The High Cost Of Smurfing/Part 3

The next morning, Empath went and picked up his breakfast with most of his fellow Smurfs to eat at the dining commons. The Smurflings went to see Empath just as he sat down to start eating.

"Salutations, my fellow Smurflings," Empath greeted. "How are you feeling today?"

"We're fine, Empath," Nat said. "But Snappy's feeling a little hungry this morning."

"Oh, man, I can't wait to smurf into my breakfast, as long as it isn't those glowberries that I ate yesterday," Snappy said.

Empath smiled. "At least this smurf is glad to see that you have recovered from yesterday's experimentation with forbidden fruit, Snappy."

"By the way, where's Smurfette this morning?" Slouchy asked.

"Yeah, and where's Pappy Smurf?" Sassette added.

"From what this smurf could sense, Smurfette had to take Vanity to Papa Smurf's house this morning to get himself checked out for a nosebleed condition he's been having," Empath answered.

"Vanity had a nosebleed?" Nat asked, sounding curious. "But why?"

"Yeah, who or what smurfed him in the nose that he would smurf this thing?" Slouchy asked.

"I know Hefty doesn't particularly like Vanity's behaviors, but I wouldn't think he would smurf so low as to give him a nosebleed," Snappy said.

"Well, if it's not Hefty, then who would it be?" Sassette asked.

"The nosebleed was probably from an accident Vanity had while he was with the pixies during his visit, Smurflings," Empath said. "Anyway, we should keep such speculations to a minimum until we know for sure exactly what the cause of it is."

"I only hope that Vanity is all right, Empath," Nat said.

"Yeah, me too," Sassette said before the four of them walked away.

Tapper and Duncan soon joined Empath at the breakfast table. "Great Smurfiny Crickets, my good Empath, I would expect Smurfette to be sitting with you today," Tapper said.

"So what's with the little lassie, Empath?" Duncan asked.

"Smurfette had to take Vanity to see Papa Smurf about the nosebleed condition he's been having recently," Empath answered.

"A nosebleed?" Tapper said. "Now what could be causing Vanity to be even having a nosebleed?"

"Smurfs me if I knew, laddie," Duncan said. "Maybe the little peacock smurfed into a fight with someone and he lost. Not that he's much of a fighter anyway like his brother."

"But the pixies wouldn't have any reason to be smurfing a fight with Vanity, if that's where he's been spending the past few days," Tapper said.

"Maybe there's one who just couldn't stand the smurf of him, who knows?" Duncan said.

"Anyway, I see no point in trying to speculate the actual cause of this," Tapper said. "I will make sure that Vanity has my prayers for a full recovery from his condition."

"That's all that this smurf could ask of you, Tapper," Empath said. - Meanwhile, in Papa Smurf's laboratory, the village leader was busy giving Vanity a nasal examination to see what could be causing the nosebleed.

"You say that you smurfed home some fragrances from the pixies that could possibly be causing these nosebleeds?" Papa Smurf asked.

"Yes, Papa Smurf, that's what I told Smurfette," Vanity answered.

"But I couldn't smell anything that was coming from inside Vanity's house, Papa Smurf," Smurfette said.

"Hmmmm," Papa Smurf said, stroking his beard in thought after he finished his examination. "Well, your condition isn't too serious, but I would advise you not to continue working with those fragrances unless you're using nose plugs to protect your nasal cavities. Who knows what kind of damage they might be smurfing to the blood vessels that are so close to those cavities."

"Oh, I promise, Papa Smurf, I'll be more careful in working with them," Vanity said.

Papa Smurf got a long stick with a cotton-swabbed end and dabbed on it a silvery creamy solution. "Now this is going to burn a little, Vanity, but it should help heal the broken vessels so that your nose will stop bleeding." Vanity flinched as Papa Smurf stuck the swabbed end of the stick with the silvery solution into Vanity's nostril. After about a minute, Papa Smurf removed the stick. "There. Now just let it smurf in your nose for a while, and don't smurf open any of those fragrances that you've been working with, or this is not going to heal properly. You got that?"

"Oh, yes, Papa Smurf, I understand completely," Vanity said, sounding a bit relieved.

"Should I smurf him home to rest, Papa Smurf?" Smurfette asked.

"I think you should, to make sure that he smurfs complete rest, and that he doesn't overexert himself for the rest of the day," Papa Smurf answered. "Vanity, Smurfette will take care of you today to smurf you whatever it is you need. But under no circumstances are you to be smurfing with those fragrances, not until I'm sure you can be trusted smurfing with them safely. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Papa Smurf," Vanity said, sighing heavily.

"Don't worry, Vanity, I'm sure we can get things smurfed away with you as soon as we can," Smurfette said, taking Vanity's hand as he got up from his seat and the two of them left Papa Smurf's laboratory.

But Papa Smurf just continued to sit there and wonder.

To be expanded on.