Work Text:
A Beating Heart Embedded within the Snake’s Coils
“Ah, Master. There you are. I require your assistance at once.”
Retreating from a hearty lunch that they enjoyed in the canteen, Ritsuka Fujimaru bumps straight into Asclepius; his dark black and pink tinged tips of his neatly tied white hair flowing serenely around his elegant form. Armed with medicinal gloves and a mask, he’s the epitome of cleanliness.
“Hmm, Asclepius? What’s up?”
“Good patients should know how to follow orders, Master. Quickly, it’s time for your examination.” Refusing to elaborate any further, Asclepius simply points his sleeves in the direction he wishes to usher them towards, amber-tinged green eyes glowing with a slight...sense of joy ? Excitement ?
Ritsuka couldn’t quite tell.
‘An examination? Eh, why?!’ Utterly bemused by his words, Ritsuka calmly follows behind his slinking form, wondering what the urgency behind such a sudden request could be. ‘This guy never fails to surprise me...’
His room is neatly organized, rare herbs and items packaged and labelled precisely; his room a grotto filled to the brim with life-saving supplies.
“Whoa, this place looks even more amazing than last time, you’ve been working hard!” Ritsuka couldn’t imagine just how much time he had been spending resourcing so many vital goods. “I don’t think we could ever repay you for such a service.”
“Sit.” Did Ritsuka just hear him slightly stammer over his words or was that just their imagination?! Perching against his desk- that was brimming with various medicines and vials of unfinished experiments, Asclepius clears his throat.
“You haven’t been taking care of your health lately. As one of my patients, it’s irritating to know that you are not adhering to the regulated guidelines.”
At this, Ritsuka pouts. “That’s not true! I’ve finally started eating more balanced meals, you know? Fruits, veg, the like.... All the...h-healthy things?”
“Such as what?! Report the contents of your lunch to me at once.”
“...Err, well. I had some cakes, a load of wild plants that I took from those servants that like to forage-”
“You mean to say you consumed random materials that you have no knowledge of- ones whose nutritional contents cannot be understood?” Avidly noting down these facts, Asclepius is seriously focusing on his task.
“But a plant is a plant , right?!” To Ritsuka, they looked green- so they must’ve been healthy. And most definitely were also plants. Or so they assumed.
“And patients die when they refuse to be administered medical treatment.” Asclepius sighs, flipping through some files, and adding further post-it notes to his already crammed ‘Ritsuka Fujimaru’ file. It was clear from the amount of work that was put into it that he had poured his heart and soul into maintaining such a database of files.
“You seem to be sorely lacking in nutrition thus far.”
“Hey, wait? Have you compiled a bunch of files about me and the others?! Wow, that’s so kind of you!!” As soon as the words leave Ritsuka’s mouth, Asclepius hurriedly smashes the files back into his drawer, gaze as concentrated as steel- though his hands fumble ever so slightly.
Not that anyone would see it, mind you. He was one for precision, after all.
“It is a necessary duty of mines to ensure my patients the very best service. Anyway, patients shouldn’t pry upon a doctor’s records. Now, continue. I need to collate as much evidence as possible. What else did you consume?”
“Two liters of soda...” Ritsuka could CHUG these kinds of drinks down by the dozen sometimes. “...And well, some sweets to top it off...” Despite the lovely, curated creations that the chefs would make on a regular basis, Ritsuka couldn’t help themselves sometimes...
‘Sorry, chefs. Maybe next time I’ll eat a healthier meal.’
The words were enough for the doctor to burst a vessel, irritated by the foolish, wanton- and incredibly sugary meal that such an important Master would even dare to consume. How would they be able to assist him as his patron if they refused to even take care of their own health?! Expression narrowing, he sighs.
“As my esteemed patron, this won’t do.” Shaking his head, he lowers his beautiful black mask, unveiling dewy, pearlescent lips. “You’ve been an idiotic patient. You know what that calls for, right?”
Drawing in so closely that Ritsuka could take in every eyelash, every detail of his stunning features; Ritsuka simply gulps.
“N-no, not really?” Was he going to kiss them? ‘I wish,’ Ritsuka muses, cheeks flaring with heat.
“Heh-heh-heh.... you really are a trying, testing little Master, hmm? I’ll explain it in layman’s terms for you.” Now whispering, his lips murmur into their ears; sending pleasurable chills down their spine.
“It’s time for a full-body examination.”
‘A full body WHAT?!!!’ “Wait, Asclepius, my body isn’t ready- I... augh!!” Blushing as he sets them against the back of the chair, black surgical gloves glowing with blue lights, Ritsuka is transfixed by his jovial smirk, and gleaming eyes.
“Too bad, Master. That’s what you get for bringing such an amusing case before my ward. Get your body ready.”
Softly lifting their chin with his hands, as he cranes towards them; Ritsuka closes their eyes, eagerly awaiting this unexpectedly steamy change of event....
“Your heartbeat is fine- a bit fast, but not abnormal. Eyes, red-rimmed. Assuming you have been missing out on sleep. Bones cracking, muscles pulled and disjointed. Overall, your body is over-exerted and lacking in the necessary vitamins to live a healthy lifestyle.” Casually scrawling down notes, his expression is dancing with glee; enjoying every single moment.
“You are the perfect specimen to test my latest medicine upon....Keh heh heh...”
It was a disturbing laugh, that was for sure. Yet nothing weighed upon Ritsuka more than the anticlimactic shift in events. Still clutching their rapidly beating heart, they sigh.
‘I almost got too carried away there...’
As soon as Asclepius went from almost pressing their lips together, to simply pointing a magnifying glass against their eyes, plonking a stethoscope against their chest, and feeling all their muscles... Ritsuka almost deflated from the surprise.
‘Haha, looks like his methods catch me off guard, even now!’ Though it was still nice to know just how much he cares. Aware of Ritsuka’s laughter, Asclepius’s rambling dies in his throat, expression curious.
“What’s so funny? You should feel honored, bringing the perfect kind of illness right before my ward. Consider yourself a very lucky patient.”
Placing a translucent syrup before them- that was neatly tied with a ribbon that was exactly the same color as Ritsuka’s hair- he softly hands it over.
“This should curtail your foolish actions; and restore you to the health that a specimen such as yourself is meant to be. Hehe, you must report your results at once...this shall make for enlightening data! You’ll see, Master. You’ll become powered-up enough to bring me hundreds of patients a day once you drink from that vial, so do it at once.” Launching into a passionate speech about the miracles of medicine, and of all the different types of patients he wished to treat and find, his eyes glimmered so brightly; almost as if he was filled with joy.
Simply rolling the vial within their palms, a soft smile crosses Ritsuka’s face. For him to so conveniently found them at such a time, and have a medicine prepared even before their examination...it was clear that these maneuvers were intentional.
“Thanks, Asclepius. You’re a super kind guy, you know that?” Ritsuka beams at him, as he freezes in surprise- mouth flailing at the admission of such a compliment. “You tend so dotingly on me. Seriously, I appreciate it a lot!”
A cough. “I am merely performing my duties. If you are to bring such stupidly easy to cure conditions before me, then it is of no doubt that I shall heal them. That’s all, as my duty to my patients.”
His words were logical, and straight to the point- yet it didn’t deny the true warmth behind his actions, and the sheer care he put into everything.
“Even if you say that, you so lovingly assemble detailed files on all of us patients, and even find ways to help us out with even the most mundane and extreme of conditions...I originally misunderstood your desire to cure rare illnesses and strange new conditions as solely a form of experimentation, but I get it now. You are doing your best to help, endeavoring to cure all ailments, on all our behalf . Thank you, Asclepius....”
A sheen of red glows on his cheeks, as he reflexively looks away, eyes darting back and forth. “You misunderstand me. Of course, I would do my utmost to ensure that the patient by my side could become the very paragon of health itself...It would be a failure on my behalf to stand idly by as they suffer, especially when I have access to such useful donors and patrons...”
His voice is shaky, composure rattling away.
“Thanks. It’s cute seeing how excited you get when helping and taking care of others. I really love seeing that side of you.” It was sweet that behind such harsh, curt words and orders was such a powerful desire to help and take care of others. Bashfully brushing their hair back, Ritsuka winks at him.
“I simply wish to see them live, and to prevent death at any cost. That is all there is to it... Ritsuka.” The way he spoke their name was so soft, so devoted- almost as if it was a prayer, one that could fade away at any moment.
“...I understand. I hope we’ll both continue to survive... together, Asclepius.”
For a moment, the room swells with emotion; gazes locked upon one another. Within these halls, fighting in Chaldea- who knows when any one of them could die, and cease to exist? If one day, there could be an illness that even Asclepius’ medicine couldn’t cure?
Disturbing the poignancy of such a moment- the pain of such thoughts- Asclepius disrupts it by lightly dipping a sleeved arm onto Ritsuka’s forehead, jamming another packet of tablets atop their head.
“Eat this and consume a healthy diet, so then we won’t have to find out. And you better come here as soon as you feel the slightest bit unwell, Master. Or I’ll get you by force myself, even from the clutches of the underworld itself, if need be.”
Such words fills Ritsuka's heart with bliss, knowing that he means every single word; vowing to hopefully never end up in such a situation- lest the world incur such a powerful desire from Asclepius' determined hands.
Asclepius was one hell of a reliable doctor, after all- one that even death would struggle to overcome.