they aren't done with me.
Obviously if they see me as competition they will put me on trial, I'll have to give up some of my precious doctor money.
Damn I gave them everything I had...
Damn my late father is still upstairs.
I waited until dusk to sneak him into town, maybe there was an open grave or I could just toss him off the bridge.
By what providence I found an open grave just outside the cathedral
I tossed him in, but in doing so my foot slipped in the mud
I felt my head hit the grave marker and all went dark
I opened my eyes to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
A cloud drifted through the light.
I was at the bottom of the grave, beside the dried husk of my father.
something was poking my back
My cane, its copper end had broke off bifurcating the end of my doctor stick.
I stood when a shout should pierce my ears.
WHAT PRAY TELL ART THO DOING! THOU HAS DESSECRATED THIS GRAVE YOU HERETIC!
I could almost hear my master in my ear "you must turn accusations around on the accuser"
THOU ART A FOOL TO THINK I A HERETIC! I had to think fast, I looked up to see the grave keeper about to warp my head with his shovel. THOU NOT KNOWEST! ugh ugh ugh, I turned my back to him and poked my fathers neck with the broken end of my cane. THE BITE OF A VAMPIRE!!
hook line and sinker, our exchange had drawn a crowd as the sun began to rise above the horizon. Like the phoenix I rose from the grave I thought to myself. "THY HAS VANQUISHED ONE FOUL GHOUL BUT I FEAR ANOTHER WALKS THE NIGHT! FOR IN MY PRAYERS I HAVE BEEN GIFTED WITH THE FORESIGHT TO RECOGNIZE THE BEGINNINGS OF AN INFESTATION!"
ter'bly sorry my lord, I apologize for my indiscretion
"Worry not, for thou art a servant of the lord and in other context would have been correct." I could see the inquisitor in the crowd staring daggers at me. "Come, bear witness to the beast I fought through the night!"
The inquisitor stepped forward and looked into the grave, "Such an old corpse for a fresh grave."
"An astute observation! Thou art truly wise! This man was in my care until shortly before we met and he was as healthy as a bride on her wedding day, but in a single night a vampire had felled him and turned him into this husk!"
The inquisitor shoved fifteen gold pieces into my hand, and whispered in my ear "A dead flock does not pay tithes, solve this in your ways, we shall assist in the light."
I nodded, "To keep eachother safe I beg thee return to thy homes before the shadow of the night races across the ground!"
Thank God for HELLSING!! some voices cried out.
I'm going to get burned at the stake for this.
I spent the majority of the day walking around the town, pretending to inspect it. I was terrified to return home as i'm certain peasants are lining up already for a cure.. A CURE! Yes, I will have to think of something.
The grocer was before my eyes dumping something to his pigs in large quantity
"My brother, what pray tell art thou disposing of?"
"Garlic my lord, the rains came through my roof and ruined the harvest."
"You fool, you dispose of the very pancea I seek!" I hand him a single gold coin "Bring every bit you get your hands on to my home just outside town."
"You own a home here?"
I show him the contract of forfeiture of property.
"I cannot read sir, but I trust your word."
As anticipated upon my return several peasants, commoners, and a noble are at my door. What a delight.
"Wait here!" I go inside with my soggy, rotten bag of garlic. I put it into a pot and begin boiling it as much as possible. In time the overwhelming smell of garlic even pierces my mask. I take my first patient.
The patient wants an amulet to protect them from being bitten, "Ah, no amulet other than the cross is needed to protect you outside your home, but to stay the spread of their disease one must drink this." I hand him a wooden cup of boiled, rotten garlic water.
The noble recoils at the smell of it, but drinks it. "I dare not overcharge you for my services, but to stay the infection you must return daily for your dosage. at the cost of 2 pieces."
The fool hands me two silver coins, I never specified pieces of what but didn't wish to press my luck.
The peasants drink my concoction without flinching.. I question if its flavor but I dare not raise it to my mouth.
After a few days of this business begins to slow again, they clearly need to be inspired to seek a cure.
In the late evening I sneak about the town, a few wooden shutters are all that separates me from my future patients. I've left my robes and mask at home so that I will not be recognized if seen. With the jagged edge of my cane and like a rogue in the night I poke several people hard in the neck as they sleep.
They wake, and shortly after scream that they've been bitten.
Ducking in and out of alleys I avoid the guard and poke a few more doubters of my cures and remedies.
Most of the town has awoken, I use the cover of the night to run home, by what divine intelligence I have such a Chadwick body now and can actually run.
I don my robes, hat, mask, but I leave my cane and instead substitute it for a staff. No point in making any greater risks.
As I enter town to investigate the commotion one of the Inquistors men grabs me by the arm.
THIS IS IT THE JIG IS UP, I think to myself. My heartbeat thunders in my ears as i'm lead through town.
They've prepared posts to burn people. I must maintain composure
"Good Doctor!" the inquisitor spoke "I'm glad we were able to fetch you, the beast has struck this very eve!"
"THEN THERE IS LITTLE TIME TO LOSE! BRING ME A RAT, A NAIL, AND A HAMMER FOR I CAN SAVE THESE PEOPLE!!"
The town presented me the peasants who now in tears begged me for assistance while tugging at my robes, they apologized for doubting my remedy.
A guard returned with the supplies I requested. I nailed the rat to my staff.
"SPARE THE ROD AND SPOIL THE CHILD!" I cried out I gotta sell this, "FOR THOU ART DOUBTFUL THOU PUNSHMENT AND SALVATION ARE ONE AND THE SAME! I SHALL BEAT THE DEMONS FROM YOU AND INTO THE RAT THEY WILL MANIFEST! ALL THAT HAVE BEEN BITTEN MAKE A LINE BEFORE THYNSELF!"
Several days later they succumbed to the plague, but did not turn into vampires, I was reimbursed handsomely for saving the town, but I would not allow them to forget my creation, the very menace that haunts them is very real.
I love being a doctor.
Submitted December 21, 2018 at 04:22PM by Saughtvol http://bit.ly/2CssEEq
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