478 Agatha's interesting queries

Victoria watched numbly as Agatha examined a patient at David's side. The halfling was an enigma, even more unreadable than most.

However, she had cooked a decent meal for them last night, the first Victoria had eaten in days. Most of the time she was so busy she just ate whatever crusty bread or mediocre stew the soldiers passed out.

She was in an odd position as a female recruit, technically ranking below the rest, but having far more knowledge and authority in the current situation than she ought to. She tried not to tread on anyone's toes or demand anything outside of what was necessary for the patients.

Still, as odd as her position was, Agatha's was far stranger. She was the only one of her race in the area, and though the soldiers had quickly learned not to mistake her for a little girl, it was still difficult for them not to minimize or overlook the child-sized woman.

Victoria didn't have time to worry excessively for the halfling's feelings, not that she had many, but Agatha was content to ignore the soldiers on the whole. Victoria expected to be ignored by her as well, but the small woman seemed to pay the nurse a respectful amount of attention when David came to check in with Victoria.

The offer of dinner the night before was strange, to say the least, but Victoria had badly needed a break at the time. She, David, and Agatha ate together, and the food was good. The humans conversed with ease, and the halfling observed their interactions closely.

It was slightly unnerving, and if Victoria hadn't been a chatty person by nature, there might have been some very awkward long pauses in the conversation.

David finished his examination, bringing the nurse back to the present.

"No signs of worsening for this one," He announced, which was the best news he could give. It could change any moment, but not worsening was the best they could hope for.

"I concur," Agatha nodded.

"Are there any new treatments you two have devised?" Victoria asked hopefully, glancing over to Gabe's cot in the corner. He had been sick for several days now, and though he didn't seem dire, the illness was a treacherous thing.

There was silence for a moment, and David shook his head. "I have made no progress on the source of the disease, and all we can do is continue to treat the symptoms."

Victoria nodded, fighting the wave of emotion that washed over her whenever she thought about Gabriel's chances of survival.

"I'll… get back to work, then." She said thickly.

David reached forward and clasped her shoulder briefly in comfort. "I'm going to rest for a while, but if you need me, you can send someone."

Victoria smiled her thanks and nodded again, then turned away.

"I will come with you." Agatha announced, keeping pace with the woman. The nurse smothered her surprise.

"Aren't you going to rest as well?" She blinked. Agatha had been at David's side almost constantly since her arrival, and Victoria assumed that she must sleep on the same schedule as he did… not that he rested much. None of them did.

"Halflings do not need so much sleep as humans. You waste a lot of time." Agatha said seriously.

"It would be more productive to have more hours awake," Victoria mused. "Perhaps the difference in size has something to do with the rest that is needed."

"That is logical," Agatha agreed. "I intend to learn as much as possible about being human, and I had some questions for you while we work."

"Oh?" Victoria blinked at her, not completely sure she'd heard correctly. "May I ask why?"

She would have thought Bran and Tom would have shared with the young woman all they had learned about humans while posing as them in an orphanage.

"My race is exploring whether or not to attempt to become human, and how the process would be accomplished." Agatha commented.

"What? Become human?" Victoria put a hand to her forehead, wondering if she had fallen ill and was hallucinating the entire strange conversation.

"The giants succeeded unintentionally in doing so. Your queen has opined to Tom that halflings could accomplish the same by other means; fulfilling those traits which earned the Sorcerer's punishment in the first place." Agatha explained.

"But why would you want to become human?" The woman pressed. "Would that be preferable?"

She really had no idea at all if the halflings were content in their joyless state or whether they desired something more. She'd never thought about it, really.

"There would be certain advantages, and also drawbacks," Agatha looked over the patients with a flat expression. "I think it would be nice to be taller, and to have the loyalty and guardianship of the Fae. I would not like to sleep so much."

"All right," Victoria shook off her surprise and went about her rounds tucking in blankets and checking fevers, offering water to those able to take it. "What would you like to know about being human?"

"Do you find it the 'preferable' state of being, as you put it?" Agatha asked bluntly.

"Um, I'm not sure how to answer that." Victoria admitted, "I prefer being human, but I've also never been anything else, so I don't have anything to compare it to. If I could be anything, I'm not sure I would change to something else? Mama says I should be content as I am, but I know she would say that even if I were the ugliest person she'd ever seen."

"So you would be human, if you could choose?" The halfling pressed, "Why?"

"I find my size to be manageable; I know the giants have trouble finding enough food. I also, most days, enjoy feeling all the feelings…" Victoria paused, knowing that was not really true today, or recently.

Feeling too much for Gabe had put strain on their friendship. It had also plunged her into emotional turmoil when he became ill. Without all these feelings, she might be able to concentrate better on her tasks and do more good. She also felt deep, painful compassion and grief for the dying she treated here. 

And yet, if it were a real choice, she didn't think she would give up her emotions. One had to take the good and the bad, didn't they?

"What feelings do you have for David?" Agatha asked.

Victoria jumped, not expecting that question. "What?"

"I thought before that the other doctor might be your mate, but you avoid touching him or talking to him. That is not the case with David. Is there love between you?" Agatha asked the question like a student instead of like an incredibly nosy halfling.

"No, David is an old friend," Victoria said honestly.

"So you do love the other? What is that like?" The halfling continued speaking as if she were asking nothing more embarrassing than the weather.

"These are very personal questions, Agatha," The nurse tried to keep her face from turning bright red. "May I ask why you want to know more on this particular subject?"

"Joy. It is what your human fable says halflings lack. Tom asked your queen what gives the most joy, and she said that love does. So I must fall in love as a test of the theory. If David is not in love with you, he would be an adequate human for this purpose."

Victoria snapped her mouth shut when she realized it was hanging open.

"What an interesting strategy you've chosen. May I ask what makes you find David particularly… adequate?"

She didn't want her friend hurt, but would he even be hurt? Was he capable of falling in love with an off-putting halfling with a childish face? Victoria was torn on whether to interfere or let things play out as they might.

"He is not condescending like many humans, and is not as slow. He is able to understand most of what we talk about." Agatha explained. "I find him tolerable."

"That's a promising start, I suppose. But let me ask you something, Do halflings not fall in love with each other to get married and have children?" Victoria squinted as she rose from tucking another patient's blankets in.

"The Void would pair us off for desirable offspring qualities. Since our freedom, there have been no new pairings. It has been forgotten how things were before our enslavement to the Void." Agatha shrugged.

"There have been no halfling offspring for over a decade?" Victoria asked with raised eyebrows.

"That is another reason this method is to be tried, to prevent our extinction. Love in your race is very functional to prevent that."

Victoria had dozens of questions she wanted to ask. Why didn't they just pair off logically and marry? Why hadn't they tried arranged marriages of another sort? Why now, would they attempt this strange experiment?

"How do you plan on going about falling in love?" She asked instead.