fandomhigh | Library, Sunday 08/28

Library, Sunday 08/28

Raven was concerned and confused as she opened up the library for the day. While new students had arrived yesterday, her own roommate had gone missing. She knew sometimes people had to return home unexpectedly, so she hoped for whatever reason she had to leave Fandom, Ariel was safe and happy.

Joni seemed to sense her mood and sprawled on the front desk in front of her, offering a belly to be rubbed. Because belly scritches were good for any ailment.

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She'll be happy to help with any of your library needs.

"Excuse me," asked Ryan, glancing around as she approached the girl at the front desk. "Does the library have any medical textbooks I could take a look at?"

"Certainly," Raven said, rising to her feet. "If you will just follow me, I can show you."

She began to head in the direction of the stacks. "Are you looking for basic textbooks, or more advanced?"

"Actually, I'm hoping to find something pretty specific," said Ryan. "I wanted to find some more information about something called Chagas disease."

"I have never heard of that ailment," Raven said, leading Ryan to the medical sciences section. "But the library is very extensive. And if we cannot find you something here, perhaps there may be something in the special collections. But you will require a teacher's permission to enter there."

"Hopefully that won't be necessary," said Ryan with a slight grimace. Asking a teacher for permission might lead to questions she did not want to answer about her own health.

"Chagas is a tropical disease spread by parasites. I've heard that Charles Darwin might have suffered from it but never understood what it was," she went on, hoping that gave her enough of an excuse for her interest in an obscure disease.

"Are you studying to be a doctor?" Raven asked, glancing over her shoulder to give Ryan a curious look at the twinge of emotion she picked up on.

"My friend Dana is also very knowledgeable about medical matters. She works at the clinic as well. I do not know if she knows anything about this Changas disease, but she may be able to help you."

"Maybe. I hadn't really thought about it before, but I like helping people," said Ryan. The only hitch in that plan would if her health did not get worse before she finished medical school.

"I think I know who Dana is. She was in one of my workshops," added Ryan. "I've met some other people at the clinic when I helped out there. But I don't want to bother them just because I'm curious about something."

"I have also helped out there from time to time," Raven said. She stopped at one shelf and started scanning it for any books specific to diseases. "Though I am not well acquainted with modern medicine other than first aid. I use my own gifts to heal."

[Let me know if you are good with Raven picking up on her disease. I don't want her to be all YOUR DISEASE GIVE IT TO ME if you don't want to deal with that. :) ]

"I've seen a lot of doctors trying to work without modern medicine in remote areas of the world, and they can still do a lot of good without it. Still, it can't hurt to have some help," said Ryan. "One day, I hope I can do the same."

Raven bent down to inspect a shelf, then straightened again. "This shelf contains our books about diseases," she said. "Hopefully you will find what you are looking for here."

She didn't as a rule automatically use her gifts on someone, particularly someone she did not know well, without good reason, but the emotions she had sensed earlier made her curious. And she didn't like what she found. "You are ill," she said softly.

Ryan had bent down to look at the shelf, but she quickly straightened up. "Is it really obvious?" she asked, startled.

Raven shook her head. "No," she said. "I am sorry -- I am an empath, and I am able to feel emotions and pain. I felt your displeasure at the thought of asking a teacher to enter Special Collections, and I can feel that you are not well."

"I didn't want to tell anyone because I don't want to be known as 'that sick girl," said Ryan. "But yes, I'm not exactly well. I was diagnosed with Chagas disease just before my parents decided to enroll me in Fandom. I'm pretty much okay, though. It doesn't seem to be affecting me that much."

Except for the stomachache that wouldn't go away, which Ryan desperately hoped was not related to Chagas disease.

Raven was almost afraid to offer, because she didn't want another blow to her pride, and she didn't want to give Ryan false hope, but she had to. "I am able to sometimes draw pain and illness into myself and heal another," she said. "It...does not always work. But should you wish it, I could try with your disease."

"Thank you, but I don't think it will be necessary," said Ryan. "I should be fine. Besides, it's a parasite that's making me sick, and I wouldn't want you to draw it into yourself to make me better."

A parasite? Raven wondered if that counted as taking evil into herself per Karla's rules.

"I understand," she said. Well, sort of. "But should you change your mind, I would be happy to attempt to help you." And realizing she hadn't introduced herself at all, she added, "I am Raven."

"Good to meet you, Raven. I'm Ryan. Yeah, I know it's a weird name for a girl," she added quickly. "I think my dad was hoping I would be a boy."

"It is very nice to meet you as well, Ryan," Raven said with a warm smile. "I hope you are able to find what you are looking for in these books, but if there is anything else I can help you with, please let me know."

As you do.

If she's in today.

So the world doesn't end.

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