##Puzzling Illness

Iatro washed his hands in the sink as he prepared for the challenge. His assistant told him that this would be his most challenging patient yet. Locking eyes with her, he acquired her respect. The beast flapped its wings and raised a right paw. He grabbed a clipboard and began.

"So when did you start having problems?" Iatro asked.

"When the moon was full, I was happy. When the moon was gone, I was sad. My emotions changed with the night," the Sphinx responded.

"You've given me a two week period. Can you be more specific?"

"Flies danced in the night air, but I couldn't dance. A few days later, the humans celebrated, but I couldn't join them." Iatro wrote on his paper a random date.

"So it looks like you've been in pain for about three weeks. Why did you choose to see me now?"

"I come with the rising of the sun. My smell disturbs all. What am I? Iatro paused for several moments.

"You're vomit. So you're throwing up in the mornings, are you pregnant?" he asked. The Sphinx blinked at him in return. It struggled to think of a response in a riddle form. If it wasn't talking in riddles, it was truly ill.

"My body doesn't have the ability to care for what once was. Joy had been a part of my life in the past but not now."

"Okay, not pregnant and post-menopause." Iatro wrote down the response. "Do you feel pain anywhere?"

"What do humans have two of, but I have four. What is something that is not right, but is not wrong? A person cannot go backwards, but this does."

"Okay, so you feel pain in your back left paw. Let me see?" Iatro moved to the back. Her paw was slightly red and swollen. He tapped it gently. "Does it hurt when I do that?"

"What do enthused bride-to-be's say?"

"So you had pain in your back left foot, originally wrote it off. Now, it spread to your stomach." Iatro moved around the fur and found a small gash with green coloring. "It looks like you got a cut, and now, it's infected."

Iatro walked to the cabinet and wrote a script. "You should've come in earlier. Take this script to the mage of your choice. Come back in two weeks. If this doesn't work, we may have to amputate it."

"What do children feel when left alone in the dark," the Sphinx said.

"I don't want to do it either, but it's the best we got." He handed the piece of paper to the Sphinx who grabbed it and walked out.

He held still for several moments until he got a call from reception.

"Uh, when do you want to see the Sphinx again?" the woman asked.

"Two weeks."

"Oh, that makes sense. She kept telling riddles referencing a battle royale game. Should've thought of that. Thanks."

"No problem." He hung up and moved onto his next patient, a hydra who couldn't grow back its heads. His life was hard, but it provided value to the world.

r/AstroRideWrites

Healer Arlia, the renowned veterinarian for mythological creatures, was in her clinic when she heard a loud commotion outside. She went to the door to investigate and saw a group of villagers dragging a large, wounded minotaur into her clinic.

The minotaur had been attacked by a group of hunters, and its horn had been broken in the process. Arlia immediately went to work, examining the minotaur and trying to assess the extent of its injuries.

The minotaur groaned in pain as Arlia gently touched its broken horn. "Don't worry, I'll fix you up in no time," she reassured the minotaur.

"How bad is it?" asked one of the villagers who had brought the minotaur to her clinic.

"Well, the horn is broken, and there are some cuts and bruises. But with some rest and medication, the minotaur should make a full recovery," replied the healer.

"Thank you, thank you so much," said the minotaur weakly, his voice raspy. "I can't thank you enough."

The healer smiled at the minotaur. "It's all part of the job," she said. "I just want to help you feel better."

Over the next few days, Arlia tended to the minotaur, giving it medication for the pain and infection. She also helped to repair the broken horn, using a special adhesive made from a rare plant found only in the nearby forest.

As the days passed, the minotaur's strength slowly returned. "You're looking much better," complimented Arlia, as she examined the minotaur one final time. "Your horn has healed nicely, and your cuts are all gone."

"I feel much better, doc. Thank you so much," said the minotaur, as it rose to its feet.I

"It is my job after all," Arlia said with a soft laugh. "Helping creatures like yourself."

The minotaur paused, narrowing his eyes. "Do you only help creatures? Or can you help humans too? he asked.

"Just creatures. The world has enough people helping humans."

"Good." The minotaur nodded with determined satisfaction. "I feel better knowing I can break the hunters without you fixing them."

[removed]

Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.

Reminders:

>* No AI-generated reponses 🤖 >* Stories 100 words+. Poems 30+ but include "[Poem]" >* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail >* [RF] and [SP] for stricter titles >* Be civil in any feedback and follow the rules

🆕 New Here? ✏ Writing Help? 📢 News 💬 Discord

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[removed]