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RESPITE FALLS CLINIC - AFTERNOON
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Erika is walking towards the clinic, a determined expression on the okapi's face. She clearly has a goal, and seems to smile upon reaching said goal. She then turns around to the second part of her goal - whose hand she is currently holding: "I know you know where the clinic is, but you clearly needed some encouragement." She blushes at some idea that pops in her head as she smiles at Cavro: "But you gotta get those scratches on your snout looked at."
Cavro drops his hand away from his snout as she turns to him, blushing, though he can't help but reach back up to rub at the sore spot that had been getting more tender over the last week or so. "I know, I know, I'm I'm I'm sorry, but there's so much to do, I've been falling behind at work!" He blushes a bit brighter, looking up at the reason for that right in front of him, and not regretting it even in the slightest. He looks towards the clinic, sighing.
DocPlume is sitting outside the clinic as is usual for them these days, reading a journal. They look up at Erika and smile. "Ah, afternoon, Erika."
Erika shifts around to step behind Cavro, all but pushing the mildly unwilling badger forward: "Yup, and now you're getting that checked by someone that's not me!" She waves at Plume with her free hand: "Hi Doc! Found you a patient from the depths of the forge."
DocPlume cocks their head as they get up and head to the door of the clinic. "Ah, the local smith? What ails you today, sir?"
Cavro leans back against Erika playfully feigning resistance, though he's barely hiding his grin. "Hello, doctor, glad to to to finally meet you." He steps up onto the porch, turning and swatting jokingly at Erika's pushing hands. "Okay okay, you win!" He turns back to Plume, blushing as he presents a hand in greeting.
Erika steps aside Cavro, grinning: "I'll let him tell you, and then fill in the bits he's gonna try downplay. You know it goes."
DocPlume takes Cavro's hand in theirs and shakes it gently. "Dr. Plume, at your service. I don't believe I know your name, though."
Cavro nods, "My name is Cavro Honeydew, glad to formally meet. I I I haven't been avoiding a a a visit, despite what Erika may say."
Erika winks at her friend: "Just conveniently forgotten to come."
DocPlume opens the door and holds it open for Cavro and Erika. "Please, come in then. Let's get you on the table and see what's wrong..."
Cavro smiles, heading inside and straight for the examination table. "Oh, you've re re redecorated a bit in here, hm?"
Erika follows close behind Cavro, standing aside and not really concealing her satisfied grin at all.
DocPlume nod. "Brought things up to a more modern standard, yes..." They head over to the sink and wash their hands before moving to the table. "What seems to be the problem, then?"
Cavro hops up to sit on the table and leans forward. "Well I've got this habit of of of rubbing my snout when I'm flustered." He glances at Erika, blushing and barely stopping himself from giving them an example. "Uhm, been doing it a a a bit more lately, it's getting sore."
Erika looks up and towards the ceiling at Cavro's look, blushing pretty fiercely.
DocPlume puts on their forehead reflector and switches on the ICEE lamp over the table. They take a probe from the shelf and start prodding at the snout. "Hmm. No infection, at least... just chafing, and some blocked pores from sweat, it looks like."
Cavro holds still for the examination, trying not to breathe right into Plume's face.
Erika looks back down, curious at the examination. She tilts her head for a bit, then pipes up: "He also has that pretty bad scratch-burny-thing on his wrist he thinks I didn't see yet."
DocPlume steps back and moves over to the cabinet to get out a few different pots. They come back and look at Cavro. "Is that so? Show me."
Cavro blushes, glancing at Erika out of the corner of his eye. "It's not that bad!" He turns to Plume, "It's just a slag burn, not not not something new." Despite his protests, he presents his arms. His hands and wrists are mostly clear other than the noted spot of shriveled fur and angry skin. Beyond where his gloves stop, marked by his fur suddenly becoming darker, his forearms are riddled with insignificant burns.
DocPlume nods a bit. "It's not that severe." They let go of the wrist and move back to the pots they set aside earlier. They sprinkle some iodine powder over Cavro's snout before slathering both it and the wrist burn with fresh aloe extract. "So the snout rubbing is a nervous tic?"
Erika nods: "It is. He does it whenever he's... well, nervous I guess."
Cavro flinches at the sudden treatment, trying his best to hold still. "Nervous, frustrated, or or or whenever I blush." He chuckles a bit, though furiously blushing under the medicine. "I I I guess you're both the the cause and solver of my problem~"
Erika predictably blushes at this comment, helping make the case really obvious with her smile.
DocPlume frowns. "Well, I can treat the wounds, but they're going to recur unless you do something to curb the behavior." They look over to Erika. "Fresh aloe extract is the best to speed healing and help dry skin, but once this is healed, a gentler way to keep the sweat off will be needed."
Cavro blinks at Plume, nodding after they finish. "Alright, I I I'll try. Oh, I wear a leather face mask while working, is that going to be a a a problem?"
Erika hums: "Guess I gotta go locate more aloe, then."
DocPlume shakes their head. "No, but maybe you can extend it to cover your snout as well?"
Cavro smiles, tracing his finger along a familiar line similar to the ones on his forearms that wraps behind his ears down to under his chin. "It already does, face burns are are are not fun burns, as Smitty once told me."
DocPlume frowns a bit. "Then how are you rubbing your face while you work?"
Cavro shakes his head. "Sorry, I meant will the the the mask cause issues, it rests on the top of my snout."
DocPlume looks at Cavro. "Oh, well, a gauze pad over it while it's healing would be good... and maybe you should just wear the mask more often?"
Erika leans on the wall, thinking: "He's definitely less handsome with that mask." She blinks, looking at the other two: "Uh, I mean, nevermind."
Cavro nods, then blushes bright at Erika's comment. After a moment, he mutters, "Maybe I shouldn't, though?"
DocPlume shrugs. "You need some way to not touch your muzzle so often. If not a mask, then you'll need to watch your behavior. The choice is up to you, of course..."
Cavro grins, sitting straight upright. "I'll do my best, thank you Plume. Now as long as there aren't any other secret in in injuries to have you peek at..." He gives Erika a playful sideways glance.
Erika shrugs: "None that come to mind. Your stubborn head is, sadly, both lovely and incurable." She blushes and grins sheepishly, showing the exact degree of her seriousness.
DocPlume laughs quietly to themself as they watch the interplay between the two. "Erika, can I trust you to tend to his healing then? I have a feeling you'll see him more than I will."
Cavro feels his face burning as he turns back to Plume, wringing his hands together in his lap to keep them occupied.
Erika shrugs with a grin: "I might. And you can. And I will see him do better. And do. Him. Wait no?" She shakes her head: "I will do. Things."
DocPlume nods. "All right. Also, Cavro, try wiping with a towel instead of your dirty hands once you're healed up, ok?" They return the medicines to the cabinet before washing their hands again. "Oh, and Erika, could you come by tomorrow? I can get a wishlist ready for you."
Erika stares at Cavro for a moment, before blinking and turning to Plume for her brief reverie: "...oh! Yeah, will do. I'll swing by. Been a bit since I went out to gather stuff. For... reasons."
DocPlume nods. "Understandable, it's just that May and Brun have been taking up so much of the stock lately..."
Cavro blushes brightly, somewhat stunned by Erika's slip-up. He barely catches Plumes words, unable to defend that he washes his hands every time his gloves come off as he hops down off the table. He nearly starts to walk out before turning back to Plume and asking; "Oh, how how how much do I I I owe you for the the visit?"
DocPlume shakes their head. "Nothing. Don't worry about it, Cavro. I might come by to have some new instruments made soon, though."
Erika walks next to Cavro to the door, smiling at Plume: "I'll pop by tomorrow."
Cavro starts calming down and nods. "Sounds fair fair fair to me, thank you again, doctor. Enjoy the the rest of your day!" He gives Plume a slight bow before turning back to head out with Erika, reaching for her hand.
DocPlume watches the two go and laughs. They close the door behind them and then head to the file cabinet to see if this Cavro has a file or not...
Erika takes Cavro's hand with a blushing, happy grin, waving over her shoulder to Plume with the other: "Be seeing you, then!"