-UndoubtedlyYours-

-Chapter♛♚OneHundredThirtyTwo-

✧PLOTTING AHEAD✧

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***

Arriving at the hospital on Alphard's lonesome was getting tiring, he was familiar with the halls, procedures, and even the faces of young Witches and Wizards throughout the floor.

He was sure, that within a few weeks, he would know some more by name. But right now, Healer Brown is who he was planning to meet with. Though his mood spiked upon seeing Rhea already waiting in the room for him, given that she was technically on shift and asked to have her break now rather than later.

"Ah, Mr.Black, how are we feeling today?" Brown asked, sitting at the small chair while Alphard took to the patient one. Though he couldn't help but have his eyes flicker between Rhea and Brown.

What were they speaking about prior?

"Alright, a few aches and pains, but nothing as bad as before."
"That's good to hear. And the oral tonics, any side effects that I should be concerned about?" Before he could answer that there was nothing, Rhea cleared her throat, making sure that everything would be noted.

"Well, I suppose my appetite has been lost a few nights. And the cold sweats." Brown nodded and continued to scribble down the notes in his pad, promoting a few follow-up questions that felt rather helpful—So why had he been so adverse to withhold the information to say he was alright?

That was simple, and Rhea knew the answer quite plainly.

Alphard Black was and is still in denial, which was starting to become a trend and nasty habit of his. "Well, Mr.Black, I'm sure you know the drill. Take a bit of blood, samples, and see where things are in terms of the clusters are healing." He nodded, beginning to take off his coat, though his eyes lingered towards Rhea.

"I—I can step outside, love. If you'd rather me not here." He nodded, so Rhea gave a supporting smile and claimed that she'd just wait right outside the door. Leaving Alphard and Brown the moment alone.

"I-I rather her not see them right now."
"Have they progressed?"
"Progressed or not, they're ugly." Good looks were a common worry amongst all Healer Brown's patients, and seeing them in Alphard was nothing to be concerned about. "Have you been applying the prescriptions alright?"
"Yes, and wrapping them when I can." It was a pain, but he was getting things done and right. Though the issue here is that there were more clusters than Brown had first accounted for, and truthfully, a few were already to sport new ones.

"Mister Black, I believe I need to take a better scan and see if other clusters have begun to multiply under the surface."
"But I just had surgery, could that really be—?" It was a question that Alphard wasn't sure he wanted the truth from, but Brown was not one to lie, so instead he had Alphard spread his arms and legs apart to begin a quick scan. It was a fairly easy tactic, and with a bit of red ink, he was able to do the areas in question to mark in his notes for later.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Black, they have seemed to come back earlier than I anticipated. I can do what I can today and send the samples to the lab, perhaps give us a recommendation if it's best to schedule another surgery or up your treatment of Levophine for the next—" Brown had stalled his next thought to see the absolute horror in his patient's eyes.

But it wasn't for himself than to where his attention had turned to.

"How long do I have...To decide?"
"I will be frank with you, Mr.Black. I would not wait too long before making a decision, and your wife would say the same. If there really is a concern, it's best to get it out of the body than allow it to fester."
"That's how I got here...I let my headaches fester—Do what you have to do." And thus, he did. Managing to remove four more clusters and apply a heavier tropical balm onto the rest to cease any new developments before it reoccurs.