She Treats and Gets Treated

*Quick warning: the details of the medical treatment will be somewhat graphic. for those who are not good with it, please skip past the double bars with stars in between.*

Though it was barely visible, soon enough, tiny white worms emerged through the child's pores around the bruised areas. It looked similar to pus emerging from a pimple. These were then collected, and placed into a ball, which grew slowly over the course of two hours. By the time treatment was finished, there was a ball the size of a fist separated within the king slime's body.

The king slime made sure that all had emerged, then emitted a peculiar vibration, that caused a strange sound for over a minute, before separating from both the child, and Robin. Its usually clear slime body turned obsidian black as it digested the parasites.

"What wazzat sound earlier?" Traughn asked, after seeing his child had a peaceful expression, and his face was a healthier color than before.

"Egg killing." Robin responded. "The parasites can move, but the eggs were left behind. If they were not destroyed, your child would have just had the same problem come back again."

Traughn reached out his hand, intending to hold his child. But, before his hand could touch the lad, Robin's voice stopped him.

"I would not do that if I were you." She said.

"What? Ah'm not allowed ta hold mah own son?" Traughn glared at Robin.

"Of course you can hold him." Robin replied. "But not right now. You are also in need of treatment."

Traughn recovered his hand, shakily.

"How did ye know?"

"Your beard and clothes can cover up a lot of it, but it cannot cover up the vivid bruising on the back of your hand."

"Heh. Looks like ye got me." Traughn sighed. "Ah was originally only gwing ta owe you fer saving mah son. Tha ones as responsible fer this i'n't tha type as can be brought down by tha law."

"So you were going to go on a suicide mission?" Robin asked. "Leave your wife and child behind to mourn your death as a criminal? Even worse, leaving them to face the results of your selfish actions?"

"Mah wife..." Traughn looked down at a knot in the wood grain of the floor. "She's no longer alive."

"Even worse then." Robin replied. "Your son has already lost one parent. For the health of his mind and heart, I cannot allow him to lose the other, from a professional point of view."

"But what am Ah ta do then!?" Traughn clenched his fist painfully. "Ah cannae allow them ta continue this! Ta use poor folks as Ah was!"

"Leave this to the professionals, obviously." Robin smiled. "And take the time you have been given to raise your son in peace."

"All tha folks as can do somethin about et are under their blasted payroll." Traughn grit his teeth.

"Am I not in front of you?" Robin asked with a playful sigh. "All right. Since you cannot recognize me, surely you would recognize this, right?" Robin brought out the hero's blade.

"...You!-you-you-you're tha!" Traughn's eyes widened.

Robin brought a finger up to her lips. "That's right. But in exchange for this secret, I'm going to need your full cooperation, okay?"

Traughn's face turned black as he considered things. He indeed owed the hero.

"Before Ah give ye my answer, kin Ah ask ye a question?" He finally opened his mouth.

"Ask away." Robin nodded.

"Are ye hear ta get rid of our king because he's a demon protecto-I mean a guardian now?" Traughn stared at Robin.

Robin shook her head. "Nope! I actually came here to acquire his approval."

"...Good. Ye'll have mah help then. But ifn's yer lying tah me, there's not a place as can hide ye round here." Traughn sighed.

"Ah'll take tha treatmint then." He said. By this time, the king slime had finished digesting the parasites.

"Which method?" Robin asked upon being prompted by the king slime.

"Get em out quick as ye can!" Traughn replied, gritting his teeth. "Ahm naht efreed uv a little pain!"

The slime king engulfed Traughn but for the area around his nose and mouth. This time, it was near instantaneous. Traughn couldn't help but groan a bit, despite his clenched teeth, the pain was so much. The skin around the bruises boiled like water as the parasites sought to leave as quickly as possible, tearing his skin open in the process.

Robin was unsure how Traughn managed to bear this for five whole minutes, but she was very much impressed. He was quiet even through the egg removal process, which would have been very painful for him. When the king slime had closed up all his wounds and separated in order to digest its feast, Traughn didn't move a muscle.

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*****End of Treatment*****

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Robin came closer to see what was wrong. His eyes seemed glazed over as he stared off into space. She wave her hand around in front of his eyes. Then chuckled to herself as she realized what had happened. Traughn had been in a dead faint the whole time.

Off to the side, Chelsea had watched attentively with a somewhat admiring gaze. Robin felt that if Chelsea were in Japan, it would be the kind of gaze a kohai gave towards their sempai. She could almost imagine Chelsea saying, 'As expected of Slime-Sempai! A perfect execution of water healing once again! How wonderful! *blush*' At that thought, Robin fought hard to keep a straight face. Now was not the time for laughter.

Ayva came in soon afterwards.

"Is it finished?" She asked.

Robin nodded.

"The little one should be waking up soon."

While they were talking, the king slime once again disguised itself by latching onto Robin's belt.

"And what about the big one?" Ayva asked.

Robin smirked and brought out one of the failed food creations she had been given earlier by the kitchen staff. This one smelled particularly nasty. She waved it around, close to Traughn's nose. She just managed to jerk the dish back before Traughn sneezed.

"Is et over?" He asked, his voice more gravely than usual.

"It's finished." Robin nodded.

"....Papa?" A weak voice called from the window seat. Traughn jumped up off the floor and quickly went over to the small lad that had finally woken up. Already his complexion was much better than earlier.

"Papa's here." Traughn replied, clasping his son's hand.

"I had a nightmare." The small lad spoke, then paused. surprisingly, he didn't ache all over.

"There's no nightmares as kinna be beaten back by you're papa. You're safe." Traughn brushed some hair gently out of his son's face.

"I dreamed that you were running after bad guys and you disappeared, and I was all alone..." The boy clenched and unclenched his hand in wonder.

"It doesn't hurt anymore! papa, am I in heaven? Auntie said that only going to heaven would make it not hurt anymore."

Traughn sniffed disdainfully. "Well tha next time ye see Auntie, ye can tell her tha she kin nae be more wrong. You were healed by the doctor here, right as rain."

He turned to Robin. "How kin Ah ever thank ye?"

"I am relatively new here, so we'll start with information." Robin smiled.

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Half an hour later, Robin and Chelsea came out of the room.

"Now that that's over, I'm famished! time to get dinner." She joined her companions at the table. most of them had already eaten and were sippin their 2nd beers.

"Hey, Robin! What took you so long?" Jasmine pouted. "It's been almost three hours!"

"Sorry! This was something I couldn't overlook. I'll tell you after I eat. I'm famished!" Robin sat down at the table.

"Ah, sorry about that. Since it had something to do with my own people, let me treat you for your pains." Ayva motioned to one of the kitchen hands, and several dishes were brought out.

There was lamb steak cooked with garlic cloves, lamb pie, stewed vegetables, and some sort of flat pancake like bread. For dessert there was even apple pudding. It was not the kind of pudding that looks like mayonnaise and has the consistency of custard. It was of a solid bready kind, like christmas pudding.

Robin, curious about the pancake-like bread, sampled a taste.

"Potatoes?" She asked, surprised.