Virgo Mea Part 2: Short-End of the Swindle

Unwilling to help Gala, but with no choice but to comply, the doctor in white gave a short nod to the Major, then walked away from the counter empty handed, entering a back room while saying to Gala: "please take a seat, I have to prepare." Gala reluctantly approached the back room where a comfortable-looking cushioned seat in the middle of the room awaited her. It was made of a metal frame and the cushions were an ugly pea-green that Gala disliked. Gala stopped at the seat and looked over at the Human doctor then to Andrew.

"Go on, do as the doc says." He told her while pointing at the seat.

Gala climbed onto the reclining seat, then she looked at the room around her. Small and rather unimpressive, the walls and ceiling were the same dull pale green color, some paintings of flowers and scenery decorated the bland room. White cabinets lay along the east wall, the white paint on them chipping from age. Obviously the doctor had been practicing in the spot for some time. Gala didn't forget about the unkind doctor whom stood at one of the counters and dipped his hands in clean water, wiping them with a yellow cloth rag after. Gala watched him put on strange stretchy gloves for a moment before her focus turned over to some rather crude-looking metal instruments that lay on a rag over one counter. One had a hook, another looked like shears. Even Andrew heard Gala swallow a big gulp when she saw it, he could tell that she was very nervous. Gala had never been treated by a doctor before. When she was a kid, her foster parents always treated her, and even they were limited in what they could do.

"Don't you worry, sweet baby girl, just a bunch of tools for helping people." Said Andrew, whom now stood at a corner of the room while lighting a cigar.

Gala looked at him while he lit, he had a very calm but very rough personality to him. There was some sort of charm and mystique to him that she seemed to like. Meanwhile the doctor was now ready to talk to her. He sat down on a stool that had wheels on the bottom of its legs and rolled over to her right side, in front of her view of Andrew. Plainly, and unenthusiastic, he asked her about her health.

"Okay, what's the problem?" He asked.

Gala looked down at his white jacket, not sure how she should answer him. Part of her wanted to get up run away, another wanted to trust him and Andrew with her life.

"My stomach. It hurts." She finally mumbled.

"Your stomach hurts?" The doctor repeated impatiently, arching his greyed eyebrows at her.

"Ulcers, it must be." She said.

"And what makes a gullible girl like you so sure it is an ulcer?" Asked the doctor.

"When I vomited, the fluid was black." Explained Gala quietly.

The doctor looked over to Andrew whom nodded back at him, then he looked back at Gala.

"Is that all?" He asked her.

"I-I do not know." Gala answered him.

The doctor stood up from his seat and walked over to one of the overhead cabinets in the room. He reached in and pulled out a glass jar that contained rather large pills. Gala became uncomfortable, shuffling her feet a little in her seat. The doctor opened the jar and took out a pill and held it over in front of her face.

"Take it." He demanded of her. "Now."

"I-I do not like pills..." She said to him.

"Then chew it, it's nothing but an antacid. This can help reduce the pain a little." Said the doctor. "Go on, take it."

Gala grabbed the pill from the doctor's hand, then she hesitantly placed it on her tongue and promptly began chewing it, tasting the awful bitterness that she dreaded and could only compare to chewing on dried up dirt and clay. It took a lot of courage for her to swallow it, even in its chewed form. She nearly gagged when it went down. By now the doctor was seated beside her again.

"I don't have Barium unfortunately, and I lack X-Ray equipment. I can tell you that if it IS indeed a Peptic ulcer, stress is hardly the cause contrary to popular belief. Likely you have gained an infection of Helicobacter Pylori. What I can suggest to you is a change in your... Diet. Whatever the hell it you eat is not helping you. I do have something that may be able to help you, though its success is not guaranteed." Said the doctor.

Worried, Gala figured it was best now to tell the doctor that she doesn't have money.

"I have no way to pay, doctor..." She said.

"Don't worry 'bout it, Galsford, I got this. What's important is that you get better. Doc, give her what ya have." Said Andrew.

The doctor nodded, getting up again and removing himself to another back room for a moment. Gala looked up at Andrew, worried and in despair. His mask of calm seemed to ease her a little though. Within second, the doctor returned to the room holding a small glass bottle filled with a strange white liquid. He took a seat once again in his stool and held the container up to her face. A small red cross on a white label stood out from the words "bismuth subsalicylate". Gala had no idea what bismuth was.

"People usually call this Pepto Bismol." Said the doctor. "This CAN get rid of ulcers, but without a lot of antacids like the one you just had, it's not very likely to succeed. I can give you this, and some tablets. If it doesn't cure you within a few days, it will at the least help you. I'm sorry old girl, there's not much that I can do about it from here." Said the doctor.

Andrew removed himself from the entrance to the back room, approaching the doctor at his side, looking down with a look of doubt. Gala couldn't help but be mesmerized by his slightly-curled mustache and rather mean eyes. He looked down at the doctor as if he owned the man, and eventually spoke in the same manner.

"Jim, now we know better than that. You ain't no frontier doctor like ol' man Crane out in Craigville. Anybody in this day and age can even get those tablet on this planet. Now, let's have them." He demanded.

"But sir-" the doctor replied raising his voice, only to be interrupted.

"Don't you 'but sir' me, you have no idea just who the hell you are dealing with, boy." Said Andrew.

Meanwhile Gala, and even Kora found this exchange interesting. Just earlier this aging Human man would not serve Gala, now he's being forced to by another Human being. As much as she appreciated the help, Gala did not like people being forced into anything. She had to speak up.

"It is okay, Andy. I know he does not want to help me anymore." She said.

"No-no, sweet thing. As a commissioned officer in the KRA, I have privileges granted to me by the King of Knoxbus himself, overriding even the local Constabulary authority. If Jim here doesn't want to help out a member of a non-Human race on his time, then so be it. But now, he's on MY time, and I will procure you these drugs." Said Andrew.

The doctor hurried into the back room once again, immediately fetching a full container of antacid tablets. Without delay, he handed them to Gala whom now was sitting up on the examination chair. She took the container into her hand, then listened to him explain what to do.

"Just take one whenever you are feeling the pain again, and then wait at least ten minutes before you take the bismuth, that's all you have to do." Said the doctor.

"I understand." Said Gala while she stood up from the chair. "I think you, sincerely."

Gala smiled at the doctor, whom seemed to conceal a smile himself. She looked down at him still with the smile, happy that she did not react to his treatment as many other of her own kind would have. Andrew reached over to her, gently grabbing her right arm, and said: "We're done here, Gals, let's let the doc be."

"Get well, kid." Said the doctor, showing a smidgen of civility.

Gala nodded while she followed Andrew out of the clinic onto the cobble-stone sidewalk. He stopped beside his horse, reached into his pocket and took out a long and large cigar. Gala stood beside him and watched him withdraw a brass lighter from his other vest pocket and light it. As he the first cloud of tobacco smoke removed from his presence, she waved it away with her hand. He chuckled, then he clenched his stogie between his teeth.

"Where you need to go from here, Gala?" He asked her.

"I-I need to get to Prebleshire. I know people there." Gala replied.

"I'll give ya a ride if you'd like that." Offered Andrew.

"No, I walk. Thank you." Gala replied.

"Well..." Andrew began while he mounted his horse, looking down at Gala. "Just go down the main drag here in town, and follow the rural route for a few miles and you'll get there. If ya ever need a place to go to, I have a hunting lodge not too far from that town. Follow Rural Route 116 west from here, head north on a trail once you get to a buncha windmills, and head up the hill. My cabin is up there, make yourself at home if you need to. I won't care either way."

"I appreciate that." Said Gala.

"Oh and, sweet thing... You're the Itgan that my staff was telling me about a few months ago, I believe. I believe my secretary helped you out." Said Andrew.

"Your secretary?" Asked Gala.

"Yeah, a bit of an oddball I gotta say. Her name is Jo. Remarkable Izrok woman." Andrew responded with.

"Jodak? I know her." Said Gala.

"Yeah, that's the woman. She left with some red-head, said you're wanted by a blonde bimbo. Lemme me tell ya right now, Jo doesn't help just anyone, she obviously respects you greatly. Just let me know if me or my staff can help you at any time. Got it?" Asked Andrew.

"I understand." Said Gala.

"Whaddya waitin' for, girl? Get to Prebleshire and go see some folks!" Andrew demanded before getting his horse to gallop off down the main street.

Gala watched the young Major take off on his beautiful light brown horse. What a magnificent man he was, riding off on such a graceful creature. For the first time in her life, Gala felt as though she had met a genuinely nice person whom was color blind to the sociological issues of the day. He seemed not to give a care in the world for dishonest spoken word of the Xendran, he did however seem to see her as not only an equal, but a trustworthy one. Kora too relayed that message to Gala when she poked her head out and looked right up at her, giving her a thumbs up.

"He'll do!" She called up to Gala.

To that, Gala nodded while she started walking north down the main drag of the town. The Humans that walked down the streets seemed to not have a care in the world that she was there, but the few that she recognized that had chased her out earlier did give her looks of disapproval as she looked forward trying to ignore their indignant ways. The very encounter with the Army Major brought about an unfounded confidence in her, as she realized through her trial with the doctor that even the most anti-Xendran Human beings are capable of saying nice things to them, even helping them in the process. The thought had occurred to her that maybe things would start getting better for her starting that very day. Maybe. Even more pleasing to her was the fact that she was then able to walk peaceably through the town of Cumberton, the rural route, and then all the way to the next town without any trouble. Two hours would pass then, not a word was spoken between the giant and the Light, for they had nothing new to speak about. It wasn't until Gala reached the outer gates of the wall that protected Prebleshire from the outside world, that she needed to speak again.

The pig iron gates were wide open, and just as Gala remembered the town to be a safe place for aboriginals such as herself, there were no signs or anything posted expressing restrictions anymore. Now Gala could freely enter any business or building within the town, and be served just as a Human being would. She parsed through the memories of her childhood where the only building that she was allowed to enter was a school. She would often have to stand outside of the butcher shop, the library, the constabulary, or even the post office while her foster parents took care of their business inside. It was the town that she had gone to nearly every day of her life from the age of five years young, to the age of eighteen. Taking in a deep sigh of relief, she prepared to enter a remnant of her own memory. Several steps lie between herself and the gates, and about halfway through them, Gala noticed something out of the corner of her eye. A small person, about four feet tall, sitting on an old tree stump on the nearby southern corner of the outer brick wall. It was a man with a pointy red beard, wearing a burgundy cloak, looking down at the green beneath him. Gala was now curious, and mistakenly approached the little man.

"I have never seen you around here before." Said Gala, stopping about two feet away from him.

The short man in burgundy looked up to Gala, his glum expression grew into a brilliant smile that was eerie enough to bring worry upon the heartiest soul. He made a short laugh that was more like a cackle before he responded.

"I am not from here, me big friend. From which place I come, is but a mere dead end!" He said, his high-pitched gravelly voice moving in a poetic rhythm.

"Wha??" Gala responded in confusion.

"Me name is Ibalt, me dear giant! Short and meek, and straight from Hell's own creek!" Continued the short man in his rhythm.

Ibalt lunged off of the trunk onto his two feet. Where he stood, he began to spin around as if dancing, while humming and crooning like a deranged singer. Gala even took a step back while she watched in amusement. Ibalt stopped spinning in his spot, then he looked up at her with his right hand grasping his long pointed beard.

"Fear not, me girls, for I shall produce a magic to please even the most curmudgeon of Earls! From the valley of the Lights, down to the very woman here in tights, I shall please!" He continued on. "Madame white hair, what sort of spell shall I grant you to make things fair?" Asked Ibalt.

Gala was very amused by this point. The short dwarf-like man nearly made her smile and laugh. While Ibalt took a slow bow to Gala on just one foot, she began to think of what she wanted more than anything. She wanted to go home of course, but she also wanted to be bigger, and have a son someday. What could she lose by requesting these things of the man. As long as his price wasn't too steep, she'd bite.

"I-I want to go home." She answered him.

"To home you wish to go, with your tiny friend in tow!" Said Ibalt.

"Okay, I'm getting really sick of being called that..." Kora said while she looked out at Ibalt.

"That is not all that you wish to bargain for I know, Ibalt has the magic to show!" Ibalt spoke up a little louder. "And the little one desires a change, even her wish shall be within my range!"

"Yeah, I want to be big just like her so I can kick your ass!" Kora answered while pointing up at Gala for reference. "Cough up the spells nut-cheeks, or I'll send you running away in high-pitch squeaks!" She added, rhyming just as he did.

Ibalt spun around on just one foot before standing back on both feet again, that alone impressed Gala. With a wink and another bow, Ibalt claimed to make the wishes granted.

"A new home you will find, thank you for being so kind! You have more to ask, I know- for Ibalt has the magic to show!" Ibalt responded proudly.

"Kora and I both want to be bigger, and I want to have a baby boy someday..." Gala said with a smile.

"Big and bigger, me magic shall trigger! Happy you will be to have a boy, for by then you shall be nobody's toy!" Said Ibalt, winking at them both.

Gala clapped her hands, smiling and joyous for the entertainment, not even fully believing in the magic that Ibalt was spouting about. Now the dwarf man wanted to be paid.

"Hand me the dough, for Ibalt has the magic to show!" He pleaded, holding his hands up to her.

"Dough?" Asked Gala.

"He wants money, Gala." Kora said.

"I do not have any. All I have is the clothes on my back, and my medicine..." Gala said, foolishly brandishing the two small glass containers of her stomach medicine.

"Hah!" Ibalt cackled while he swiftly snatched the containers from Gala's right hand before taking off as fast as he could through the town gates. Gala didn't immediately give chase, only watching him disappear before lamenting her slowness. Meanwhile, Kora was giving a slow clap.

"Way to go, looks like Ibalt has the fool to show, in addition to magic..." She said.

"Hey!" Gala shouted, finally making a run after him into the town.

She followed Ibalt through the entrance on a cobble road, avoiding running into people and a few horse carriages in the process. Ignoring the shouting that was being directed at her, she hurried passed several small business buildings in pursuit of whom must have been the speediest short-legged people she had ever chased before.

"That is my medicine!" She shouted several times, only receiving maniacal giggles and cackles from Ibalt. "Stop!" She would occasionally shout out.

about four blocks east into the run, Ibalt disappeared making a left down one of the side streets. Gala came to the left turn just three seconds later, but was stopped abruptly when she ran into a rather tall Human male. She didn't get a good look at him during the collision, but saw his face once she got her feet and helped him up. He was shorter than her by just mere inches, and well into his fifties in age. He had a bald head, and a neatly trimmed brown and grey mustache that accompanied his brown eyes and withered face. He had on him an apron over a grey and white striped shirt and pants. He was the local butcher, and he knew Gala well.

"Mr. Harrison, sir..." Said Gala. "I apologize."

"Margaret?" The old man replied. "Is that really you? Margaret Bertram?"