Starfish

Seven

"Are you sure? Run it again."

The physician sighed. "Doctor, there's nothing wrong with you. You're well within the normal ranges for everything. In fact, I'd say you're healthier this year than you were the last time I saw you."

Ardus shook his head, "I am telling you, something is off. I have too much energy. I am not sleeping well, I cannot focus on my work, I am agitated."

"Have you changed your diet lately?"

"No."

"Have you had a fever, chills, any sort of symptoms other than those?"

"No."

"Has your environment changed?"

A flash of grey eyes, a memory of a dream, a stab of guilt. "No." Ardus growled.

"Then I don't know what to tell you. All you've told me is you feel agitated and have excess energy that you're burning off with exercise, which is fine. As long as you don't push yourself too hard, I think this is good for you. This may just be a temporary change, something seasonal. Now as for the sleeping, I want you to wait it out for a few weeks – it could just be that you're meeting your sleep needs sooner than you're used to. If it gets worse, take a few days off of work and contact me. Otherwise, try not to worry about it."

Ardus left his physician's office more frustrated than when he'd entered.He'd requested a battery of blood tests, exams, a physical, anything to help him understand why he felt on-edge, restless, distracted. And they had all told him there was nothing wrong with him, not even a cold. He stomped back to the university campus, results in his hand. He would have someone in the chemistry department look over them, perhaps, to see if there was something his physician had missed. Omi knew they had taken enough blood to run every test from lymphatic to adrenal. Ardus strode into his office, glowering so darkly that Athe stopped and asked him if he was alright. Doctor Ma'atanoa was also there, wearing another Dreen outfit, and that inflamed Ardus's already agitated disposition. "I am fine, Athe. Doctor, are you prepared for lab work today?"

Doctor Ma'atanoa looked up sharply at him, her grey eyes large, and he realized his voice was far louder than he'd intended. He cleared his throat. "Sorry, I...never mind." He crossed the room quickly and sat at his desk, stuffing his lab results into a drawer. He shuffled things on his desk, claws clicking on the glass surface. He felt eyes on him and looked up, and both Athe and Doctor Ma'atanoa were staring at him strangely. "What?"

"Doctor..." Nina – Doctor Ma'atanoa – began, her whole body leaning towards him with concern. "Are you okay? Those forms...is it bad news?"

Suddenly he was sorry he'd been so sharp, she seemed genuinely concerned. He shook his head, wires and beads clinking. "No, no, it is not bad news, it is just my physical results. Everything is fine."

She looked instantly relieved. "Oh, good. Athe told me you'd made alast-minute appointment and you'd be late, I was just wondering...I'm glad you're okay." She smiled at him, a gentle, sympathetic smile. Something tightened in his chest, like a metal band from his shoulders to his stomach. The way her shoulders had dropped, the way she'd relaxed into her chair told him she was worried. She was concerned for me... The invisible pressure he felt in his chest settled around his heart. What is this? This pressure that had been building for days now, starting in his throat and spreading lower. He'd even asked his practitioner for a stress test, but like everything else the results had been negative for everything except the effort of running at top speed on a treadmill with dozens of colored wires and sensors glued to his dark skin.

He cleared his throat, hoping that pressure behind his tongue would go away. It didn't, but at least he knew he could speak. "Doctor Ma'atanoa, today I am going to walk you through Meem's care process of the red sea worms she is keeping. Their diet is extremely important for venom production – I have them on a specific regimen. Afterwards, we will go to the chemistry department and Nia and Meem will show you how they are handling the venom. I want you to use caution in the labs; I am sure you are aware of several specimens that can be considered extremely dangerous if mishandled."