"Do-..... Doctor!" A young girl around the age of 8-10 called out.
"Yes?" The 'Doctor' answered in a monotone apathetic voice.
He wore no white attire nor carried any equipment, but a broken silver armor that covered his body from head to toe, his face hidden beneath the helmet.
"Bikerly at your service!" She made a cute pose while introducing herself, then answered in an earnest tone, "I wanted to repay your kindness. As no elderly person can assist you in due time, I will; after all, a Doctor needs his nurse."
"I am no doctor." With that, the 'Doctor' walked away, not bothering himself with the child anymore.
Crunch Crunch
Snow crunched beneath his metallic boots as he walked the town's main street.
On the sides of the main Street, people lay around, a few injured but getting treated with medicines and bandages - a rare commodity to them.
Soldiers with bandages sang while holding each other's backs. Happy to be alive and well.
"Doctor! Thank you for treating us, we are forever grateful to you!" They expressed their gratitude while deeply bowing, their heads kissing the gravel.
The 'Doctor' ignored them and continued on his way.
"O Goddess, Doctor! You here?! Here, have a pie, it's expensive, but you can have it for free, always. You cured my daughter of what others called incurable, you have my eternal gratitude!" A father who ran a sweet shop offered his gratitude.
The 'Doctor' ignored him as well.
"Ah, I guess he is in a hurry." The father muttered while awkwardly scratching his cheeks. What would he do with the pie now...
"Doctor, Good morning! The medicine you recommended worked wonders!" The elderly greeted with warm smiles.
"Look! Look! It's the Doctor! Wow" Children looked at him with admiration.
"Doctor! Good ev- I mean Good afternoon...um M-Morning!" A lady fumbled over her words upon seeing him, her face blushing red.
"A-Ah, sorry..uh, See you later Doctor!" She ran away.
"W-Wait! Doctor! Don't walk so fast!" Beverly shouted from behind, running her little legs faster to match his pace.
"Atleast nod! It's awkward if you ignore them." She lectured him.
...she is pretty mature for a kid.
He huffed her chest and continued,
"And what do you mean by not being a doctor? You helped us when we were one step away from grave. You nursed us back into what we are today. You gave us food at cheap price, haggled those scheming merchants, your medical knowledge is unparalleled; even the incurable was cured in your hands!"
"If you are not a doctor, then you must be an angel sent by Goddess Augustus!" She exclaimed.
The 'Doctor' finally stopped and paid her attention.
"You won't want to meet an angel in person" He said in that same monotone voice, but it felt deeper than before. Like a history was involved.
"?" The girl showed a confused expression.
"Why do you follow me?" He asked, changing the subject.
She again huffed her chest and stood straighter.
"I can assist you." She continued,
"I don't fear blood, I can help you with tedious tasks, I can even do errands making it easier for you."
"..." He was not convinced.
"..I-I want to be...a Doctor! Ye, A doctor like you." She made an excuse when she got no reply.
"What's the actual reason."
"..You looked tired, even when you just came here. I thought I could help you rest.....I wanted to be of help." She finally answered in a low voice, maybe embarrassed for letting out her true thoughts. If she were a puppy her ears would have been droopingooping.
The 'Doctor' shook his head,
"Beverly, I can never rest."
"...why"
"Because the world doesn't stop when I rest."
'Doctor' answered and started walking down the path, this time at a slower pace.
Matching his pace, she walked beside him. From afar, they looked like a pair of father and daughter.
"You know, Mom said that Ms. Clea likes you. I think so too, she is so upright and strict with others, but somehow manages to fumble around you every time. You could almost see the stars in her eyes." She said with a devious smile.
"..." 'Doctor' didn't respond or react.
"You know, you could settle down with her. Everyone loves you and with your skills you can make a killing out here." Beverly continued, trying to be a cupid for her teacher.
"She is beautiful, kind but strict, has a good reputation, lives alone, gives too much homework...and makes you run around the courtyard." Her face grew bitter at the end, going off track.
"Uhh... forget it!"
As they 'talked', they reached the town's central plaza. It was full, with almost half the townspeople present to get their morning rations.
"Line up! We got food for all! 2 rations per person!" The guard ordered.
'Doctor' and Beverly made their way through the crowd.
Few noticed them and greeted them,
"Ah, Doctor!"
"Good morning, Beverly dear~"
"Thank you doctor!"
"Step aside, make way for doctor!"
They reached the fountain at the centre of the plaza, and the doctor seemed to be waiting.
Beverly also noticed it and asked, "Doctor are we expecting someone?"
'Doctor' didn't answer this question but indeed muttered,
"Beverly, I am not a doctor." He said in his signature monotonous voice.
Cough! Cough!
A few elderly people started coughing violently, their eyes turning bloodshot.
Soon the younger ones joined in.
Beverly panicked at this sight. She didn't know why but the 'Doctor' in his silver armor looked cold as the steel he wore.
"I am not an angel sent by Augustus."
She tried to speak, but her voice wouldn't come out. Her vision felt blurry, distorted. Blood seeped out of her orifices.
"I am neither a saviour nor a demon."
Her body went limp, brain felt fuzzy. Unbearable agony twisted through her chest. She felt like she was getting mutilated from the inside.
This happened to all, regardless of age. From infants to elderly.
"Ahhh-"
"Help m-.....it hurts"
"END THIS! AHHH"
Within few minutes, everyone fell silent. Few went out silently like Beverly, few resisted and screemed out even when their vocal cord should have been burned painlessly.
Their bodies melted from the inside, spewing out filthy flesh soup and foul smell.
'Doctor' walked around the carnage of the now silent town, where no soul speaks.
He kept writing on his notepad and recording how they died.
"XFD-234F, named - Zeous, voilent reaction, genetic mutations - none, cu...Time survived- 2:32 minutes."
"XFD-543F, named-Beverly, silent reaction, mutation at heart, unsuitable....Time survived- 0:52 minutes."
"XFD-053F, named-Cela, No reaction, carrier gene mutation, no physical changes, suitable.....Time survived- 10:53 minutes(highest)."
He muttered this, recording all those who showed intresting reactions.
After few hours he stopped and looked up, putting his notepad down.
The sky perviously dark saw dawn, scorching heat spread through out the town, melting the snow.
"Ah, Augustus found us." He muttered, not carring for the silver armor melting into his flesh.
"This agenis cycle was once again a failure, the next run is yet unprepared."
A sun descended from the sky.
The 'Doctor' simply stood still, letting himself be burned to cinders. He given up trying.
"Ah" He exclaimed, as if remembering something.
"It's time to wake up, you cannot rest. We cannot rest." He said to 'Himself'.
"Enough of this game, Swee'cher'lar."
With those words, the nightmares collapsed. The Somviore shattered into million shards. Dragging the dreamer into depths of his soul.