News and Old Tales (Geronimo Stilton fanfiction)

12

New Mouse City, 2023

"Miss Stilton, I have to ask you," the doctor began, "Are you and Mr. Stilton biologically related?".

"Ah, well, that is a bit uncertain," Thea replied, "We are half-siblings at the very least, but we don't know much more than that."

The doctor nodded in response, jotting down something on his notepad.

"See, Miss Stilton," he then said, "POTS is not hereditary per say, but it can run in families. I would suggest that you take the same tests as the ones that were used to diagnose your brother. The fact that you say that you have never had any problems with feeling faint or light-headed is reassuring, but being able to monitor your heart rate and blood pressure would help us determine if you are at any risk of developing POTS or similar conditions."

"I see," Thea nodded, "I'll take the tests, no problem."

***

"Everything's fine. It seems that I'm healthy as a horse," Thea told her brother as she took a seat at his bedside after she had been informed about the results of her tests.

"I'm glad," Geronimo nodded with a small smile.

He was eating, or at least attempting to eat, a bowl of cheddar soup. It was an uphill battle, with his appetite nearly nonexistent and his paw holding the spoon trembling so violently. He could almost hear Grandpa Shortpaws' voice in his head, telling him to man up. After all, he was not deadly ill; it was just a matter of his heart rate and blood pressure not really cooperating with the rest of his body. But be that as it may, the days spent in the hospital had made him increasingly weak and drained, both physically and emotionally.

"Déjà vu," Thea murmured. "Look how the tables have turned. Years ago, you were the one sitting at my bedside, coaxing me to eat while reminding me not to push myself too hard," she then mused.

Geronimo flashed her a tired smile in response before giving up on trying to eat more and putting the bowl and the spoon aside.

"Have you given the service dog-option some more thought?" Thea asked after a while.

Geronimo sighed deeply. He felt like he had not done anything else than weighing the pros and cons of such an arrangement in his mind ever since the doctor had mentioned it to him.

"Yes," he replied with a worried furrow between his brows, "But, Thea, you know how I am around dogs. I really don't know if it would work."

"Alright," Thea nodded with a reassuring smile. "You don't have to decide anything now."

It was at that moment that another rodent entered the room. Having Simon around was hardly surprising anymore at this point. This was his second visit since the day that he had had his row with Sally in the hospital corridor, and while the interactions between him and the Stiltons remained awkward, at least they managed to behave like civilized rodents while in the same space.

"Greetings," Simon lifted one paw in a lazy wave, holding a takeaway cup of coffee in the other and looking like he hadn't slept for days.

Geronimo and Thea echoed their "Hello's and "Hi's as Simon came closer, leaning against the wall opposite from Thea.

"So, any news?" he asked.

"The Gazette-kind of news, or...?" Thea raised an eyebrow, earning herself an exasperated sigh from Simon as a reaction to the attempted pun.

"No," Simon then replied, his eyes flashing angrily. "I meant: Any news about your health, Stilton?" he turned to Geronimo.

"Actually, yes," Geronimo nodded, "I have postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome."