Roche was never a welcome site in these villages, even when called and expected. He was a physician of the house of serpent both an honored and feared position. The physicians were healer, but their driving goal was the eradication of disease. This task often recast the doctors into the role of inquisitor who rooted out whole communities to prevent some contagion.
The doctor entered the commune to the common wary eyes and hidden children. The community had provided a sample of volunteers. Roche knew they would line up only the healthiest for his tests, to hide any illness. The doctors eyes darted beneath the filtration mask, measuring and taking note. Roche caught every half hidden eye as he glanced from his work. To the volunteers he was silent, taking their blood and providing an rough examination. They didn't notice the doctor counting their aspirations nor his gloved hands moving over the lymphatic during the small pains of the blood drawing. They certainly didn't notice Roche discard the blood after leaving the village.
The doctor returned to his party some days from the village with a cool greeting. Roche was not glad of his position performing his tasks dutifully but with regret. "Infection is present. They hide the worst of the exposed but jaundiced appearance is present in a fourth of the population. Volunteers show possible recovery of minor infection. Procedure indicates extraction of recovered individuals for study. Purge the remainder. Burn out the village." Roche dictated. The doctor sunk into his pack after the disinfectant company departed; staring at the nothing in the distance.
The doctor entered the commune to the common wary eyes and hidden children. The community had provided a sample of volunteers. Roche knew they would line up only the healthiest for his tests, to hide any illness. The doctors eyes darted beneath the filtration mask, measuring and taking note. Roche caught every half hidden eye as he glanced from his work. To the volunteers he was silent, taking their blood and providing an rough examination. They didn't notice the doctor counting their aspirations nor his gloved hands moving over the lymphatic during the small pains of the blood drawing. They certainly didn't notice Roche discard the blood after leaving the village.
The doctor returned to his party some days from the village with a cool greeting. Roche was not glad of his position performing his tasks dutifully but with regret. "Infection is present. They hide the worst of the exposed but jaundiced appearance is present in a fourth of the population. Volunteers show possible recovery of minor infection. Procedure indicates extraction of recovered individuals for study. Purge the remainder. Burn out the village." Roche dictated. The doctor sunk into his pack after the disinfectant company departed; staring at the nothing in the distance.
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