Linda pressed herself deeper against the cold curve behind the water tanks, her tiny body trembling.
She had barely survived all her life as prey, in a land where she was considered food; so she had only ever known fear until one gigantic, terrifying, misunderstood dragon beastman had treated her with unexpected warmth.
Now that dragon's medical officer might be dead. His son even, might be dead too.
And she… she was the cause.
Her whiskers twitched.
Heavy footsteps thundered closer and soon the door slammed open.
Gaffer, Scliff his second in command and the worker who had followed behind stepped into the room.
"Master, you're here."
Linda's head snapped up. She peeked out from behind the tank. Who said that?
It was the medical officer. Who stood there, as dry as ever. He was perfectly dry as if he had never been drenched. And he was standing on his feet like he had never collapsed just now and turned into a big goldfish.
"…."
Linda didn't know what to think at this point.
In the medical officer's arms lay the Young Master, limp and unconscious, water dripping from his scales.
Gaffer's eyes sharpened at the sight of that.
"The young master…," Scliff inhaled.
"Why are you…" Gaffer pointed sharply at the doctor's crisp, dry clothing. "What were you doing inside the water storage? And why is my son," His voice cracked. "That is water on him. What happened?"
The medical officer bowed slightly, unfazed. "The Young Master is fine, Master. He is just asleep."
"…"
"???"
The silence that followed was thick and unnatural.
Scliff blinked. "Asleep? The Young Master doesn't sleep. He never sleeps."
He took a shaky step closer. "Has… has the young master's sickness triggered? Is it a relapse?"
"No," the goldfish doctor replied firmly. He was sure of what he was saying. "I checked him thoroughly. He is simply sleeping."
Gaffer narrowed his eyes. "Positive?"
"Yes, sir."
However, there was noticeable uncertainty in his tone that betrayed him. After all, he was a mere low-rank doctor and might not be hundred percent correct in his analysis.
"Scliff!" Gafaa barked. "Fetch Dr. Swaid. Immediately."
Scliff sprinted out. Moments later, Dr. Swaid—the lead doctor—hurried in, still pulling on his coat. He examined the silver slim beastling with trembling hands as his face went pale.
The master was very protective of his son and would go as far as killing anyone that dared bring the wrong report of his son's condition.
But this…
"He is sleeping," the lead doctor whispered, shocked. "The young master fallen so deeply in the sleep and he is sleeping so… peacefully. This has never happened."
"…"
A hush fell over the room.
Finally, Dr. Swaid turned to the medical officer. "Explain. How did this happen?"
The goldfish beast scratched the back of his head, his brow furrowed in real confusion.
"I… don't remember. I woke up on the wet floor. The Young Master was beside me. I believed he was in danger, so I checked him and found that he was only asleep. As for the water… I don't recall how it got almost flooded in here. I don't also understand how I ended up dry."
A chill ran through the room.
"Is… is he losing his memory?"
The lead doctor looked at his junior staff and decided to examine him. This was utterly new.
He examined him. Checked his pulse, eyes, reflexes but everything turned out to be normal with the goldfish beastdoctor.
How could a beastman have no memory of what happened before now and at the same time doesn't have amnesia or any condition that must have led to it. Did he hit his head? So where is the bruise?
"It makes no sense," Swaid muttered.
Only Linda understood.
Goldfishes had terrible memories.
A goldfish-beast would be even worse; it would be forgetful to the point of absurdity. And beastmen, unlike humans, didn't understand what they truly were. They lived unaware of the nature of their own transformations.
Linda realized this then that they didn't know themselves.
They didn't even know why they keep transforming, only that it happens suddenly, without warning like it's a continuous accident.
But Linda didn't believe in randomness. Something had to trigger it.
Yet if the beast goldfish himself didn't remember the moments before transforming, how could she ever find answers?
Gaffer broke the tension. "And the little rabbit? Where are the little rabbit?"
The medical officer blinked. "…Little Rabbit?"
He looked around, baffled, like someone being told Christmas Day is the 9th of October and not 25th December.
"I don't recall seeing any rabbit," he confessed. Honestly.
Linda would have laughed so loudly if she wa still human. She only managed to twirl her ears because she couldn't help it. Goldfishes truly had it bad.
Gaffer and the others exchanged uneasy looks. Even Dr. Swaid seemed disturbed. None of them could understand why the doctor's memory was fragmented when his body was perfectly fine.
But Linda understood. It was in his nature.
And it meant something bigger. These beastmen lived their lives unaware of the depth of their own species. It was truly strange.
As the men continued speaking, Linda cautiously hopped out from behind the tank.
Gaffer spotted her immediately. "Ah. There you are little white."
Scliff's voice followed, sharp and unmistakably displeased. "It was right there all these while."
Linda was not surprised at how icy his tone was. She had noticed long ago that most of them disliked her. He wasn't the only one.
Only Gaffer and his son showed her any genuine warmth.
"Come here," Gaffer called. And she hopped straight towards him.
There was no need to fear because both the medical officer and the silver slim beastling were both not dead. If anything, she was glad and hope that truly, Gaffer's son was only asleep and not in danger.