Tangled Bush

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Location: Seria: Docks

((OOC: June 2, afternoon.))

This... sucked, to be quite honest.

It had been quite awhile since he had gotten sick, so Reuben hadn't really been expecting it. Either way, he was going to blame Andromeda for this. Maybe Nerys. Nah, Andromeda was easier to blame, plus Nerys was likely to slap him.

But he was cold, shaky, and feverish. Ten to one he had caught the flu that the girls had had, which had then been passed to Andromeda, which had then been passed onto him.

Reuben rubbed his eyes. He knew that there was a doctor's clinic around here that his parents had taken him to, but he couldn't quite remember where, or exactly what it was called. Nothing to do but keep stumbling around and hope that he found it...

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<sub>Benedict didn't have Caden this time, unfortunately for Reuben. Or maybe fortunately so the poor child didn't catch the flu. Either way, Lila was trotting along, carrying her Master and enjoying the day. They had finished their simple lunch, which consisted of bread and butter, and some apples for Lila, and they were off.

"Where too now, girl?" Benedict patted the mare, but she seemed to stop completely a whiff of something came across nostrils.

It was the smell of fever, and... something else. She sniffed again. Wait, it was that man again! But... wait was it that man? It had Andy smell, but... something else. Lila would burst into a full run. That fever would be easy to track!

"LILA! LILA STOP! WHOA! PARDON ME!" Benedict was panicking at this point, unable to control the mare. She tore down one of the alleyways and turned to see the shape of a shivering brunette kid. Lila panicked and leaned back to try and skid to a half, nearly knocking the kid over.

"What was that, Lila? ... Huh?" Benedict, flopped on his horse in a daze, finally recovered to lift his head and look at the kid dumbly.</sub>

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Reuben would scream to the heavens at how he was barely missing Caden, but either way he he was quite feverish by now, and shivering. A few people took notice, but didn't really stop to help him, and honestly couldn't once Reuben suddenly found himself in the path of a oncoming horse as the rider yelled at the horse to stop.

"Whoa!"

Reuben fell onto his bottom, hoping that the horse wouldn't run him over, when it seemed like it wanted to sniff at him? The boy stared dumbfounded at her, not knowing that her smell reminded him of Andy, Benedict, and Caden.

"Erm... hello?" He sneezed.

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<sub>YOUUUU SMELL LIKE CADEN. AND THAT ANDY GUY. AND EVEN BENEDICT. WHY?! Lila sniffed him, her expression ranging from confusion to frustration. Benedict was just as baffled, but the kid was sick! Maybe Lila wanted to help him?

"Uh, hello." It was a kid about his age too. He chuckled nervously. "I'm terribly sorry about my horse! She's in a bit of a rut, it seems. Are you okay? You look sick..."

Poor kid! He should get him some help. Benedict looked around, at the people who now cleared the path and made a wide detour around the haughty white horse, who was now trying to nibble Reuben's hair. In was influenza alright.

Not Horse Flu though, so ha! She couldn't get sick.

You humans baffle me with your family smells!</sub>

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Obviously, Reuben didn't speak horse, so he didn't understand why she was fascinated with him. He stared at the large mammal, feeling awkward as the horse continued to sniff and prod at him as if he was something fascinating. He sneezed again, and continued to sit there, not really having the energy to fight Lila off.

"Hello... it's fine, though this is probably... one of the stranger situations I've landed in." No kidding. That horse was quite awkward. Either way, he shook his head when Benedict asked whether he was okay. "Actually, I think I caught the flu... I know there was a doctor's office around here, but I haven't been here in so long that I can't find it."

He glanced around, ignoring the people that were nearby and instead searching for the doctor's clinic. Until the horse began chewing on his hair, at the least. "Um, can you not do that, please...? I rather like my hair..."

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<sub>Benedict patted Lila, trying to goad her into not eating Reuben's hair. She seemed adamant in trying to lift him up off the ground and then nudging him. She would be able to tell where the nearest doctors would be! Follow the smell of sick and injured.

I need your hair, though. I need a DNA sample so I can identify what your relation is to Benedict! Lila would look up over to Benedict.

"I'm terribly sorry about my horse. Lila's a bit eccentric." Benedict chuckled nervously. "I've been around here long enough, I can guide you to one of the offices. I think there's one down the corner over there..." He thought out loud.

Yes! Yes there is! Lila snorted.</sub>

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Well, with the large horse trying to get him off of the ground and the fact he really wasn't in the mood to fight off a horse, Reuben stood up, grumbling a bit - before promptly sneezing. Either way, the horse yoinked a couple of strands of hair off, and he gave a yelp.

"Ow! My hair!" Thankfully it seemed that the horse wouldn't eat anymore of his hair, so instead he just turned to Benedict as the other apologized for Lila's behavior.

"It's fine, at least I'll always know if it's her or not... that would actually be a great help, thank you. It's been a really long time since I've visited the one around here." He gave a bit of a smile.

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<sub>Lila nibbled on the hair she had managed to get, trying to see if this was true. Apparently, Reuben was related to Caden and Andromeda after all! And that means that Reuben was related to Benjamin. So he was a half brother? ... Amazing! So many half siblings! Too bad they can't understand her.

"Come on, I'll show you where it is. hold onto the reins." Benedict spoke up, before walking with Reuben to the place. Yes, it was indeed Dr. Rosin, which Benedict hadn't visited but heard of. They were apparently very good at their work.

"How good are they at their work?" Ben was curious, after all.</sub>

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What the klack, what sort of DNA testing kit does that horse have in her stomach to be able to identify half-siblings like that?! She should become Detective Lila!

"Okay..." Reuben reached up to brush Lila's hair aside, blinking as she ate his hair. Oy, that horse. He actually liked his hair, even if it had come from Andy. He held onto the reins, and walked over to the hospital with Benedict.

"I don't remember, I was a kid when I last visited them. But they're the only ones around here that I know of," He explained. Probably the fact that he was still alive was some testament to their ability.

Reuben sneezed again, nearly collapsing against Lila, before continuing to walk. He felt really horrible. This was your fault, Andy!

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<sub>Benedict would lead him right on to the shop, looking at it before he hopped off of Lila and then tied her to the post. He would help Reuben up the steps and open the door to look at the apothecarium, and to the back there was a young lady. She seemed to be in heavy thought, but she snapped out of it seeing the two of them.

"Hello ma'am. I have reason to believe this young man needs your help." Benedict smiled at the young lady. She seemed to recognize the child.

"Wait, I believe I remember you from somewhere..." She couldn't quite put her finger on it. "You seem to be sick. Let me check if Frances is here..." She'd go to the back to check.

"She seems like a nice lady..." Benedict murmured, not realizing the sheer goddamned irony in that statement.</sub>

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Reuben found himself helped up the steps to the apothecarium after the horse was tied up. Honestly, that horse creeped him out, with the amount of fascination she had shown him. It was through sheer luck that she hadn't trampled him and had decided to stop when she had.

"Yes, actually. I caught the influenza that's somewhat going around..." He sounded a bit embarrassed, as he looked over at the dark-haired woman. She seemed a little familiar to him.

"Really? I used to come here when I was younger, but it's been awhile." He dropped himself onto a chair, glancing over at Benedict as the other mentioned that she seemed to be a nice lady.

"She does seem like it, doesn't she?"

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<sub>Dr. Rosin would come in, kiss his wife, and then walk over to the two of them, smiling at Reuben. Oh yeah he remembered this face! He came so often with his family, and now he had grown so big!

"Reuben Stevenson! It's been quite awhile. I'm sure you remember me, since I treated you. You've grown so big since last I saw you!" He seemed pretty friendly. "And you must be...?"

"Benedict, sir." Benedict would nod to him. Rosin would take a look at the kid, walking him to the back, leaving Benedict and Sine in a bit of an awkward silence. As Rosin went to check the kid's throat, tonsils, and ears, he would jot down notes, and then sample his throat with a swab.

"Are you his brother? You look a lot alike." Sine commented. Something in her gut told her something was wrong with this child. Something too close to home, but she would shove that feeling away.

"Huh? N-no we're not. We just met. Benjamin stammered modestly. "I'm a priest and I don't think I have any siblings."</sub>

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Once the doctor came in, Reuben actually perked up a bit. Yeah, he remembered this guy! This was Dr. Rosin! Man, it had been ages since he had last seen the man, and he honestly didn't look any different from when he had last seen him years ago.

"Dr. Rosin! It's been ages since I last saw you!" The boy couldn't help but give a grin to the man. Now he remembered the woman, that was his wife and Nerys' aunt and Andy's ex-girlfriend.

He went over with Dr. Rosin to the back, as miserable as he felt, trying not to sneeze all over him, as Sine and Benedict talked. He did whatever was appropriate for the examination at the moment, not quite too happy about the flu symptoms. Then Sine asked whether Benedict was his brother, and Reuben blinked, speaking once he got the chance.

"We just met... and I only have one younger brother." He paused, as if intending to add more, but he didn't. He knew that he had at least one more half-sibling...

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<sub>Sine might not remember the kid too much since she would have just come to Seria and trying to live her new life. Except things seemed to be going rough since she saw Andy. Ugh. Either way, she'd look at the two kids as they spoke up. Oh so they weren't related! They looked so similar, their eyes and noses... It seriously reminded her of the man she loved when he was a teenager.

"He's lucky to have a younger brother..." Benedict shuffled nervously. "I don't have any. At least, I don't think so." He explained. Meanwhile, Lila sneezed outside and glared at the window. She'd nibble at the ropes and then escape, walking up to the door and just plopping her butt down outside.

"Aww, I'm sorry." Sine looked at him. Poor guy. Was he an orphan? He seemed to be dressed as a priest. Hm. Dr. Rosin would pat the kid on the head and then write down some notes. He paused for a moment. Wait, if Reuben was here, his parents... were they still alive? Last he checked they were suffering from Tetanus. He looked at the kid.

"I'll have to check what kind of influenza you have, but likely I'll give you fever and cough reducer." He explained. "Your parents, Michael and Victoria Stevenson. Last I saw of them they had tetanus. Are they...?"</sub>[/b] RPer can only assume Dr. Rosin saw to them if they come here often.

Sine, would get distracted, not sure what to say. Her parents were dead since she was born, so she knew how that felt. Except there was a horse outside the door and that's all she could stare blankly at.[/sub]

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Well, as far as Reuben knew, the two of them weren't related at all. Just because Benedict had black hair and looked similar to him and he was a priest didn't mean that they were related! Okay, it made him feel awkward, and a little suspicious, so he stared at Benedict for a good, long time.

"I've got my younger brother... and at least one more. Maybe more. I honestly don't know." That was probably the most he'd reveal that he was a bastard, though granted the doctors probably wouldn't care. Of course Rosin mentioned giving him fever and cough reducer, and Reuben glanced up at him.

"Okay, I'll have to- ..." He frowned as the man brought up his parents. It had been tetanus, alright. "...They passed away a few years ago." Sure, why not.

And he was still miserable about it.