The Other Side: A Second Chance

"So, no magic?" Dr. Kegan said as he stroked the stubble on his chin.

I glanced at Isa, and we both nodded as Varis pulled himself up onto a cot behind me. I looked at Dr. Kegan. "Yes. I hope you can understand why, like I said, my parents don't want to draw too much attention."

The doctor nodded his head slowly but sighed. "I do, though; the hope was to mutually benefit from it…" He hummed.

"We have other talents," Isa added with a small smile. "During our travels, I've done my best to teach Luna about the basic herbs and treatments. I myself know my fair share, as you're aware."

The doctor nodded. "Oh, I am very aware," he said, smiling at us. "Don't worry, my offer still stands. I'm willing to bring you both on; more hands will still go a long way."

I pouted a little and nodded as well. Goddammit, I understand Mother and Father's reasoning, but still. I just wish I didn't have to worry about what people think.

"Thank you," Isa said as she bowed her head.

After a few seconds, she grabbed the back of my head and pushed me forward, and I yelped. "Thank you!" I said it as well, with a deep blush.

"What about me?" Varis said from the cot as he kicked his legs. We turned to look at him, and he smiled. "Do I get to work here too?"

Kegan raised an eyebrow and adjusted his glasses. "Hmm, depends. What are you good at?" The doctor asked.

Varis hesitated and thought for a second. "Uh, I'm strong, smart, and, uh, Momma says I'm funny."

"Funny, eh?" Kegan crossed his arms.

Varis stopped swinging his legs and locked eyes with the good doctor. "Is that bad?"

Kegan pursed his lips in thought before shaking his head. "No. It is not." He smiled. "But, I do need someone strong." He turned and pointed to the back of the tent, where he had piles of crates and supplies stacked. "I could use an extra hand sorting through my inventory."

"Uh, I can do that!" Varis said with a big grin.

"Excellent, then you're hired." The doctor chuckled.

Something tells me he just came up with that job on the spot… I thought to myself.

Varis smiled and pumped his fist. "Hecky yeah! I can't wait to tell Papa." He giggled and beamed.

Smiling myself, I nodded and turned to Kegan and asked, "So when do we start?"

"Well, right now." The doctor said it with a big grin. "I'll give you all the tour and a guide on how to do everything I'll need you to do."

---

My legs and arms burned with fury as I hoisted the crate off the ground and onto the rest of the pile beside me. I wheezed and whined as I stumbled back and hunched forward, my little hands gripping my knees as Varis came up behind me with a similar box in hand, which he carried effortlessly over to the pile. With a small grunt, he hoisted up onto the rest of them and turned to me with a curious look.

"Are you alright, sister?" He asked.

"Like heck, I am…" I gulped the air and sighed as I straightened my back, my knees popping as I did so. "Those were so heavy…" I whined. "I thought we were going to be doing doctor's work…"

Isa, who stood nearby at the desk, snorted and shook her head. "Oh, you're not going to be doing that on day one," Isa said, looking over her shoulder. "Dr. Kegan needs to tutor you on how to be a nurse. Today we're just helping him organize this clinic."

"Bwah, I hate organizing!" I complained as I threw my arms into the air, and Varis nodded.

"Yeah, me too!" He crossed his arms. "This is boring!"

"This is work," Isa said cheekily as she wiggled a pen at us. "Remember what your father said, Varis; you have to listen to what Dr. Kegan says, and he said we need to clean up."

"Absurd!" I pointed my finger at the air. "This goes against the verbal contract; you were there as a witness!" I exclaimed with a smirk. "He wanted me to help him on the floor, not do all the grunt work." I crossed my arms and turned my nose up into the air.

Isa snorted and giggled as she shuffled the papers on the desk and asked, "So what are you going to do about it?"

I smiled brightly and snapped my finger. "We unionize!"

"Yeah! Yeah!" Varis pumped his fist in the air dramatically before stopping. "Uh, Luna, what's an onion?"

"A union!" I corrected him. "It's when all the workers team up against the employer!"

"Where did you learn this?" Isa asked, genuinely confused.

"One of momma's books!" I lied.

Isa pursed her lips in thought, turned away from the desk, and placed a hand on her hip. "Oh, really?" She smirked, and I could tell she was skeptical. "Which one? I read much of your mother's books too, y'know?"

I gulped. "Uh, the…" Without a second thought, I bullshitted, "The…" But I couldn't think of the best translation, "Universal Declaration!"

I was going for the Communist Manifesto, yet that worked. I think.

Isa's lips parted, and her eyebrows arched. "I don't recall ever seeing such a—"

Suddenly, the main flap of the tent opened, and Dr. Kegan walked in carrying two large bags. "Apologies, I ran into some traffic. How are things forming here?"

"We're forming an onion!" Varis proclaimed. "And we're uniting against your tyranny!"

Isa locked up and I could see her gears turning. Her eyes skipped over to Varis, and after a moment, she snorted and began laughing. Unable to control myself, I also fell into a fit of giggles.

"Y-You're forming… an onion?" Kegan blinked confusedly. "Wh-what?"

"A union—he meant a union," Isa said between breaths, then sighed. "The children are unhappy that things are such a mess back here." She smiled.

"It's awful!" Varis proclaimed. "Look at what you did to my noodly sister. She's mush!"

I blinked. "Wh-what?! I'm not noodly!" I waved my arms at him, and on second thought, fuck, my arms are noodles!

"See! She's also sweating too; girls never sweat!" Varis pointed at me, and I stopped and looked at myself and blushed.

Kegan chuckled as he placed the paper bags down and said, "I know. I'm sorry for not getting around to cleaning this myself sooner. But, as said, I'm back from my errands and am here to help. However, before that," He reached into the bag, pulled out a handful of small boxes, and placed them on the desk in front of Isa. "I've brought lunch for you all." He smiled. "Hopefully this is good enough to stop this strike."

---

"I was being pulled up by this big claw while Papa and some soldiers were trying to pull me down! It was super scary!" Varis recounted the tale of the prison assault as we sat around the small desk, enjoying the lunches that Dr. Kegan had bought for us. It was a collection of street-side sandwiches; the bread was black and rich, with veggies galore, and a ton of mayo slathered over the meat within, which I honestly couldn't tell you what that meat was, but it was delicious.

"Oh my," Kegan said with wide eyes after having swallowed his food. "What happened next?" He asked.

"Luna came in for the rescue!" He exclaimed. "She did some crazy magic stuff, broke the glass, and sliced the giant claw! I fell super far and hurt really bad, but I made it!" He beamed.

The doctor smiled and looked at me. "Did you really?"

I nodded, and so did Isa. "Yep, it was really intense." I laughed nervously; the memories were still fresh. Taking note of my feelings, Isa reached over and tussled my hair.

"Why don't we talk about something more pleasant?" Isa suggested. "Like, for instance, hm, how are you enjoying the city?" She asked everyone.

"I think it's really cool here!" Varis exclaimed as he practically bounced in his seat. "I've never seen so many people in one place? And look at all the moving pictures; it's totally different from home!"

Kegan chuckled and nodded. "The city is quite lively; I've lived and worked here much of my life, so I've grown accustomed to how things are. I like it, though personally, I've grown to like the quiet life like where you all are from."

"Same," I said and smiled. "The city is nice to explore, but it's too crowded. I wouldn't want to live here."

"Yeah!" Varis nodded in agreement.

Isa chuckled. "Oh? You seemed to love it here just a moment ago," I said to him.

Varis smiled. "Well, if Luna doesn't want to stay here, then I don't." He wrapped an arm around me, and I yelped as he pulled me into a side hug. "I'd rather stick around her."

I blushed faintly and said, "Thanks, Varis. That's nice of you to say."

Both the adults chuckled, and Kegan dabbed his lips with a napkin before looking at Isa. "What about you, Madam Soza?"

Isa smiled at the doctor and said, "Please, you can call me Isa. And well…" She sighed.

"Your keen ears must be having such a horrible time here," the Kegan said, and he smirked when Isa nodded. With a sigh of his own, he straightened his back and said, "I assumed as much. I've been quite familiar with Serelli; your kind is truly wonderful; however, I could not fathom how you could tolerate being in such a place as Johanneson."

"Oh, believe me, Doctor," Isa said with a groan as she rubbed her fuzzy red ears. "This place is torture."

Kegan leaned forward with his elbows on the table and fingers laced. "Would you like some plugs?" He asked her.

"Excuse me?" Isa blinked, confused.

"Plugs." He pointed to his ears with one hand. "To dampen the noise, I met a gnome tinkerer along the road before the war broke out. The little lad was an interesting fellow. He had an automobile that he was supposedly driving across all of Eurion to win a bet, but that's a story for another time. Anyways the vehicle's engine was so loud, and while I was checking up on him, I just had to ask, 'Good, sir, your vehicle is obnoxiously noisy; how is it that your hearing is as good as it is?.'" Kegan got up from the table and walked over to where he held his briefcase along the outer wall of the tent nearest to the desk.

He got down and opened it, and after a few moments, he pulled out a small cloth bag and came back over to us. "He then gave me these earplugs, is what he called them. They're these small, squishy little objects." He dumped the bag out, and in his hand, six foam-like stubs fell into his palms. "They sit comfortably in your ears and dampen much of the noise outside. It's quite impressive, honestly. I started using them when I go to sleep, and it just knocks me right out." He chuckled. "Gnomes, I say." He held up one stub and squished it repeatedly, over and over. "They're always coming up with the most ingenious things." He chuckled as he sat back down and handed them over to Isa.

I watched with wide eyes. Foam earplugs? At least, from where I'm sitting, they look like foam. That is impressive. I thought with a smile as Isa examined the little objects and then tested them by putting them up to her big, fluffy ears.

She slid each one in and blinked for a moment. "Oh, it is much quieter…" She looked around. "The city sounds are muffled, they fit awkwardly, and they are a bit small, I think… but they kind of work."

Kegan nodded. "I was afraid they'd be small." He perked up and smiled. "Say, why don't I go out into town later and look around? Perhaps I can get you a fitting pair."

Isa blinked and shook her head before removing the buds. "Oh, you don't need to do that, Doctor."

"Oh, it's fine. I'd prefer my employees to be comfortable, and besides, speaking from a doctor's perspective, I'd rather not have you lose your hearing." He chuckled.

Isa blushed faintly. "Th-thanks." She nodded.

The doctor chuckled happily, and at the front of the tent, the flap opened. "Excuse me," a young voice called towards us.

The doctor perked up and turned as well, looking towards the entrance at a young blonde-haired boy, probably nine or ten years old, wearing a black suit with a clerical collar. In his hands, he held a briefcase. "Is this the Trentonville Clinic?" The kid asked in a rather calm and professional tone as he reached up to adjust his wire-framed glasses.

"Aye, it is." Kegan said as he stood up with a confused expression. "And you are?"

"My name is Paul Hensler." The boy bowed before straightening up and fixing his glasses again. "My father sent me here to search for a man by the name of Dr. Nigel Kegan."

"You're speaking to him," Kegan said, glancing back at us with an expression that read, Who the fuck is this kid?

Paul seemed to lighten up a bit and smile pleasantly. "Excellent. I came to you in search of aid. My father has fallen gravely ill and is bedridden. Many of the other clinics across Johanneson exceed what we're able to afford; however, rumor has it that you offer excellent services for a much more affordable price," he explained elegantly.

"I see, well…" Kegan cleared his throat. "In a job like this, there isn't really much time for breaks and such. Where is your father now, son, as in, where can I find him?"

Paul nodded. "Not far from here, we're currently staying here within Trentonville. I can take you to him as soon as you're ready."

Kegan nodded, grabbed his coat, and turned to us. "Varis, Isa, once you're finished with your lunch, please make sure the clinic is cleaned. If anyone stops by, take down their names and conditions, but let them know I'll be away for a bit. Luna," He faced me directly. "I want you to come with me."

I blinked. "Oh?"

He nodded. "It'll be a great learning experience." He smiled.

With excitement bubbling up, I nodded and hopped out of my chair. "Alright, sir, lead the way!"

"Stay safe, you two," Isa said. "Luna, if anything happens, you make your way back here immediately!"

"I will!" I said.

"And listen to Kegan."

"Okay Mom!" I said jokingly as I stuck my tongue out at Isa, who snorted and rolled her eyes.

Stopping by the front entrance, I looked at the boy, Paul, who was much taller than me and Varis. Judging by his looks up close, he had beautiful blue eyes and lightly tanned skin riddled with freckles. As mentioned, he was probably ten years old, putting him about three years older than me and a year older than Varis.

"Hello," I said softly, as my shyness immediately began to creep in. "I-I'm Luna."

Paul looked at me and smiled as his eyes scanned me up and down. His grip visibly tightened around his briefcase. "Hello, Luna. I'm Paul." He held out one hand for me to shake.

I nervously reached out and took his hand in mine, and I immediately felt even tinier compared to him as his hand practically enveloped mine as he gently shook it. I couldn't help but pick up on the scent, of pinecones. The boy smelled like pinecones.

"Is something wrong?" Paul asked as his hand released mine, and I noticed again that his other hand gripped his briefcase even tighter.

I shook my head. "N-no. I just think you smell nice…" I said I felt on the spot.

Paul's expression shifted as his eyebrow arched, and for a brief moment, his professionalism broke as he blushed and stepped away. "Oh, uh, thank you! My-my mom… pi-picked it out."

"Alright, you two, I'm ready." Kegan came over to us. "Master Hensel, please lead the way."

Taking this opportunity to escape, Paul straightened up, cleared his throat, and nodded. "Please follow me," he said as he stepped out of the tent.

Taking a deep breath, I smiled and followed behind him, the good doctor.