Habak ni Doctor Quack

Chapter 1

The tiny clinic of Doctor Quack sat on the edge of Barangay Santol, its rusting sign swinging gently in the breeze. Inside, the smell of dried herbs, questionable ointments, and strange potions filled the air. Bottles lined the shelves, each labeled with handwritten names that made no sense to anyone but Doctor Quack himself: Kalma-tea, Bulate Buster, Extraordinary Elixir.

At the center of the chaos was Doctor Quack, wearing a white coat that was a little too big for him. He had a look of intense concentration as he held a small, glittering object in his hand—his precious Habak, a talisman he swore had healing powers. His other hand stirred a concoction of green goo in a glass jar.

"Ah, Pipoy!" Doctor Quack exclaimed as his assistant rushed in, panting from carrying a sack of fresh ginger. "You've arrived just in time! The secret ingredient for my Super Sinus Steamer is here!"

Pipoy, a wiry young man with messy hair and an eager expression, beamed. "Of course, Dok! I knew you'd need it, so I rushed to the market! It was the last sack too."

"Good work, Pipoy! You're learning. Now watch closely," Doctor Quack said, adjusting his thick glasses. He waved his Habak over the jar, muttering something under his breath before pouring the chopped ginger into the mixture. The potion fizzled and hissed, sending out a pungent odor that made Pipoy's eyes water.

"Is it working, Dok?" Pipoy asked, eyes wide.

"Of course it's working! The patient will breathe like a newborn baby after one whiff of this!" Doctor Quack puffed out his chest with pride, then gestured to the cluttered table behind him. "But first, clean up the clinic. Mrs. Gonzalez will be here any minute. You know how she is."

Pipoy nodded, immediately grabbing a broom and awkwardly sweeping around the stacks of jars and herbs. "Opo, Dok! I'll make sure everything's spotless."

Just as Pipoy was about to move a particularly tall pile of papers, the door to the clinic creaked open, and in waddled Mrs. Gonzalez, a plump woman in her sixties, draped in colorful shawls and a look of perpetual worry etched into her face.

"Doktoooor!" she groaned dramatically, clutching her chest. "I think... I think this is it. I'm done for!"

Doctor Quack, already used to her theatrics, didn't even look up. "What seems to be the problem today, Mrs. Gonzalez? Fever? Headache? Heart palpitations?"

"All of it, Doctor! All of it!" she wailed, sinking into the patient chair with a huff. "I couldn't sleep last night. My back is aching, my stomach is turning, my fingers are tingling. I'm sure it's something serious this time. My husband said it's all in my head, but what does he know?"

Doctor Quack gave her a knowing smile, grabbing a notepad and scribbling something that looked more like doodles than actual notes. He adjusted his glasses and approached her with a slow, deliberate stride, holding up his talisman like it was the answer to all of life's problems.

"Mrs. Gonzalez," he said, his voice deep and serious, "you've come to the right place. You see this?" He held up the Habak, a small stone wrapped in gold thread. "This is the key to your wellness. It channels the power of the universe and directs it exactly where it's needed. But first, let me diagnose you properly. Pipoy!"

Pipoy, who had been sweeping the same spot for the past minute, quickly shuffled over, wiping his hands on his pants. "Yes, Dok?"

"Prepare the Mystic Mirror," Doctor Quack instructed, pointing to a cracked handheld mirror on the shelf. "It will help me see deep inside Mrs. Gonzalez's ailments."

Pipoy obediently grabbed the mirror, holding it up in front of Doctor Quack as though it were some sacred relic. Doctor Quack squinted at Mrs. Gonzalez's reflection, nodding thoughtfully.