Everything.
The word rang through the compact home. Asa put a hand over her mouth. What in the stars did she say? An airy laugh escaped from Renvir's lips. The cloud around him laced his throat with a golden hue.
"That may take longer than I have. How about we start with something more specific?" the Celest said. He tried to take a sip of his kei but began laughing instead.
"What's so funny?"
"You just..." the Celest said, stifling a chuckle, "are nothing like what I expected."
You are not what I expected either, she thought. As Renvir paused, the medic's cheeks heated, realizing she may have projected the thought. She glanced at the file, hoping to change the subject.
"Could you give me a summary of your symptoms?"
"It varies from day to day." He cast his eyes downward and fidgeted with his cup. "Some days, it is my skin, some days it is my muscles, but it is mostly my stomach and chest that act up."
"Act up?"
He nodded.
"My skin will become warm and flush in areas like a rash. Then it will itch. If it lasts a while, the top layers begin peeling. My chest aches. Occasionally it tightens, restricting my breathing."
Asa scribbled notes on a blank sheet of parchment.
"You mentioned your stomach and muscles as well. What do you experience with them?"
"With my muscles, they tend to twitch and spasm. Tingle if I stay in one position too long."
"And your stomach?"
Renvir shifted in his seat and scratched the base of his neck. He didn't make eye contact when he spoke this time. Asa tapped the end of her pencil on the table.
"It is often upset, especially after eating raw meat. So I," Renvir paused, "Vomit it back up. Sometimes even cooked meat."
Strange, raw meat was a Celest diet staple. While she knew their hunters used tools now, legend had it that his species hunted with their claws and teeth when the Two first created them. Repressing her unease, the female continued.
"How black is the smoke that comes up?"
Renvir stayed silent. Asa sighed. She had been accustomed to everything from hatchling spit ups to full-on hurling. And the Celest's vomit looked much prettier than any other species she had tended. After a moment of silence, she broke the silence.
"You don't have to be embarrassed. Many beings experience these things at least a few times in their lives, if not more."
Her voice steadied to a professional rhythm. The usual distance she kept between her and her patients returned. With a deep breath, the medic reminded herself to keep it there. Yet the tightening of Renvir's posture distracted her. Asa gripped her pencil tighter.
"Dark gray, almost black. With specs of purple."
"Specs of purple?"
"Blood."
The medic froze. She didn't expect that.
"How often do you see blood?"
"It has been more frequently the past month. Nothing this week, but around twice last week."
She pressed her lips together into a thin line. Renvir had severe symptoms throughout multiple body systems. It didn't make sense. Most beings had two chronic illnesses at most, not three to four. But that wasn't what made her stomach tie itself into a tight, swollen knot.
If he was vomiting up blood, his condition was worsening. Even though the Celests had enough resources to keep the mutated alive longer than the medic's tribe, they had strict rules. Any being who showed irreversible symptoms were to be killed on the spot.
But a dead patient wouldn't help her prove herself to Zienna. She needed to find a way to curb his flares and fast.
Asa pulled out a glass device in the shape of a hemisphere from her bag. Most vital-taking tools were made to for Celests. But because she special ordered it, it fit perfectly in her hand. The medic set up the basic rundown: temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate.
"I'll need to take your vitals."
Renvir nodded and scooted his chair away from the table. At first, the female thought his eyes were following her, but, as she closed in, she noticed they were glued to her necklace. He raised his hand, stopping her.
"Would you take off your necklace first?"
"What, are you the naturalist type?" The medic rolled her eyes. While gems had been a part of Eulia since the beginning, some sects believed they were unnatural. These beings thought their beloved Celestial Energies, the source of their godlike powers, shouldn't be placed in a gem for others to use. The medic found them nonsensical.
"Call me what you wish. Just please take it off." Renvir stood and grabbed the folded silk from the top shelf then placed it on the table. "You may set it on this. To keep it from scratching."
Asa narrowed her eyes, unsure what to make of her predicament. But she obliged and put her necklace delicately on the cloth.
"Could you remove your tunic? I won't get a proper read through the fabric." Renvir's face flushed a bright violet. Tiny, white dots across his face popped into sight with the increased contrast. She shot him a grin, "You weren't this shy last night."
The Celest gave a fake laugh and diverted his eyes. Despite acting uncomfortable, the medic caught a small smile forming.
"You were not this close last night."
He was right; they hadn't been this close since they first met. The medic's stomach flipped. Slowly, the male took off the tattered tunic. Various, lilac scars riddled his chest. Asa's heart raced. She reached out her hand with the device, making contact with his hide. Renvir winced. She pulled back.
"You are fine. It is just cold."
Asa nodded then continued. She traced a line on his abdomen then held it. She counted to three. Beeping, the temperature and blood pressure flashed on the screen. His temp was lower than average. For heart and breathing rate, she needed to be closer to the base of his throat. She stood on the tips of her toes to reach.
Renvir noticed her efforts and leaned forward in his chair. His elongated neck snaked past her as he did, his head now fully behind hers. The warm breaths on the back of her neck sent shivers down her spine. Taking a deep breath, Asa smelled his pine-laced scent. Her body tingled as she pressed the device against the middle of his ribcage. It beeped. All three of his hearts and his breathing had elevated rates.
The medic paused. Were they usually high, or was he nervous? As she went to remove it from his chest, the female noticed a dark scar. She delicately ran her finger over it. It was deep and fresh.
"How did you get this wound?"
The Celest pulled back, placing a hand over it. Her eyes widened as she noticed how it perfectly lined up with his primary claw then extended in a straight line across. Asa's breathing quickened.
"It started as a rash shortly after you stopped by. It was worse than I have experienced in a while." His fingers traced older wounds.
"But your hide should be thick enough to withstand most scratching."
Renvir diverted his gaze. The gray miasma around him darkened. For a moment, his silver eyes mirrored it, flashing a black.
"My hide is thinner than it should be."
Silence fell over the duo. Asa's chest strained under an invisible weight. That explained the make-shift gauze and bruises around his hands. He couldn't keep his claws sharp in this state.
"Have you thought about sanding them down?"
He nodded.
"Sanding stones for Celests are expensive though."
"You can afford kei!"
"I could have kei for the next four months on what they ask for!" he snapped, curling his lips to reveal four of his six canines. Asa's face hardened.
"Then I will buy it for you!"
Renvir's face dropped into a surprised look. The medic shoved her notes and device into her bag, then grabbed her necklace.
"You do not need to-"
"Too late. We're going to get you one now."
Asa headed for the door. Catching up with her, the male slipped his shirt back on and grabbed a small satchel from the bookcase. He hesitated.
"Can we make another stop while we are out?"
"Sure?"
Bending down, the male reached underneath the bed and pulled out another bag. It tinkled as he tied both to his waistband. After adjusting his pants, he exited with her.
"Good. Because I have something to drop off."