This story is a sequel to Emoticon

Not too long ago, Sergeant Major Dawn Triage, medic of the Dusk Guard, broke a rule. It was easy. Simple, even. No one said anything. No one even noticed. And it wasn't a major rule. She simply ... neglected ... to ask for permission from a patient of hers before running a test. It was only to indulge a faint curiosity, an interest that she was fairly certain would never achieve any actionable result. "What harm could it do," she'd asked herself, "if nothing ever came of it?"

Perhaps she should have asked herself what would have happened if something had.

Sixth and final of the Side Stories to The Dusk Guard: Rise. Familiarity with Rise is not required per se, but recommended.
Side Stories so far:
Carry On
The Definition of Strength
Old Habits
Emoticon
Remembrance
Trust

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Special Thanks to Jorlem, Sinister Voice, and AlouetteSK for their help pre-reading and editing.