D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

--- Kat ---

Kat’s relief at hearing from Kamiko would be short lived as early morning the following day the groups all got split up again. This time they ended up in a snowy bubble that Kamiko would recognise quite well. The terrain wasn’t much of a problem but the fact that everyone was split up once again definitely counted as on.

Kat encouraged everyone to acquire some warmer clothes, even Lily. Swapping out of her Memphis form and putting on a bunch of layers herself. As warm as her Memphis form was, it simply wasn’t warm enough and Kat, while mostly immune to the cold herself didn’t gain that immunity from a high body temperature at all. No quite the opposite. The fact Kat’s body could operate just fine at below zero was what prevented Kat from having issues… and meant Kat couldn’t exactly lend her body heat to Lily to help overcome the weather.

Still, it was a simple matter or just trudging along through the snow, fighting off the yeti-like monsters when attacked and eventually exiting the bubble. The only issue was that when they managed to leave Church collapsed. Brook managed to catch his girlfriend but that didn’t really change the facts.

"I… I’m fine," said Church.

Kat glared at Church eyebrow twitching. "As an expert in that answer… I can safely say you’re not," Kat politely ignored the snort of laughter from her girlfriend in the background as she took in Church’s form.

The dragonkin had red cheeks and particularly puffy looking eyes with some snot dribbling down her nose. All in all she didn’t look too out of it if you took normal humans into account. It would just seem like she’d been recently exposed to the cold, and she had. However, comparing Church’s state to everyone else revealed she was in much worse condition then she seemed at first glance.

"Look, we’re on our own again you can just rest up for a bit," said Kat.

Church wheezed a bit as she was lowered to the ground. "Sorry. I guess… I’m not quite that fine. I… I knew the walk would be tough and I was doing alright but… but I think the extreme cold might’ve been a bit much for me," Explore stories on empire

As she was admitting this, Kat could see that Church was shaking in place. It probably caused the fall now Kat noticed it. When Church started sneezing just a few moments later, Kat’s decision to rest for a bit felt vindicated. "Hmm… you might actually be coming down with something. Do you have any idea why?"

Church let out a somewhat dark chuckle, "Ha, ha, yeah. It’s because I’m an unfit slob. I mean, not to talk down to myself TOO much but Brook has actually been hitting the gym and while Sephy and Strek aren’t the strongest they do keep themselves somewhat fit from their work in the gardens. Me?

"I’ve just lazed around for my entire life. I watched my food intake somewhat I tried not to become a blob but I never did anything to ensure I was in all that good of a condition. Didn’t think it would ever matter. I ate healthy because that’s most of what we had but I always did enjoy food more than I did moving.

"I’m guessing… guessing this is just that lifestyle catching up with me. I AM looking to change it. I understand that exercise and whatnot is important… but it didn’t used to be. I’m paying for it now, and I have plans for the future… but right now? I’m just the most out of shape and my body is not having a good time…"

Craunch bent down and looked at her for a few moments. "I can give you a more proper checkup if you want?"

"You?" asked Brook suspiciously.

"Hey! I’m probably in the top five smartest people on the world right now and I had basic first aid drilled into my head so long ago that you can’t even see the scars!" Craunch admitted with a chuckle. When Kat heard Lily laughing, it took a moment to work out why that was. *

OH!*

"So trust me, I can work out if anything serious is going on here, if it is just Church having issues with the exercise. So… want me to check?"

Church looked unsure but Brook quickly agreed in Church’s place. "Yes please, make sure she’s ok," Church glared at him a bit as Craunch sat down fully and started the examination. Not really mad, but perhaps a touch annoyed.

Kat watched as Craunch did a lot of normal checkup things. First putting two fingers on Church’s neck, then testing her forehead for a few moments with the back of his hand and then making some basic requests. Does this hurt? Can you move your fingers and toes? Cough please. Stuff like that.

Church was breathing slightly heavier at the end of the examination, having been required to move around. Craunch brought out a handkerchief for her and Church was quick to clear out her nose before glancing at the strip of cloth uncertain. Craunch took it back and inspected it for a few moments before pulling out a plastic bag from his storage and then placing handkerchief inside, and then both away.

Craunch requested a bit of water for Church and then started to pace around for a bit, stretching as he did so before speaking up. "Right so… as far as I can determine it’s nothing serious. I can’t be certain, as it’s occurred to me now that our immune systems will likely not be equipped for this ’new’ world at all.

"Of course, I don’t say this to worry any of you. As far as I can tell Church is… not fine perhaps but not in need of serious medical condition. All signs point to this being a case of exhaustion allowing for some small cold to take root. Not something to be worried about under normal circumstances…"

"But?" asked Brook noticing the pause.

"But with the constant and… comparatively rigorous exercise she’ll be expected to perform over the next few days… in the middle of a rather humid jungle because of all the mist… well there’s no certainty it things will remain as they are. Her body is already having issues, and regardless of if it was bad luck or lack of exercise Church is already sick and without a chance to rest things might just get worse…" explained Craunch.

"Hmm… I don’t mind carrying Church myself. As a demon my immune system is quite good and my body just completely different so I likely wouldn’t be able to catch whatever it is anyway. Plus my regeneration might keep me safe? Not sure I haven’t had the chance to test that sort of thing against it. Anyway, I can carry Church but I’m not sure if that would be enough?" offered Kat.

"Can’t we look for Kamiko and have her heal Church?" asked Sephy.

Kat shook her head, "No Kamiko’s healing doesn’t work like that. I’m not sure if it works against diseases but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t… but even if it did Kamiko would need to cover Church’s whole body at once to fix things and she doesn’t have the demonic energy for a bubble that large so… no dice," explained Kat.

"I… I made sure we packed some medicine and stuff… but nothing for this really. Mostly just headache medicine," sighed Church.

Brook turned to Craunch who shrugged, "Eh Corela did pack some medical equipment but it’s not like I know how to synthesise proper medicine in the middle of a damned forest. Maybe if this was something serious and she was dying I’d break out my old field alchemy kit but I don’t exactly know what any of the ingredients here do. It would probably take me longer to develop something that cured her then it would for her to recover, and that’s assuming we’re just sitting around here not moving,"

"Wait we’re going to keep going?" asked Brook.

"Kat did offer to carry me," pointed out Church.

Brook winced and glanced over at Kat who shrugged and nodded before Brook turned his gaze back to Church who just smiled as best she could manage back at him. Brook sighed, "Look I… I dunno. Part of me wants to offer to carry you myself…"

"But I’m too fat," interjected Church.

Brook glared at his girlfriend. "Look, yes maybe you do carry around a bit more weight then necessary but honestly? Even if you were basically underweight it’d still be too much. I’m fitter then you are, and look pretty in shape but this trip has been HARD,"

"Oh… um sorry?" offered Kat with a wince. "I tried not to have everyone moving too fast but I was mostly keeping pace with everyone else at the beginning. Was I going too fast through the snow or something?"

Brook shook his head, "No just… look Church stop putting yourself down you already have a plan to fix that. And the point I was trying to make is that while I’m not necessarily against Kat being the one to carry you… I do worry if that will actually give you the chance to recover or not,"

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