Chapter 50: A Medical Checkup
"Ouch! Mister, do you really have to do that?" asked the little brown-haired girl who had her hair checked by two pairs of large hands, who moved from point to point looking for something.
"Little girl, this will be for your own good. This is a medical check-up."
"But, I feel fine, there's nothing wrong with me." complained the little girl, who didn't like the way Vlad was touching her head, to check for pests around her hair.
Titania, who was resting on Vlad's head, was the one doing the actual check with her golden eyes after Vlad explained to her what to look after, specifically, head lice, and she took the job seriously, and after a couple of minutes, Vlad tapped the back of the little girl, calling out the next kid inside his laboratory.
The four kids waiting inside the lower deck next to Vlad's laboratory noticed Diana make her wait out, and curiosity could be seen in their eyes, especially at the crimson-haired boy standing beside the blonde little girl.
"How was it, Diana? Did he do something strange on you?"
"No, he moved his hand around my hair and sent me off. He also used a cold device to make me breathe as he placed that cold device on my chest and back."
"And, and? What else? Come on Dia, tell us. Sanzo passed out like the scared cat he is, getting scared when mister had him take his clothes off and doesn't remember what happened to him."
"Mhm, I feel he wants to see if we are healthy and if we don't have any injuries. Like … you reach a part on the check where he will place you on the table to lie down, and he would start touching your legs."
"Wait, really?"
"Yes, it tickles a lot."
Atkhan began asking other things while Diana cooperated to describe everything that happened to her inside the closed doors, but the kids stopped their discussion when the cold voice of the man spread out in the lower deck.
"NEXT"
Titania opened the room, and looked at the group of kids until she pointed at Atkhan who went inside the room without any resistance, in fact he was excited by the idea someone would check if he was healthy.
Stepping inside the laboratory, he was surprised to see how ordered and clean the laboratory was, with an operation table prepared in the center of the room, and where Vlad was seated at a smaller table writing something even though he couldn't see.
He was glaring at him intently, but Vlad simply ignored him, whereas Titania slapped his ear to grab his attention.
"Hop on the table little monkey." called out Titania, acting like a nurse which got to found to her after already checking two of the kids, where one was so timid and shy he passed out.
The little monk wearing an orange monk dress took a seat on the table and watched with curious eyes everything happening around him, especially following Vlad who finally finished writing whatever he was writing.
"Mister, what are you writing there?"
"Medical Report for the little girl called Diana. She is a healthy lass and also rather intelligent. Now, it's your turn, boy. What's your name again?"
"My name? It's Atkhan, mister. I already introduced myself in the past."
"Short memory when it comes to names. Now, we'll start the check-up, and I hope you don't make a fool of yourself in front of a ladies face."
Nodding his head, the little monk felt Vlad place his hand on his head without much force, and beginning to move in close intervals to check for something.
"What's that for?" asked the curious boy.
"..."
He was ignored, but Titania who was looking at the small head for head lices, explained to him what they were looking for, which made Atkhan remark surprised.
"There's no way I would have bugs on my body. I always eat them."
"..."
"Vlad, is it healthy for the kid to eat those parasites?"
"Big sister, what could be wrong with eating those small bugs? They are actually tasty. I always take care of my friends by turning into my monkey form and eating the bugs on their hair, especially Mariegold's. She is the one having most of them."
Vlad looked the same unaffected as he moved his hand around the crimson hair of the little monk, and along this process he responded to Titania's question.
"I see, to answer you Titania. There's nothing wrong in eating those head lices since they can be a source of nutrition when you have nothing to eat. But, they might not offer much energy since they are small, you'll need a bucket of those bugs."
After some more minutes, Atkhan was slapped on the face by Vlad casually, before hearing him telling him sarcastically.
"Go slowly in eating bugs, you'll not know when you encounter a scorpion."
"Hehe, I'll move so swiftly and take out their poisonous tail that it will make for a great snack."
*Slap*
With a new slap on his chest, the boy was forced by the push on his back, and before the little monk knew it, he heard Vlad tell him to lie on the table.
"Lie on the table like a worm."
"Yes, sir."
Following the instructions, he felt his legs being touched by the tall man who was truly eccentric in his eyes. Constant touches on his legs before he raised his head a bit to see what Vlad was doing. He was binding together his two legs and later pulling on his hairpin, untying his long hair.
Atkhan got a bit worried about his legs when he saw the black hairpin morphing into a long slim stick, and before he knew it, the cold sensation of a metal was touching his soles.
"Equal?" asked Titania, taking a closer look at how the stick was aligned with Atkhan's feet.
"Mhm, seems like I don't have to play with the kid's bones and align them properly like the first one. And I moved so fast he couldn't even feel it."
"Mister, you are talking about Sanzo?" asked Atkhan, curious about what happened to the "first" one to enter, which was his orphan friend Sanzo.
"Was that his name? Well, whatever. That boy needs guidance since he is too weak, too shy and sensible. Now, get on your ass brat."
"My ass? Should I pull my robe off?"
*Slap*
Vlad slapped the boys tight which made Atkhan scream in pain, and without asking any additional questions, he went into a seated position, where next check was his reflexes which he executed using a small tomahawk mallet.
"What is that for?"
"Checking tendon reflexes. It's just the standard procedure, boy, since I am already aware you are healthy, but I have to fill in my report for professional reasons. Now, stay put and let your legs to dangle freely, Titania will watch your legs for the reflex."
He didn't even have time to respond that he felt the cold smaller hammer hit him easily on a part lower to his knee which resulted in him instinctively move his hit leg, and there was another hit after entering a neutral stance, which had the same result.
The same could be said for his right leg, who reacted the same, making Titania to nodd, telling Vlad.
"Nothing wrong with his reflex."
"Told you I am healthy, mister."
*Slap*
Atkhan was once again slapped this time on his back making his back get into a straight position, and, reaching the final parts of his checks, he used the Stethoscope morphed from the black stick he used to check the arrangement of the boys legs, if they were equal.
The little monk was quick to remove his robe and begin breathing in as the cold Stethoscope was touching his chest, followed by his back.
"How many checks are there?"
"There's still plenty to go. Titania, the Eye Check, make sure to follow the child's eyes and if he focuses on the object I will show him."
Saying that, he morphed the Stethoscope into a black pen that he showed to Atkhan and sensing him not focus on his pen, he slapped him on the face again.
"Focus on the pen, brat."
"Ouch! Yes, sir!"
Pushing his hand closer to the boys face showing the black pen, where Titania watched Atkhan's face, he, later on, moved the pen closer to himself and later on to Atkhan's left and right side.
"His eyesight is good."
"I see, good for him. Now, get on your feet brat. The last checks."
"Finally!"
"Open your mouth."
Atkhan did as told, and opened his mouth, where later on Vlad approached closer taking about some seconds before stepping back, and slapping the boys chest.
"Take care of your oral hygiene boy and also clean your teeth after you eat. I doubt you'll have money for a toothbrush, but you can use the nature around you. For example, when I was on my War Campaigns, I learned from old guys that using hazel twigs is a great make-up for a toothbrush."
"Hazel twigs?"
"Yea, you snap the young twigs that are only one year old, and then take the snapped end and begin to grind it a bit into your teeth, you'll reach the fibers of the twig. Afterwards, with your new toothbrush, you can use it to clean your teeth along with a powder or paste of cloves and salt."
"But why should I do that? Seems troublesome."
*Slap*
"If you don't brush your teeth when you get older you'll get decaying teeth, and the baby teeth you guys might still have will never grow back."
"Really? They will not return?"
"Mhm, now, keep in mind what I've told you. I am saying this because you are my patient, and it's written in the moral code, I, as a doctor, have to do my best to help you."
Akhan nodded his head like a little chick, and then after some other basic checks, he got a chill on his spine when Vlad touched the boy's private area protected by the orange monk robe. It was a brief check, but for the boy a scary one nonetheless.
"How old are you, child?"
"Eleven years, old, sir."
"Mhm, that's good. If you start noticing visible changes to your body, apart from the changes of the devil fruit, it's caused by puberty."
"Pardon me? Why are you touching my weiner?"
*Slap*
Vlad slapped the boy over his chest again, and as he finished checking the boy's testicles, he walked toward another part of the laboratory, taking a bar of soap and beginning to wash after taking water into a larger bowl from a bucket.
"Sigh, and you are at the age you should learn about those things, about puberty and sexual education in general. Well, I was no better than you when younger, so I will not slap you for that. I will explain it to you as I write your report."
Minutes passed and Atkhan found his way out of the laboratory accompanied by Titania who pointed at the third boy, Akam, who entered inside, where his check-up was similar to the monkey boy, being released after 15 minutes, only having to check the condition of the blonde little girl that he left last since he heard something that troubled him.
"Marie-chan, you can enter the doctor's cabinet." called out Titania in a calm, warm tone, seeing how the girl got shy when her turn arrived.
She required some encouragement from Atkhan and Diana, however, the atmosphere inside the laboratory didn't match with what she was imagining, especially after hearing Atkhan's stories, of how he got slapped by Vlad for no reason.
"Make yourself comfortable on the table." said Vlad who was at his office, beginning the girls report.
Mariegold turned her head at Vlad only to notice she got ignored, just like all of the kids who entered before her, and only after he was done writing the basic layout for the report, he asked the girl's name casually.
"What's your name, little girl? Also, your age."
"... M-M-My name i-is Marie … Mariegold. I-I am Twelve."
Vlad wrote down on the report, and got up from the office walking toward the little girl who got scared immediately as he approached her, especially after she noticed the white pair of gloves he was wearing along with the surgeon's mask.
"What's wrong, little girl? Do I look like a bad guy who wants to harm you?"
Mariegold who crawled into a ball, entering into a shell, nodded, making Vlad's cogwheels to start turning faster with regard to this girl, and as he moved his hand to pat her small head, she flinched and began trembling.
"Little girl, have bad people treated you badly?"
"..."
After a minute of silence, a long sigh could be heard, where later on Vlad tapped the girl's head.
"Don't worry, Marie-chan. I can feel that you are sensible which added with your experiences will make you aware of certain things, others will not. However, right now I am a doctor, so let me see if I can heal anything."
"I am fine."
"No, no, this is the job of the doctor to check." said Vlad as he made a small sound with his tongue along with his "No", and before the girl could know, she received the scalp check.
"Head lices." remarked Titania, getting the little girl even more scared.
"Don't be afraid, little one. That's not Babau." said Vlad calmly leaving the side of the girl, and later on telling Titania casually.
"Stay with her for a while, I will bring some hot water and the shampoo."
Agreeing with his request, she remained inside the room with the blonde girl who calmed down from her trembling, shily looking at the tiny woman, someone with a beauty he never seen in her life, but here she was, watching over her calmly.
"There's no need to worry about anything here. You little ones will be fine."
"The mister, he will not harm me like the others?"
"On the contrary, it's the opposite, he wants to help you, little ones. In his own way ... he is cold, arrogant, detached, and unable to understand common sense that even I, a Fairy can see.
But, I understand him, he is someone who suffered a lot in his life, and his body is a reminder of that pain."
"Onee-chan, was the mister also hurt when he was young? By the bad people?"
"Mhm, that's right. This is why he wants to help you, little ones because he probably sees himself in you three."
"But then … why can I feel this scary sensation when he looks at me with his eyes open?"
"... No idea, I never experienced such a feeling. However, deep down he is a good man, so stay calm and let him help you. You have some head lice, but I heard from Vlad they aren't harmful to the human body, and only can create discomfort and itchiness."
"... M-My head itches a bit and I feel like stretching it. B-But Khan-kun told me to not scratch it since I would hurt myself."
As the conversation between the two girls continued, Vlad was in a specific room where he started the fire to boil a bucket of water that he would use to wash Mariegold's hair.
With the water boiling he went inside the bathroom where a room akin to his laboratory was revealed, having a body size mirror, a bathtub and shower, that worked by filling in a device with the boiled water which would rather disperse it.
"The herbs used for the shampoo are good because I have dandruff. The symptoms caused by head lices are the same, and the properties of the plants I used for the shampoo should work for those bugs too, and kill all of them."
Moving out from the bathroom after taking the shampoo glass bottle, he returned to the kitchen where the water was already heated, followed by appearing back inside his laboratory moving around the ship without even requiring his cane, as if he was normal.
Ignoring the four kids who waited patiently in the lower deck, playing around there, while he began the treatment of Mariegold who got surprised by his return, especially when she saw him holding some towels, the shampoo bottle, and the bucket of warm water.
"Now, get down from the table, and follow me." said Vlad who walked where a specific hole was sealed, clearly a sign that the room was intended for the sailors who would relieve directly in the sea.
"There's nothing you should do here, instead allow me to wash your hair."
"U-Understood."
A small smile appeared on Vlad's lips when the little girl cooperated willingly with him, and placing down all the new equipment, he touched her back and positioned her in such a way she wouldn't wet her clothes.
Taking a clean cup, he began wetting her hair, followed by applying the shampoo which released a floral fragrance that made Mariegold feel pleasant when Vlad started washing her short, dirty, and messy hair.
Titania could see the dirt getting out from the girls hair, and a sad expression appeared on the young lady who always had mesmerizing hair.
It took about 15 minutes to wash Mariegold's hair, considering he waited precisely 8 minutes before rinsing the second appliance of the shampoo.
Mariegold found this process enjoyable, especially when Vlad began giving the little girl a massage on her scalp, and with the rest of the checks going along like the other kids, she also received a lesson about puberty along with sexual education.
Then Titania was the one to explain to her various things about the menstrual cycle and how she should handle it, and the dangers of unprotected sex.
All of that new information overwhelmed the little girl, but both Titania and Vlad, had this role as adults to teach those kids before they would hurt themselves, destroying their future while young.
Before taking on to the next step of the treatment package Vlad had in store for those kids, Titania cleaned up Mariegold's cut hair, resulting in her receiving a haircut akin to a short hime cut with a bowl overall look.
"Marie-chan, this is all I could do with how much hair you had. You should also begin to take care of your hair, and make the shampoo explained by Vlad which requires some simple plants that you can find in gardens."
"Thank you, Onee-san."
Being guided out from the laboratory, where Vlad also followed suit, Atkhan was the first to point at his friend, noticing the major change for Mariegold.
"Marie-chan, your hair smells nice! Also, it got cut nicely! Amazing!"
"You'll have plenty of time for compliments another time. For now, get up to the Main Deck and follow me. You'll receive a warm meal, and you will also, later on, take a warm bath to clean your entire body."
"WOW! Even a warm bath? I told you guys brother is the best!"
*Smack*
Vlad kicked the monkey brat in his ass, being the first to get to the main deck, and walk to the kitchen to prepare the food for those kids.
.
A/N: Vlad makes up for a great Daddy and babysitter, watching over the kids.
