Doctor Vellichor's Medicine

He looked worn, his face thinner, his hair longer. Collar undone, shirt sleeves rolled up, his waistcoat laid over the back of a chair. The wolfhound puppy at his feet chewed on his battered shoes.

"It's done," he told black-haired young woman. The glow in her face almost eased the dread gripping his heart. "But I can only give this to you on one condition."

The joy in her eyes dimmed, her mouth turned down.

"You know our deal, Doctor. You give me this, I let you go. You know the penalty if he dies. He grows weaker every day. The cancer is..."

"This will work. But at a cost. He will stay like he is now. You cannot give it to him until he has beaten the cancer on his own, or you consign him to suffering. Perhaps endless."

She gulped. "I see."

He leaned forward. "You must understand. He could live many of your lifetimes. Maybe forever, unless some accident should befall him, or the effects wear off." His smile was wry. "We have limited opportunity for long-term follow-ups here. Think: what will become of him after you die? You have a responsibility to him."

She frowned, biting her lip. "I'll take it, then."

His eyebrows lifted. "Are you sure? It's only been tested on dogs."

"Is there any reason to suppose it would work differently on a person?"

"I don't 'suppose'. I'm a scientist."

"Then what do you suggest?"

"Take it anyway. You owe it to him."

Her eyes narrowed, her features looked sharper. "You could just be tricking me. Poisoning me."

Something weighed on his face. Sadness? Regret?

"I don't deny it's a risk. But look at Gilly," he gestured at the puppy chasing her tail. "You know how old she is, how big she should be by now. And look at me," His eyes met hers at last, "Do you think I could do that? To you?"

"So... I wouldn't just live forever. I'd be twenty-one forever..." Her eyes sparkled with this possibility, the life and death of her pet dwarfed by it. Ah, youth! So typical, so afraid of aging. "Or... it's poison."

"Essentially, yes,"

She picked up the needle.

++++++++++++

Word count: 366

Submitted on 15th February at 12.10 (noonish)

Part One, as promised:

*Quick Author's Note*

Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment so I can reciprocate. If you enjoyed it, the best compliment you can give me is to share it, or read another.

The story behind the story: I like to think this ties in beautifully to the beginning of Glass Dolls.

Long ago, before my grandmother was born, people's lives were short and often sad. People could live their whole lives never meeting their soulmate. The world was too big, there was too much to do, and too few years. People married young, when they hadn't travelled the globe even once.

Then, one day, a scientist made a miraculous discovery. We finally had a way to combat aging, and even death!

My story every day project: I'm writing a story every day this year. This one makes a 46 day streak. I am into week seven, with no sign of stopping or slowing down! You can find all of them in my Index post. It's also pinned to the top of my profile.

If you'd like to read another, here's my recommendation: Yesterday was Valentine's Day, so I wanted to write a story encompassing all aspects of love: jealousy, pain, longing, fear, isolation and assorted weaponry. ❤ Here it is...

If you're joining me on this "story every day" madne adventure, please leave a link to yours in the comments! Whether you're on a creative bent like me, or if you have your own self-imposed criteria, I'd love to see what you come up with for today.

If you'd like to buy the cow, (or get more free milk on Kindle Unlimited):