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drinkumoo · 2 months ago

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A Nurse's Recount of the Past [3]

In which a ex-nurse is tasked to figure out a sleep-walking problem alongside a stray cat.

[ the apothecary diaries x gn reader ]

[1] [2] [3]

author's notes are at the bottom, no warnings today

Amber rays streamed through the windows, the dust being highlighted by the light. Brushstrokes hit the parchment as the servants bustled around the hallway outside. Porcelain, glass, and silk flowers fill the shelves, impeccably dusted off. Mahogany creaks as the occupier of the seat leans back. Footsteps fill the room cautiously, like a rabbit entering a wolf's den. The hand writing on the scroll pauses as a servant enters the room.

“Sir, I have your latest financial report,” the servant begins to speak, gently placing each fresh scroll onto the desk, “but I assume that’s of no interest to you.”

The man sitting at the desk raises his head, staring into the eyes of the servant. His presence was like that of a predator. Unnerving, cold, masked in a cloud of stoicism. Only a slight nod is the servant’s only tell of the master’s response.

With an awkward clearing of their throat, they continue. “The physician has sent a report regarding the heron.”

That managed to catch the lord of the estate’s attention. His eyes harden, a simple wordless answer. Continue, his sharpened eyes seemed to speak for him.

“They seem to have changed overnight; they’re now more active in the medical wing. The spark they once held as a child has seemed to return before Mada–” the servant’s words are quickly shut down by the gruff voice of the master of the house.

“That is enough, Liaoshu. It seems it is time to call my little heron back into their sanctuary.”

—

When you woke up this morning, a cold wind went down your spine. A stiff groan leaves your lips as you dive back under the sheets. It’s been about a month since the powder incident. A mild cough has already made its way to your throat after trying to confiscate all the containers alongside assigned eunuchs. Some woman even threw her powder puff at you when you tried to take the contraband.

You sit up, glancing at the room around you. It’s simple, yet the floor space is bigger than your previous bedroom in your old apartment. A square window sits above the bedspace, with papers tacked on the paper-like walls with acupuncture pins. Rough sketches of the human body that are labelled fill the wall space like some sort of creepy wallpaper. A dark wooden desk sits off at a faraway corner, the tabletop filled with stained ink blots and crumbled up pages. You look down, staring at the blanket that covers your legs. Fur, presumably from a bear. While you did not ask Guen about it, his own bed did not have such a luxury. Figuring it was something owned by the previous owner of the body you currently inhibit, you brush it off to the side.

Thinking back to your old apartment, thoughts of your old life fill your head. About the hospital, the old payne’s gray walls alongside that ugly beige tiling. The backhanded praise from your superiors. The shouts from patients refusing to cooperate. The grueling work hours you cannot fathom working now. Yet the technology was miles away from what they had here in the Li dynasty. The ability to have blood transfusions for the injured. Machines that tracked the statistical health of patients down to a nano-decimal. The bittersweet comfort of the awareness of survival. None of those exist here. Life and death is no longer a determined percentile, but an estimate only determined by what the gods deem a worthy fighting effort.

Your apartment, a studio loft that pardon your language sucked literal balls. A tiny little box that was somehow enough to sustain the life of a single human being. You’d argue your previous living arrangement was comparable to a prison sentence that you unfortunately paid for. Smog would fill your dingy little home, causing you to wake up in a fit of coughs every morning. One of the only perks of being a nurse is that people wouldn’t stare when you wore a mask twenty-four seven.

While you miss it to an extent, the fresh untainted air of the past is a far more comforting one

The air here was clean, only filled with the scents of incense and herbs. People didn’t have the internet to escape reality to, so the only option to speak with one another at a close distance was socializing. The quality of goods were actually entirely determined by cost, and not as softened by brand. Things had to actually be quality in order to survive the day to day of a regular citizen. The stress of the outside world was non-existent for the inhabitants in this timeline, for only you knew of the events going on outside of the region and in the future. Hell, even your body in this era is far healthier. No smoker’s cough, you actually had some light muscle, and your stamina put your old body to shame! Yet, something nagged at you, much like the coils of the unavoidable polluted air of the future.

Huuyren. Your only friend when you weren’t aware reincarnation existed.

He sat by your side through everything. Mostly, everything. You two met in high school when he was the dumb hot jock while you were stereotyped into being a shut-in (not like everyone was wrong, per se.) When you suffered through debilitating exhaustion, he made sure you were taken care of. In his own care, of course, he’d known how much you distrusted hospitals after working in one for so long no matter how much he urged you. You can almost hear his voice still nagging in your ears.

“Babes. Go to the ER, I can’t keep caring for you like this!” He’d always scoff out, yet he never failed to be by your side when you were bedridden. He rarely called you by name, only by corny pet names he’d learned from western media. “Why do you keep working at that shitty hospital? I can get you a job at Xiangzhou Medical!”

“You know I’d hate you if you did that, right Ren?” You spat out, before coughing harder in your memory. “I want to work for my income, not be given it on a silver platter. Beside’s, I’ve got the best healer a tank could ask for.”

… You still feel that guilt gnawing at your heart when you think back to him. About his concern for you. Oh, how you hated seeing his crestfallen face. He came from money, yet never did you see him use it on himself beyond basic necessities. It was always on you, when you didn't decline. Out of everything you long for from the future, he is the only thing that could make the pain in your chest stop hurting. Or maybe energy drinks, that too would suffice.

—

“Hi, Maomao,” You greet, writing a prescription for a eunuch. Guen is nearby, grinding herbs while two cups of tea sit on a serving tray. She had been properly introduced to Guen and yourself some days ago. You had to hold back from actively making fun of your mentor’s lethal expression towards the younger girl that day.

“Can you check this medicine?” She asks Guen, who hums and heads to the back to go pour her a cup and get some snacks.

“Something Lady Gokuyou requested?” You speak from your spot, rising up from your slouched position.

The green-haired girl shakes her head. “Something I prepared myself.”

Guen soon arrives with a new tray of tea and snacks, but with only one cup.

You take a pause, sipping at the tea Guen prepared for the two of you initially. You place a hand at your chin, thinking as to what that said medicine could be.

While you thought, Maomao and to some extent Guen examined you closely, the former far more than the latter.

They kind of look like a dog. Maomao flatly thought out, imagining you with floppy ears like a Shih Tzu. Maybe a sad one.

Guen thought differently, humming internally about your perceived masculine features. They’re so elegant, if they really tried, they could be a court lady..! Well… I prefer them like this.

“May I have some as well?” The voice of Jinshi cut through the placid conversation. Your train of thought breaks as you huff quietly to yourself.

Guen stands up immediately, rushing to pour Jinshi a cup as well. You stay where you are, sipping your tea while observing the interaction.

“Good work,” The purple haired eunuch muses towards Maomao. You can practically hear her bones shuddering as she backs away. Ever so quietly, you snort. Jinshi quickly shoots you a tight smile, causing you to shudder and back off as well.

“It’s the least I could do,” the short girl huffs, and you can imagine cat ears perched up on her head.

Both you and Maomao observe Jinshi move towards her right, her face becoming somewhat smug. You feel sweat droop from your temple.

That’s the face of someone not thinking innocently. Wonder what she could be thinking about, given she kind of hates him.

He lets out a deep sigh, his head propped up against his hand. “Are you thinking inappropriately right now?”

Guess I was right. You take a sip of your tea to hold back your snickers.

“Heh, you’re imagining things,” she looks away as you give her an amused glance. She takes notice, sending you a flat glare. “Don’t look at me like that.”

You shrug, but don’t verbally respond.

Just as Guen walks back in, Jinshi requests him to search for a prescription. While Guen would typically send you to do so, perhaps the praise of Jinshi is enough to convince him to do it himself.

Guen goes off sulking as Maomao asks, “So, what do you really want?”

“Have you heard of the ghost sightings?” Jinshi prods at the “stray cat”, who looks away but confirms that she has.

“How about sleepwalking?” He adds, as you straighten up a bit. Sleepwalking? Seems like you weren’t the only one to be intrigued as Maomao perks up. “Sleepwalking?”

“Seems like I got your attention,” His jab at Maomao only gets her to out in frustration while you’re utterly uninvolved. Thank you, at least I–

“You also seem very interested in this, assistant,” So he intentionally didn’t want Guen in this conversation. You observe, but nod. “... I suppose so, Master Jinishi.”

He hums, suddenly leaning towards Maomao whilst grabbing her shoulder. You only send her a look of pity. “How can it be cured?”

She manages to flatly reply, “I don’t know. There is no medicine that cures somnambulism.”

He turns to you, but you share a similar answer, “Not that I know of. In the west, sleepwalking was simply considered a spiritual manifestation.”

Turning back to Maomao, he continues, “Is there a cure other than medicine or some sort of ritual?”

“My specialty is medicine,” the green haired apothecary shoves him off.

When he looks at you, you shrug. “I’m just a doctor’s assistant, anything wack like sleepwalking is out of my league.”

They both glance at you, probably wondering what the hell you just said in English. Oops, forgot.

Forgetting that can of worms, The purple eunuch begins to hum whilst getting back in her face, “That’s too bad. That’s truly too, too bad.”

“.... I’ll do my best,” Maomao scoffs.

When he leaves, you let out a sigh laced with playful mockery. “Need a cold towel after that?”

“I’d need an ice bath,” she retorts in frustration as you let out an amused laugh.

—

By nightfall, both you and Maomao take opposite directions to investigate. Because of your “masculinity” you go alone while she gets… Gaoshun?! Why couldn’t you look more like a woman! Well actually that would throw a wrench into things, but it should’ve been you!

Anyways.

You’re by the eastern wall when the sounds of fabric catch your attention. Glancing up, you see a hauntingly beautiful woman dancing. “Woah. Man, this feels like I just walked into a secret quest-line.”

The sounds of footsteps behind you get you to turn. Seeing both Maomao and Gaoshun, you fight off a blush and send them both a silent nod.

Shortly after, you return back to the medical building. You report the same sighting to that Gaoshun and Maomao reported, before declaring that you were going to log this down into the palace medical records.

Shortly after, in the dead of night, Guen enters your room with a letter. “An anonymous messenger sent this to you.”

You take the letter, placing it on our desk as you write down the account in both your personal logbook and in the medical record book. “I’ll read it a little bit, thank you.”

—

By morning, both you and Maomao head down to the estate of Lady Fuyou after learning a bit more about her past. Both you and her are peering at the concubine, both your eyes trained on how… typical, she looks.

“Mid-ranking concubine, huh?” You speak absent-mindedly, while your body has an unnatural jerk towards your statement. You glance down, raising a brow. Did past me experience something like that?

“She seems pretty normal, completely different when she was dancing on that wall,” Maomao comments, ignoring your confusion raised to your own body. “She seems unassuming.”

“Reminds me of a cotton rose,” you add on.

Maomao turns to you in agreement as the two of you back off from Lady Fuyou’s estate. While she goes to report to Lady Gokuyou, you go back to the medical wing to rest.

It feels like eyes are observing you. While the feeling of being watched is normal in the modern day thanks to all the cameras everywhere, this feels… Personal. You shiver in discomfort, rushing back with more urgency. Their intent is none of your business and not your problem…!

—

A few days pass. Apparently Lady Fuyou was gifted to her childhood friend; a soldier. She had faked sleepwalking in order to prevent the Emperor from taking notice of her. You weren’t too interested in figuring out any more drama, so that’s probably why you found out so late.

That letter on your desk has been distracting you for days by now. With trepidation, you pluck it off and open the fine parchment. It’s sealed with a wax seal, a sentiment usually done in the west. It being on a letter in this place and time urks you a little bit. What you found written on it finds a chill down your back.

“Come home next winter, little heron.”

WAHHHH this is my first time writing an a/n in years

so sorry i took forever i had exams ;;;;;

btw i'll be opening a tag list if you ever want to be notified when i update!! theres also an ask box if you have any questions about my work, or if you're just bored lmfao

#apothecary diaries #the apothecary diaries #gn reader #x reader #fanfic #ANROTP #reader insert #gender neutral reader

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drinkumoo · 2 months ago

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ANROTP update

updates late (sorry (；´∀｀))

got exams, i promise I'm writing it tho!!

btw, ask box is open if you wanna ask me anything abt the series or anything

#apothecary diaries #ask me anything #ANROTP

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drinkumoo · 3 months ago

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A Nurse's Recount of the Past [2]

In which a nurse from the modern day suddenly gets thrown into the Li dynasty after a dumb death.

[ apothecary diaries x gn reader ]

[1] [2] [3]

cw: misgendering mentioned briefly

It had been three months since you “woke up”. Sleep deprivation has somehow followed you here too, like a demented form of jet lag. Even worse, caffeine was strangely difficult to get here. By this time, it hadn’t even been discovered in the west yet, with the scientific revolution still on the rise. Black tea was a form of it, but it’s still relatively unpopular. Not only that, it’s a hard commodity to come by. Even if you could get your hands on it, you doubt it would hit the spot the same way your beloved battery acid labelled as energy drinks do. You even tried to explain to Guen what caffeine is and the gift it is to humanity from the gods.

—

“Mentor, there’s a drug that’s incredibly invigorating. It’s addictive like spirits, but has the opposite effect of alcohol,” you hum in your little corner of the medical wing, writing in a horizontal format.

Guen peered up from the grinding wheel at that. A new drug that he wasn’t familiar with? Well, he wasn’t much of an apothecary, so it’s not a shock. Still, this person in the body of his student usually spouted on and on about drugs quite often. Just the other day, they yapped on and on about something called “amphetamines” and “crack cocaine” for at least a couple hours. It was more interesting than whatever his actual student did, so he indulged them.

“Ah, what drug is that?” Guen chirped, looking back at the herbs he was crushing with the wheel.

“It’s called caffeine. It’s said to energize the body and renew the energy of the person taking it. The only downside is that once it’s metabolized, it can cause the body to suddenly lose the energy it had gained,” you don’t look up from your writing as you explain this “miracle drug”. You know way too much about crashing out from caffeine drinking. Hell, you’ve passed out once on the emergency room floor during a code blue. A nice security guard dragged you to the nap room reserved for residents, where you woke up confused.

“Energizing? How so?” Guen was a bit confused. Energizing and energy renewal have multiple forms. Most medicines aided the patient to regain the energy to fight sickness. Aphrodisiacs did something similar, but for a different activity all-together. “Is it like ginseng?”

You pause from writing, seemingly thinking of an appropriate response. “Not really. It uh, wakes you up. I had it once in the west.”

You’re really hoping this version of you either mentioned studying in the west, or was so closed off they didn’t tak about their education much.

“I see… What did you take?” So it’s not like ginseng, Guen thought. Maybe it’s an aphrodisiac?

“Tea. I’ll let you try sometime if I can get my hands on it,” you go back to writing, internally mourning the difficulty it is to get your fix in this day and age.

—

You continued to write on a blank book Guen gave you. First of all, you treasure it dearly, it’s literally a living relic to someone like you. Secondly, the paper quality seemed very nice, almost like fabric.

While the previous version of you wrote very basic notes on Guen’s teachings, you wrote everything you remember about medicine from the future. Everything from over-the-counter medication to life saving drugs. Detailed word vomit regarding surgery to the machines that prevented death. To make sure no one could fully decipher it, you wrote in mostly modern calligraphy from left to right. Hey, if the inventors aren’t here, maybe you could end up in a history book someday.

You tried your best to write in columns, but it always felt unnatural to you. So with a bold-faced lie, you always shrug off Guen’s questions regarding the way you write. “I just write the way I was taught in the west.”

Today was a little different than writing prescriptions and watching Guen diagnose eunuchs with common ailments. Today was the day Guen (and by proxy, you) went to the Crystal Pavilion to check on Concubine Lihua’s health, alongside checking the health of her baby boy. Walking towards the garden’s that circled the Crystal Pavilions, you could hear the chatter of some of the servants nearby.

“Oh, that’s the pretty foreign guy!” You heard. You’re not even a dude, but okay.

“He’s attractive,” Another servant girl agreed. “He looks kind of lost, though…”

You felt uncomfortable at the accidental misgendering, but it’s not like you could do anything about it. The idea of someone being non-gender conforming was non-existent in this century, let alone gender neutral. Besides, you have “short” (read: shoulder length) hair according to the beauty standards for women, leading to most people assuming you’re a guy.

You just sigh, slumping over slightly. Under your sleeves, you’re rubbing your arms subconsciously.

“Are you alright?” You hear Guen murmur your name, and you nod in response.

“Yeah, just… Weirded out. I’m fine, don’t worry teacher.”

—

The pavilion was just as elegant as the history books said. The array of blues were an elegant combo of beauty and wealth. Stained hard-wood stood out like prized sculptures. The windows were an ornate, delicate design, despite the simple hardware. It took you an embarrassing amount of restraint to not become a rabid fanatic over the living history surrounding you.

In Lady Lihua’s chambers, you stay off to the side, feeling two pairs of eyes on you. One pair a brilliant cobalt blue, the other a sharp iris violet. You take a glance over, seeing a eunuch and a very attractive person, assumingly another eunuch next to him. Your eyes widen slightly at the sight of the eunuch. He’s very attractive in your opinion, but you shouldn’t impose. Not here, anyway. Unlike the eunuch, the owner of those violet eyes is dressed far more lavishly. While you don’t care for the value of materials, what they are made into holds more weight. Telling by the shorter eunuch’s appearance, that’s more high quality than what it appears to be. Now that you think about it, he looks a lot like that tragic character from history…

Must be someone important.

Hearing your name from Guen’s lips, you walk over carefully towards the mother and child, Lihua and her baby. Seeing the famous concubine from history has you very giddy, but you manage to hold back your excitement with a stoic expression. Your concern is overriding it, afterall.

She looks gaunt despite this being your first meeting with her face to face. Clearly she has lost quite a lot of weight, and that isn’t even from her pregnancy. While you yourself haven’t ever been pregnant, you know enough from the labor and delivery department from your time that mothers who lose so much weight are having other health issues on top of their recovery.

“... I see. May I speak freely Lady Lihua?” You ask, raising a hand towards your chin. She nods slowly in response before looking at her child in the crib next to her.

“While I cannot speak of any underlying issues for now, I’d urge you to have light foods like porridge with fruits in filling portions to help you regain some weight,” you speak, nodding your head solemnly whilst glancing at her baby.

She nods, but it’s already time to go. Guen had already agreed to stay to attend to the prince while you’re off to go attend to Concubine Gyokoyou. You send a quaint nod to Guen, who nods back, before following the two eunuchs outside towards the Jade Pavilion.

“You must be the doctor’s apprentice, yes?” The shorter eunuch smiles charmingly at you after saying your name. You nod mutely in response.

Ikemen man, huh? The girls from the twenty-first century would go crazy for him.

“I am Jinshi, and this is my guard Gaoshun,” the ikemen, Jinshi adds on. Gaoshun the dilf the other eunuch nods mutely as well.

“Pleasure to be of service, Master Jinshi, Gaoshun,” your eyes drift back to the road in front of you.

“Doctor Guen said you’re highly knowledgeable on drug effects,” the purple-haired male hums, regarding you with a polite slime, “and that you were taught medicine overseas?”

“I was, yes,” you rub your arm sheepishly as you respond. Technically, you are. You went to a university in America before returning home to the Li region. And well, you’re technically a foreigner. Guen even commented on your more foreign features once.

The conversation dropped abruptly, leaving the three of you in a neutral silence.

Once arriving at the Jade Pavilion, the design felt both striking yet soothing. Fuschia and teal lined the walls, the embroidered flowers a touch of delicate beauty surrounding you. In a way, it felt more comfortable here, like a peony petal versus the deep blue cornflower that is the Crystal Pavilion. Que you holding back another long winded yap session on the architecture of ancient Li.

Even Lady Gokuyou was like watching history play itself before your eyes. Like Lady Lihua, the books couldn’t describe her beauty. It was like seeing a human peony in front of you. However, her state concerned you immensely, however not the degree Lady Lihua has been in. you immediately took note of the similarities of her health to Concubine Lihua. Same unusual weight loss, same unwell state of her baby girl. You advise her the same advice as Lady Lihua, the same downtrodden look in your eyes. Seeing both women in such states reminded you of the mothers in the hospital. The ones withering away from sickness. The babies in NICU, their laboured breathing always unsettled you.

You could only hope for both concubines and their children to pull through.

—

You didn’t see the two concubines again until an incident occured.

While walking back from a warehouse storing medical records, you see both Lady Lihua and Lady Gokuyou in the main courtyard, arguing. A loud slap filled the space. Your mentor Guen was there in between the two women, trying to mediate the situation.

“It’s your fault!” You heard from Lihua.

The concern bubbled up from what you could only assume to be a lady-in-waiting for Lady Gokuyou. She rushed over towards the fallen concubine to assist her.

“You’re trying to curse my son because your child is a daughter!” Lady Lihua shrieked, her face looking even worse for wear since the last you saw her. You hope she took your advice, but it seems like whatever’s going on with her hasn’t stopped deteriorating her health.

Lady Gokuyou barked back, “You know that’s absurd! My Xiaoling is sick, too!”

Whispers filled the crowd regarding the two women as you approached the scene, behind the rest of the group of servants and eunuchs.

“That’s why I’d like you to examine my daughter’s state as well,” Lady Gokuyou added, glancing at the doctor between them as you tried to get through the crowd, but to no avail.

“Yes, well…” He hasn’t been at the office as often as of late. You only checked on the two concubines once, as you’re only an apprentice doctor. Every time you’d insist on helping, he’d mention it’s his duty to make sure the health of the highest ranking concubines were adequate. Seeing Lady Gokuyou as the only medical professional was a one-time thing, unfortunately.

A girl slipped from the crowd, locking eyes with you briefly. It was the same girl who was with her friend while your teacher and yourself were headed to the Crystal Pavilion. You could see it in her eyes; a knowing look.

So she knows something’s up with the mothers healths, but what is it exactly?

You spot Jinshi and Gaoshun, but your attention is on your mentor. Once the crowd begins to fixate on Jinshi speaking with the concubines, you drift off to Guen.

“Teacher, you need to speak up more,” you scold mixed with a sigh, rubbing your nose bridge, “That was a mess to witness.”

“I- well.. It’s difficult to watch over the health of not only Lady Gokuyou and Lady Lihua, but also their children! I don’t know how to treat them, but I can see the sickness on them..!” He snaps back, before sighing as well. A soft “sorry” alongside your name leaves his mouth.

While he hasn’t snapped this harshly at you before, it is still jarring to witness. Eh, nothing like what the nurses back in your old job used to say towards you, and that was after the six months of hazing.

“...I understand Teacher, I’m sorry,” you replied back, softer this time.

—

Just a month has passed, and things haven’t improved. You’d even argue shit thoroughly hit the fan after it was found out the prince, Lady Lihua’s son, had passed. While Xiaoling, Lady Gokuyou’s daughter, was still alive, she wasn’t doing all too well either. Much like her mother. Much like Lady Lihua.

During an examination with Lady Gokuyou, you stood a couple meters back when that same girl from a month ago was brought in. Your eyes flickered back to her, and you quickly met eyes once more. Lady Gokuyou was doing significantly better now, so was Xiaoling. How or why? You never knew. You’re just glad it turned out to be the case.

Gokuyou stood up from her stool, holding Xiaoling. Guen retreated back towards you as you glanced over to your mentor. You mostly tuned out the conversation between Jinshi, Gokuyou, and the girl who was revealed to be an apothecary before her employment at the rear palace. Maomao, you think her name was.

Only when the topic of poison was mentioned did you start tuning back in. Quickly reading the cloth Jinshi brought out from his sleeve, your eyes widened.

How could I have forgotten?! Face powder in this time period is loaded with lead!

Guilt pools to your stomach as you reflect on your appointments with not only Lady Gokuyou, but Lady Lihua as well. No wonder they seemed so unnaturally pale. It was their make-up. You must’ve written it off to just be their health declining, causing such pale faces. Your eyes meet the floor, glazed over in paralyzing shame.

I could’ve done something. I should’ve known better.

You aren’t able to hear most of the conversation after that. Ringing filled your ears as panic filled your nerves. You did your best to hide it, but you’re not sure if it did much. Your breathing quickly became shallow as if you couldn’t breathe. Your eyes unfocused as you struggled to comprehend the room around you. The prince didn’t have to die. You let him die. This is your fault.

No. Calm down. You’re overreacting.

Calm down.

Calm down!

Calm down for fuck’s sake! This isn’t the time for this!

“It is truly a sin to be ignorant,” you finally manage to hear. From who, you’re not sure. While it isn’t comforting, it snaps you out of your panic attack.

Whoever said that, they’re right. You need to be better. You’re from a time where technology surrounding medicine is at an all time high. You have knowledge beyond what’s available now.

You need to be a better nurse. For everyone’s sakes.

#apothecary diaries #the apothecary diaries #x reader #gender neutral reader #gn reader #knh #rip MC man #theyre going through it #ANROPT

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drinkumoo · 3 months ago

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A Nurse's Recount of the Past [1]

Or, what if a nurse was sent to the distant past because of a dumb death?

[ the apothecary diaries x gn reader ]

[1] [2] [3]

cw: brief mentions of smoking and death

Being a nurse at such a shoddy hospital wasn’t always the best. You were an average student in terms of university, and one of the brightest in your earliest years of education. Despite taking up nursing, it was never your first choice. Besides, you could never actually get into medical school, like your parents asked. Personally, becoming a historian was your first choice. That was quickly shot down as it “didn’t make enough to live”.

Whatever. It didn’t matter. You’d still be working like a dog, just in this case it’s in the warzone called a “hospital.”

Money still went into your bank account, you still had rent due. Hospitals love people like you; people who don't have much going on outside of work. No family of your own, no commitments, just working and surviving. Your seniors eagerly dumped their workloads on you to leave their posts early, while you took multiple shifts in a row. You hate to say it, but you don’t remember the last time you slept a whole 4 hours within the last six months. At least Monster Energy had a customer for life in the form of you.

However, things went from bad to worse as of late. For the last two weeks, you haven’t been sleeping at all. Whoever allowed workers to work sixteen hour shifts should be fired from lawmaking. Your close (and only friend) Huuyren has been pestering you to work less, while your response is always: “Money is HP, and sleep deprivation is a typical debuff.” Now of all times, you wish you listened to him. Hunched over your desk, the desk lamp blinding you. Since when did things get so blurry? It’s so cold, it’s worrying. Isn’t it summer right now? You don’t have the AC on though.

Your head lands on your cheap IKEA desk. In your head, you can practically hear the sound effect of a heart monitor flatlining.

So this is death. Fanfare around it seemed so inadequate compared to what it feels like. At least it doesn’t hurt.

—--

Guen had called her (or was it his? Maybe they’re a they..? He doesn’t know, they’ve never clarified) name several times. His apprentice seemed to be staring off into space again. An unfortunately common occurrence. They were a thinker, that one. A shame they weren’t from a richer family, they could have easily become a court official. While they were attractive, it wasn’t stunningly beautiful like the highest level consorts. To be honest, with the way they typically conducted their appearance, they seem quite bland.

His apprentice blinked, then once more. Their eyes seemed to have a spark in them, far more bright than usual. They look much nicer with life in their eyes.

Their head turned to him, seemingly stunned. “Oh, um, who are you?”

—-

WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU. Your clothes are heavy and the fabric is so damn itchy. Smells filled your nostrils, paradoxically familiar. Working in a hospital made you familiar with the scent of disinfectants and the various fluids that can leave a human body. Smells of unfamiliar herbs and medicines filled your nostrils.

Is this hell? You feel like you’re going haywire from the stimulus overload. How fitting for someone like you.

A man stood next to you in a similar garment you’re wearing. His hair was up in a top-knot, which was covered in a cloth. Now that you think of it, you can feel that your hair is tied down with fabric of some sort. Looking towards him, you scanned his outfit. A pao, similar to the one you’re wearing. A kind face as well.

Your eyes seemed to have widened, as he seemed surprised at your expression as well. “Oh, um, who are you?”

He seemed genuinely shocked at your question. “It’s me, Guen. Your mentor. Are you alright?”

Mentor? Last you checked, your direct superior was your slacker of a head nurse in the emergency department.

You take pause, doing your best to phrase your words right. A bit difficult to do if three fourths of you are currently panicking about why the hell you seemed to have woken up in the past of your nation. Based on the clothing style, you assume it to be sometime around middle dynasties. With a shallow breath, you answer. “Ah, yes, I believe so. If I may, where are we?”

His eyes widened with a mixture of concern and surprise. They then began to shrivel up into points of what looks to be fear. “We’re in the medical centre in the rear palace.”

The rear palace. The home of courtesans, servants, and the concubines. No man with his junk besides the emperor is allowed on the grounds unless it's a special occasion. Perhaps your lack of a clear gender allowed you to enter as it could be argued you look like an even mix of man and women in terms of appearance. Are you a woman? A man? Is it situational? Based on your outfit, perhaps you're a “man” right now. Like you even have the hardware for either, ah, off-topic.

That confirms your suspicions. You’re far into the past if the rear palace is still operational and in use. Did, did you get isekai’d into history itself..?

“Are you sure you’re alright?” He breaks you out of your thought spiral by calling you by first name only, so you’re supposedly familiar with him. You quickly nod.

“Yes, I think. Perhaps I’ve been feeling unwell. May I take a rest?” Breaks aren’t really a common term right? Rest sounds more plausible in this situation. Maybe you’re overthinking it.

“I’m worried about you. You’ve been drifting off more than usual. But yes, go ahead and have a rest,” Geun seems to be more concerned than suspicious.

Better keep it that way.

With that uncomfortable fish-out-of-water experience over, you stalk over to a simple bedroom you assume that’s yours. With a resounding thump, you lay on the hard mattress. Looking around, only a desk, chair, and a small nightside table fill the room. The sun shines through your window, shaded by surrounding buildings.

What in the world were you going to do here, in a place you clearly don’t belong? An outsider, an unfamiliar bacteria to an immune system. Someone who knows how the events play out. Well, that is, if you know which stories you’re currently residing in. Do you attempt to get back to the present day? What if you died, and going back is impossible, what then? Who even are you, anyway in this time period? Did you just take some poor person’s body? Guilt pools in your gut like the blood that seeps onto the tiled floor of a hospital. It’s not your fault, yet you feel responsible. What if—

Shh, you need to clear your head. Maybe a cig– no. Stop. Never again. Deep breaths, in, then out. Breathing in felt much nicer now. This version of you must have never smoked.

You head to bed in the late afternoon restlessly that day. Hey, at least you're not chronically sleep-deprived this time, right?

#the apothecary diaries #apothecary diaries #gender neutral reader #ANROPT

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