"Get a grip on yourself." The doctor muttered as he laid hunched over the work table, supported by his arms, which were shaking hard enough to cause glass vials on the table's surface to clink against each other.
The world wouldn't stop spinning, he closed his eyes tightly to make it stop,but he still felt the dizzying revolutions in his mind. "Deep breath..." He inhaled, filling his lungs as much as they were able to carry and slowly let the breath escape again. The man's eyes opened half way, peering down at the tipped over bottle and the few droplets that had spilled, catching his own reflection in the silvery hue of the thick drop.
"Pathetic." He spat out, meeting the glaring eyes of the man within the droplet. "What's wrong with you? Why can't you figure it out?" Rage surged through him, the man's arm lashed out to grab the toppled vial and throw it violently at the wall in front of him. "Why!?"
Elias turned his face away, to avoid the rain of glass that cast back from the wall, eyes falling to the man in the drop with a growing scowl.
"You know the symptoms. They are only getting worse. What is wrong with you? Figure it out!" A pain shot up from his stomach as it began to twist again, forcing the doctor from the table and to the bucket he kept close; falling to his knees to hunch over the vessel and upchuck what little content he had managed to get down earlier.
Elias gasped for air, grimacing at the burn in the back of his throat, hot tears rolling down the man's pale face. The doctor winced as he tried to swallow the leftover liquid stuck in his throat, an unpleasant feeling that sent a shudder through the thin, skeletal frame of the man.
His gaze fell to the bucket, studying its contents where the sliver of silver mixed in with the acid and water. "Why isn't it working?" Elias muttered, reaching out for the table to steady himself and pull up and back onto his feet.
Slowly, he stepped away from the work table and into the main room. The doctor dragged a hand down his face, wiping the tears away. He steadied himself, as the world around refused to stay still, causing the man to stagger as he made way for the apothecarium, to take his usual place behind the counter.
A tired stare lingered on the door in front of him. "Why are you waiting? No one is coming in." He muttered to himself, frowning deeply "They've all ruined your name here. Your name means nothing. You are nothing." Elias cut himself off, eyes shutting tightly as he felt them begin to swell with tears.
"Keep it together. You're being pathetic." The doctor hissed, wiping his face quickly and reaching for the quill by his log book. He stopped, staring down at the trembling hand; it had gotten worse.
He had managed to keep it hidden by the use of gloves, keeping his hands tucked behind his back, underneath the table or hidden in the crook of his arms when they were folded over his chest. It was only in his writing that the tremble was seen clearly, but he had given no one permission to read them.
Elias looked through the logs, going back to the past few months, every page seemed to be worse as they neared the present time. The man sighed, turning to an empty page, dipping the point of the quill into the waiting ink-pot.
Log 7: Entry 5
I've returned to the Soothery after spending the past few days within the barbershop. I hoped to find some peace and see the shadows go away, the voices to silence. Having Aeruthuil there has helped, but I've had to hide much from him. To force an appearance makes it easier. He's kept me distracted from my thoughts, but my body continues to worsen. I've had no choice but to return, to look through father's logs and to drink what medicine I can. However, I still don't know what's wrong, anything I drink or eat ends up in the bucket. I've not slept, I've not eaten, I can barely drink. I've tried
I'm dying.
* Find a new place for the cat.
* Speak with the undertaker.
* Make a will. (Maddoct, Aeruthuil, Ruevir, Kithri, Remdir.)
I have nothing to my name. No reputation, no wife, no decent home, no child to continue my family's blood and the work of my fathers. I've failed them. I've failed myself.
I'm sorry
He dropped the quill, reaching out to grab the counter to steady himself, the dizziness returning more violently than before and a growing headache throbbing within his skull. The doctor cursed, pushing away and moving on into the main room, he had to get to bed and rest, or at least try.
As he looked across the room, the study door seemed far away and with every step taken, that door distanced itself further. Stubbornly, the man continued.
The cat meowed, but it reached the man's ears distorted and odd, enough that he paid no mind to it.
The door to the study was pushed open and Elias made his way inside, unaware of the furry creature that tried to run in ahead of him. The cat had woven itself between his feet many times before, but this time he didn't have the balance nor the reaction time needed to prevent his fall.
Elias felt a sudden, sharp pain at the side of his head, his vision blurring and the taste of metal finding his mouth.
He grasped the edge of the work table, gathering what strength he could to pull himself back to his feet, but neither the arms nor legs would obey. "Get up... Get-..." Suddenly there was darkness, his mind shutting and his body falling lifeless against the floor, the bleeding head knocking against the cold, stone floor.
The cat jumped, the fur on it back and tail puffing up as the worktable came crashing down beside the doctor, glass breaking, materials flying all over and liquids pooling over the floor around the fallen man.
Once the calamity stopped, the cat avoided the flood of silver by jumping onto it's master's back, meowing loudly and nudging the back of his head, bumping it and finally nipping at exposed skin, but there was no response.
The cat made its way out of the study, looking around the main room and letting out a loud cry for anyone to hear, but the building was empty. The feline called again, but there was no answer. Even the kitchen was devoid of life that the cat had grown used to, the dwarf was missing.
Finding no one, the animal sat down by the front door, continuing its calls and scratching at the wooden surface. Unaware that the cries did not carry well through the thick walls, the gray tabby continued and waited for the heavy door to open.
