{"id":741,"date":"2023-09-20T12:35:59","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T10:35:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/slickhaven.com\/?p=741"},"modified":"2025-10-17T09:24:37","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T07:24:37","slug":"story-11-the-doctor-on-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/slickhaven.com\/en\/story-11-the-doctor-on-call\/","title":{"rendered":"Story part 11 – The Doctor on Call"},"content":{"rendered":"

Botany was just a stone\u2019s throw away from medicine. Quite so, one could say that the modern medical practice was heavily influenced by its older sister. Did a blacksmith accidentally lean on the stove? That\u2019s aloe vera treatment for him. Did a boy eat something when he was specifically told not to, and now a demon was raging inside his belly? Some chamomile for his stomach ache. Was a mother lamenting to no end over her clumsy husband and disobedient son? Only tranquility could help, preferably in liquid form, therefore a lemon balm infusion. Indeed, plants could soothe many pains, if one knew their properties of course.<\/span><\/p>\n

No wonder that today\u2019s rounds were carried out by both a doctor and a botanist.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not saying that you haven\u2019t experienced what you\u2019re describing,\u201d Cooper said as they left the blacksmith\u2019s house. \u201cI\u2019m just saying that it\u2019s medically improbable if you, as you claim, haven’t ingested any suspicious substances beforehand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Benjamin shook his head.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, in that particular field of study I\u2019m keeping to theory. Nevertheless, I still don\u2019t have a good explanation. I wasn\u2019t daydreaming, I don\u2019t think I was hallucinating either, and I heard everything as clearly as I hear you right now. The experience was too complex, too rich in detail for me to have thought it up myself. I learned completely new information. How would those stories about this forgotten custom of visiting the woods just appear in my head?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHmm. As you may remember, when I\u2019m off duty, I happen to be a great fancier of the arts. Theater, masks, playing the part. Perhaps you have become an unwitting hero in someone\u2019s comedy? Maybe someone was at that deceased man\u2019s hut, having fun at your expense, but managed to flee when you entered the stage yourself?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know. Maybe. Then again, why would anyone go through all this trouble? Why would it come to me, of all people?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Cooper mused, but had no prescription for Benjamin\u2019s worries at the time.<\/span><\/p>\n

A week had passed since the fateful expedition which was supposed to be an ambitious step forward in Benjamin\u2019s research, yet turned out to be a most unsettling experience, to say the least. \u2018The harvest is near\u2019 the message claimed. It didn\u2019t make the slightest sense, because even in a place as bizarre as Slickhaven, no harvesting was being done in such late autumn. He discussed it with Salina just yesterday, as it turned out they both believed in the same dinner time, but she only said that the farm was on the edge of the forest and that the Thornwood had its own rules. She mentioned the wildman tribes living there, but that led to more unanswered questions.<\/span><\/p>\n

That was why he agreed to help Cooper with the house calls. A change of scenery could often bring a fresh perspective, and as much as he adored his still-imperfect lab, he had spent the last few days at the desk compiling his first research report for the Association. He elected that a walk would do him good, and since the company of the local physician allowed him to legally enter people\u2019s houses and spy on what they were growing, he couldn\u2019t pass up such an opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMrs. Maria, but I told you,\u201d Cooper said kindly to the middle-aged widow. \u201cSuch corns go away, but firstly you have to apply ointment every day, and secondly you have to take a break. And I saw more chopped wood in the yard than last time. I don\u2019t suppose you\u2019re going to tell me that it all chopped itself?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, it\u2019s because what you gave me was so stinky, doctor, I didn\u2019t like it,\u201d the woman frowned, reluctantly showing her swollen hand. \u201cI\u2019m still young, don\u2019t you dare think otherwise, and winter is coming, so I have chores to do. I could have chopped even more wood if I wanted, but it wouldn’t be right. But I could!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFine, fine, then how about I\u2019ll give you a different ointment. A better one. Benjamin, could you come over?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHm? What?\u201d Benjamin turned around, quickly hiding behind his back a cutter and a stalk of a certain slender cottongrass, which was found in cold climates and, what was becoming a rule recently, also in Slickhaven, Fortunately, the plant standing on the mantelpiece was developed enough that one stem given or taken away made no difference.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cooper threw him a meaningful look, waved a rolled-up bandage, and Benjamin immediately sprang into action. After a few visits, they had it pretty well rehearsed: while the doctor was cutting or applying bandages, Benjamin was making sure the patients were kept busy. Well, such were the challenges of medicine. At least plants never tried to be clever during their procedures.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t it be right to chop more, Mrs. Maria?\u201d he asked, diverting the woman\u2019s attention. \u201cYou have a grand forest here, after all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt wouldn\u2019t, because if I had, the forest spirits would take offense at me. And my grandmother, may she rest in peace, always told me to live in harmony with them. I remember her going to the forest every harvest festival, while I waited in the hallway for her to return. When she came back, I would ask her if the spirits were content. When she said they were, we always had a celebration.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Benjamin froze. The host from beyond the walls, whose existence he couldn\u2019t yet prove, also spoke highly of the Thornwood and the old days. However, he didn\u2019t say a word about any forest spirits, so the woman was either getting cranky in her age, or something was indeed up.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Botany was just a stone\u2019s throw away from medicine. Quite so, one could say that the modern medical practice was heavily influenced by its older sister. Did a blacksmith accidentally lean on the stove? That\u2019s aloe vera treatment for him. Did a boy eat something when he was specifically told not to, and now a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":690,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[164],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-741","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-story"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nStory part 11 - The Doctor on Call - Slickhaven<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/slickhaven.com\/en\/story-11-the-doctor-on-call\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Story part 11 - The Doctor on Call - Slickhaven\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Botany was just a stone\u2019s throw away from medicine. 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