Mercy stood in front of her clinic, healing gun gripped tightly in her hands. Not only had this thing revolutionized medicine when it was developed, but it made treatment of nearly everything a cinch. It was barely even worthwhile to do a full examination anymore when she could simply zap them with her gun for a few seconds and cure them of anything that might have ailed them, whether there was anything wrong or not. She had taken to standing outside and letting people form a line, charging them exorbitant prices remotely once she was done.
After about an hour she fell into a routine, barely even noticing who she was healing or why. It was all the same, and so few of them thanked her that she saw them more as faceless drones begging for her services. At least she could charge them even if they wouldn't give her the only thanks she really wanted.
Another man reached the front of the line, and without even thinking Mercy pulled the trigger to zap him. A loud pop came from the gun and electricity jumped at her glove, and a red beam coursed into him. He screamed in pain when it hit him, and Mercy quickly took her finger off the trigger. "What the hell, lady?" he protested. "That hurt!"
"Oh, I am zo zohry!" Mercy apologized, giving a slight bow. "I am having, eh... malvunction. Please, let me make it up to you, free of charge."
"All right, but no tricks this time!" he replied.
Mercy looked down and gave a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, zis won't hurt a bit!" she said, and gave him a boost. This time an orange beam came out of the gun, hitting the man in the chest. Her jaw dropped in surprise when he rapidly dwindled, too shocked to even take her finger off the trigger. By the time she thought to stop pumping the beam into him he was no larger than a bug.
Indistinct squeaking came from the tiny man while the line behind him cleared out. Mercy looked down at him, horrified. "Please believe me, I am zo, zo zohry!" she said. "I did not mean to..." One of the fleeing people bumped into her, shoving her forward. There was a soft crunch, and when she looked down her boot was exactly where the shrunken man had been standing. She winced and pulled her foot back, revealing his squashed remains on the pavement.
Someone tapped Mercy on the shoulder and she flinched, spinning around. To her surprise there was a young man standing there looking up at her. He was about a head shorter than her, and looked very eager. "Okay, now do me," he said.
"Come again?" Mercy asked.
"Make me small, like you did him!" he insisted.
"I don't underztand," Mercy said. "You want me to... zhrink you?"
"Yeah!" he said, a little too enthusiastically. "Doctor Ziegler, I would be honored if you shrank me."
Mercy looked very uncomfortable, but who was she to deny someone what she wanted? Besides, her day had just been cleared, and she could use a way to pass the time. Should she do it?
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