The Caretaker of Tenants From Another World - Chapter 108

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Chapter 108

In the following days we were trying to figure out what the rash was or how it affected the tenants. I kept a digital journal, documenting everything from how they were feeling to something as mundane like they didn't want to eat something.

Right now, I was in my room following up the final tenant for the day. After checking the yellowish rash that was behind her neck, we began with the usual round of questions.

"You feeling any different today, Tamara?" I asked.

The sheep girl shifted uncomfortably in the seat, clutching her stomach with both hands.

"I've got a tummy ache since this morning." Tamara frowned, eyes occasionally clenching shut as a rumbling erupted from her belly.

It sounded serious.

"Since this morning? Have you gone number 2 in the bathroom yet?" I asked further.

Tamara nodded.

This could be something. Tamara would be the first tenant to show any sort of discomfort, but—

"Uhm… Akira, Tamara?" Remmy peeked shyly from the door.

"What's wrong? Did you have something more to report about the rash?" I asked Remmy.

"N-No… but I accidentally gave Tamara expired milk… In fact, my whole stock in my mini-fridge has expired," she said.

"Oh, I remember now!" Tamara exclaimed. "I was hanging out with Remmy in the morning and saw her drinking milk, so I asked for some. I thought it tasted a little clum… py… uu… Thinking about it makes my tummy churn…"

I slapped a hand to my face.

"Sorry, Tamara… I didn't realize…" Remmy hung her head apologetically.

"Keeping that many jugs in the mini-fridge, of course the ones in the back are going to expire. The real question is, why are you keeping expired milk around?"

"I forget I'm the only one that can drink expired… I'll be more careful next time," she promised, shrinking into blob form.

"It's okay, Remmy! I can handle— uugu… never mind, I can't handle it…" Tamara keeled over as her stomach growled like an angry lion.

"Let's get you some stomach ache medicine before your life starts flashing before your eyes." I knelt down to give Tamara a piggyback ride, then headed downstairs.

The medicine cabinet was kept in the kitchen, behind a wooden towel rack on the wall. When I plucked the bottle from the shelf amongst numerous other medicines, it felt a lot lighter than I last remembered. The reason being it was empty. All of the chewable tablets had been eaten.

"Akira, there is a strange green growth behind the toilets again," Irapesha said on her way into the kitchen from the hallway. "Apologies. Are you busy?"

"No, it's just medicine for Tamara's tummy ache is all gone," I said, tossing the bottle into the bin.

"Oh. Cresta's eaten it all," she answered so casually it took me a second to process it.

"Why…?"

"Says it helps with indigestion every time she eats a burger."

My judging gaze shot to the snoring catssassin, who was napping in her new cardboard box at the corner of the room. The sloppy way she slept left her midriff exposed, revealing the bulging belly of someone who's been eating way more than they exercised.

"Woe is the life of a domesticated cat, fated to become fat." I sighed.

Tamara started cracking up on my back, half in pain and half in laughter.

No sense in waiting around. I should hit up a convenience store to grab Tamara some quick medicine.

On my way to the van, Irapesha followed us out.

"You don't have to come with us. It's going to be a short trip. The green growth you mentioned is probably just mold again. I'll pick up some sanitizing wipes or mold removal spray for it while I'm there," I told her.

"I'm going because the little one is ill," Irapesha curtly declared.

They climbed into the backseat, where Tamara curled up in Irapesha's lap like a puppy. Either she never had a stomach ache before, or this was a particularly bad one. Well, expired milk would do that to you.

I pulled up to a gas station convenience store at the edge of the city. Irapesha carried Tamara onto her back and headed inside with me.

"Hey, Akira! What's going on?" Dirk, the bespectacled college-aged clerk behind the glass partition and counter, greeted me.

I'd become somewhat of a local celebrity in Vandice given my occupation. The employees here also saw me pretty often, because it was my go-to to get gas or pick up some snacks. Apparently, Cresta often dropped by on her way to and from work.

"Just getting some medicine for a tenant's stomach ache." I gestured behind me as Irapesha ducked, coming through the door.

"H-Hot damn…" Dirk gulped at the sight of the dragonewt. "Is she single?"

"I'm incapable of dating outside of my race. Mating rituals with partners that aren't dragonewts incur a high chance of maiming. Or death," Irapesha warned matter of factly, walking past us and into the store.

"Good… to know," he mumbled.

"Better luck with the next tenant," I teased.

At the very back of the store, we browsed through the wide selection of medicine all the while Tamara groaned uncomfortably on Irapesha's back.

"How do you know which to purchase? Why are there entire essays written on each product? Do they tell a story?" Irapesha asked.

"They list out ingredients, how much and how often to eat, and include potential negative side effects. It's for full disclosure reasons," I explained as best I could.

"Why would there be potential negative side effects for medicine intended to restore you? Human medicines sound inefficient," she huffed.

"Wait until you hear about costs and insurance…"

I picked out Tums and Pepto Bismol just in case, and we returned to the front where a small line had formed. A harsh and loud pop made everyone flinch. I thought someone popped a balloon until the people in front of us dispersed in panic, all except for one man in a ski mask at the very front.

"Give me all the fucking money the register! Hurry up!" he shouted.

Dirk threw glances at me. It was a robbery. At a time like this?

"What's taking so long? Can't we just drop money onto the counter and leave?" Irapesha asked impatiently.

"Uhh… There's a crime underway, Irapesha. The store's getting robbed!" I whispered.

Irapesha loosed a quiet snarl and lowered Tamara into my arms before stomping up to the front.

"My friend is sick, and you're holding up the line."

"Mind your business—" The rest of the sentence lodged in his throat. "F-Fucking netherfolk…"

I could tell by the unhinged jaw he didn't expect a netherfolk when choosing to rob this gas station. Though I wouldn't expect criminals to be very smart to begin with.

Instead of doing the sensible thing of apologizing and leaving, the guy turned the gun on Irapesha. She grabbed a hold of the barrel as multiple shots rang out, but the dragonewt wasn't at all fazed.

"My scales are stronger than steel. Can your bullets puncture through steel?" Irapesha asked as the bullets clattered to the ground.

The would-be robber tucked tail for the door, but Irapesha lifted him up by the back of his collar with a single claw.

"Alright, Irapesha. Gently… let's not break anything while we're here," I said.

"Excuse me." Irapesha gazed at someone hiding behind the aisle near the entrance. "Will you be so kind as to open the door?"

The woman jumped out just briefly enough to trigger open the automatic doors. Irapesha flung the robber out, sending him rolling into a bollard meant to stop cars and not people.

"Geez! I think I want to take my chances with death now," Dirk said, poking his head out from under the counter.

I put the medicine and a gallon of milk on the counter. "Just say thanks and ring us up already."

As we're leaving, we run into Professor Markel by chance in the parking lot while he was filling up on gas.

"Do I dare ask what happened here?" The professor raised a brow.

"Robbery gone wrong." I shrugged, ushering Irapesha and Tamara to the van. "Just out getting medicine."

Professor Markel's eyes followed the tenants as they went.

"Find anything out about the pollen?" I asked, drawing his attention away from them.

"I was actually heading back to the lab to write up the report for you. Toxicology came back this morning. The pollen is more like a fungal growth. Humans are completely unaffected— Well, it's more accurate to say anyone with magic is unaffected," Professor Markel explained.

Magic? Come to think of it, something from Isla or the Isilus Mandragon would be parasitic in nature. It made sense. Going off that logic…

"Then the flipside should mean that anyone with magic is affected by the pollen?"

"It is what we're assuming. We have yet to move forward with trials on netherfolks. After all, exposing them to potentially dangerous hazards is… not exactly the most morally ethical thing to do. Your tenants, on the other hand, have been affected whether they like it or not. Do you have any input?" he asked.

"Other than a yellow rash on random parts of their body? Nothing. It just seems like a cosmetic issue to them," I answered truthfully.

The pump that the professor's car was parked next to peeped. It must have finished filling the tank. He placed the nozzle back onto the terminal and pulled out hand sanitizer to squirt onto both hands.

"Well, let's keep each other updated. From your reports, they are like family to you. Good. Most caretakers treat their jobs with a professional outlook, you— your intimacy has allowed them to better assimilate to life on Earth a lot quicker than others. I'll look into the yellow rash with Tarcosa, maybe he has seen examples in Weyera. Keep up the good work, Akira." With a nod and smile, Professor Markel jumped into his car to drive off.

"Intimacy, huh? Is it really all that good?" I wondered aloud to myself.

I had to lie, screw up, hurt, and nearly lose several tenants because of that intimacy. Treating them like friends was all I knew to do… but even I understood it jeopardized the way I conducted this job. Doing what was right for my tenants and for the whole of the dorm was hard.

When I got back to the van, Irapesha was holding the medicines in each hand. Her brows wrinkled with uncertainty. Tamara sat by her side, eager to take medicine that would rid the discomfort.

"This potion is very viscous and pink. I'm not sure if Tamara can drink it all," Irapesha said.

"Wait, she's not supposed to drink the whole bottle! Just a small gulp. Here, let me…" I climbed into the already cramped back of the van.

After uncorking the bottle, I poured a little into the cap for Tamara to drink.

"Mm! Tastes like bubble gum!" Tamara smiled, flashing her teeth that were painted pink.

"Bubble gum?" Irapesha squinted at the box.

"And you can chew on this tablet." I handed Tamara a chewable Tums tablet which she popped into her mouth.

"It tastes like candy! Can I have more?" she asked.

"I thought this was medicine. You're giving her candy?" The dragonewt was glaring at me now.

"Some medicines are made to taste like candy so children are more willing to take it, alright? I'm not explaining all the nuances of Earth culture to you sitting in a gas station's parking lot!"

By the time we got back to the dorm, Tamara was beginning to feel better. She took off running upstairs to Remmy's room to tell her the good news, or so that the slime girl didn't feel responsible for her stomach ache.

Irapesha picked up Cresta, snapping her awake to bring her to the gym.

"Funnya~ Wha… Pesha? Wha's going on?" Cresta asked groggily underneath Irapesha's arm.

"We're cutting back on your burger intake again. Akira also said you're getting fat, so you and I will be spending the rest of the afternoon in the gym," Irapesha said.

As they passed by me, Cresta shot me a teary look.

"Wait, you called me fat?" Cresta pout.

"It's for your own good, and stop eating all the stomach ache medicine this time around!" I shouted to their backs.

After they left, I threw open the sliding door to let in some fresh air. Off to the side, sitting on lounging chairs and under the shade of an umbrella were Ange and Val. They had sunglasses on, dressed in a bikini and sarong as if at the beach, and sipping on glass beverages.

Val, who had Isla resting on her belly, noticed me first and lifted her sunglasses. "Ah, Akira. I would offer you a drink, but Ines said you aren't quite the age to partake. A shame. Some among us drink as early as ten years of age."

"I've seen how my dad acts when drunk, and I'm not keen on finding out how much of his genes I inherited. Who taught you two to make something so fancy?" I asked, noting their tall glasses filled with limes and mint leaves.

"Ines did, love. She taught us all kinds of alcoholic beverages. If I didn't know better, everyone on Earth is an alcoholic with how delicious they can be. I'm especially curious about Sex on the Beach." Ange grinned.

"S-Sex on the beach?" I gulped.

Both of them erupted into laughter.

"It's the name of another sugary alcoholic beverage, but I can see your curiosity about the other, more literal meaning." Ange giggled at my expense.

Of course. Leave it to Ines to teach my tenants what I couldn't.

Isla sneakily tried to extend roots up to one of their alcoholic beverages, only for Val to snap the cluster away.

"No, bad Isla. This is the furthest thing from water," Val scolded.

"Say, change of topics. You two wield magic, right? How exactly does magic work for netherfolk?" I asked.

Ange and Val looked at each other as though debating who should explain.

"I'm the one pretending to have lost her magic," Ange said to her drinking companion.

"How does one explain physical strength for humans?" Val began with a question of her own and ignited one hand with a fiery spark. "All are capable, some train on it while many more will neglect it, and every once in a while someone is born gifted. Each and every one of us possess a degree of magic that can be transformed into volatile or restorative energies."

"But… what makes that happen?" I pressed her.

"What makes your brain fire electrical signals for you to ask such silly questions? I don't know, my dear Caretaker. It just happens, and we make use of the phenomenon without putting much thought into it," she explained.

Speaking of the brain, mine was having a hard time processing it.

I left the conversation there to start on chores, beginning with the mold in the communal bathroom that Irapesha brought to me about. Sure enough, small patches of mold were propagating behind the toilet tank. If left long enough, it might start to cause health concerns.

Thankfully, a spray containing bleach and hard scrub later cleared it completely, leaving behind a squeaky clean surface that I could eat off of.

"Whew. Time to get dinner ready." I cracked my neck and headed out with the cleaning supplies.

Several of the tenants were gathered in the living room. Tamara's breathing had grown shallow, and she clutched tightly onto Ange, who was holding her just as hard in return.

"What happened?" I asked on the way in.

"Akira, thank goodness. Tamara stumbled downstairs, complaining of nausea and stomach pain. She's burning up right now. I thought you bought her medicine?" Ange's desperate and pleading gaze snapped to me.

Val placed a hand over Tamara's forehead. "No, it's something other than an upset stomach. This is mana deficiency. It must be the rash from Isla's pollen."

"Isla… hurting friend?" Isla timidly asked.

"That's not true!" The elven queen patted her on the head. "You don't mean to, we all know that. It's not your fault at all."

Pollen…

I looked down at the mold removal spray still in my hand.

"It's not pollen," I said, recalling Professor Markel's words. "It's a fungal growth. Mold is a type of fungi! Let me see the back of Tamara's head!"

Ange laid the whimpering Tamara on the sofa, turning her onto her side to reveal the yellowish patch on the nape. I leapt into the kitchen to unscrew the top of the spray bottle, poured a little into a cup, and then added some water to dilute it.

Wetting a paper towel in the mixture, I returned to Tamara to gently dab the yellowish rash. The paper came away slightly yellow. A few more wipes removed the color from her skin entirely. Only little bumps remained.

Immediately, Tamara's breathing returned to normal.

"I can't believe it worked…" I uttered in disbelief.

"Isla?" Val's panic drew our attention to the backyard where she repeatedly shouted for the plant girl. "I can't find Isla! She was next to me a second ago and vanished!"