Innkeeper
A few years have passed and your medical schooling is complete and you now work at the Klyton hospital as a real doctor. You haven't been able to really enjoy your success though.
Sure, you have your own apartment and you make a decent living to afford the things you want, but you're always waiting for the other shoe to drop and Edmond is going to call in that favor. It's prevented you from even having a serious relationship for fear that whomever you're with could possibly be hurt if things get complex.
Of course there's also your mother to worry about still, but from what you know she's planning on selling the old inn and moving to Teckleville. Hopefully soon, so it'll at least keep her somewhat out of potential harm.
Ultimately you try to keep yourself busy with work hoping it will keep your mind off things, but it doesn't help. Eventually you do come up with something that does help a bit. Alcohol.
It's amazing that you grew up in a place that sells the stuff and never had a drink until now. You have to say, it's not bad and it seems to calm you a bit when you're feeling anxious. Through this crutch you finally manage to cope.
Well at least until the fateful day does arrive
One night when you're coming home from the hospital and carriage pulls up next to you.
"Hey doc, I think we have a friend in common." A voice says from the inside of the carriage.
"Let me guess, Edmond. Right?" you reply.
"Correct. I think you know what comes next doc."
"Yeah, I do." You say and get into the carriage.
You sit down on one side while sitting opposite of you is one man dressed in a cheap suit smoking pipe weed. The other one is dressed more casually and openly playing with a dagger. The pipe man lights up and speaks.
"Before we get started, my name's Hans and this is my brother Wallace. Now that that's over with, Edmond is personally in need of your medical services."
"I figured it was something like that. What happened to him?
"Oh what usually happens to our kind in this business. There was a disagreement, some words were exchanged and before you know it, some people get hurt while others aren't so lucky."
"I see. So I take it we're heading to him right now?"
"Yes. He's a little paranoid about going to hospitals especially with the attempt on his life and all."
"Hey, doesn't he already have a doctor?"
"He did, but unfortunately his over indulgence of the spirits made his skills useless and he was sent away a long time ago."
"Oh "
The rest of the trip is mostly in silence. Hans asks a few superficial things about you which you give quick answer to, but your mind is focused more on what you're going to encounter when you get to Edmond. How bad is he going to be? What happens if you can't help him? By the gods you could use a drink right now.
You then think to yourself. "Maybe this is why his old doctor was a drunk."
Eventually you arrive at the Troll's Breath Tavern. When you enter the place it's completely empty save for a few rough looking sorts who look like they're focused on cleaning up the place. You notice broken glass and a few blood spots here and there.
"Is that the doc?" one of them asks Hans.
"Yeah, is Ed still in his office?"
"Yeah, and his pet lizard is guarding him like a fucking dragon. Ed's not letting anyone in there except the doctor."
"Hm, well I guess you better get in there then. Don't worry. You're probably safer than the rest of us right now."
You don't share that sentiment, but you have little choice in the matter. You head to Edmond's office and knock on the door.
"Who the fuck is it? That better be the doc!"
"Yeah, it's me. I'm coming in."
You cautiously enter and see a great deal of blood on the floor. Edmond is clutching on to his left side and his Sotakan assassin is standing close by staring directly at you. A bottle whiskey is also nearby probably being used to dull his pain and as a disinfectant.
"Well, don't just stand there, I gotta fucking hole in my side!"
You quickly inspect the wound and see that Edmond's been shot most likely by a blunderbuss and he's still got fragments of the shot in his body.
"Okay, keep the pressure on it like you've been doing. I can fix this, but I need to act fast and I'm gonna need some stuff from the hospital." You say.
"What?! You mean those idiots didn't have you pick up any supplies?"
"No, they told me to just get into the carriage."
"Fucking morons. It's like they want me to die! Okay look, we got access to some hospital supplies in a warehouse much closer than the hospital. Just tell Reg outside what you need and he'll get them for you. Go, go."
You leave the office and ask for Reg, who comes up immediately.
"What's up? Will he live?"
"Yeah, but I'll need some medical supplies. He said you can get them from one of your warehouses. Now I need "
Before you can finish Hans interjects.
"Reg, you realize we sold most of those supplies to that bodylegger a few weeks ago? We don't have much left."
"We don't? Well what do we have left?" Reg asks.
"I dunno, I don't have the supply list in front of me now do I? But what if you get there and find that what the doc asked for isn't there? We've wasted valuable time fucking around while the boss bleeds to death! Look why don't we just take the doctor back to the hospital, I'm sure we can get everything there right?"
"Well yeah, but Edmond said "
"I'm sure Edmond won't mind if disobey his orders if it's going to save his life."
Well this certainly stressful. If the warehouse is lacking supplies, you might not be able to help Edmond. If you go back to the hospital you might take too much time since it's not just the trip back and forth but it's the sneaking around stealing medical supplies.
Sure, you have your own apartment and you make a decent living to afford the things you want, but you're always waiting for the other shoe to drop and Edmond is going to call in that favor. It's prevented you from even having a serious relationship for fear that whomever you're with could possibly be hurt if things get complex.
Of course there's also your mother to worry about still, but from what you know she's planning on selling the old inn and moving to Teckleville. Hopefully soon, so it'll at least keep her somewhat out of potential harm.
Ultimately you try to keep yourself busy with work hoping it will keep your mind off things, but it doesn't help. Eventually you do come up with something that does help a bit. Alcohol.
It's amazing that you grew up in a place that sells the stuff and never had a drink until now. You have to say, it's not bad and it seems to calm you a bit when you're feeling anxious. Through this crutch you finally manage to cope.
Well at least until the fateful day does arrive
One night when you're coming home from the hospital and carriage pulls up next to you.
"Hey doc, I think we have a friend in common." A voice says from the inside of the carriage.
"Let me guess, Edmond. Right?" you reply.
"Correct. I think you know what comes next doc."
"Yeah, I do." You say and get into the carriage.
You sit down on one side while sitting opposite of you is one man dressed in a cheap suit smoking pipe weed. The other one is dressed more casually and openly playing with a dagger. The pipe man lights up and speaks.
"Before we get started, my name's Hans and this is my brother Wallace. Now that that's over with, Edmond is personally in need of your medical services."
"I figured it was something like that. What happened to him?
"Oh what usually happens to our kind in this business. There was a disagreement, some words were exchanged and before you know it, some people get hurt while others aren't so lucky."
"I see. So I take it we're heading to him right now?"
"Yes. He's a little paranoid about going to hospitals especially with the attempt on his life and all."
"Hey, doesn't he already have a doctor?"
"He did, but unfortunately his over indulgence of the spirits made his skills useless and he was sent away a long time ago."
"Oh "
The rest of the trip is mostly in silence. Hans asks a few superficial things about you which you give quick answer to, but your mind is focused more on what you're going to encounter when you get to Edmond. How bad is he going to be? What happens if you can't help him? By the gods you could use a drink right now.
You then think to yourself. "Maybe this is why his old doctor was a drunk."
Eventually you arrive at the Troll's Breath Tavern. When you enter the place it's completely empty save for a few rough looking sorts who look like they're focused on cleaning up the place. You notice broken glass and a few blood spots here and there.
"Is that the doc?" one of them asks Hans.
"Yeah, is Ed still in his office?"
"Yeah, and his pet lizard is guarding him like a fucking dragon. Ed's not letting anyone in there except the doctor."
"Hm, well I guess you better get in there then. Don't worry. You're probably safer than the rest of us right now."
You don't share that sentiment, but you have little choice in the matter. You head to Edmond's office and knock on the door.
"Who the fuck is it? That better be the doc!"
"Yeah, it's me. I'm coming in."
You cautiously enter and see a great deal of blood on the floor. Edmond is clutching on to his left side and his Sotakan assassin is standing close by staring directly at you. A bottle whiskey is also nearby probably being used to dull his pain and as a disinfectant.
"Well, don't just stand there, I gotta fucking hole in my side!"
You quickly inspect the wound and see that Edmond's been shot most likely by a blunderbuss and he's still got fragments of the shot in his body.
"Okay, keep the pressure on it like you've been doing. I can fix this, but I need to act fast and I'm gonna need some stuff from the hospital." You say.
"What?! You mean those idiots didn't have you pick up any supplies?"
"No, they told me to just get into the carriage."
"Fucking morons. It's like they want me to die! Okay look, we got access to some hospital supplies in a warehouse much closer than the hospital. Just tell Reg outside what you need and he'll get them for you. Go, go."
You leave the office and ask for Reg, who comes up immediately.
"What's up? Will he live?"
"Yeah, but I'll need some medical supplies. He said you can get them from one of your warehouses. Now I need "
Before you can finish Hans interjects.
"Reg, you realize we sold most of those supplies to that bodylegger a few weeks ago? We don't have much left."
"We don't? Well what do we have left?" Reg asks.
"I dunno, I don't have the supply list in front of me now do I? But what if you get there and find that what the doc asked for isn't there? We've wasted valuable time fucking around while the boss bleeds to death! Look why don't we just take the doctor back to the hospital, I'm sure we can get everything there right?"
"Well yeah, but Edmond said "
"I'm sure Edmond won't mind if disobey his orders if it's going to save his life."
Well this certainly stressful. If the warehouse is lacking supplies, you might not be able to help Edmond. If you go back to the hospital you might take too much time since it's not just the trip back and forth but it's the sneaking around stealing medical supplies.