Vertin: Now, let's summarize what happened.
Vertin: You fell into a coma for 16 minutes and 30 seconds yesterday due to external impact. Then you woke up and found yourself fine.
Spathodea: That's right.
Vertin: On that night, you felt an "unusual burn" coming up to your throat from your stomach. At the same time, you had weird illusions ...
Vertin: ... And at last, you vomited, a ball of fire.
Spathodea: Yes, that's right, exactly!
Vertin: For one last time ...
Vertin: Are you sure no one in your family is related to the Red Dragon?
Spathodea: One hundred percent positive! I checked all the family photos and medical records, and even rang Mom and Dad! They denied every possibility of it!
Spathodea: I know! So, don't walk away on me!
Each of her hands clenches one wrist from the other two, joining them together like a floating buoy line in a swimming pool.
Desert Flannel: Are you really buying that?
Vertin: I don't doubt it.
Desert Flannel: Then you're a f**king doughnut. Would have lost all your clothes to any rorter that comes up to you if you wandered long enough on the streets.
Desert Flannel: And you—I'm warning you—take your little claws off me! Let me go NOW!
Spathodea: Hey! You were the one who burst out of nowhere and knocked me over! Now my brain is not working right, and you are responsible for it!
Desert Flannel: Yeah? You mean this smidge of zombie fire? You reckon this is the first time an arcanist sees it? Can get you twenty of these in two days in any workshop! You gotta try harder if you wanna fool me!
Spathodea: Whoa whoa whoa?! I'm not a liar! I saw that ball of fire come out of my mouth!
Irritated by their skepticism, she shoves the fire into her mouth.
Spathodea: Hee? It, doen't, vurn ee, at all! I am o a iar! (See? It doesn't burn me at all! I am not a liar!)
Desert Flannel: You frauds never stop coming up with new scams. "No cheat, no eat," heard that before?
Desert Flannel: Go home with your fake fire. If you continue doing this, be careful of the Bunyips! They will crawl into your house through the sewage and take your tongue, because lies are their favorite food!
Vertin: But there is no evidence to prove that she's telling a lie.
Desert Flannel: Evidence? I have more than enough evidence to prove she's not some innocent lamb!
Desert Flannel: She climbed up the tree outside my window and was shouting and screaming there in the middle of the night. The moment I went outside, she took me here like she was carrying a bag of groceries.
Vertin: ... One may infer that she was shocked by the fire-vomiting and thus ... displayed abnormal behaviors.
Desert Flannel: My God! Don't you have adults at home to put some senses in your head?! Haven't they taught you not to trust the strangers' words, especially if they show up at late hours?!
Spathodea: S-Stranger?!
Spathodea: I know something's wrong with my head, and I'm not even sure who I really am anymore, but you shouldn't have forgotten me!
Spathodea: We're neighbors, Desert Flannel! I live three streets away. I even said hello to you!
Desert Flannel: Three streets away? How does it make us "neighbors"?
Desert Flannel: And I don't think our litter-covered street is a part of your fancy community, where people sit by the white fountains and walk in the street gardens. The last time I checked, I was not from some rich immigrant family.
Desert Flannel: No matter what you're looking for, for money or for fun, I couldn't care less about it. The only thing I care about is my landlord will kick me out if I fail to pay my rent this month! So, let, me, go!
Desert Flannel struggles, pulls her arm out of the grip, and storms off.
Spathodea: No! You must not leave!
Spathodea jumps up from the sofa and grabs Desert Flannel's collar roll, but loses her balance.
Like toppling dominoes, the three of them fall over each other and tumble down on the ground.
Vertin: ... Uh ...
Desert Flannel: Ah! Hiss ... I think I just nicked you in the teeth ...
Spathodea: You must not leave! At least not before I figure out what happened to me!
Spathodea: Things are flashing in my mind now! Sometimes the past, sometimes the present. I remember I can sing, but soon I forget how to do that.
Spathodea: I remember the crowd who worshiped me on their knees, the run in somewhere like the Uluru Stadium, and something hot ... a hot bonfire? Is that a bonfire?
Spathodea: Anyway! No matter what it is, I'm just an ordinary person like anyone else living at the end of the century! These things shouldn't be in my mind!
Spathodea: There must be something wrong with me! With my head, or other parts!
Spathodea: I can't just go nuts now! My training plan, it's-it's all ruined. *sobs* I even have a game to play at the end of the year.
Vertin: Relax, the symptoms may not last. Sensing "omens" doesn't always mean danger to arcanists.
Vertin: Given the complexity of the situation, I think you need a more detailed physical examination to find the crux.
Vertin: We will help you and take care of you ...
Vertin: Until you completely recover, or say, become completely normal again.
Spathodea: You ... *sobs* Thank goodness, at least I can count on you!
Spathodea: Both my mom and dad aren't home right now. I'm on my own. It's all over for me if the condition gets worse—at least that's how it goes on the TV.
Vertin: Don't jump to the worst conclusion yet. Follow me.
Spathodea: Okay. Thank you.
Spathodea wipes off the tears in her eyes and keeps up with Vertin. But soon they both stop and turn back to the one still on the sofa.
Desert Flannel: ...
Desert Flannel: What? What are you staring at?
Desert Flannel: She's having a body check-up. Do I have to tag along?
Spathodea: You are going to sneak away for those "part-time jobs," aren't you?!
Desert Flannel: Fine, genius. You win.
Murmuring something, Desert Flannel unwillingly follows the team.
Desert Flannel: Oi, you with the suitcase. Do you know how I can get a job here? Looks like they pay their employees well.