THE MOMENT
"You were smart to seek out a second opinion," Doc Mundo nodded with a warm smile. Paul, the protagonist, sat upright on the examination table and he felt relieved upon hearing that. The previous doctor only eyed him up and down for half a minute before rushing him out of the office, but, not forgetting to send him along with a hefty bill.
"Dr. Nicholas has been spouting his 'Fourth Wall' nonsense for a time; fortunately, you're one more case we can add to the investigation."
"So... there's no such thing as 'Protagonitis'?" Paul asked. He didn't understand the condition enough to be worried about it; but, if it was a false diagnosis he wouldn't have to pay the ridiculous fee for a minute of attention.
"Oh, no, you have it," Doc Mundo chuckled. "But, Dr. Nicholas has his own, frankly silly, ideas about how to treat it. He seems to believe in a mythical 'fourth wall' that separates our reality from 'Authors' and 'The Audience'. The same way any religious person might believe in their god. I'd never mock the ideas of anyone's faith; but, there's plenty of evidence to show there's no faith involved, only scams."
"I do have it? Is it terminal?" Paul asked.
"No more terminal than dying in a random accident, or at the end of a long-lived life," Doc Mundo shrugged. "You're going to die one day, 'Protagonitis' or not," he reminded the man. "Though, if left untreated, it could lead to some interesting developments. It's up to you to decide if you'd like to see what things might happen, it could lead to some spectacular adventures."
"So, there is a treatment?"
"Oh yes, it's quite simple really. If you'd like, I could treat it now; or you can take it for a test drive. It looks like you haven't been infected for very long, so I don't think you've had a chance to experience what's in store."
"How simple? Is there a needle involved?" Paul asked.
"No, nothing quite so complicated," Doc Mundo answered. "'Protagonitis' is simply a gathering of excess universal energy around your aura. In other words, your Will, conscious and subconscious, has more of a 'direct line' to the universe than most other people. You're more likely to manifest idle hopes and dreams you're not even aware of. Most people consider themselves the protagonist of their own story, and that's just magnified in you."
"So.. how is it treated?" he asked.
"Universal energies flow like water, and your aura has become an 'eddy' of sorts. The easiest thing is to disrupt that eddy with a more powerful current."
"That sounds like it hurts...," Paul said. "Is it expensive?" He couldn't handle both physical and financial pain at the same time.
"It won't hurt at all, and the process is so simple, there isn't a charge. It would just be a small flat fee for the office visit," Doc Mundo said. Paul had already experienced the 'small office fee' at Dr. Nicholas' practice; but, Doc Mundo seemed genuinely nicer. And, more than anything, now he was curious about the process itself.
"Please, treat it Doc," Paul nodded.
"Not a problem. Just wait here for a few minutes, I'll send someone in. When they come in, please don't think them rude. I'm not sure who's available yet, but whoever it is, they won't speak to you directly. Part of the treatment is to convince the universe you're nothing more than a 'background character'," Doc Mundo said. Just sit here quietly and observe anything that happens. It might take some time, anywhere between two minutes and several hours. Just be..," he chuckled. "...patient. I'll be back in to speak to you after the treatment is over," he said.
"Okay... thanks doc," Paul nodded and the doctor left the room. After a handful of minutes, the door opened again and a teenager with dark violet hair and a white lab coat walked in. Paul met her purple eyes briefly and she gave a subtle nod of acknowledgment as she turned her back to him and made herself busy with some papers she brought in.
"Hey Vivi!" it happened almost instantly and Paul was startled enough to almost hop off the exam table. A new girl entered the room, but she didn't use the door. She emerged from a pitch-black portal and surveyed the room. "oh, sorry, I didn't know you were with a patient," the new arrival turned and headed tot he door, but the first girl stopped her.
"Wait, Tessa, it's okay," Vivi stopped the girl. "What did you need?"
"Uhh," Tessa glanced at Paul, then shrugged and focused on Vivi again. Tessa had short, reddish brown hair and she wore a red and white outfit that Paul considered to almost be pajamas of some sort. It looked like a red robe with sleeping pants and white accents over the whole thing; but, with enough style to be considered trendy for a wizard. Which, looked kind of silly to him in real life.
"I mean, it's not an emergency in any way...," she started. " ..but, you're better than any of the tailors registered with Sharp Development; can I get you to make me an upgraded robe?" she asked.
"I can say yes; but, I'm kind of still working through a backlog. It'll take a couple of weeks to even start."
"That's fine, totally worth it," Tessa nodded. "That just gives me more time to think about what I want, thanks! Let me know when you're ready," Tessa waved, then she threw a black card on the floor. Paul didn't see where she pulled it from, but it opened a black portal on the ground. Tessa stepped on it and began sinking like an elevator. Paul watched in astonishment. When she sunk beneath the floor completely, the portal closed and Vivi turned around to leave the room. Doc Mundo entered almost instantly and he looked Paul up and down.
"There you go, all cleared up," Doc Mundo said.
"What.. what happened?" Paul asked.
"A bigger story," Doc Mundo smiled. "Anyway, if it happened once, it might happen again," the doctor offered Paul a transparent glass rectangle the size and width of a playing card. "This is called a 'node'. There's a tutorial that teaches you how to use it. And if you're ever feeling like a protagonist again, it'll arrange a similar treatment for you, free of charge. That way you don't even have to come visit my office," he said.
"Now that you know how simple the treatment is, you can call it up the moment you feel uncomfortable about a situation. Though, as a professional medical opinion, I'd encourage you to explore it a little more if it does happen again. It's a healthy thing to learn how to be comfortable with being uncomfortable."