Categories > Games > Mario > Bittersweet
A week later, Luigi couldn't help but notice that his brother might be coming down with some kind of illness. His appetite had reduced to nothing, he slept a lot, but was still tired when he woke up, and when Luigi did force him to eat something, it would come back up later. Around the sixth or seventh day, Mario also began complaining of an upset stomach and a fever. This last one worried Luigi a lot, because whenever the little wolf had a fever, it would be a severe one; his temperature would rise to a burning 104.3° F.
Though Mario was deathly afraid of doctors, Luigi made an appointment with Dr. Toadley nonetheless. If this illness proved to be grave, he didn't want to take any chances.
+++
"Luigi? You and Mario are next," the nurse at the clinic called out, checking off something in her pink binder.
Luigi nodded and helped Mario up. The elder sibling's stomach was bothering him so much now that it was hard for him to sit or stand, and no amount of medicine could settle it. He also had his blankie wrapped around him, as he had also gotten a chill the night before and would not leave the house without it. With his blankie, he felt more secure about going to the scary doctor's office.
The two walked into the doctor's room, dimly lit as always. Various decorations danced among the walls, and the famed crystal ball sat in the middle. Dr. Toadley himself sat in front of it, facing the wall, so his back was turned to Mario and Luigi.
"What predicament has befallen you?" the doctor asked, getting down to business.
Luigi spoke for his brother, who was hiding behind him in fear. "I-It's Mario, Dr. Toadley. A week ago, he lost his appetite completely and whatever food he does manage to eat comes back up later. He's become very tired and he can't rest, no matter what he sleeps. And a few days ago, he came down with an upset stomach and a high fever. I-I don't know what type of illness he might have, but maybe you might know?"
Dr. Toadley sat in silence as he thought about Luigi's words. Then he turned around in his seat, so that he was now facing the two siblings. "Does Mario have a serious ailment? Indeed he does," he said finally. "But is all of this from an illness? It seems highly unlikely."
"What do you mean?" Luigi asked.
"I hear this dilemma coming from female Toads all the time, but have I heard this from a male Toad? Never," the doctor continued. "However, it could be possible for male humans. The fever, restlessness, loss of appetite and nausea could be side effects to what is really ailing Mario. I have a few suspicions about his current condition, but will I have more meaningful answers after I perform a few tests? Yes, hopefully."
Luigi wasn't totally sure why the doctor would bother to mention female Toads, if this was Mario they were talking about, but he figured it'd be best to keep his questions to himself for now.
The doctor turned to the little wolf. "Could you come here, Mario?" he asked. "And leave your blanket there, you won't need it for this."
His heart began to beat faster automatically, but Mario came out from hiding and cautiously made his way up, handing his blankie to his green-clad sibling.
Dr. Toadley stood up and walked him to the bathroom. Before opening the door, he held up a small circular container with a blue lid on it and gave it to Mario. Luigi couldn't hear what the doctor was saying, but he could see very well the embarrassed blush on his brother's face. Then Mario quickly slipped inside the bathroom, shutting the door. Then the doctor calmly walked back to Luigi and sat back down at his original spot.
"What did you ask him?" Luigi asked, out of spite.
Dr. Toadley did not mind the question. "I simply asked him for a urine sample," he answered.
"...And why would you ask him for that?" Luigi asked again, confused.
"One of my three suspicions is far greater than the rest. That suspicion includes a certain hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin, or abbreviated hCG. If Mario's sample contains this hormone, will I have a better result for this suspicion? I will."
Luigi nodded, though he had no idea what the hCG hormone was.
"Actually, is there more than one way to find the hormone? There is," the Toad admitted. "But I doubt Mario would want to do that, as it would require a syringe and blood from his veins."
As if on cue, the little wolf came out, holding the container behind his back. His face was a bright red as he discreetly handed it to the doctor, then rushed back to his seat beside Luigi.
"Thank you, Mario," Dr. Toadley said brightly. He took the sample and inserted it into a type of compartment that was connected to the crystal ball. "Now, let's see if hCG is present in here," he said as he began to work the crystal ball. But before he did, he turned to Luigi. "I apologize in advance," he said. "For the sake of Mario's privacy, you will not be able to view what is inside the crystal ball. It's not you, it is a standard procedure I must follow whenever there is another person along with the patient."
Luigi nodded respectfully, although he secretly wished he knew what was being shown in that crystal ball.
After a few minutes of staring into a seemingly white crystal ball, Dr. Toadley's eyes widened. "Oh my Stars..." he breathed. He waved his hands and the crystal ball dimmed to its dormant state and looked up at the two. "Is there a significant amount of human chorionic gonadotropin in Mario's sample? There is. I'm actually stunned at the percentage."
"But what does it mean? What's so important by this human chronic whatever?" Luigi asked.
"Does it mean that something that seemed impossible has happened? It has," Dr. Toadley replied, his tone sounding awed. He stood up and cleared his throat, ready to give the prognosis. "It has come to my attention...that Mario is pregnant."
Though Mario was deathly afraid of doctors, Luigi made an appointment with Dr. Toadley nonetheless. If this illness proved to be grave, he didn't want to take any chances.
+++
"Luigi? You and Mario are next," the nurse at the clinic called out, checking off something in her pink binder.
Luigi nodded and helped Mario up. The elder sibling's stomach was bothering him so much now that it was hard for him to sit or stand, and no amount of medicine could settle it. He also had his blankie wrapped around him, as he had also gotten a chill the night before and would not leave the house without it. With his blankie, he felt more secure about going to the scary doctor's office.
The two walked into the doctor's room, dimly lit as always. Various decorations danced among the walls, and the famed crystal ball sat in the middle. Dr. Toadley himself sat in front of it, facing the wall, so his back was turned to Mario and Luigi.
"What predicament has befallen you?" the doctor asked, getting down to business.
Luigi spoke for his brother, who was hiding behind him in fear. "I-It's Mario, Dr. Toadley. A week ago, he lost his appetite completely and whatever food he does manage to eat comes back up later. He's become very tired and he can't rest, no matter what he sleeps. And a few days ago, he came down with an upset stomach and a high fever. I-I don't know what type of illness he might have, but maybe you might know?"
Dr. Toadley sat in silence as he thought about Luigi's words. Then he turned around in his seat, so that he was now facing the two siblings. "Does Mario have a serious ailment? Indeed he does," he said finally. "But is all of this from an illness? It seems highly unlikely."
"What do you mean?" Luigi asked.
"I hear this dilemma coming from female Toads all the time, but have I heard this from a male Toad? Never," the doctor continued. "However, it could be possible for male humans. The fever, restlessness, loss of appetite and nausea could be side effects to what is really ailing Mario. I have a few suspicions about his current condition, but will I have more meaningful answers after I perform a few tests? Yes, hopefully."
Luigi wasn't totally sure why the doctor would bother to mention female Toads, if this was Mario they were talking about, but he figured it'd be best to keep his questions to himself for now.
The doctor turned to the little wolf. "Could you come here, Mario?" he asked. "And leave your blanket there, you won't need it for this."
His heart began to beat faster automatically, but Mario came out from hiding and cautiously made his way up, handing his blankie to his green-clad sibling.
Dr. Toadley stood up and walked him to the bathroom. Before opening the door, he held up a small circular container with a blue lid on it and gave it to Mario. Luigi couldn't hear what the doctor was saying, but he could see very well the embarrassed blush on his brother's face. Then Mario quickly slipped inside the bathroom, shutting the door. Then the doctor calmly walked back to Luigi and sat back down at his original spot.
"What did you ask him?" Luigi asked, out of spite.
Dr. Toadley did not mind the question. "I simply asked him for a urine sample," he answered.
"...And why would you ask him for that?" Luigi asked again, confused.
"One of my three suspicions is far greater than the rest. That suspicion includes a certain hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin, or abbreviated hCG. If Mario's sample contains this hormone, will I have a better result for this suspicion? I will."
Luigi nodded, though he had no idea what the hCG hormone was.
"Actually, is there more than one way to find the hormone? There is," the Toad admitted. "But I doubt Mario would want to do that, as it would require a syringe and blood from his veins."
As if on cue, the little wolf came out, holding the container behind his back. His face was a bright red as he discreetly handed it to the doctor, then rushed back to his seat beside Luigi.
"Thank you, Mario," Dr. Toadley said brightly. He took the sample and inserted it into a type of compartment that was connected to the crystal ball. "Now, let's see if hCG is present in here," he said as he began to work the crystal ball. But before he did, he turned to Luigi. "I apologize in advance," he said. "For the sake of Mario's privacy, you will not be able to view what is inside the crystal ball. It's not you, it is a standard procedure I must follow whenever there is another person along with the patient."
Luigi nodded respectfully, although he secretly wished he knew what was being shown in that crystal ball.
After a few minutes of staring into a seemingly white crystal ball, Dr. Toadley's eyes widened. "Oh my Stars..." he breathed. He waved his hands and the crystal ball dimmed to its dormant state and looked up at the two. "Is there a significant amount of human chorionic gonadotropin in Mario's sample? There is. I'm actually stunned at the percentage."
"But what does it mean? What's so important by this human chronic whatever?" Luigi asked.
"Does it mean that something that seemed impossible has happened? It has," Dr. Toadley replied, his tone sounding awed. He stood up and cleared his throat, ready to give the prognosis. "It has come to my attention...that Mario is pregnant."
Sign up to rate and review this story